Does perceived organizational support for strength use enhance employee well-being and task performance? The role of investment in job crafting

Purpose This paper aims to understand how organizational support for strength use enhances employee well-being through the mediating role of investment in job crafting behaviors, and how, in turn, well-being improves task performance. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted involving 424 professional accountants in Canada. We analyzed the data collected and tested our hypotheses through the application of structural equation modeling using AMOS v26. The mediating effects were tested using bootstrapping techniques. Findings The results reveal that perceived organizational support for strength use is positively associated with the investment in increasing structural and social resources, as well as seeking new challenges, while it is negatively related to the reduction of hindering demands. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the investment in increasing structural resources and challenges mediates the relationship between perceived organizational support for strength use and well-being at work. However, increasing social resources and reducing hindering demands do not significantly influence this relationship. Additionally, the results demonstrate that well-being at work has a positive and significant effect on task performance. Practical implications This study highlights the importance of supporting the utilization of employees’ strengths to encourage job crafting behaviors that enhance work-related resources and challenges. By doing so, organizations can foster employee well-being, which in turn positively impacts task performance. Originality/value This study is the first to examine the relationship between perceived organizational support for strength use, job crafting behaviors, well-being at work and task performance among professional accountants. It provides new insights into how fostering strength utilization can enhance both employee well-being and performance in the accounting profession.