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Job demands, job resources, and work engagement of Japanese employees: a prospective cohort study

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Abstract

Purpose

Research on the prospective association of job demands and job resources with work engagement is still limited in Asian countries, such as Japan. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prospective association of job demands (i.e., psychological demands and extrinsic effort) and job resources (i.e., decision latitude, supervisor support, co-worker support, and extrinsic reward), based on the job demands-control (JD-C) [or demand-control-support (DCS)] model and the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model, with work engagement among Japanese employees.

Methods

The participants included 423 males and 672 females from five branches of a manufacturing company in Japan. Self-administered questionnaires, including the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERIQ), the nine-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9), and demographic characteristics, were administered at baseline (August 2009). At one-year follow-up (August 2010), the UWES-9 was used again to assess work engagement. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted.

Results

After adjusting for demographic characteristics and work engagement at baseline, higher psychological demands and decision latitude were positively and significantly associated with greater work engagement at follow-up (β = 0.054, p = 0.020 for psychological demands and β = 0.061, p = 0.020 for decision latitude).

Conclusions

Having higher psychological demands and decision latitude may enhance work engagement among Japanese employees.

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Acknowledgments

The present study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) 2009–2011 (no. 20240062) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. The preparation of the manuscript was partially supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a Proposed Research Area) 2012 (no. 4102-21119001) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mental Health, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1 Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, 807-8555, Japan

    Akiomi Inoue

  2. Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan

    Norito Kawakami, Kanami Tsuno & Akihito Shimazu

  3. Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 8 Ichibancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-8472, Japan

    Kanami Tsuno

  4. Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijocho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8521, Japan

    Kimiko Tomioka

  5. Nakanishi Healthcare Office, 1-27-39 Hiyoshihoncho, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, 223-0062, Japan

    Mayuko Nakanishi

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  1. Akiomi Inoue
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  2. Norito Kawakami
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  3. Kanami Tsuno
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  4. Akihito Shimazu
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Correspondence to Akiomi Inoue.

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Inoue, A., Kawakami, N., Tsuno, K. et al. Job demands, job resources, and work engagement of Japanese employees: a prospective cohort study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 86, 441–449 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-012-0777-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-012-0777-1

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