| The Job Demands-Resources Model shows that job characteristics, namely resources and demands, lead to job engagement and job burnout (e.g., Salanova & Bakker, 2004). Engagement and burnout, described as psychological states, mediate the relationships between resources, demands, and job outcomes. Specifically, engagement results from job resources, and leads to outcomes such as satisfaction, commitment, and enhanced performance, and burnout results from demands, and leads to outcomes such as turnover, absence, impaired performance, and stress-related health consequences.;A limitation in the Job Demands-Resources Model literature is that studies of this model have focused on perceptions of the same set of job characteristics to measure resources. Therefore, we do not know if resources outside of perceptions of autonomy, feedback, social support, relationship with supervisor, training, and developmental opportunities might fulfill the predictions of the model. In addition, studies do not measure the degree to which participants actually use these resources, so we do not know whether active resource use has more of an impact on work outcomes than passive perception of resources.;Another limitation of the Job Demands-Resources Model is that it does not propose a relationship between demands and engagement, although some studies suggest that such a relationship may exist. Specifically, individual differences may interact with demands to impact engagement.;The current study attempted to address these gaps in the literature, using a student sample. A model was proposed that replicated some of the well-supported findings of the Job Demands-Resources Model. In addition, two new variables were added into the model. First, resource use, theoretically framed as behavioral engagement, was added as a consequence of state engagement, an idea that was proposed by Macey and Schneider, (2008). In addition, a moderator variable was introduced, the need for cognition, which was proposed to uncover a relationship between demands and state engagement. Need for cognition was chosen because of its relationship to academic motivation and performance, and thus its relevance to the student sample. Structural equation modeling and moderated structural equation modeling techniques were used to test the study hypotheses. The study hypotheses were partially supported. Implications of this study are discussed. |
