Enrichment processes and gain spirals at work and at home: A 3-year cross-lagged panel study

Abstract

In this study, we combined the Job Demands‐Resources model and Conservation of Resources theory with work‐family enrichment (WFE) literature, using the Resource–Gain–Development perspective in particular, in order to (1) investigate the motivating and wellness‐promoting role of job and home resources in predicting enrichment in work and family leading to further positive outcomes, and (2) examine positive gain spirals between the study variables over time. More specifically, we investigated whether job resources predict work engagement through WFE, and similarly, whether home resources predict marital satisfaction through FWE. We also investigated the reciprocal effects between job and home resources, enrichment in both directions, and well‐being in both domains. The study was based on a two‐wave, 3‐year, full panel design among Finnish dentists (N= 1,632). Results showed that job resources at T1 predicted WFE at T2, and WFE and engagement reciprocally influenced each other over time. Home resources at T1, on the other hand, did not predict family‐work enrichment (FEW) at T2; instead, FWE at T1 influenced both home resources and marital satisfaction at T2. Moreover, we found reciprocal impacts (‘gain spirals’) between domain‐specific resources (job/home resources) and domain‐specific well‐being (engagement/marital satisfaction) and between WFE and engagement, thus supporting the Conservation of Resources theory. The same results were found for both genders, suggesting that similar enrichment processes may take place among both women and men. Theoretically, this study suggests that adding the idea of positive feedback loops might benefit the models theorizing WFE.

Investigating strengths and deficits to increase work engagement: A longitudinal study in the mining industry

“…Over the years, work engagement research has shown that the construct is stable, permanent and long lasting (Hakanen, Peeters & Perhoniemi, 2011;Schaufeli, Bakker & Van Rhenen, 2009). However, several studies have indicated that job resources are positively related to work engagement over time and, furthermore, discovered that there exists a reciprocal causal relationship present, where job resources predict work engagement, which in turn predicts job resources over time (Mauno, Kinnunch, Mäkikangas & Feldt, 2010;Simbula, Guglielmi & Schaufeli, 2011;Xanthopoulou et al, 2009).…”

“…Firstly, a longitudinal approach was undertaken to explore causal relationships between the constructs. However, it has been recorded that both strengths use and work engagement are stable phenomena (Hakanen et al, 2011;Mauno et al, 2007;Schaufeli et al, 2009;Van Woerkom et al, 2015) and therefore utilising research designs with a shorter time frame, such as weekly diaries, could better explain variations and differences in the levels of the constructs (Bakker & Bal, 2010;Fritz & Sonnentag, 2007).…”

Propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Enriquecimiento Trabajo-Familia para la población argentina

“…En cuanto a las consecuencias del ETF, investigaciones previas han demostrado que el compromiso (Hakanen, Peeters, & Perhoniemi, 2011); la satisfacción (Masuda, McNall, Allen, & Nicklin, 2012;McNall et al, 2010), y el rendimiento (Odle-Dusseau, Britt, & GreeneShortridge, 2012), suelen ser el resultado del enriquecimiento en uno u otro sentido.…”

Life enrichment for workers in contemporary China

“…They found out that both development I-deals (employees negotiate their demand beyond work boundaries) and flexibility I-deals (employees negotiate their working times and schedules beyond required and expected work time policy and norms) are the antecedents of the WFE in Chinese context. Another study conducted by Hakanen et al (2011) further proved the boundaryless domains during the WFE process. They found that the WFE process is reciprocal association due to gain spirals.…”