Week 2: Four acts of Job Design and Resources – Arnold Bakker
First act: work engagement
"A positive, fulfilling work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and
absorption".
People who are highly engaged and enthousiastic often forget they are working.
Vigor: "I feel bursting with energy at my work"
Dedication: "I am enthusiastic about my job"
Absorption: "Time flies when I'm working"
There are 17 items but there is also a 9 item version that can be used in research.
Engagement can best be explained by using the circumplex model of emotions by Russell & Carroll.
Emotions can be pleasant and unpleasant, but also active and unactive. Engagement is characterised
by highly active and pleasant emotions such as excitement, energy etcetera. Satisfaction is lower in
activation, feeling relaxed and content (lower right corner). Because engagement is higher in
activation than satisfaction, it is found to be a better predictor of performance.
Example: in a study it was found that surgeons who are more engaged make fewer medical errors.
Example: bus drivers who are dedicated to their work drive more smoothly (score higher on the work
engagement scale).
Study by Xanthopoulou: Restaurant employees make more money on the days they are engaged at
work, because they are faster and friendlier.
Drivers (predictors) of work engagement
Job demands and resources theory: every organisation and every job may be different, but
you can characterize the job by looking at job demands en job resources.
Demands: the things in work that cost energy such as:
o Physical demand (lifting heavy weight)
o Cognitive demand (lots of thinking)
o Emotional demand
o Workload
o Role conflict
Resources: can be used to deal with demands. Such as:
o Feedback
o Coaching
o Social support
o Autonomy
o Skill variety
Buffer effect
Job demands cost energy and will result in strain. This is less so, if you have access to job resources.
So job resources buffer the impact of demand on strain.
, We also see that resources are mostly things in work that are motivating, so if you have access to lots
of resources, you are likely to feel engaged. This is more particularly so if you need the resources. So
if you have a lot of work to do or when your work becomes very complicated, the resources become
more important and motivating.
Example of a study
Quantative study, 153 employees from Croatia filled out questionnaires for 3-5 workdays after their
work. They measured: work engagement, hindrance demands, challenge demands and job resources.
Hindrance demands: things that bother you in life such as bureaucracy or conflict that can undermine
your engagement.
Challenge demands: things that help you be engaged such as deadlines or high responsibilities.
Results: if hindrance demands increase, engagement goes down, but it goes down more when there
are limited job resources available (white line).
Also: when challenge demands go up, work engagement goes up, but it goes up more when there are
high job resources.
If high job demands are combined with low resources, it can result in a burnout.
First act: work engagement
"A positive, fulfilling work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and
absorption".
People who are highly engaged and enthousiastic often forget they are working.
Vigor: "I feel bursting with energy at my work"
Dedication: "I am enthusiastic about my job"
Absorption: "Time flies when I'm working"
There are 17 items but there is also a 9 item version that can be used in research.
Engagement can best be explained by using the circumplex model of emotions by Russell & Carroll.
Emotions can be pleasant and unpleasant, but also active and unactive. Engagement is characterised
by highly active and pleasant emotions such as excitement, energy etcetera. Satisfaction is lower in
activation, feeling relaxed and content (lower right corner). Because engagement is higher in
activation than satisfaction, it is found to be a better predictor of performance.
Example: in a study it was found that surgeons who are more engaged make fewer medical errors.
Example: bus drivers who are dedicated to their work drive more smoothly (score higher on the work
engagement scale).
Study by Xanthopoulou: Restaurant employees make more money on the days they are engaged at
work, because they are faster and friendlier.
Drivers (predictors) of work engagement
Job demands and resources theory: every organisation and every job may be different, but
you can characterize the job by looking at job demands en job resources.
Demands: the things in work that cost energy such as:
o Physical demand (lifting heavy weight)
o Cognitive demand (lots of thinking)
o Emotional demand
o Workload
o Role conflict
Resources: can be used to deal with demands. Such as:
o Feedback
o Coaching
o Social support
o Autonomy
o Skill variety
Buffer effect
Job demands cost energy and will result in strain. This is less so, if you have access to job resources.
So job resources buffer the impact of demand on strain.
, We also see that resources are mostly things in work that are motivating, so if you have access to lots
of resources, you are likely to feel engaged. This is more particularly so if you need the resources. So
if you have a lot of work to do or when your work becomes very complicated, the resources become
more important and motivating.
Example of a study
Quantative study, 153 employees from Croatia filled out questionnaires for 3-5 workdays after their
work. They measured: work engagement, hindrance demands, challenge demands and job resources.
Hindrance demands: things that bother you in life such as bureaucracy or conflict that can undermine
your engagement.
Challenge demands: things that help you be engaged such as deadlines or high responsibilities.
Results: if hindrance demands increase, engagement goes down, but it goes down more when there
are limited job resources available (white line).
Also: when challenge demands go up, work engagement goes up, but it goes up more when there are
high job resources.
If high job demands are combined with low resources, it can result in a burnout.
