“Avoidance” Is Not “Escape”: The Impact of Avoidant Job Crafting on Work Disengagement

In a highly competitive and high-pressure workplace environment, more and more employees may fall into negative work situations such as work disengagement. The actual effectiveness of avoidant job crafting as a proactive behavior of employees in coping with stress remains controversial, and the positive aspects of its impact are not explored. Based on conservation of resources theory, this study argues that avoidant job crafting mitigates employees’ self-control resource depletion, which in turn effectively helps employees to reduce work disengagement; the above process is moderated by career identity. To test the above hypotheses, this study collects 455 cross-sectional data from Internet companies in various regions of China and uses structural equation modeling to conduct an analysis. The results show the following: avoidant job crafting has a significant negative effect on work disengagement; self-control resource depletion partially mediates the effect of avoidant job crafting on work disengagement; and the negative relationship between avoidant job crafting and self-control resource depletion is stronger when employees’ career identity is higher and vice versa when it is weaker. The above results guide managers to help employees adjust avoidant job crafting correctly and escape negative work situations.