Mission valence is defined as the degree to which employees perceive the mission as “engaging, attracting, and worthwhile”. It reflects the extent to which employees understand the organization’s values and are integrated into the organization’s mission, which is an important factor to achieve personal development and improve organizational performance. Therefore, how to mobilize organizational members to spontaneously integrate into the organizational vision and efficiently complete organizational tasks has become a realistic proposition that needs to be solved. However, domestic research on mission valence is still in its infancy, and there is a lack of systematic review.
This paper systematically combs relevant academic achievements and constructs a research framework of mission valence, so as to more vividly depict and explain the psychological adjustment process behind the complex and variable relationship between individuals and organizations, and effectively compare and discover the differences and mechanisms of the relationship between individuals and organizations in different organizational types and cultures. First, the concept of mission valence is discussed based on the perspective of individual perception and organizational effectiveness, and the connotation and extension of mission valence are further clarified from the aspects of perceived degree, driving factors, and key elements through the analysis of similar concepts such as mission matching, calling, public service motivation, work engagement, and organizational identity. Second, from the perspectives of job importance and individual emotional arousal, the measurement of mission valence is discussed. Third, based on different dimensions and theories, the antecedent variables, mechanisms and outcome variables of mission valence are summarized, and the systematic research framework is constructed. Regarding the antecedent variables, internal perception and external drive are the main impact factors of mission valence. Regarding the outcome variables, mission valence will have an impact on individual attitude, behavior, motivation, and performance. In addition, the mediating effect mainly includes visual path, non-visual path, resource-gaining path, and resource-losing path. The moderating effect is mainly carried out around the resource conservation theory, the self-determination theory, the goal-setting theory, and the social cognition theory.
On the basis of the existing research, this paper looks forward to the future research from five aspects: First, enrich the antecedent variables and build a multi-level analytical dimension framework. Second, analyze the influence mechanism and focus on Chinese characteristics and the circumstances of the new era. Third, clarify the outcome variables and pay attention to the impact of organizational factors and the negative effect of mission valence. Fourth, optimize the measurement scale and expand data sources and research methods. Fifth, break the stereotyped way of thinking and attach importance to disciplinary integration and field application. Overall, this paper provides a more comprehensive research picture and useful reference for practitioners and researchers.