Work Demands, Personal Resources and Work Outcomes: The Mediation of Engagement

Abstract

The study tested a model of relationships of work demands (work overload and misbehavior of the students) and personal resources (self-efficacy) with job outcomes (turnover intention and job crafting behavior), as well as the mediation of work engagement on those relationships. The sample consisted of 451 Brazilian teachers, male and female (70.7% female), with ages ranging from 20 to 69 years (M = 38.63; SD = 10.36). The data analysis was performed through structural equation modeling and the fit indices were adequate. The results showed that work engagement mediated self-efficacy relationships with turnover intention and job crafting behavior. These findings present evidence for the JD-R Theory, according to which the demands exhaust the worker’s energy and produce negative outcomes at work, while the personal resources improve the work engagement and produce more positive outcomes. Training programs could be implemented to develop self-efficacy and attitudes of greater work engagement in the teachers, which could make them more proactive and guarantee that they continue in their jobs.