The importance of relational work design characteristics: A person-centred approach

Caroline Knight, Matthew J W McLarnon, Ramon Wenzel and Sharon Parker
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Caroline Knight: Centre for Transformative Work Design, Future of Work Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
Matthew J W McLarnon: Department of General Management and Human Resources, Bissett School of Business, Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB, Canada
Ramon Wenzel: Faculty of Business and Law, School of Management, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
Sharon Parker: Centre for Transformative Work Design, Future of Work Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia

Australian Journal of Management, 2022, vol. 47, issue 4, 705-728

Abstract: Adopting a person-centred approach, we integrate the job demands-control-support model with relational work design theory to investigate employee work design profiles involving autonomy, workload, social support and prosocial characteristics (representing the combined influence of task significance and beneficiary contact). For a sample of Australian not-for-profit employees ( N  = 2421), we identified four work design profiles: ‘active connected’, ‘passive disconnected’, ‘high strain disconnected’ and ‘controlled disconnected’. The most favourable profile, active connected, demonstrated the highest vigour and social worth, and was predicted by people being in higher managerial positions and having permanent employment contracts. The high strain disconnected and controlled disconnected profiles were associated with greater psychological exhaustion. Longer working hours predicted membership of the high strain disconnected profile. JEL Classification: L31, L30, L20, L29

Keywords: Job demands-control-support model; latent profile analysis; person-centred approach; prosocial characteristics; relational characteristics; work characteristics; work design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:ausman:v:47:y:2022:i:4:p:705-728

DOI: 10.1177/03128962211073021

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