The interaction effect between role overload and skill training on older workers’ work engagement: the mediating role of job crafting

As the modern workforce is increasingly aging and age-diverse, helping older workers maintain a positive state at work is theoretically and practically imperative. Due to the heterogeneity of individuals’ aging trajectories, self-initiated job crafting may be a more effective approach for older workers to manage their roles. However, limited research has addressed this critical issue systematically. Drawing on the job demands–resources model and conservation of resources theory, we examine whether role overload, skill training, and their joint effect influence older workers’ job crafting behaviors, which, in turn, increase their work engagement. Our results from a multi-wave study provide support for the significant influence of role overload, skill training, and their joint effect. Specifically, role overload facilitated older workers’ negative crafting behaviors (i.e., reducing demands), and skill training stimulated their positive crafting behaviors (i.e., seeking resources and seeking challenges). The results of the interaction between role overload and skill training indicated that when older workers have access to adequate skill training, role overload positively influences seeking resources and seeking challenges, and negatively influences reducing demands. Furthermore, the interaction between role overload and skill training influenced older workers’ work engagement through seeking resources and seeking challenges.