The dual-pathway impact of job rotation on employee well-being

With the increasing demand from enterprises for multi-skilled, flexible, and experienced employees, job rotation has been widely adopted in modern organizations. Beyond organizational outcomes, job rotation may also exert a significant influence on employees. This study extends the effect of job rotation from the organizational to the individual level and investigates the relationship and underlying mechanisms between job rotation and employee well-being, an area that remains extremely scarce in existing research.

Data were collected using the online survey platform Questionnaire Star. From March 20 to May 25, 2024, spanning 65 days, participants were invited to complete the survey through multiple channels, including WeChat, telephone, and offline distribution.

The findings indicate that job rotation enhances employee well-being through two distinct pathways: increasing employees' sense of gain and alleviating emotional exhaustion. Moreover, pressure of information technology change moderate the relationship between job rotation, sense of gain, and emotional exhaustion. Specifically, under higher levels of pressure of information technology changes, the positive effect of job rotation on employee sense of gain becomes more pronounced and its buffering effect on emotional exhaustion is strengthened.

These findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the post-effects of job rotation and provide useful implications for organizations seeking to improve employee well-being from multiple perspectives.