Job embeddedness and workplace well-being: moderating role of remoteness

Purpose This study aims to explore job embeddedness (JE) from a stuckness perspective by nesting the principles of conservation of resources (COR) theory in the context of public energy sector organizations. The study examines the impact of on-the-job embeddedness (ONTJE) and off-the-job embeddedness (OFFTJE) on the workplace well-being of employees. Remote locations are a common feature of energy sector organizations and a significant concern for both employees and employers. The study examines the moderating role of locational remoteness in the relationship between OFFTJE and workplace well-being. Design/methodology/approach The hypothesized model was evaluated using 399 data points collected from employees of energy sector organizations through an online survey. The data for independent and dependent variables were collected at various times. The partial least squares-structural equation modeling technique was used to assess the measurement and structural model. Findings The study found that both ONTJE and OFFTJE are positively associated with workplace well-being. However, OFFTJE demonstrated a slightly stronger standardized path coefficient (ß = 0.375) compared to ONTJE (ß = 0.323), indicating its higher predictive strength in this context. In addition, remoteness was found to moderate the relationship between OFFTJE and workplace well-being, contributing to the resource caravan’s discussion in the COR theory. Practical implications The results of the study indicate that, despite its many positive effects, JE is not a cure-all. According to the complementarity perspective, employees who are embedded report lower levels of well-being when assigned to remote locations. In this context, leaders of the organization and policymakers must consider the context in which they are embedded to avoid potential unintended negative effects. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the initial studies to examine the relationship between embeddedness and workplace well-being, which includes both the hedonic and eudemonic perspectives. The study also includes the understudied dimension of embeddedness and OFFTJE and weaves it into the context of the study to bring out its criticality for energy and allied sectors by studying it alongside remoteness.