Rethinking Work Design in Indonesia's Capital Belt: An Age-sensitive Job Crafting Perspective

This study investigates differences in the three dimensions of job crafting—task crafting, relational crafting, and cognitive crafting—across various employee age groups. A total of 402 workers from diverse sectors in the JABODETABEK region participated in this research through an online survey utilizing the Job Crafting Questionnaire ( JCQ), which had undergone cross-cultural adaptation. Data analysis was conducted using the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by post-hoc pairwise comparisons. The findings reveal a statistically significant difference in the relational crafting dimension among age groups, with employees aged 18–24 years demonstrating the highest engagement compared to those aged ≥35 years. However, no significant differences were observed in task crafting and cognitive crafting dimensions. These results are examined through the lenses of Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory, Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, and Career Construction Theory, which collectively elucidate how age shapes individuals’ crafting strategies in the workplace. This study contributes to the developmental-based Job Crafting literature, offering theoretical insights and practical implications for effectively managing a multigenerational workforce.