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Bridging Occupational, Organizational and Public Health pp 43–68Cite as

A Critical Review of the Job Demands-Resources Model: Implications for Improving Work and Health

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Abstract

The Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R model) became highly popular among researchers. The current version of the model proposes that high job demands lead to strain and health impairment (the health impairment process), and that high resources lead to increased motivation and higher productivity (the motivational process). This chapter reviews the assumptions and development of the JD-R model and presents an overview of important findings obtained with the model. Although these findings largely support the model’s assumptions, there are still several important unresolved issues regarding the JD-R, including the model’s epistemological status, the definition of and distinction between “demands” and “resources,” the incorporation of personal resources, the distinction between the health impairment and the motivational processes, the issue of reciprocal causation, and the model’s applicability beyond the individual level. The chapter concludes with an agenda for future research and a brief discussion of the practical application of the model.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Schaufeli and Bakker (2004, p. 296) replaced “mental effort” with “psychological (i.e., mental and emotional) effort,” thus broadening the domain to include emotional labor as well.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Utrecht Universality, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Wilmar B. Schaufeli & Toon W. Taris

Authors
  1. Wilmar B. Schaufeli
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  2. Toon W. Taris
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Correspondence to Wilmar B. Schaufeli .

Appendix

Appendix

Job Demands

Job resources

• Centralization

• Advancement

• Cognitive demands

• Appreciation

• Complexity

• Autonomy

• Computer problems

• Craftsmanship

• Demanding contacts with patients

• Financial rewards

• Downsizing

• Goal clarity

• Emotional demands

• Information

• Emotional dissonance

• Innovative climate

• Interpersonal conflict

• Job challenge

• Job insecurity

• Knowledge

• Negative spillover from family to work

• Leadership

• Harassment by patients

• Opportunities for professional development

• Performance demands

• Participation in decision making

• Physical demands

• Performance feedback

• Problems planning

• Positive spillover from family to work

• Pupils’ misbehavior

• Professional pride

• Qualitative workload

• Procedural fairness

• Reorganization

• Positive patient contacts

• Remuneration

• Quality of the relationship with the supervisor

• Responsibility

• Safety climate

• Risks and hazards

• Safety routine violations

• Role ambiguity

• Social climate

• Role conflict

• Social support from colleagues

• Sexual harassment

• Social support from supervisor

• Time pressure

• Skill utilization

• Unfavorable shift work schedule

• Strategic planning

• Unfavorable work conditions

• Supervisory coaching

• Work pressure

• Task variety

• Work-home conflict

• Team cohesion

• Work overload

• Team harmony

 

• Trust in management

Outcomes (negative)

Personal resources

• Absenteeism (self-report and company registered)

• Accidents and injuries

• Adverse events

• Depression

• Determination to continue

• Unsafe behaviors

• Emotional and mental competencies

• Extraversion

• Hope

• Intrinsic motivation

• Low neuroticism

• Need satisfaction (autonomy, belongingness, competence)

• Negative work-home interference

• Optimism

• Physical ill health

• Organization-based self-esteem

• Psychosomatic health complaints

• Regulatory focus (prevention and promotion focus

• Psychological strain (General Health Questionnaire, GHQ)

• Turnover intention

• Resilience

• Self-efficacy

• Value orientation (intrinsic and extrinsic values)

Outcomes (positive)

 

• Extra-role performance (self- or other-rated)

 

• Innovativeness

 

• In-role performance (self- or other-rated)

 

• Life satisfaction

 

• Organizational commitment

 

• Perceived health

 

• Positive work-home interference

 

• Service quality

 

• Team sales performance

 

• Workability

 

• Happiness

 

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Schaufeli, W.B., Taris, T.W. (2014). A Critical Review of the Job Demands-Resources Model: Implications for Improving Work and Health. In: Bridging Occupational, Organizational and Public Health. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5640-3_4

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