ILPC 2027

 In contrast to the employee control mechanisms, such as automation and job specification (Crowley, 2012), there has been a growing trend that employees actively self-initiated and re-design the working environment for better fit and performance. Job crafting activities are spontaneous adjustments by individuals to match personal abilities and preferences and not necessarily the needs of the organization. Employees engaging in job crafting that may or may not ‘comply with’ what management desires, but start for their own purposes (Lyons, 2008). Consciously focusing on and being aware of one’s needs and preferences serve the basis for individuals to alter their task responsibilities and relational interaction at work to improve unproductive aspects to effectively manage with current job (Solberg and Wong, 2016). The study starts from workplace mindfulness as a mechanism to job re-design.

Workplace mindfulness represents a psychological state of consciousness that individuals non-judgmentally and purposefully focus on the present moment and related external and internal workplace context (Dane and Brummel, 2013). Individual differences may be reflected due to personality, previous experiences and contexts (Dane and Brummel, 2013). Awareness and attention are examined by means of continuously perceiving feelings, thoughts, emotions, sensory features and events at present (Dane and Brummel, 2013). Moreover, one openly and objectively accepts and receives information with non-evaluative observation may also reduce stress and negative emotions during the process (Carlson, 2013). Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) is widely adopted for measuring workplace mindfulness.

Studies show that mindfulness not only facilitates self-knowledge of individual behavior (Carlson, 2013); but positively results in one’s performance and wellbeing in the workplace (Dane and Brummer, 2013; Roche, Haar and Luthans, 2014). Research shows that employees gradually adjust and re-design tasks in the working environment (e.g. job crafting) as reflection to one’s present workplace. As a self-starting and improvised process, employees make cognitive and physical changes in their tasks or relationship boundaries (i.e. job crafting) to adapt the jobs to perceive their work (i.e. work meaning) and who they are (i.e. work identity) in the workplace (Wrzesniewski and Dutton, 2001). Job crafting describes that Individuals spontaneously change tasks and relationship boundaries (i.e. physical, relational, cognitive) for preferred work meaning and work identity without management supervision (Rofcanin, Berber, Koch, and Sevinc, 2015; Wrzesniewski and Dutton, 2001). Activities generally are categorized into task, cognitive and relationship crafting. Task crafting refers to adjust the scope, types, and number of one’s tasks at work. Cognitive crafting delineates that individuals adjust their perception of their jobs in accordance with values. Relational crafting describes that one change the amount and quality of workplace interpersonal relationship (Bakker et al., 2012; Tims and Bakker, 2010; Wrzesniewski and Dutton, 2001). In line with the JD-R model, these self-initiated behaviors by employees themselves may either increase job resources, job challenges or reduce job demands for better fit with their abilities, needs, and preferences (Bakker and Demerouti, 2007; Petrou, Demerouti, Peeters, Schaufeli, and Hetland, 2012; Wrzesniewski and Dutton, 2001).

Sustainability not only emphasizes by organizations but is focused by individuals for one’s whole life as a long-lasting and competitive career. To be competitive in the turbulent workplace context, it is important to improve the ability to meet requirements to adapt to and shape the working environment for better fit (Sternberg, 1996). Employability represents workplace adaptability that facilitates employees to identify and obtain career opportunities in the labor market through making optimal use of competences (Van der Heijde and Van der Heijden, 2006). Employability is composed of five dimensions: occupational expertise, personal flexibility, anticipation and optimization, corporate sense, and balance (Van der Heijde and Van der Heijden, 2006). Occupational expertise describes professional knowledge and skills at work. Personal flexibility is reactive adaptability and resilience to changes in the labor market. Anticipation and optimization represent proactive and self-initiating preparation for future job and career changes for better outcomes. Corporate sense is built on one’s emotional intelligence, social skills, and network for groupwork and decision-making. Balance delineates that one tries to compromise conflicting interests in any aspects of its own life (Van der Heijde and Van der Heijden, 2006). Based on competence models, employability support individuals to manage challenging job demands and increase resources by integrating one’s capabilities (e.g. knowledge, skills) to reach personal goals and expected performance (Tims and Bakker, 2010; Van der Heijde and Van der Heijden, 2006). Employees may continuously develop multiple competences as human and social capital and further actively look for opportunities to be highly employable in both internal and external labor market (Forrier and Sels, 2003; Van der Heijde and Van der Heijden, 2006).

Unlike ‘traditional’ formal HR practices for higher motivation, employees spontaneously initiate job crafting behaviors for satisfying their own needs based on their competencies to craft the optimal level of job features are encouraged in the workplace (Bakker, et al., 2012). Studies show a positive relationship exists between employees’ well-being and organizational performance (Slemp, Kern, Vella-Brodrick, 2015). Therefore, interventions even small changes in job design may have magnificent impacts on both employee and organizational goals for better future (Van der Heijde and Van der Heijden, 2006). Given this discussion, the intended contribution of this research is threefold. First, workplace mindfulness is adopted to explain one’s self-starting and future-oriented actions to understand the meaning of work and work identity. Second, this study tends to disentangle the relationship of job crafting behaviors for better competitiveness; third, it further examines the influences of job crafting behaviors on employees’ employability for career and corporate sustainability. Implications of findings for theory and practice will be discussed