Examining the Relationship Between Free Will Belief and Job Crafting in Nurses

Background: Job crafting, whereby nurses proactively shape their roles, is critical for well-being and performance amidst demanding workloads. This study investigates the understudied role of belief in free will (BFW) as an antecedent to job crafting among nurses, employing two distinct methodologies to ensure robust findings. Methods: Two studies were conducted with Chinese nurses. Study 1 (N = 274) used a cross-sectional design to examine the relation between BFW, as measured by the Free Will Scale, and job crafting, as assessed by the Measure of Job Crafting, controlling for Big Five personality traits via hierarchical regression analyses. Study 2 (N = 435) directly assessed BFW by classifying nurses as either free will or determinism believers using a philosophical prompt, and then compared job crafting scores via t-tests. Results: Both studies converged to demonstrate a positive association of BFW with overall job crafting and its three dimensions (task, cognitive, and relational crafting). In Study 1, BFW significantly predicted overall job crafting as well as task and cognitive crafting, even after controlling for Big Five personality traits. Consistently, in Study 2, free will believers reported significantly higher levels of overall job crafting and its three dimensions compared to determinism believers. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that nurses' BFW is positively associated with their job crafting, suggesting that interventions that foster a sense of agency and control may empower nurses to proactively shape their jobs and improve their well-being. Further research should examine the generalizability of these findings across diverse populations and explore the underlying mechanisms linking BFW to job crafting.