Organizational Dynamics (2017) 46, 120—132 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect jo urnal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/orgdyn Applying the Job Demands-Resources model: A ‘how to’ guide to measuring and tackling work engagement and burnout Wilmar B. Schaufeli INTRODUCTION In this paper I make the case that the Job Demands Resources (JD-R) model can be used as an integrative con- ceptual framework for monitoring the workplace with the There is a great practical need to assess psychosocial factors aim to increase work engagement and prevent burnout. The at work and improve employee well-being. Evidently, poor JD-R model is particularly suited for this purpose because: working conditions and burned-out employees are asso- (1) it integrates a positive focus on work engagement with a ciated with, for instance, sickness absence, occupational negative focus on burn-out into a balanced and comprehen- injuries and accidents, poor work performance, and reduced sive approach; (2) it is has a broad scope, that allows to productivity, whereas the opposite is true for good working include all relevant job characteristics; (3) it if flexible, so conditions and employee engagement. So ultimately, psy- that it can be tailored to the needs of any organization; (4) it chosocial factors and employee well-being translate into acts as a common communication tool for all stakeholders. In financial business outcomes. Therefore it is in the company’s contrast, previous models focused almost exclusively on enlightened self-interest to monitor psychosocial factors at negative aspects of the job and included a limited, pre- work and employee’s well-being on a regular basis, so that defined set of job characteristics. Because of its compre- timely and targeted measures can be taken to prevent hensive, broad, flexible and communicative nature the JD-R burnout and to increase work engagement. Apart from this model not only enjoys great popularity among academic intrinsic reason there is also an extrinsic reason for organi- researchers, but it makes the model also quite suitable zations to monitor the workplace, at least in Europe. Follow- for practical use in organizations. ing the EU framework Directive 1989/391/EEC on The paper starts with a brief description of the JD-R occupational safety and health, all EU member states have model and then introduces the Energy Compass, an online issued legislation on the prevention of psychosocial risks at survey tool that is based on the JD-R model. Next, a case the workplace. The two most relevant provisions of that example is presented of an organizational development directive are that: (1) employers should ensure that all project that illustrates the practical use of the JD-R model workers receive health surveillance that includes psychoso- for increasing engagement and preventing burnout. cial risks (Article 15) and; (2) employers are held responsible for preventing ill-health at work, and must take appropriate measures to make work healthier (Article 5). Hence, orga- A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE JD-R MODEL nizations have a legal obligation to monitor psychosocial risk factors and improve employee’s health and well-being. fi Although this legal framework only applies to EU member- The JD-R model was introduced about fteen years ago states, monitoring risks and improving health and well-being to understand burnout, a chronic state of work related is paramount in other countries as well because of immanent psychological stress that is characterized by exhaustion advantages, including financial and business outcomes. But (i.e., feeling emotionally drained and used up), mental how to achieve that, and what has occupational health distancing (i.e., cynicism and lack of enthusiasm), and fi ’ psychology to offer? reduced personal ef cacy (i.e., doubting about one s http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2017.04.008 0090-2616/© 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. The JD-R model: A ‘how to’ guide 121 competence and contribution at work). After some years the Toon Taris and I showed that twelve studies confirmed the model was supplemented with work engagement, a positive, mediating role of burnout in the stress process and of fulfilling psychological state that is characterized by vigor engagement in the motivational process, whereas in the (i.e., high levels of energy and resilience), dedication (i.e., remaining four studies partial instead of full mediation experiencing a sense of significance, pride and challenge) was found for either burnout or engagement. More recently, and absorption (i.e., being fully concentrated and happily we reviewed eight longitudinal studies among workers of engrossed in one’s work). various countries and found that the predictions of the JD-R According to the JD-R model, every job includes demands model regarding the causal relationships between job as well as resources. Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner and characteristics (i.e., job demands and job resources) and Schaufeli (2001; p. 501) defined job demands as “aspects employee well-being (i.e., burnout and work engagement) of the job that require sustained physical or mental effort were largely supported by five studies, partly supported by and are therefore associated with certain physiological and two studies, whereas only one study failed to find any long- psychological costs”. Roughly speaking these are the itudinal relationship. ‘bad things’ at work that drain energy, such as work over- Although it was acknowledged that job demands and job load, conflicts with others, and future job insecurity. resources could interact in affecting burnout and work In contrast, job resources are the ‘good things’ that are engagement — e.g., co-worker support might buffer the defined as “aspects of the job that may do any of the negative effect of work overload on burnout — the evidence following: (a) be functional in achieving work goals; (b) for such interactions is rather weak. This led Xanthopoulou, reduce job demands and the associated physiological and Bakker, Demerouti and Schaufeli (2009; p. 236) to conclude psychological costs; (c) stimulate personal growth and that “ . the current evidence on demand  resource 3 development” . Examples of job resources are support from interaction effects shows that even if significant, the prac- others (which helps to achieve work goals), job control tical relevance of such interactions tends to be low”. (which might reduce job demands), and performance feed- Tw o other extensions of the JD-R model are worth men- back (which may enhance learning). tioning. First, personal resources have been included in the In essence, the JD-R model integrates two basic psycho- JD-R model. According to Xanthopoulou and her colleagues logical processes. (2009; p. 236), these are defined as “positive self-evalua- First, a stress process, which is sparked by excessive job tions that are linked to resiliency and refer to individuals’ demands and lacking resources may — via burnout — lead to sense of their ability to control and impact upon their negative outcomes such as sickness absence, poor perfor- environment successfully”. Examples of personal resources mance, impeded workability, and low organizational com- are self-efficacy, optimism, and organization based self- mitment. Essentially, when job demands (the ‘bad things’) esteem. Although personal resources can be integrated are chronically high and are not compensated by job successfully in the JD-R model and their effects may be resources (the ‘good things’), employee’s energy is progres- substantial, it is still unclear which place they should occupy sively drained. This may finally result in a state of mental in the model. This seems to depend on the personal resource exhaustion (‘burnout’), which, in its turn, may lead to under study, for instance, stable personality traits (e.g., negative outcomes for the individual (e.g., poor health) as optimism) are more likely to act as antecedents of job well as for the organization (e.g., poor performance). Sec- demands and job resources, whereas malleable personal ond, a motivational process, which is triggered by abundant characteristics (e.g., self-efficacy) could act as mediators job resources and may — via work engagement — lead to between job characteristics and well-being. positive outcomes such as organizational commitment, Second, engaging leadership was added to the JD-R intention to stay, extra-role behavior, employee safety, model. Engaging leadership is related to transformational and superior work performance. In fact, job resources leadership, for instance both include inspiring followers. Yet (the ‘good things’) have inherent motivational quality; they they also differ because engaging leadership: (1) is firmly spark employee’s energy and make them feel engaged, rooted in a well-developed psychological theory of motiva- which, in turn leads to better outcomes. tion (Self-Determination Theory; SDT); (2) specifically Please note, that from an intervention point of view both focuses on how to increase employee engagement; (3) not high job demands and poor job resources contribute to only includes an individual but also a social, team dimension. burnout, whereas only abundant job resources (and not More specifically, engaging leaders: (1) inspire their fol- low job demands) contribute to work engagement. Hence, lowers (e.g., by enthusing them for their vision and plans); by increasing resources, such as social support, job control (2) strengthen their followers (e.g., by granting them free- and feedback, two birds are hit by one stone: burnout is dom and responsibility); and (3) connect their followers (e. prevented and engagement is fostered. In contrast, reducing g., by encouraging teamwork and collaboration). By inspir- demands, such as work overload, conflicts and job insecurity ing, strengthening and connecting leaders promote the ful- would only affect burnout but not work engagement. The fillment of follower’s basic psychological needs for reason is that in addition to being potentially stressful, job autonomy, competence and relatedness, respectively, which demands may also be challenging to some point so that according to SDT are inherent in all humans.