Purpose, Passion, and Performance at the Workplace: Exploring the Nature, Structure, and Relationship

The objective of this study was to examine the moderating role of passion between purpose and performance. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 307 officials working in the Indian Railways. After establishing the psychometric properties of the scales through structural equation modeling, a hierarchical regression analysis was carried out to examine the interacting effect of passion. For simultaneous assessment of the moderation effect, the model was cross-examined in structural equation modeling using LISREL 8.52. A positive relationship was evident between purpose and performance. Passion was found to be positively moderating the relationship between purpose and performance. The results obtained show that the effect of purpose on performance is more indirect than direct in nature. Along with purpose, employees need to be fueled with passion on a continuous basis to drive performance. The findings of the study are expected to instill purposeful engagement and strategies to propel passion among executives.