A Qualitative Descriptive Study on Job Crafting

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study explored how skilled-trade employees in the Southwest Florida’s, Sarasota and Charlotte counties, home-building industry describe and use job crafting at work, guided by the job demands-resources (JD-R) theory. (RQ1) How do skilled-trade employees in the home-building industry report the nature and level of their job-crafting behaviors?; (RQ2) engaging in new activities?; (RQ3) actively avoid emotionally challenging tasks?; (RQ4) maximizing feedback from others?; (RQ5) assist others in the workplace?; and (RQ6) attempts to organize work to be less stressful? Data were collected from completing the JCS questionnaire for blue-collar workers and semi-structured interviews. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and reflexive thematic analysis. Nine themes were discovered; 1) employees job craft by proactively attempting to be assigned; (2) proactively learning new skills or processes; (3) engaging in behaviors to de-stress during the workday; (4) behaviors to mitigate challenging social interactions; (5) utilization of social behaviors and social interactions; (6) desire to perform job tasks well and provide overall satisfaction; (7) utilizing coworkers as a resource; (8) balancing and alternating between job tasks; and (9) workday conditions require modifications to their plans. This research offers a nuanced understanding of the dynamic relationship between job demands and resources, revealing creative and proactive strategies that individuals use to reshape their work to foster personal and professional well-being. Future research should explore varying tenures and trades of skilled-trade workers.