Personal Resources and Work Engagement: A Two-Wave Study on the Role of Job Resources Crafting among Nurses

Abstract

Building upon the job demands-resources and conservation of
resources theories, the central aim of the study was to investigate
the role of job resources crafting in the relationship between
personal resources – self-efficacy and optimism – and work
engagement. In order to reach this goal, we conducted a two-
-wave longitudinal study among 107 nurses – a specific
occupational group known to have very high job demands. We
assessed personal resources and job resources crafting behaviors
at Time 1, and work engagement at Time 2 (one month after).
The results of our two-wave longitudinal study provided support
for the hypothesized research model. When nurses reported high
levels of personal resources at Time 1, they were also more
inclined to craft structural and social job resources. This, in turn,
led to higher work engagement at Time 2. The findings of this
study indicate that, even if employees work in unfavorable work
situations, they can mobilize their personal resources and
experience high work engagement by proactive interaction with
their work environment.