When and why do individuals craft their jobs? The role of individual motivation and work characteristics for job crafting

Abstract

As a proactive behavior, job crafting refers to changes in the task (cognitive, and behavioral) and social boundaries at work. This article focuses on antecedents of job crafting and the development and validation of a job crafting scale. In Study 1 (N = 466), an exploratory factor analysis with one half of the sample (n = 233) and a confirmatory factor analysis with the other half (n = 233) supported a three-dimensional structure of job crafting (task crafting, relational crafting and cognitive crafting), and convergent as well as discriminant validity of job crafting, in relation to personal initiative and organizational citizenship behavior. In Study 2 (N = 118, two points of measurement), we crossvalidated the measure and demonstrated that job crafting was related to, yet distinct from, taking charge. We found that an increase in job crafting at Time 2 was predicted by need for positive self-image (Time 1), as well as by work experience (Time 1). Need for human connection (Time 1) was related to job crafting at Time 2 when self-efficacy was high. Moreover, there was evidence that job crafting as self-oriented behavior related positively to person-job fit. Implications for future research are discussed.

Reorienting job crafting research: A hierarchical structure of job crafting concepts and integrative review

“…A third consequence of the divergent definitions of crafting is that it has been difficult to characterize how job crafting is similar to or different from other concepts, especially with other types of proactive behavior. Previous analyses (e.g., Niessen, Weseler, & Kostova, ; Tims & Bakker, ) have compared job crafting with some specific concepts (e.g., personal initiative, taking charge, and task revision), but how different types of job crafting fit into a broad proactivity scheme has rarely been discussed. For example, whether decreasing hindering demands (Tims et al, ) is proactive behavior is not clear.…”

“…In other words, cognitive crafting and behavioral crafting are not conceptually interchangeable. Studies have indicated that they likely have different antecedents and outcomes (Niessen et al, ; Weseler & Niessen, ), and preliminary research has indicated that cognitive crafting has only moderate relationships with behavioral crafting (e.g., Niessen et al, ; Slemp & Vella‐Brodrick, , ). The latter relationships might occur because cognitive crafting and behavioral crafting are reciprocally related to each other.…”

“…To be specific, at the least, crafting measures should distinguish between approach/avoidance and behavioral/cognitive dimensions and represent them properly as formative measures (Figure ). Measures that include both approach items and avoidance items in the same dimension (Niessen et al, ), for instance, would be problematic. Similarly, measures with ambiguous items that could be interpreted in both approach and avoidance ways (e.g., changing the scope or types of tasks completed at work, Slemp & Vella‐Brodrick, ) are also likely to create problems.…”

Alternative Work Arrangements: Two Images of the New World of Work

“…They can make small adjustments to incorporate more of their passions, strengths, and motives into their work (Leana et al 2009, Niessen et al 2016. They can also form what psychoanalysts refer to as holding environments through creating greater connections to the places, people, routines, and purposes that sustain their work (Petriglieri et al 2016).…”

İş Becerikliliği (Job Crafting) Ölçeğini Türkçe ye Uyarlama ve Duygusal Tükenme İle İlişkisini Belirleme - Adaptation The Turkish Language of The Job Crafting Scale and Relationship Between Job Crafting and Emotional Exhaustion

“…İş becerikliliği, bireylerin yaptıkları işte aktif bir rol oynadıkları, gelecek odaklı eylemler başlattıkları ve kişisel ihtiyaçlarına uygun koşullar yarattıkları proaktif bir davranıştır (Berg vd., 2010;Niessen, 2016). İş becerikliliğinde çalışanlar kişisel istek ve anlayışlarına göre ve kendi inisiyatifleri ile işlerinde fiziksel, bilişsel ve ilişkisel olarak davranış değişimleri gerçekleştirmektedir (Wrzesnieswski ve Dutton, 2001).…”