Illegitimate Tasks and Employee Outcomes in Higher Education Institutions: A Test of Mediated Moderation Model

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating role of depressive mood between illegitimate tasks, job satisfaction and burnout with the help of stress-as-offense-to-self theory. Also, Leader Member Exchange has been diagnosed in moderating role among the relationship of illegitimate tasks and depressive moods.
Methodology: A total of 350 employees from 7 private universities were reached to collect the data for this research. Structural Equation Modeling technique was applied for model testing and for analysis of data SPSS and AMOS version 22 were used.
Findings: Results supported the hypotheses, that illegitimate tasks through mediating role of depressive mood decreases job satisfaction and increases burnout. Moreover, LMX buffers this link by playing its role as moderator between illegitimate tasks and depressive mood. This buffering role of LMX establishes the significance of supervisor in outcome variables.
Limitations/ Applications: Data were collected through self-reported questionnaire, which may raise question of biasness because of its common method variance
Implications: This study adds to current literature on workplace stressors that illegitimate tasks are significant task with respect to stressors that explicates the discrepancy in significant consequence variables.
Novelty/Originality of this study: This study has explored the mediating role of depressive mood between the relationship of illegitimate tasks and job satisfaction and further it tested the buffering role of LMX on depressive mood and ITs relationship. This study adds to organizational behavior literature from a cultural context of Pakistan.