Abstract
Abstract
Purpose: The future of work and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) share a common goal: to ensure that people everywhere can work with dignity (SDG8), purpose, and well-being (SDG3). In this context, this research examines the relationship among three multidimensional constructs: flexible work design (FWD) (Flexibility with time, place, and technology), knowledge workers’ engagement (KWE) (vigor, dedication, and absorption), and knowledge workers’ well-being (KWWB) (aspiration and autonomy), each represented as a second-order latent construct. Grounded in Job Demand-Resource (JDR) theory, this study investigates how flexible work design influences knowledge workers’ well-being through the mediating role of knowledge workers’ engagement.
Design/Methodology/Approach: For higher-order construct analysis, the model is specified as a reflective-formative model type II and is estimated by using the two-stage disjoint approach in SmartPLS 4.0. Using a purposive sampling technique, Data were collected across two-time intervals from knowledge workers (N=207) in Pakistan's IT and Telecom sector.
Findings: The findings of the study demonstrated that there is a significantly positive relationship between flexible work design and knowledge workers’ well-being. The results provided sufficient support for the knowledge workers' engagement as a mediator between flexible work design and knowledge workers’ engagement. Moreover, the second-order modeling of “flexible work design”, “knowledge workers’ engagement”, and “wellbeing”, along with its lower-order constructs, captures the multi-dimensional nature of the constructs, thus providing a nuanced and holistic understanding.
Originality/Value: The study provides empirical evidence of the causal relationship between the multidimensional constructs of flexible work design, knowledge workers’ engagement, and well-being. Research on flexible work design is evolving; however, it is considered paradoxical and theoretically contested. Thus, this study addresses this gap by empirically testing the positive impact of flexible work design on engagement and well-being. Notably, drawing on JDR theory, this study conceptualizes FWD as a job resource and advances the literature through a multidimensional higher-order construct approach to provide a better understanding of the underlying theoretical mechanism.