How do work engagement and work autonomy affect job crafting and performance? An analysis in an Indian manufacturer

Purpose The authors examine the interactive effects of work engagement and work autonomy in enhancing job crafting behaviour and performance. Design/methodology/approach Dyadic data from a sample of 320 white-collar employees in an Indian manufacturer are analysed through structural equation modelling. Findings The level of job crafting is highest when both work engagement and work autonomy are high. Job crafting fully mediates the interactive effect of work engagement and autonomy on task performance and partially on contextual performance. Practical implications There is value in reviewing organisational constraints on employee autonomy to foster the ways in which highly motivated workers can craft their jobs and, thus, maximise their performance. Originality/value This study demonstrates the interactive effects of work engagement and autonomy in enhancing job crafting and, through this mechanism, employee performance.