title: Association of job demands with work engagement of Japanese employees: comparison of challenges with hindrances (J-HOPE).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent epidemiological research in Europe has reported that two groups of job demands, i.e., challenges and hindrances, are differently associated with work engagement. The purpose of the present study was to replicate the cross-sectional association of workload and time pressure (as a challenge) and role ambiguity (as a hindrance) with work engagement among Japanese employees.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between October 2010 and December 2011, a total of 9,134 employees (7,101 men and 1,673 women) from 12 companies in Japan were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire comprising the Job Content Questionnaire, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Generic Job Stress Questionnaire, short 10-item version of the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, short nine-item version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and demographic characteristics. Multilevel regression analyses with a random intercept model were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for demographic characteristics, workload and time pressure showed a positive association with work engagement with a small effect size (standardized coefficient [β] = 0.102, Cohen's d [d] = 0.240) while role ambiguity showed a negative association with a large effect size (β = -0.429, d = 1.011). After additionally adjusting for job resources (i.e., decision latitude, supervisor support, co-worker support, and extrinsic reward), the effect size of workload and time pressure was not attenuated (β = 0.093, d = 0.234) while that of role ambiguity was attenuated but still medium (β = -0.242, d = 0.609).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among Japanese employees, challenges such as having higher levels of workload and time pressure may enhance work engagement but hindrances, such as role ambiguity, may reduce it.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiomi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Norito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan.
authors.forename: Akizumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shimazu
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research and Informatics, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyaki
authors.affiliation: Health Administration and Psychosocial Factor Research Group, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Japan, Kawasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Medical Science, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Sumiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurioka
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan.
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.affiliation: Health Administration and Psychosocial Factor Research Group, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Japan, Kawasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.affiliation: Health Care Center, Central Japan Railway Company, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Enta
authors.affiliation: Kosugi Health Management Office, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kosugi
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Fukuoka Tokushukai Medical Center, Kasuga, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.affiliation: Uchisaiwaicho Medical Center, Mizuho Health Insurance Society, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Totsuzaki
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D003710:Demography; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D014937:Work; D016526:Workload