A job crafting intervention based on the theory of planned behavior. Effects on cognition, behavior and work engagement.

Purpose. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior as a prominent framework for conducting behavior change interventions, in this quasi-experimental study we designed and tested the effect of an intervention aimed at enhancing job crafting behaviors, (i.e. increasing resources, seeking challenges, reducing and optimizing demands) and behavior change (i.e., goal setting and planning) in a sample of employees from different sectors. The intervention aimed at stimulating reflection on behavioral, normative, and control beliefs (i.e., the cognitive antecedents of behavioral intention to craft in terms of attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control) referred to job crafting behaviors and at supporting the implementation of job crafting behaviors through diverse behavior change methods. Design/methodology. Participants received training and worked for three weeks on self-set job crafting goals. Participants in both the intervention and control groups completed a baseline questionnaire and three questionnaires to be filled in at the end of the three weeks after the date of the workshop. Results. The results of a series of repeated measures ANOVA showed that participation in the job crafting intervention based on the Theory of Planned Behavior was associated with increases in perceptions of positive descriptive and injunctive social norms toward job crafting behaviors, and higher seeking challenge behaviors. In addition, compared to the control group, participants in the intervention group reported higher levels of work engagement during each of the three weeks after the intervention, and of increasing resources after the intervention. Limitations. Even though this study provides empirical evidence of the effectiveness of interventions to modify cognitions underlying job crafting behaviors, it relies on self-reported measures that can result in common method biases. Future studies should expand the use of objective measures to test the effectiveness of the intervention. Originality/value. This study provides evidence of the effectiveness of job crafting interventions based on the Theory of Planned Behavior to promote job crafting behaviors. To our knowledge, this is the first study assessing the effect that interventions focused on enhancing positive attitudes, social norms, and high perceived behavioral control has on subsequent job crafting behaviors, and on work engagement.