Work engagement and job-related well-being: The moderation by public service work motivation

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between civil servants’ work engagement and job-related well-being, and how it is moderated by work motivation. Participant were 496 Chinese civil servants (female = 41.7%; mean age = 40.5 years, SD = 14.14 years, 93.3% were 26-55 years old; managers = 57.5%). The participants completed surveys on work engagement, job-related well-being, and work motivation. Following moderation analyses, results indicated that moderate work engagement is optimal for job-related well-being. Further, work motivation moderated the relationship between work engagement and job-related well-being, such that the relationship was weakened when work motivation was high. In addition, younger age and working at the administrative level were associated with lower job-related well-being. Findings are consistent with the conservation of resources theory in that excessive work engagement reduces job-related well-being, resulting in resource scarcity. High work motivation buffers the effect of work engagement on job-related well-being.

Keywords:

• civil servants
• job-related well-being
• moderating effect
• work engagement
• work motivation

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, Ni Chen, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Chongqing Social Science Planning Program (Project No. 2021NDYB014).