Personal resources and knowledge workers’ job engagement

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of personal resources on knowledge workers’ job engagement in the contemporary economy. Work itself and work environments are currently undergoing fundamental changes. As such, the focus of engagement research is shifting to an interest in personal resources and the psychological capital of knowledge workers.

Design/methodology/approach: This paper proposes a theoretical model based on a modern interpretation of the Conservation of Resources Theory concerning the relationship between personal resources (self-efficacy, organization-based self-esteem, and satisfaction with life) in relation to the three dimensions of job engagement (physical, emotional, and cognitive). The proposed model is tested with structural equation modelling (LISREL).

Findings: Results from the analysis of data collected from Finnish university graduates (N = 103) show that the three dimensions of job engagement are strongly influenced by organization-based self-esteem and satisfaction with life but, surprisingly, not by self-efficacy.

Practical implications: Through understanding the impact of personal resources on knowledge workers’ job engagement, organizations can enhance their human relations management practices and develop better support mechanisms for their knowledge workers.

Originality/value: This paper provides empirical evidence for the influence of personal resources on knowledge workers’ job engagement. There is a lack of empirical studies on knowledge workers’ job engagement in the contemporary economy. The changing nature of the way work is being carried out in the contemporary economy raises the importance of personal resources as a key resource for knowledge workers’ job engagement.