Toward a Configural Theory of Job Demands and Resources

Abstract

Job demands-resources research has largely adopted a variable-centered approach to test main and interactive effects of demands and resources on employee outcomes. Although this approach can inform what happens on average across employees, it cannot detect distinct configurations of job demands and resources that may lead to the same outcomes in different subpopulations. Multiplicative models have also received little empirical support. To address these limitations, we adopted a person-centered theoretical approach to examine configurations of demands and resources that are sufficient to produce exhaustion and engagement. Using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) across three studies, we find evidence for equifinality and causal asymmetry in exhaustion—three distinct configurations were sufficient to produce exhaustion, but none for its absence. We also find evidence for causal asymmetry, but not equifinality, in engagement—one configuration was sufficient to produce engagement and none for its absence. Our person-centered approach yielded more theoretically consistent results than a variable-centered approach. The findings highlight that certain job demands may only be buffered by specific resources, and that certain configurations of demands cannot be buffered at all. We conclude by offering propositions to advance theory and change the current direction of research on job demands and resources.