Differential associations between job crafting dimensions and work engagement: a meta-analytic review based on the JD-R framework

Work engagement is a positive work-related state characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption. Within the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework, job crafting has commonly been conceptualized as a set of proactive behaviors through which employees modify job resources and demands to better align work with their abilities and motivations. Although previous meta-analyses have linked job crafting to work engagement and provided initial evidence of dimension-specific patterns, the extent to which these patterns hold across a broader and more recent evidence base remains insufficiently clarified. To address this issue, the present study conducted an updated random-effects meta-analysis of the associations between four job crafting dimensions conceptualized within the JD-R framework and work engagement. A systematic search of Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, and PubMed identified 20 eligible studies, and five additional studies were identified through reviewer recommendation during peer review, yielding 25 studies for narrative synthesis. Of these, 15 entered the quantitative synthesis. The findings indicated a differentiated pattern across dimensions. Increasing structural job resources showed the strongest positive pooled association with work engagement (r = 0.491, 95% CI [0.340, 0.617]). Increasing social job resources was also positively associated with work engagement (r = 0.345, 95% CI [0.226, 0.454]), and increasing challenging job demands likewise showed a significant positive association (r = 0.422, 95% CI [0.299, 0.532]). By contrast, decreasing hindering job demands showed a near-null and non-significant association (r = 0.032, 95% CI [-0.087, 0.149]). Sensitivity analyses generally supported the primary pattern of findings, although the association for decreasing hindering job demands showed greater sensitivity to study design, and substantial between-study heterogeneity remained across the syntheses. Overall, the results suggest that JD-R-based job crafting dimensions should not be treated as functionally equivalent when work engagement is the focal outcome. The paper concludes by discussing the theoretical implications of a differentiated view of job crafting, the practical relevance of dimension-specific job crafting for organizations, and directions for future research.