The effects of Job crafting on Work engagement and the mediation role of Work satisfaction and Proactive personality

PURPOSE One of the processes through human resources improve their working conditions is Job Crafting. The latter explains how any physical and cognitive changes that employees undertake in their task or in the interpersonal boundaries of their work (Wrzesniewski & Dutton, 2001). Job crafting is also an essential process to encourage work engagement in an employee who is dissatisfied with their work (Conference Board, 2010). Therefore, the aim of the present study is to test whether Work Satisfaction and Proactive Personality can be a mediator of the relationship between Job Crafting and Work Engagement. METHODOLOGY Data were analysed with structural equation modelling. Questionnaire were administered to 366 employees (151 Males, 215 Females) belonging to the Public Administration. RESULTS Increasing work Satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between Job demand Resources and Vigor and structural job resources and Vigor and Absorption; Moreover, increasing work Satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between social job resources on one side and vigor, dedication and absorption on the other side; LIMITATIONS Cross-sectional measurements (therefore a reverse influence might occur as well) and single source nature of the data were the main limitations. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Organizations should encourage workers to use Job Crafting strategies because they can respond to the complexity of contemporary work and to meet the needs of the current workforce. ORIGINALITY In previous studies, job crafting and work engagement have already been related but the indirect role that individual variables have (satisfaction and personality) in their relationship