Job Resources as Antecedents of Engagement at Work: Evidence From a Long-Term Care Setting

How to improve employees’ work engagement currently represents one of the most important areas of concern for organizations. Within the broader research field on work engagement and its antecedents, this study analyzes one specific aspect: the role of job resources in determining employees’ engagement at work. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed, along with a basic descriptive analysis, to examine a sample of 167 caregivers (registered nurses, nurse managers, home helpers, nurse's aides, and certified nursing assistants) in nine long-term care (LTC) facilities in Italy. The results suggest that work engagement among caregivers in the LTC sector is significantly influenced by job resources. In particular, greater learning opportunities have direct effects on increasing work engagement among health-care service employees. Furthermore, coworker support and supervisor support also play a statistically significant positive role in stimulating work engagement.