A new pathway to job crafting: gratitude, perceived responsiveness, and relational job crafting

Purpose Since jobs are dynamically embedded in a social context, job crafting is often driven by emotional experiences that prompt individuals to reshape relationships with others at work. However, previous studies have overlooked the question of why employees are motivated to engage in relational job crafting. Using the find-remind-and-bind theory, this research elucidates the mechanism through which gratitude functions as a critical emotion that activates relational crafting. Design/methodology/approach In a two-week daily diary study with 138 full-time employees from various industries (n = 1,121 observations), we measured momentary feelings of gratitude and tested its indirect effect on relational crafting through perceived responsiveness. Findings The results consistently support a mediation model in which gratitude enhances perceived responsiveness from coworkers, which, in turn, increases relational crafting. These findings remain robust even after controlling for positive affect. Originality/value This paper represents an original effort to examine how gratitude motivates relational crafting. Exploring perceived coworkers’ responsiveness as the underlying mechanism, the study offers a novel affect-driven perspective. Additionally, it offers practical value by demonstrating that gratitude-based interventions can more precisely and effectively foster relational crafting.