A critical review of the job-demands resources model: implications for improving work and health

Question 1

How is the JD-R model different from effort reward imbalance and from the job demand-control model? (3)

Answer 1

(1) It’s not restricted to specific job demands or resources
(2) Any demand and any resource may affect employee health and well-being
(3) Thus it has a much broader scope, is more flexible and can be tailored to a wider variety of work settings

Question 2

What are the 2 processes for the development of burnout as described in the early JD-R model?

Answer 2

(1) Long term excessive job demands from which you can’t adequately recover leads to sustained activation and overtaxing, resulting in burnout
(2) A lack of resources peculates that job demands are met and work goals reached, leading to withdrawal behavior

Question 3

In the early JD-R model; what is linked with exhaustion and disengagement?

Answer 3

Job demands = exhaustion
Lacking resources = disengagement

Question 4

What is new in the revised JDR model compared to the old JDR model

Answer 4

(1) The addition of work engagement

Question 5

How is the revised JDR model positively twisted from the early JDR model?

Answer 5

It not only sought to explain a negative psychological state, but also its positive counterpart (work engagement)

Question 6

Describe the revised JDR model?

Answer 6

Question 7

What is the health impairment process?

Answer 7

Burnout mediates the relation between job demands and employee health/wellbeing trough the gradual draining of mental resources

Question 8

What is the motivational process?

Answer 8

Engagement mediates the relation between job resources and organizational outcomes such as performance.

Question 9

Why do job resources play an important role in the revised JDR and what scientific theory makes it important?

Answer 9

Job resources play a strong motivational role because they satisfy the needs for self-determination (autonomy, competence, relatedness)

Question 10

How do job resources combat job demands in the revised JDR model?

Answer 10

They increase the willingness to spend compensatory effort and thereby are instrumental in achieving work goals

Question 11

What can you tell about the effects of job demands and job resources on burnout and engagement, as well as their interaction effect?

Answer 11

(1) Demands = burnout
(2) Job resources = engagement
(3) interaction = you would expect significant but effect is rather weak. You would need very large samples to test this

Question 12

What the direct impact of personal resources on wellbeing? (2)

Answer 12

Resilience and control directly reduce burnout
Resilience and control increase engagement

Question 13

What is the moderating role of personal resources between job characteristics and wellbeing (2)

Answer 13

1. PR does not directly affect the outcome, but work as buffer for negative aspects of job demands
2. PR enhances the positive aspects of job resources

Question 14

what is the mediating role of personal resources between job characteristics and wellbeing

Answer 14

(1)Conservation of resources theory:
(2)job resources tend to accumulate which makes employees develop higher feelings of self-confidence and. optimism,
(3)ultimately affecting engagement by causing a positive gain spiral

Question 15

Explain a gain cycle from a personal resources perspective

Answer 15

(1) social cognitive theory,
(2)personal resources shape the way people understand and react to their environment,
(3)which in turn affects work engagement

Question 16

How can personal resources act as a third variable in the JDR model?

Answer 16

It can explain both the outcome as well as the predictor, possibly playing the role of third variable

Question 17

explain a gain cycle from a job resources perspective

Answer 17

Job resources and work engagement mutually influence each other. More resources means more engagement but more engagement means more efficacy beliefs, improving resources over time

Question 18

What are some similarities between challenges and hindrances (2)

Answer 18

Both are related to work engagement
Both are types of demands and positively elated to burnout

Question 19

What are differences between challenges and hindrances (3)

Answer 19

1. challenges positively related and hindrances negatively related to work engagement
2. Challenges can foster personal growth while hindrances can thwart personal growth
3. Challenges are seen as job resources while hindrances are seen as job demands

Question 20

Provide 3 examples of challenges

Answer 20

workload
time pressure
responsibility

Question 21

provide 3 examples of hindrances

Answer 21

role conflict
role ambiguity
red tape

Question 22

Why can’t the JDR model replace any of the previous models such as JD-C and ERI?

Answer 22

(1) It has a large scope
(2) But therefore lacks specificity
(3) Other psychological models are needed to explain psychological processes involved in any given set of demands, resources and outcomes

Question 23

What are some critiques on the revised JD-R model (5)

Answer 23

1. epistemological status of JD-R model
2. Nature of job demands and resources
3. role of personal resources
4. Distinction between health impairment and motivation
5. Reciprocal causation

Question 24

What do we mean by critique; epistemological status of JDR model

Answer 24

It is a descriptive model that specifies what kind of job and personal characteristics lead to what kind of outcomes, but does not tell us WHY it does so

Question 25

What doe we mean by critique: distinction between health impairment and motivation process

Answer 25

Health and motivational processes are introduced as separate, independent processes but might be that they represent 2 different sides of the same coin

Question 26

What do we mean by critique: role of personal resources?

Answer 26

Heuristic nature of JDR; personal resources matter but the specific explanatory framework determines how they are integrated into the model

Question 27

What are some practical implications of the JDR model? (4)

Answer 27

(1) Non limitative study concept (tailor to specific situations/contexts)
(2) Both negative and positive outcomes (thus balanced approach making it more acceptable for employees)
(3) Appeals to different occupational groups (health pro’s and HR pro’s)
(4) It complements previous approaches (jack of all trades but master of non; complementing en integrating previous theories instead of replacing them)

Question 28

What is a requirement in order to be able to use JD-R model in research on team levels? (3)

Answer 28

(1) principle of compatibility can’t be violated
(2) all variables must be operationalized at same level of specificity
(3) Thus; collective measures and social-psychological processes involved in these shared perceptions and experiences