Due to the high workload, working within the healthcare industry can be quite demanding. This often results in high rates of absenteeism, unfulfilled vacancies, and voluntary turnover among healthcare workers. We expect that job autonomy is an important resource for work engagement and health of healthcare workers because it satisfies the basic need for autonomy. However, we propose that this relationship between job autonomy and work engagement and health can be explained by self-leadership. Self-leading individuals take initiative and responsibility and are assumed to use self-influencing strategies (e.g., goal setting, self-observation, creating natural rewards) as a way to improve motivation and general well-being. Employees from two healthcare organizations ( N = 224 and N = 113) completed a questionnaire containing measures of job autonomy, work engagement, general health, and self-leadership. The hypothesized model was tested using a series of regressions, and the results confirmed the indirect relationships between job autonomy and work engagement and general health, respectively, through natural rewards strategies. The behavior-focused and cognitive self-leadership strategies were, as mediator, marginally significant: positively for work engagement and negatively for general health. Self-leadership behavior was not related with work engagement and general health. Implications of the findings for theory and practice on healthy healthcare workers are discussed.

The present study aims to test the impact of a self‐leadership intervention on the work engagement, performance, and health of health care workers. By integrating self‐determination theory and self‐leadership theory, we propose that when employees are trained how they can autonomously influence own cognitions and behaviour, this will impact their work engagement, perceived performance, and general health. To test the hypotheses, a longitudinal field experiment with three measurement waves was conducted (pre‐intervention, immediately after the intervention, and 2 months after the intervention). Health care professionals (n = 195) from five different organizations participated on voluntary basis and were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. Results show that a self‐leadership training positively impacts work engagement and performance of health care workers. Furthermore, the improved work engagement also mediates the effects of the training on health and performance 2 months later. No direct effect was found on general health. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Practitioners points The self‐leadership intervention facilitates healthcare workers to develop self‐determination and autonomous motivation, which will positively impact their work engagement, health, and performance Participation in the self‐leadership intervention needs to be based on volition as this will contribute to the intrinsic motivation for actual self‐leadership development through training.

Duurzame inzetbaarheid is binnen de gezondheidszorg een urgent onderwerp op de beleidsagenda van politiek en (HR) management. Ziekteverzuim en personeelsverloop nemen toe, terwijl naar verwachting in de toekomst nog meer mensen nodig zijn om de zorg te kunnen blijven garanderen in Nederland. Dit artikel beschrijft een interventieaanpak waarbij medewerkers en teams leren om zelf te sturen op werkplezier en werkvermogen, met als gevolg minder ziekteverzuim en verloop. Vanuit diverse motivatietheorieën beschrijven we zes grondprincipes voor interventie-ontwerp die naar verwachting bijdragen aan het versterken van zelfleiderschap van medewerkers en gedeeld leiderschap van teams. We verwachten dat zij hierdoor beter in staat zijn om zelf invloed uit te oefenen op hun eigen werkplezier en werkvermogen en daarmee ook op hun duurzame inzetbaarheid. In 2018 zijn deze grondprincipes toegepast bij een interventieproject binnen Kennemerhart - een zorgorganisatie voor verpleeghuis- en thuiszorg. We beschrijven de inhoud van de interventies en de kwalitatieve evaluatie van dit project, waarna we afsluiten met conclusies en aanbevelingen voor de praktijk.

PurposeWhile both perceived job autonomy and self-leadership are assumed to be important for optimal functioning of healthcare workers, their mutual relationship remains unclear. This cross-lagged study aims to theorize and test that perceived job autonomy and self-leadership have a reciprocal relationship, which is moderated by need for job autonomy.Design/methodology/approachTwo-wave panel data were used to measure cross-lagged relationships over a time period of three months. Self-leadership is indicated by both self-leadership strategies and self-leadership behavior. The data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression (HMR).FindingsJob autonomy was not causally nor reverse related to self-leadership strategies, but did relate to self-leadership behavior in both directions. Need for job autonomy did not influence the causal and reverse relationships between job autonomy and self-leadership (strategies and behavior). Instead, need for job autonomy discarded the influence of job autonomy on self-leadership behavior, and predicted self-leadership behavior over time.Practical implicationsFor optimizing healthcare jobs, human resource management (HRM) policy makers need to consider other interventions such as training self-leadership, or developing an autonomy supportive work environment, since job autonomy does not lead to more use of self-leadership strategies.Originality/valueThis study used a cross-lagged study design which gives the opportunity to investigate causal relationships between job autonomy and self-leadership. Both self-leadership strategies and self-leadership behavior are included.