Personal resources in the Job Demands-Resources model: The influence of proactive behavior, assertiveness, and worker flexibility.

This study examines the relationships between job demands, job resources, personal resources, burnout and work engagement. On the basis of Conservation of Resources theory, and the Job Demands-Resources model it was hypothesized that job demands would relate positively to exhaustion and work engagement, that job resources relate positively to work engagement and negatively to exhaustion, and that job demands and resources would relate positively to personal resources. Secondly, it was expected that personal resources would relate negatively to exhaustion and positively to work engagement. Thirdly, it was hypothesized that personal resources would partially mediate in the relationships of job resources and demands with work engagement and exhaustion. The study was conducted among 2318 employees. Results of structural equation modeling analyses supported all the hypotheses. Specifically, it was found that personal resources (proactive behavior, assertiveness, and worker flexibility) related positively to work engagement and negatively to exhaustion. These findings confirm the role of proactive behavior, assertiveness and worker flexibility as personal resources in the J-DR model. In addition, it was found that personal resources partially mediates the relations of job resources and demands with work engagement and exhaustion. These findings support the assumption of Conservation of Resources