The focus of career practice has shifted from occupational decision-making to acquiring career development competencies. One reason for this is that work roles change constantly, resulting in the need for individuals to repeatedly make decisions about work and other life-roles. Inside organizations, both management and employees make changes to work roles. “Job crafting” is the term used for employees making these changes for a better fit.
Lichtenthaler & Fischbach’s meta-analysis of job crafting research serves to tie together two types of job crafting approaches into one theoretical model. Their theoretical explanations are addressed only briefly in this summary; here, the two job crafting’s effects on wellbeing, motivation, and performance are the focus.
One of the job-crafting approaches, role-based, involves employees adjusting (i.e., adding, subtracting, changing) their tasks, relationships, and perceptions for a better fit. In the other approach, resource-based, employees increase job resources (e.g., asking for support) and challenging demands (e.g., projects that require new skills) or decrease hindering job demands (e.g., difficult customers). Both approaches should positively affect wellbeing, motivation, and performance, but previous research questioned this assumption.
Instead of the traditional “role-based” vs. “resource-based” distinction, Lichtenthaler & Fischbach looked at the research in terms of the aim of job crafting activities. Both traditional approaches have elements of promotion (seeking growth and gains) and both have elements of prevention (protecting assets and avoiding losses). The meta-analysis supported hypotheses made with this new promotion/prevention distinction, listed below.
- Promotion-focused job crafting is:
- positively related to work engagement (i.e., work engagement / motivation increases as promotion-focused crafting increases)
- negatively related to burnout (i.e., burnout decreases / health increases as promotion-focused crafting increases)
- directly and indirectly positively related to performance
- Prevention-focused job crafting is:
- negatively related to engagement (i.e., engagement / motivation decreases as prevention-focused crafting increases)
- positively related to burnout (i.e., burnout increases / health decreases as prevent-focused crafting increases)
- indirectly negatively related to performance
The table below, in which job crafting’s desirable outcomes are green and undesirable are red, illustrate these findings:
The key idea for practitioners to take away is the value of growth-seeking to both the employee and the organization compared to the potential damage resulting from a focus on avoiding harm. Imagine a worker seeking your help to find better work who explains they have done all they can to make their current role more fulfilling. A few questions about what they have done may reveal they have, albeit with the best of intentions, made things worse. Further, a little information about focussing on promotion may change how fulfilling their existing job can be.
Responses
Wow! Great article. Really interesting study.
#jobcrafting
Thank you for sharing such a well-crafted and insightful summary of Lichtenthaler & Fischbach’s meta-analysis. I found this article both intellectually stimulating and practically valuable. The distinction between promotion-focused and prevention-focused job crafting presents an important lens for understanding employee motivation, performance, and well-being—especially within today’s dynamic work environments.
I particularly appreciated the way this research challenges traditional assumptions and emphasizes the potential unintended consequences of well-intentioned role changes. It’s a reminder of how crucial it is to guide clients and employees toward growth-oriented strategies rather than solely harm-avoidance approaches.
This article reinforces the importance of integrating evidence-based perspectives into career development conversations.
Thank you for sharing this compelling summary—what a powerful reminder of how nuanced job crafting truly is. As a career development Specialist rooted in both self-discovery and holistic coaching, I see firsthand how important it is to differentiate between promotion- and prevention-focused approaches when supporting clients through work role changes.
Too often, I meet individuals in Orillia and surrounding communities who, while trying to “cope” with job dissatisfaction, engage primarily in prevention-focused crafting—reducing stressors or disengaging from tasks—yet find themselves feeling more burned out and less motivated. This research offers such practical value in reframing our conversations: not just what clients avoid, but what they lean into—growth, challenge, and new resources.
I’m particularly drawn to the idea that helping clients focus on promotion-oriented strategies could revitalize their current roles. This aligns beautifully with the core of career well-being—agency, purpose, and ongoing development.
Appreciating this article as both a practitioner and a lifelong learner. Thanks again for sharing!
#jobcrafting#careerwellbeing#selfdiscovery#CDPC