Employee resources and workplace well-being in the new world of work

The Job Demands-Resources (JDR) model provides a well-established framework for examining workplace antecedents and outcomes. This dissertation extends the JDR model by investigating how personal resources interact with work location in hybrid and remote settings. Four empirical studies explore whether remote work serves as a resource or a demand and how personal resources, both stable traits and daily states, moderate this relationship. Part A focuses on core self-evaluations (CSE) and remote work intensity among hybrid leaders (N = 370), showing that remote work can enhance health outcomes over time, particularly for those with lower personal resources. However, no effect on work-life balance was found. Part B comprises two diary studies (N = 63 and N = 98) on daily character strength application, demonstrating its benefits for performance and self-efficacy. These effects were stronger on office days, indicating a potential enhancement role of the office environment for state-like personal resources. Part C validates the German version of the “Thriving from Work” (TfW) questionnaire using item response theory (N = 567), establishing a reliable short form for future diary research. Part D uses this measure in a five-day diary study (N = 408), revealing that daily remote work is associated with higher daily thriving. Findings underscore the complex role of remote work within the JDR model: it can act as both a resource and a demand, depending on the individual’s personal resources and context. This dissertation advances the theoretical understanding of hybrid work and offers practical implications for supporting employee well-being and performance in flexible work environments.