How Does Satisfaction Translate

into Performance? An
Examination of Commitment
and Cultural Values

Jin Zhang, Wei Zheng

The purpose of this study is to add new insights into the mechanism through
which job satisfaction relates to job performance. Affective commitment was
tested as a potential mediator between job satisfaction and job performance,
and traditionality was used as a potential moderator between job satisfaction
and affective commitment. A survey study was conducted on 292 employees
from seven companies in China. The study findings suggest that affective com-
mitment serves as one of the mechanisms through which job satisfaction influ-
ences job performance. Job satisfaction can strengthen people’s identification
with, involvement in, and emotional attachment to their organization which
in turn can foster better performance. The second major finding of this study
is that cultural values influence how well people translate job satisfaction into
affective commitment. People who are culturally more traditional tend to
transfer their satisfaction with their job into stronger commitment than peo-
ple lower in cultural traditionality. HRD implications are drawn.

Since the emergence of the human relations movement, the relationship

between job satisfaction and job performance has captured much scholarly
attention (Judge, Thoresen, Bono, & Patton, 2001). Human resource develop-
ment (HRD) draws heavily from the human relations philosophies and is con-
cerned with how to foster desirable workplace attitudes and behavior, among
which job satisfaction and job performance are key constructs (Bartlett &
Kang, 2004). Studies multiplied to shed light on the linkage between job satis-
faction and job performance but findings remain controversial (Brayfield &
Crockett, 1955; Iaffaldano & Muchinsky, 1985; Judge et al., 2001). A general

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY, vol. 20, no. 3, Fall 2009 © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) • DOI: 10.1002/hrdq.20022 331
332 Zhang, Zheng

consensus exists that there is a significant relationship between job satisfaction

and job performance, ranging from .17 to .30 (Iaffaldano & Muchinsky, 1985;
Judge et al., 2001). However, the relationship has received inconsistent sup-
port, and there is no consensus regarding the validity of various models to
explain the relationship (Judge et al., 2001).
Exploration of mediators and moderators has been pursued in order to
help explain inconsistent findings between job satisfaction and job perfor-
mance (Judge et al., 2001). A mediator accounts for the relation between the
independent variable and the dependent variable (Baron & Kenny, 1986).
A moderator is a variable “that affects the direction and/or strength of the
relation between an independent or predictor variable and a dependent or
criterion variable” (1986, p. 1174). However, it is still not well understood
how job satisfaction and job performance influence one another (Judge et al.,
2001). For HRD scholars and practitioners, it is critically important to eluci-
date how job satisfaction and job performance influence one another so that
HRD practices can be designed that ensure alignment of satisfaction and per-
formance. For example, with knowledge of the relationship between job sat-
isfaction and job performance, HRD professionals could help strengthen
organizational practices that encourage organizational members to translate
job satisfaction into efforts to improve job performance. In the reverse direc-
tion, HRD professionals could sharpen the focus of performance improve-
ment practices to make sure individual job satisfaction is enhanced when
their performance improves. This study is an effort to explore the psycholog-
ical processes that can explain the linkage between job satisfaction and job
performance.
The social psychological perspective adopted in this study posits that
attitude influences behavior (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980; Allen & Meyer, 1990,
1996; Bhuian & Abdul-Muhmin, 1997; Cohen, 1991; Eagly, 1992; Hellman &
McMillan, 1994; Jamal & Badawi, 1995; Mathieu & Zajac, 1990; Organ &
Ryan, 1995; Riketta, 2002; Yavas & Bodur, 1999). This perspective regards
attitudes as important causes and predictors of behavior (Eagly, 1992). It is
consistent with one of the key foundations of HRD, human relations school
of thought, which holds that in order to improve performance, employees
need to be motivated, satisfied, and in good social relations with other orga-
nizational members (Swanson & Holton, 2001). Although a foundational
belief in HRD, it is not clear through what mechanisms job satisfaction influ-
ences job performance. In other words, it is not clear how HRD professionals
could maximally leverage organizational members’ positive attitudes toward
their jobs for improving their performance outcomes.
Affective commitment captures the employees’ emotional attachment to,
identification with, and involvement in, the organization (Allen & Meyer,
1990). Affective commitment captures the employees’ attitude toward their
organizations in general and it may influence their decision to expend efforts
on their jobs. Affective commitment could result from job satisfaction

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An Examination of Commitment and Cultural Values 333

(Bhuian & Abdul-Muhmin, 1997; Hellman & McMillan, 1994; Jamal &
Badawi, 1995; Yavas & Bodur, 1999) and could lead to better performance
(Allen & Meyer, 1996; Cohen, 1991; Mathieu & Zajac, 1990; Organ &
Ryan, 1995; Riketta, 2002). It could serve as a mediator between job satis-
faction and job performance, because the level of satisfaction affects the level
of organizational members’ commitment toward their organization, and as a
consequence commitment leads to the amount of effort organizational mem-
bers exert on their jobs and subsequently the level of their job performance.
No studies have been found to directly examine the potential mediating role
of affective commitment in transferring the influence of job satisfaction to
job performance.
Furthermore, culture influences attitude (Dorfman & Howell, 1988).
The literature shows that levels of satisfaction and commitment differ across
cultural groups (Clugston, Howell, & Dorfman, 2000; Palich, Hom, & Griffeth,
1995; Sommer, Bae, & Luthans, 1996). However, how culture influences the
relationship of the two constructs has not been examined. Cultural values
can serve to shape how people react to their job and their organizations.
This study is situated in the Chinese context. China is undergoing significant
socio-cultural transformations that constitute an interesting ground for test-
ing how the divide of traditional and modern values plays its role in how
people perceive their job and how it affects their commitment to their orga-
nizations. This study investigated the potential moderating effect of
traditionality (Farh, Earley, & Lin, 1997) on the relationship between job
satisfaction and affective commitment.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to examine the mechanism through which job
satisfaction influences job performance. In particular, an attitudinal con-
struct (affective commitment) is investigated as a potential mediator in the
relationship between job satisfaction and job performance, and a cultural
construct (traditionality) is introduced as a moderator in the connection
between job satisfaction and affective commitment. Our specific research
questions are:

• Does affective commitment mediate the relationship between job satisfac-

tion and job performance?
• Does traditionality moderate the relationship between job satisfaction and
affective commitment?

Theoretical Background
The literature on the relationship between job satisfaction and job perfor-
mance provides the background for this study.

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334 Zhang, Zheng

Job Satisfaction – Job Performance. Job satisfaction and job performance

are both key constructs in HRD research. Job satisfaction refers to the
employee’s pleasurable or positive emotional state as a result of the appraisal
of one’s job and job experiences (Locke, 1970; Schmidt, 2007). It is an indi-
cator of not only employee well-being and psychological health (Haccoun &
Jeanrie, 1995), but also numerous desirable organizational outcomes, such as
work attendance, intention to remain in the organization, motivation to transfer
learning, turnover intention, and actual turnover (Brown, 1996; Egan, Yang, &
Bartlett, 2004; Tett & Meyer, 1993). Job performance is the central theme in
HRD because one of the key goals of HRD interventions is to enhance job per-
formance (Swanson & Holton, 2001).
Our understanding of the relationship between job satisfaction and job
performance has evolved over the years. Since the human relations move-
ment in the 1930s, the potential contribution of job satisfaction to job per-
formance has been established (Judge et al., 2001). Literature suggests that
the connection between job satisfaction and job performance is small but
significant (Iaffaldano & Muchinsky, 1985; Judge et al., 2001). Multiple
explanations are offered to explain the relationship between job satisfaction
and job performance. On the one hand, it is believed that happier people
make more productive people (job satisfaction leads to job performance;
(Keaveney & Nelson, 1993; Shore & Martin, 1989). This perspective is
based on human relations theories and underlying social psychology theo-
ries. Social psychology theories suggest that human attitudes have a bearing
on behavior, which gives rise to the path from job satisfaction to job perfor-
mance. On the other hand, some scholars believe that more productive peo-
ple feel more satisfied at work (job performance leads to job satisfaction;
Brown, Cron, & Leigh, 1993; MacKenzie, Podsakoff, & Ahearne, 1998).
This perspective grounds itself on motivation theories (Deci & Ryan, 1985;
Lawler & Porter, 1967). For example, Lawler and Porter’s motivation theory
(1967) posits that better performance brings about intrinsic and extrinsic
rewards that could increase job satisfaction. Locke (1970) explains that job
performance influences goal and value attainment, which elevates job satis-
faction. Moreover, some believe there is a reciprocal relationship between job
satisfaction and job performance (Sheridan & Slocum, 1975; Wanous,
1974). Despite the abundance of research on satisfaction and performance,
more studies are called for to investigate potential mediators and moderators
that may further our understanding of the relationship (Judge et al., 2001).
This study follows the social psychological perspective that posits attitude
influencing behavior and thus assumes the direction of job satisfaction to job
performance.
Affective Commitment Mediating the Relationship Between Job Satis-
faction and Job Performance. There is a special dearth of research examining
the affective and cognitive processes that explain the relationship between job
satisfaction and job performance (Judge et al., 2001). Some researchers

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An Examination of Commitment and Cultural Values 335

propose that positive affect and withdrawal behavior could mediate the influ-
ence of job satisfaction on job performance (Hulin, 1991; Isen & Baron, 1991).
We follow Ajzen and Fishbein’s proposition (1980) that attitude toward behav-
ior does not directly predict behavior, but must first be translated into behav-
ioral intention. Organizational commitment captures a behavioral intention to
stay with an organization, based on a feeling of obligation to the organization
(Allen & Meyer, 1990). It usually follows from an individual’s entering an orga-
nization and internalizing the norms in the organization (Allen & Meyer,
1990).
Allen and Meyer (1990) divide organizational commitment into three
dimensions: affective, normative, and continuance. Affective commitment
refers to the individual’s identification with, involvement in, and emotional
attachment to the organization. Normative commitment captures the sense of
obligation to the organization based on organizational members’ belief that
they ought to do so. Continuance commitment encompasses organizational
members’ recognition of the costs resulting from their leaving the organiza-
tion. Of the three dimensions of organizational commitment, affective com-
mitment has been the most frequently validated (O’Reilly & Chatman, 1986;
Price & Mueller, 1981) and found to have the strongest correlations with
employee attitudes and work behavior (Allen & Meyer, 1996; Meyer, Stanley,
Herscovitch, & Topolnytsky, 2002; Riketta, 2002). Normative commitment is
generally regarded as influenced by perceptions of organizational expectations
and continuance commitment related to transferability of skills and costs of
leaving (Allen & Meyer, 1990). In our study, we intend to connect commit-
ment to satisfaction and performance, which capture work-related attitude
and behavior with which affective commitment seems to have closer relation-
ships than normative or continuance commitment. Furthermore, job satisfac-
tion is an affect and is one of the components of subjective well-being that
may be more relevant to affective commitment than the other two dimen-
sions, and so affective commitment is used.
A range of variables have been found to influence the level of affective
commitment, involving personal characteristics such as age, role-related
characteristics such as degree of autonomy, structural characteristics such as
organizational communication, and work experience characteristics such
as leadership (Cohen, 1992). Job satisfaction was found to be associated
with affective commitment (Bhuian & Abdul-Muhmin, 1997; Hellman &
McMillan, 1994; Jamal & Badawi, 1995; Yavas & Bodur, 1999). In particu-
lar, job satisfaction is seen as an antecedent to affective commitment because
the more satisfied people are with their job, the more identification they may
experience with their organization (Brown & Peterson, 1993; Mowday,
Porter, & Steers, 1982; Mueller, Boyer, Price, & Iveson, 1994). Organiza-
tional members’ orientation toward a specific job precedes orientation
toward the entire organization (Currivan, 1999). Moreover, job satisfaction
was even found to mediate the effect of various antecedents on commitment,

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336 Zhang, Zheng

such as pre-employment expectations, perceived job characteristics, role

conflict and role ambiguity, organizational culture, and leadership styles
(Iverson & Roy, 1994; Williams & Hazer, 1986; Yousef, 2002).
At the same time, affective commitment affects job performance. A
higher level of individual commitment to the organization leads to more
effort exerted in performing one’s tasks, which leads to better performance
outcomes. Research has demonstrated a positive link between affective com-
mitment and job performance and productivity (Allen & Meyer, 1996;
Cohen, 1991; Mathieu & Zajac, 1990; Organ & Ryan, 1995; Randall, 1990;
Riketta, 2002). Therefore, affective commitment can help explain how satis-
faction influences job performance.
Enhanced satisfaction with one’s job indicates that one’s needs are met,
and the positive experience can lead to elevated identification with and emo-
tional attachment to the organization; this attachment can translate into an
enhanced level of effort on the job, and more consideration for the organiza-
tion even when negative things take place, which consequently contributes
to performance improvement. Therefore, we hypothesize that affective com-
mitment mediates the relationship between job satisfaction and job perfor-
mance. At the same time, this mediation is partial because job satisfaction
influences job performance through other channels such as reduced absence
and turnover (Hulin, 1991) and positive affect (Isen & Baron, 1991) which
may favorably influence performance without affecting commitment level.

HYPOTHESIS 1: Affective commitment partially mediates the relationship between

job satisfaction and job performance.

Traditionality Moderating the Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and

Affective Commitment. Judge et al. (2001) suggest that the variability in the
relationship between job satisfaction and job performance may be due to the
existence of moderators. In our study, we examine how cultural values may
moderate the relationship between job satisfaction and affective commitment.
Both job satisfaction and affective commitment reflect people’s attitudes, which
are usually shaped by cultural values. A number of studies explored the con-
nection of cultural values and commitment (Clugston, Howell, & Dorfman,
2000; Palich, Hom, & Griffeth, 1995; Sommer, Bae, & Luthans, 1996). For
example, McKinnon, Harrison, Chow, and Wu (2003) found that organiza-
tional culture valuing innovation, respect for people, stability, and aggressive-
ness had strong relationships with commitment in the Taiwanese context.
However, the correlation between cultural values and commitment has been
shown to be small (for example, only 2.7% of the variance in commitment was
explained by cultural values in Palich et al.’s 1995 study). Kirkman and Shapiro
(2001) called for examination of more complex models between cultural val-
ues and commitment. One explanation of the small correlation could be that
cultural values may influence commitment through strengthening or weakening

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An Examination of Commitment and Cultural Values 337

the influence of some antecedents of commitment. Our study examines one

set of cultural values, traditionality, as a potential moderator in the relation-
ship between job performance and affective commitment.
Traditionality is defined as a commitment to, respect for, and acceptance
of the customs and norms of a traditional society (Schwartz, 1992). Tradition-
ality encompasses cultural values such as respect for authority, filial piety, male
domination, and a general sense of powerlessness (Yang, Yu, & Yeh, 1989).
These values are consistent with the fundamental relationships of Confucian
thought in China (Spreitzer, Perttula, & Xin, 2005). From Hofstede’s concept of
power distance (1997), Hui, Lee, and Rousseau (2004) suggest that in the
Chinese culture, traditionality largely corresponds with Hofstede’s power
distance, which captures the extent to which employees accept status
differences and follow the rules defined by their roles. Specifically, high-
traditionality employees tend to comply with their leaders’ directions while
low-traditionality employees are less likely to do so simply because of their
status differences (Chen & Aryee, 2007). However, traditionality encom-
passes a larger domain than power distance in that it carries moral overtones
that are prescribed in the Confucian culture (Schwartz, 1992), thus rendering
traditionality particularly relevant in the Chinese context.
Traditionality can be construed and measured at both the individual
and societal levels (Farh, Hackett, & Liang, 2007). Although cultural values
are usually studied at the societal level, it was found that there are substan-
tial within-society cultural differences along cultural dimensions (Cross &
Madson, 1997; Triandis, 1995) and many studies actually examined cultural
values at the individual level (Kirkman, Lowe, & Gibson, 2006). The fast
transformation of Chinese society has been a fertile ground for observing dif-
ferent cultural values. Starting from the late 1980s, Chinese values have been
changing substantially because of socio-economic transitions, in areas such
as superior-subordinate relationship, personal control, and moral discipline
(Ralston et al., 2006). Further, it was found that different generations of Chi-
nese have their own values related to openness, materialism, and family and
kinship ties (Egri & Ralston, 2004). Traditionality could serve to accentuate
individuals’ value differences in the Chinese context.
High-traditionality employees tend to be high on power distance—
accepting the unequal distribution of power (Fahr et al., 2007). In high power
distance cultures, the less powerful members expect and accept that power is
distributed unequally (Hofstede, 1997). High power distance values may
prompt superiors to assume subordinates are inferior, and subordinates in
turn seek exchange-based security and economic relationships rather than
self-development (Bochner & Hesketh, 1994). Increased satisfaction with
their jobs may lead people high on traditionality to attribute their job satis-
faction to the favorable conditions provided them by their organization, and
in turn, they may feel more identified with their organization. In other
words, high traditionality may amplify the individual’s commitment to the

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338 Zhang, Zheng

Figure 1. Hypothesized Model of this Study

Supervisor-rated
Job satisfaction
performance

Affective
commitment

Traditionality

organization as a result of increased job satisfaction. For low-traditionality

employees, because of their greater focus on their own development,
increased satisfaction with their jobs may be less likely attributable to favors
from the organization, and hence they may experience a relatively smaller
increment in commitment.

HYPOTHESIS 2: Traditionality moderates the relationship between job satisfaction

and affective commitment. The relationship will be stronger for people higher in
traditionality.

Figure 1 presents the hypothesized conceptual framework for this study.

Method
A survey was conducted to collect data on the relevant variables.
Samples and Procedures. Respondents in the present study are employ-
ees and their supervisors from seven companies in manufacturing industries
in mainland China. Four hundred employee questionnaires and an equal num-
ber (400) of supervisor evaluation forms were distributed to those companies.
The research assistants from the research team and the coordinators from each
human resources department in the companies were trained to administer and
monitor the data collection process. The coordinators from the department of
human resources of those companies provided the list of employees and their
immediate supervisors. The research assistants and the coordinators distrib-
uted and collected the questionnaires. The respondents were asked to volun-
tarily fill out a questionnaire in which several measures were included.
Respondents were assured that their answers would not be connected back to

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An Examination of Commitment and Cultural Values 339

their names and only the researchers had access to the original dataset. Mean-
while, their immediate supervisors were asked to voluntarily evaluate their
subordinates’ job performance with an evaluation form. A total of 328
employee questionnaires were returned (return rate 82%) and 292 supervisor
evaluation forms were collected (return rate 73%). Finally, 292 supervisor-sub-
ordinate dyads and their completed data remained in the dataset for further
analyses.
Of the 292 employee respondents, about half were male (52.1%) and
44.5% were single. Respondents reported an average age of 30.13 years
(SD ⫽ 7.45) and an average organizational tenure of 4.85 years. About one-
fourth of the respondents have a senior high school diploma or under
(25.9%), 30.6% took some college coursework (two-year), and 34.5% had a
university degree. Among all the respondents, 23.2% were from state-own
companies, 62.2% from private or cooperative enterprises, and 14.6% from
foreign-owned companies, joint ventures, or other types of companies. The
respondents’ occupational background included marketing/sales (23.8%),
technician/engineering/information system (7.3%), manufacturing/operation
(6.4%), management/administration (14.9%), research/development (4.3%),
personnel/training/finance (13.1%), logistics/services (14.3), and others
(2.1%). Respondent positions included 5.8% senior-level management,
24.7% middle-level managers, 24.1% junior managers, 16.8% staffs or clerks,
and 15.9% workers.
Measures. All the measures used in the present study were originally
designed and developed in English except for the traditionality scale and the
performance scale. The English measures were translated into Chinese and
applied in studies conducted in China by other researchers before. In the cur-
rent research, the Chinese versions of all the measures were employed directly.
Job Satisfaction. We used a scale consisting of six items, on a 5-point
scale, to measure employees’ satisfaction with their jobs, supervisors, peer
relations, income, and development and promotion. Developed by Tsui,
Egan and O’Reilly (1992), the scale was used in previous studies by scholars
in both American (Wesolowski & Mossholder, 1997) and Chinese contexts
(Li, Tian, & Shi, 2006), with acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s
alpha of .83 in Li et al., 2006). Sample items are “I am satisfied with the job I
am doing” and “I am satisfied with the opportunities of promotion and
development in this company.”
Affective Commitment. We used a measure of affective commitment by
Chen and Francesco (2003) in the Chinese context. The measure was also
used by other scholars in Singapore (Lee, Lee, & Lum, 2008) and Greece
(Markovits, Davis, & van Dick, 2007). It contains six items, on a 7-point
scale, with acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha of .80 in Chen &
Francesco, 2003). Sample items are “I would be very happy to spend the rest
of my career with this organization” and “I do not feel like ‘part of the family’
at my organization” (reverse-scored).

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340 Zhang, Zheng

Traditionality. The traditionality scale was designed by Farh et al. (1997)

to measure the degree to which Chinese people hold traditional cultural val-
ues. The scale includes five items with a 7-point scale (1 ⫽ do not agree at
all; 7 ⫽ totally agree). Example items are “Children should respect whom
their parents respect” and “One should obey leaders.” The items have been
used in previous studies in Taiwan (Farh et al., 1997; Fahr et al., 2007),
Hong Kong (Farh et al., 1997), and Mainland China (Hui et al., 2004). The
internal consistency coefficient (Cronbach’s alpha) ranged from .60 (in Farh
et al., 1997) to .74 (Hui et al., 2004).
Supervisor-Rated Performance. The performance measure involves 11
items that were given to supervisors to evaluate their immediate subordi-
nates who have responded to the survey questionnaire. Among the 11 items,
five of them were used to evaluate the employee’s task performance (e.g., this
employee can effectively fulfill his/her job requirements), five for contextual
performance (e.g., this employee is happy to provide extra help for the com-
pany outside his/her job requirements), and one item to assess the overall
performance level, on a 6-point scale. This evaluation measure was devel-
oped and used in both American and Chinese contexts by Luthans, Avolio,
Walumbwa, and Li (2005).
Reliability and Validity of the Measures. Each of the measures we
selected has been used in the Chinese context and has demonstrated adequate
reliability and validity. To evaluate their reliability in our study, Cronbach’s
alpha was calculated for each of the measures as a reliability index. The relia-
bility coefficients for the four measures used in the present study ranged from
0.71 to 0.90 (see Table 1).
To establish content validity, six experts in human resource develop-
ment and in psychometrics were invited to review and discuss each measure.
These experts were from the school of management or the department of
psychology in four universities (Tsinghua University, Cornell University, Uni-
versity of California at Berkeley, and Peking University) who published on
topics related to this study. The experts read and evaluated each measure

Table 1. Means, Standard Deviations, Reliability, and Correlations

Among Study Variablesa
Mean s.d. 1 2 3 4

1 Traditionality 3.98 1.08 (0.71)

2 Job satisfaction 3.86 0.56 0.27 (0.81)
3 Affective commitment 3.73 0.57 0.16 0.38 (0.83)
4 Supervisor-rated performance 4.91 0.49 0.11 0.28 0.29 (0.90)
Note: Values in parentheses are internal consistency reliability estimates.
aCorrelation coefficients of .16 or greater are significant at p ⬍ .01. Correlation coefficients that are
greater than .12 and less than .16 are significant at p ⬍ .05 with listwise deletion.

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An Examination of Commitment and Cultural Values 341

independently on how well each item measured the corresponding con-

struct. They gave feedback on the scales to the authors. Revisions were made
according to the comments from those experts. To ensure construct validity,
confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to analyze the structural
validity of the four measures (job satisfaction, affective commitment, tradi-
tionality, and performance). Table 2 reports the CFA results. The results of
the CFA show a clear convergence of items within each measure and clear
distinction among the four measures. The six items in the job satisfaction
scale showed large factor loadings (factor loadings ⬎ 0.66). The same thing
happened to the other three scales: affective commitment (six items, factor
loadings ⬎ 0.47), traditionality (five items, factor loadings ⬎ 0.45), and
supervisor-rated performance (11 items, factor loadings ⬎ 0.43). The fit
indices of the CFA model revealed that the four-factor model was fitting the
data, indicating the distinctiveness of the constructs in the present study
(x2 ⫽ 332.45, CFI ⫽ .95, NNFI ⫽ .93, RMSEA ⫽ .05). The results of CFA
indicate that those four measures used in this study have acceptable con-
struct validity.

Results
Descriptive Statistics and Correlations. Table 1 presents the means, stan-
dard deviations, and correlations among the study variables and control vari-
ables. Job satisfaction was found to have a significantly positive relationship
with both performance (r ⫽ 0.28, p ⬍ .01) and affective commitment
(r ⫽ 0.38, p ⬍ .01). Affective commitment was also positively correlated to
performance (r ⫽ 0.29, p ⬍ .01). Traditionality was positively correlated with
both job satisfaction (r ⫽ 0.27, p ⬍ .01) and affective commitment (r ⫽ .16,
p ⬍ .01).The correlation between job satisfaction and affective commitment is
moderate (r ⫽ 0.38, p ⬍ .01).
To rule out the potential common method bias problem caused by using
self-report scales on job satisfaction, traditionality, and affective commitment,
we used the statistical remedial approach recommended by Podsakoff and
Organ (1986). These scales were entered into an exploratory factor analysis.
Podsakoff and Organ (1986) set the criteria that if (1) a single factor emerges
from the factor analysis, or (2) one factor accounts for the majority of the
covariance in these variables, this indicates a substantial amount of common
method bias. The unrotated factor solutions in our analysis showed that
three factors emerged, accounting for 45% of the variance of all variables
and there was no single factor that accounted for the majority of the covari-
ance. According to Podsakoff and Organ (1986), common method bias was
not present with the data collected in the current study.
Hypothesis Testing. Hypothesis 1 was examined by using a hierarchical
regression analysis. In the first regression analysis for mediation effect (model 1),
we entered age, education, tenure, and position as control variables, and then

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342 Zhang, Zheng

Table 2. Items in Four Measures and Factor Loadings

Factor
Scale and Item 1 2 3 4

Job Satisfaction with

Work .81
Supervisor .73
Relationship .84
Income .66
Development .73
In general .83
Affect Commitment
Work here until retired .75
As my own company .65
Feeling of belongings .73
Affective connection .80
Member of a family .47
Good to myself .72
Traditionality
Obeying leaders .59
Following seniors .72
Women are dependent .78
Elderly has power .73
Like what parents like .45
Supervisor-rated performance
Can do good job .85
Do extra work .66
High competency .77
Efficient .89
Play his/her role well .86
High performer .84
Help others at work .71
Protect company’s image .71
Care about the development of the company .67
Prevent problems at work .77
Hardly complain .43

entered job satisfaction as the independent variable (main effect). The dependent
variable was affective commitment. In model 2, we followed the same procedure
to enter variables as in model 1. The third step for model 2 was to enter job
satisfaction and affective commitment together to test the mediating effect.

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An Examination of Commitment and Cultural Values 343

Table 3. Results of Regression Analysis for Mediation

Model 1 Model 2
Affective Supervisor-rated
Variables commitment performance

Controls
Age 0.18* 0.15*
Education 0.11 0.13
Tenure ⫺0.05 0.08
Position 0.11 0.02
⌬R2 0.06* 0.07**
Direct effect
Job satisfaction 0.36** 0.29**
⌬R2 0.11** 0.07**
Mediating effects
Job satisfaction 0.20**
Affective commitment 0.21**
⌬R2 0.04**
Overall R2 0.41 0.42
Overall model F 8.67 7.44**
Note: Dependent variable: model 1 – affective commitment, model 2 – supervisor-rated performance
* indicates that coefficient is significant at .05 level.
** indicates that coefficient is significant at .01 level.

The dependent variable for model 2 was supervisor-rated performance.

As shown in Table 3, model 1 job satisfaction was positively related to affective
commitment (b ⫽ .36, p ⬍ .01). Model 2 shows that affective commitment was
positively related to job performance (b ⫽ .21, p ⬍ .01), when job satisfaction
and demographic variables were controlled for. Further, the regression coeffi-
cient of job satisfaction on job performance remained significant (r ⫽ .20,
p ⬍ .01) but the magnitude of the coefficient decreased (from r ⫽ .36 to r ⫽ .20)
after affective commitment was entered into the regression. These results revealed
that affective commitment partially mediated the relationship between job satis-
faction and job performance. Hypothesis 1 was fully supported.
The moderation effect of traditionality on the relationship between job
satisfaction and affective commitment was examined using a hierarchical
regression analysis. First, with affective commitment as the dependent vari-
able, we entered age, education, tenure, and position as control variables.
Second, we tested the main effect of two independent variables (traditionality
and job satisfaction) by entering job satisfaction and traditionality into the
regression analysis. At the third step, we calculated an interaction term (job
satisfaction ⫻ traditionality). To reduce multicollinearity due to the overlap of

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344 Zhang, Zheng

Table 4. Results of Regression Analysis for

Moderation by Traditionality
Variables Affective commitment

Step 1: Controls
Age 0.07
Education ⫺0.02
Tenure 0.13
Position 0.09
⌬R2 0.05
⌬F 2.68*
Step 2: Main effects
Job Satisfaction 0.30**
Traditionality 0.18*
⌬R2 0.15
⌬F 12.23**
Step 3: Moderating effects
Job Satisfaction ⫻ Traditionality 0.22*
⌬R2 0.03
⌬F 4.61**
* indicates that coefficient is significant at .05 level.
** indicates that coefficient is significant at .01 level.

job satisfaction and traditionality, we centered the variables used in the inter-
action term (job satisfaction and traditionality; Aiken & West, 1991). The
interaction term was entered; the significance test of the beta coefficient of
this term and the variance of dependent variable explained by this term are
reported in Table 4. As predicted (Hypothesis 2), the interaction term was
significant (b ⫽ .22, p ⬍ .05), which means that traditionality positively
moderated the effect of job satisfaction on affective commitment. Higher tra-
ditionality can strengthen the relationship between job satisfaction and affec-
tive commitment. The interaction term of job satisfaction and traditionality
accounted for 3% of the variances in affective commitment (⌬R2 ⫽ .03,
⌬F ⫽ 4.61, p ⬍ .01). This means that the interaction term of job satisfaction
and traditionality explained more variance in affective commitment than
when the interaction was not considered, confirming that the moderation
effect exists. Therefore, Hypothesis 2 was fully supported.

Discussion
The purpose of this study is to shed light on the connection between job sat-
isfaction and job performance. We identified a potential mediator and a

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An Examination of Commitment and Cultural Values 345

potential moderator in the connection. We tested and found that affective

commitment can serve as one of the mechanisms through which job satis-
faction influences job performance. This means that job satisfaction can stren-
gthen people’s identification with, involvement in, and emotional attachment
to their organization. This identification in turn influences how well people
perform at their job. At the same time, job satisfaction also influences job
performance directly. The second major finding of this study is that cultural
values influence how well people translate job satisfaction into affective com-
mitment. People who are more culturally traditional tend to transfer their
satisfaction with their jobs into stronger commitment than do people who
are lower in cultural traditionality.
Theoretical Implications. This study contributes to the job satisfaction
and job performance literature in several ways. First, it strengthens the idea
that the well-being of organizational members is not only desirable in and of
itself but it also affects job performance. The well-being of organizational mem-
bers has been a key focus of HRD researchers. Job satisfaction constitutes part
of the well-being of organizational members. HRD scholars have recognized
that performance is a key outcome of well-being (Swanson & Holton, 2001)
and that individuals who have a sense of fulfillment would inherently make
decisions that cause an organization to prosper (Bierema, 1996). This view is
empirically validated in this study. Our findings showed that there is a sub-
stantial connection between self-rated job satisfaction and supervisor-rated per-
formance. Increased satisfaction influences performance of individuals.
Second, our study responded to Judge et al.’s call (2001) for more
research to illuminate how job satisfaction influences job performance
because the affective and cognitive processes that underlie the satisfaction
and performance connection have been inadequately explored (Judge et al.,
2001). Existing research has identified factors such as withdrawal (Hulin,
1991) and positive affect (Brief, Butcher, & Roberson, 1995) as possible
mediating factors that influence the relationship between job satisfaction and
job performance. Our study extended the line of research to include affective
commitment. Our findings suggested that affective commitment could trans-
mit the effect of job satisfaction onto job performance. We found that
increased job satisfaction could lead to a higher commitment level which
corresponds with existing research (Brown & Peterson, 1993; Mowday,
Porter, & Steers, 1982; Mueller, Boyer, Price, & Iverson, 1994), and a higher
commitment level could lead to better performance which also corresponds
to existing understandings (Allen & Meyer, 1996; Cohen, 1991; Mathieu &
Zajac, 1990; Organ & Ryan, 1995; Randall, 1990; Riketta, 2002). Our study
contributed to the existing literature by identifying and finding that affective
commitment can act as a mediator between job satisfaction and job perfor-
mance. By enhancing affective commitment, individuals’ job satisfaction can
have a larger positive effect on job performance. Future research could study
this mediating effect deeper and bring further evidence to our finding.

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY • DOI: 10.1002/hrdq

346 Zhang, Zheng

Third, the significant moderation effect of traditionality implies that cul-

tural values play an important part in organizational life. HRD professionals
have recognized the importance of cultural values and their impact on orga-
nizational members’ attitudes (Francis, 1995). Our study revealed that cul-
tural values significantly affect how job satisfaction influences commitment.
Members who are higher in traditionality may more readily translate their
satisfaction on the job into their commitment to their organizations, while
members who are lower in traditionality may be less likely to do so. Our
study answered the call of Kirkman and Shapiro (2001) for exploration of
more complex models of cultural values and commitment than direct corre-
lations. Our findings contributed to the existing literature by furnishing a
moderation model of cultural value on satisfaction and commitment. Our
findings suggest that cultural values may serve as a valve in the relationship
between commitment and job satisfaction. Their relationship may vary with
the cultural values that individuals hold. It is therefore vitally important to
recognize what the cultural values are in individuals and how the values may
affect how factors influence commitment, before HRD interventions are
designed. In addition, we presented further evidence that traditionality can
be used as an effective measurement in differentiating individuals in the
Chinese culture, although future studies could use traditionality in other cul-
tural contexts.
Practical Implications. This study carries several implications for HRD
professionals. First, HRD professionals need to continue enhancing organiza-
tional members’ satisfaction with their job and increase their commitment to
the organization, because both can lead to desirable performance outcomes.
HRD professionals could use interventions such as training and organization
development (OD) to foster higher levels of commitment and satisfaction. Sev-
eral HRD studies confirmed that training practices could enhance employee
commitment (Meyer & Smith, 2000; Whitener, 2001). For example, training
could benefit organizational members’ job-related, career-related, and personal-
related development (Nordhaug, 1989). OD practices could also be leveraged
to diagnose areas for improvement in job satisfaction and commitment,
through HRD tools such as an employee engagement survey.
Second, our findings suggest that affective commitment mediates the
effect of job satisfaction on job performance. This means that it is insufficient
just to focus on enhancing the job satisfaction of individual employees. If
employee commitment is low, individual satisfaction will not be effectively
translated into better job performance. The organizational environment
needs to be cultivated to encourage employee commitment. Previous studies
emphasized the importance of HRD practices for enhancing organizational
commitment through practices such as training, recognition, empowerment,
and competence development (McEvoy, 1997; Pare, Tremblay, & Lalonde,
2000; Ulrich, 1997).

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An Examination of Commitment and Cultural Values 347

Third, HRD professionals need to realize that the effect of job satisfac-
tion on organizational commitment can depend on people’s cultural values.
The implication of our findings is that when designing HRD strategies to
enhance commitment level and ultimately performance, factors of cultural
values need to be taken into consideration. Our findings caution HRD pro-
fessionals against relying solely on across-the-board solutions to enhance
organizational members’ attitude toward their job and the organization. HRD
practices need to be culturally sensitive. In the Chinese context, with people
who are more traditional, increasing their job satisfaction can enhance their
commitment more effectively than with people who are less traditional. With
the latter, it is advisable to consider factors other than job satisfaction to
enhance their commitment level such as reducing role ambiguity and role
conflict (Fisher & Gitelson, 1983). HRD professionals need to deepen their
understanding of cultural values in their workplace and devise HRD prac-
tices that are culturally sensitive to serve to motivate employee groups with
different cultural values.
Limitations and Recommendations. This is a cross-sectional study, and so
it cannot yield evidence of the causal link from job satisfaction to job perfor-
mance. A longitudinal design could help address this limitation. A follow-up
study could be conducted at a later time to examine the potential influence of
job satisfaction on job performance over time.
Second, the cultural context was limited to the Chinese culture. The
variability of traditionality may be smaller where the study is conducted in a
cross-national context. The use of traditionality in a multicultural environ-
ment may help expand the applicability of traditionality. Future studies could
examine the moderating role of traditionality in a multicultural context.
Third, we used affective commitment, which only represents one
dimension of commitment. Future studies could consider using normative
commitment to explore how it plays a role similar to or different from that of
affective commitment in the satisfaction-performance connection.
In summary, our study has followed the calls of multiple researchers to
shed more light on the relationship between job satisfaction and job perfor-
mance. We have taken an initial step to use affective commitment as a poten-
tial mediator and traditionality as a potential moderator in explaining the
variability of the relationship. Future studies need to be conducted to generate
evidence of the direction of the relationship between satisfaction and perfor-
mance, to explore traditionality in a multicultural context, and use multiple
dimensions of commitment.

Acknowledgment
This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of
China grant no. 70572011, awarded to Jin Zhang.

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348 Zhang, Zheng

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Jin Zhang is an associate professor at the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua
University.

Wei Zheng is assistant professor of Human Resource Development of the Department

of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University.

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY • DOI: 10.1002/hrdq