Interactive Effects of Approach and Avoidance Job Crafting in Explaining Weekly Variations in Work Performance and Employability

Abstract

Meta‐analyses on job crafting reveal that while approach‐oriented job crafting (e.g., increasing job resources or challenging job demands) relates positively to employee performance, avoidance‐oriented job crafting (e.g., decreasing hindering job demands) has either non‐significant or negative implications for employee functioning. However, the joint effects of approach and avoidance job crafting remain an underdeveloped area of research. We administered a three‐week diary survey among 87 employees to test interaction effects of approach and avoidance job crafting on employee (other‐referenced and past‐referenced) work performance and employability. Results revealed that decreasing hindering job demands related positively to other‐referenced performance when increasing social job resources was higher than employees’ average, and to past‐referenced performance when increasing structural job resources was higher than employees’ average. Also, decreasing hindering job demands related negatively with employability only at lower levels of increasing challenging job demands, while the relationship was non‐significant at higher levels of increasing challenging demands. These results indicate that considering job crafting strategies in tandem adds to our understanding of their role for employee functioning.

Interactions of Approach and Avoidance Job Crafting and Work Engagement: A Comparison between Employees Affected and Not Affected by Organizational Changes

“…Mäkikangas [27] found in a day-level study utilizing a person-centered research approach that employees tended to utilize approach and avoidance job crafting strategies together, which was further related to higher daily work engagement. In addition, Petrou and Xanthopoulou [28] found that approach job crafting strategies buffered the negative relationship between avoidance job crafting and employability. They also found that avoidance job crafting, together with approach job crafting, boosted weekly employee performance.…”

“…However, decreasing demands requires resources such as time and energy, but demands are not usually easy to alter, at least in the short term [55]. Therefore, reducing demands may only deplete an individuals' resources, and they may not actually gain anything [28]. Consequently, if employees focus solely on decreasing hindering job demands, they may deplete their existing resources, which reduces work engagement.…”

“…Furthermore, recent empirical job crafting studies have suggested that the effects of avoidance job crafting on employee and organizational outcomes may be positive if employees simultaneously carry out approach job crafting [27][28][29]. Mäkikangas [27] found in a day-level study utilizing a person-centered research approach that employees tended to utilize approach and avoidance job crafting strategies together, which was further related to higher daily work engagement.…”

“…However, empirical studies have mainly focused on investigating the unique effects of approach and avoidance job crafting activities on work engagement, as if they were mutually exclusive. Only recently have researchers started to focus on the possibility that employees may use different kinds of job crafting strategies simultaneously [27][28][29]. Indeed, a recent study found that when applied at the same time, approach job crafting may buffer the negative effects of avoidance job crafting on weekly employee functioning [28].…”

“…Only recently have researchers started to focus on the possibility that employees may use different kinds of job crafting strategies simultaneously [27][28][29]. Indeed, a recent study found that when applied at the same time, approach job crafting may buffer the negative effects of avoidance job crafting on weekly employee functioning [28]. However, no studies have yet examined whether approach job crafting could improve the effects of avoidance job crafting on work engagement.…”