The Role of Autonomy Support and Job Crafting in Interest Incongruence: A Mediated Moderation Model

Abstract

Interest incongruence, or the mismatch between employees’ vocational interests and their work environments, tends to induce negative work attitudes and behaviors among employees. Combining conservation of resources theory and person–environment fit research, we propose a mediated moderation model explaining how autonomy support and job crafting mitigate the detrimental effects of interest incongruence on job satisfaction and absenteeism. Using data collected across two time periods from a sample of 428 Chinese employees from diverse occupations, we found that autonomy support buffered the relationships between interest incongruence and job satisfaction and interest incongruence and absenteeism. Moreover, job crafting also had a buffering effect on these relationships and further mediated the moderating effect of autonomy support. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for employees coping with interest incongruence in organizations.