(A) new pathway to job crafting

Abstract

Since jobs are dynamically embedded in a social context, job crafting is often inspired by socio-emotional experiences that spur individuals to seek greater meaning in their professional roles and responsibilities. However, previous studies have largely overlooked socio-emotional aspects of job crafting. Using find-remind-and-bind theory, this research elucidates the mechanism whereby gratitude works as a critical emotion that activates job crafting. Study 1 is an experiment that manipulated feelings of gratitude and tested gratitude’s effect on job crafting through perceived responsiveness and prosocial motivation. Study 2 replicates Study 1’s findings with a two-week daily diary study. The overall results support a serial mediation model in which gratitude facilitates the perceived responsiveness of coworkers, which in turn increases prosocial motivation and, subsequently, job crafting. Our results remain consistent after controlling for positive affect. By linking gratitude to job crafting and unpacking the underlying prosocial elements at play, our work highlights a unique, affectively driven pathway to job crafting with meaningful practical implications.