Using the JD-R Model to Predict the Organizational Outcomes of Social Workers in Guangzhou, China

Abstract

Objective: An examination of how job burnout and job satisfaction are jointly associated with social workers’ commitment and turnover intentions is critical to understanding the underlying mechanisms of social workers’ turnover intentions. Using the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, this study examined the relationships between job satisfaction and organizational outcomes (e.g., turnover intentions and organizational commitment) and how job burnout (i.e., exhaustion and cynicism) mediated these relationships. Method: We applied the JD-R model to 748 social workers from the Integrated Family Services Centers in Guangzhou, China. Job demands were measured as workloads, and job resources were measured as support from organizations (e.g., supervisory support) and professional associations (e.g., career development). Results: Our results provide evidence for the extended dual process of the JD-R model: the health-impairment process and the motivation-driven process. Social workers’ job demands (i.e., workload) influenced their intentions to leave the organization, whereas social workers’ job resources predicted their commitment to the organization. Conclusion: Our findings confirm the importance of providing job resources to social workers in Integrated Family Services Centers.