Master or Escape: Digitization-Oriented Job Demands and Crafting and Withdrawal of Chinese Public Sector Employees

Public sector employees face the profound impact of digital work demands, especially with the advancement of China's digital government construction. This study explores the dual-edged consequence of digital job demands on the work behaviors of public sector employees in China by constructing a dual-path model. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to validate the data of 873 public sector employees. This study found that digital job demands increase civil servants' thriving at work, facilitating their job-crafting behaviors and increasing their workplace anxiety, leading to their work withdrawal behavior. Furthermore, this study validates the moderating effects of promotion and preventive focus. This study provides managers in the public sector with valuable insights to develop digital job demands managing strategies and for civil servants to adapt their perceptions and behaviors in the digital context.