Reverse mentoring, job crafting and work-outcomes: the mediating role of work engagement

Abstract

PurposeReverse mentoring and job crafting are innovative, employee-driven job resources that can lead to positive organizational outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of work engagement in mediating the association of these resources with work performance and work withdrawal behavior.Design/methodology/approachHypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling on data obtained from 369 software developers in India.FindingsFindings demonstrate that reverse mentoring and job crafting are positively related to work engagement, which, in turn, increase performance and decreases work withdrawal behaviors. Work engagement partially mediates the association of job crafting with both outcomes. In contrast, work engagement fully mediates the relationship between reverse mentoring and withdrawal behavior and partially mediates the relationship between reverse mentoring and work performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is a cross-sectional, survey design in the understudied technical industry in India, which may limit generalizability. However, the authors also connect the previously unrelated literatures on reverse mentoring and work engagement and develop a scale for use in future reverse mentoring studies.Practical implicationsThis study provides evidence to support practitioners in implementing resources for reverse mentoring and job crafting to increase work engagement among employees and subsequent positive outcomes.Originality/valueOrganizations can support reverse mentoring and job crafting as cost effective employee development tools. The research focuses on the mentors, who tend to be the less experienced and younger counterparts in a reverse mentoring pair and a critical part of the workforce for the growing IT industry.

Work engagement as a mediator between subjective well-being and work-and-health outcomes

“…These characteristics exhibited by engaged employees make them higher performers at work (Bakker, 2009). Literature also evidence the positive association of work engagement with different forms of performance such as job performance, in-role and extra-role performance under different settings (Alessandri et al, 2018;Bakker et al, 2004;Halbesleben and Wheeler, 2008;Yalabik et al, 2013;Mäkikangas et al, 2016;Meyers et al, 2019;Rai et al, 2018;Van Wingerden et al, 2018) as well as work performance under similar settings (Garg et al, 2018). Work withdrawal behaviors, on the other hand, reflects the adverse behaviors (psychological and physical) exhibited by employees either to neglect work or to reduce the time invested on work, without compromising on their work-role.…”

“…Work withdrawal behaviors, on the other hand, reflects the adverse behaviors (psychological and physical) exhibited by employees either to neglect work or to reduce the time invested on work, without compromising on their work-role. Engagement is found to be negatively related with absenteeism (which is an intensified form of withdrawal behavior) (Magee et al, 2017) and work withdrawal behavior (Garg et al, 2018). It has been reported that employees with high levels of engagement would cease to indulge in withdrawal behaviors and instead would proactively invest their maximal efforts toward the accomplishment of organizational goals (Zeijen et al, 2018).…”

Impact of Technology Readiness and Techno Stress on Teacher Engagement in Higher Secondary Schools

“…The work engagement was researched vividly with multiple human resource conceptual frames as the Kahn's (2013) engagement and disengagements, new versions of 'Maslach Burnout Inventory-MBI' items, the grounded theories of 'individuals' expression of themselves' in the work atmosphere and other recent theories of Employee Involvement. The three psychological theories as Conservation of Resources Theory, the Social Cognitive Theory, and the Broaden-and-Build Theory were served to better understand the engagement of the workers in their job (Garg, Murphy, & Singh, 2021;Kahn & Heaphy, 2013;Maslach, & Leiter, 2017;Schaufeli et al, 2002). The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) of Wilmar Schaufeli and Bakker which undergone multiple revisions was constructed on three engagement elements-vigour, dedication, and absorption-the extend of which found to reduces the burnout elements-exhaustion, inefficiency and cynicism-in the workers (Dimitriadou, Lavidas, Karalis, & Ravanis, 2021;Schaufeli et al, 2002).…”

Reverse mentoring and job crafting as resources for health: a work engagement mediation model

“…Reverse Mentoring was measured using the eleven-item scale developed for a larger study (Garg et al, 2021). Sample items included "I feel competent in the content that I share with my mentee (senior)" and "My mentee (senior) values the ideas and suggestions that I offer".…”

“…The JD-R model provides the framework through which job resources (antecedents) influence individual and organizational outcomes through work engagement as a mediator (Schaufeli and Taris, 2014). Merging SET with JD-R further explains the mechanism behind this framework (Garg et al, 2021). As per SET, when the organization provides employees with job resources (such as social support, autonomy), they feel valued, and hence, they feel obliged to reciprocate toward the organization in the form of increased work engagement and consequently, improved outcomes (Saks, 2006).…”