MGB200 Managing People - Ash Dilemma: Case Study Help

Introduction

This paper evaluates a case study where Ash is facing difficulties with two employees who are seeking for flexible work hours. To understand and better conduct the analysis, Job-demands resource theory is assessed. Moreover, the ethical dilemmas arising in this case is analyzed and probable recommendations are provided. 

JD-R Model: Literature Review 

Bakker and Demerouti (2007) proposed the JD-R model in which they classified job characteristics into job demands and job resources that affect work engagement either positively or negatively. JD-R is a heuristic model which tells that well-being of employees can be produced by both these sets of working conditions. Job demands are physical, organizational and social facets of the job that require sustained physical and psychological effort of the employees and have certain costs. They represent characteristics of the job that can evoke strain if exceed the adaptive capability of employees. They are not necessarily negative, however becomes job stressors when high efforts are required to meet those demands. The other set, job resources are the physical, psychological, organizational and social aspects of the job that are functional in achieving work goals, reduce job demands and its costs and stimulates learning, development and personal growth. These resources include at organizational level, interpersonal and social relations, organization of work and task (Bakker and Demerouti, 2007). 

The theory assumes that job demands and resources directly affect work engagement and also interact in shaping work engagement of employees. Job resources becomes more important in work engagement and helps in motivational state of dedication, vigor and absorption even if job demands are high because job resources can help in achieving goal (Bakker et al., 2014; Borst et al., 2017). However, personal resources are also integrated in the model as they affect the behavior of human. Lee (2019) highlights that both individual job performance and organizational outcomes enhances with a decrease in negative job demands and an increase in positive personal and job resources. On the contrary, increased job demands leads to burnout where gradual emotional depletion and loss of motivation becomes obvious (Bakker et al., 2014). 

The demanding aspects of work like work overload results in overtaxing which in turn leads to exhaustion in long term. Exhaustion may in turn have several negative consequences for the organization like absenteeism and impaired in-role performance. Job resources on the other hand, results in positive outcomes like engagement, dedication and extra-role performance. A study among teachers in a school showed that providing job resources to teachers to become increasingly competent and decision-making possibilities encouraged personal investment in the work among them. However, in the absence of such rewards, reduced motivation, withdrawal from work and commitment (Bakker et al., 2007). Additionally, it has been noted that stress experienced by individuals results in actual or potential loss of resources and hence pool of resources might minimize the risks ensuring increased resource gains. Under stressful conditions, employees or individuals are more likely to use job resources as a stress-reducing action or coping mechanism (Bakker et al., 2007). Hence, it becomes necessary for the employers to provide such job resources so that the job demands have less impact thereby increasing work commitment, motivation and job performance. 

JD-R theory has gained popularity because of its flexibility. As different job characteristics can be divided into two categories, it becomes easy to apply in different work environments with easy tailoring to a specific occupation. Further, job demands are resources are triggers of two independent processes; a health impairment process and a motivational process (Baker et al., 2014). Where exhaustion, repetitive strain injury and psychosomatic health complaints are the indicators of outcomes of job demands, job resources help in predicting work enjoyment, work engagement and motivation. These effects are seen as job demands consume energetic resources and cost effort while job resources fulfill basic psychological needs like relatedness, competence and autonomy. The model thus helps in predicting important organizational outcomes with the dual pathways (Baker et al., 2014).