Job-crafting interventions: do they work and why?

Abstract

The majority of job redesign initiatives follow a ‘top-down’ approach, in which management optimizes job demands and resources to obtain successful organizational outcomes. However, these approaches are not always effective. Little is known about the effectiveness of interventions, where employees proactively optimize their work environment in order to improve their well-being, motivation, and performance. One such job redesign strategy is job crafting. Job crafting is proactive behaviour that enables individuals to fit the job characteristics to their needs and preferences by seeking resources, seeking challenges and reducing demands. The first aim of this chapter is to describe the design of the job crafting intervention, which integrates a two-day crafting workshop intervention, followed by 3 or 4 weekly self-set crafting assignments and a reflection session. The second aim of this chapter is to present theoretical explanations regarding how the job crafting intervention leads to desired changes for both employees and organisations. We base our argumentation on social cognitive theory, experiential learning theory and situated experiential learning narratives. The final aim is to present an overview of the existing evidence regarding the effectiveness of the intervention. It is concluded that the job crafting intervention is a promising tool to help organisations to support and maintain employee well-being and (to a somewhat lesser extent) performance, even during times of organizational change. The chapter ends with several suggestions for future research and practice.