What if there is a better way? Investigating upward counterfactual thinking as a metacognitive self‐regulatory strategy for job crafting

Abstract This study investigates whether encouraging employees to actively reframe their thinking can stimulate behavioural job crafting, that is, optimizing their job demands and resources. Grounded in the functional theory of counterfactual thinking (CFT), we theorize that upward CFT—mentally contrasting negative work situations with better imagined alternatives—can function as a self‐regulatory strategy that helps people to recognize and act on job crafting opportunities by triggering proactive goal setting. In Study 1, we find significant correlations between upward self‐referent (S‐R) CFT and approach‐ and avoidance‐oriented job crafting using cross‐sectional data ( N = 201). In Study 2, we develop and test a new electronic upward S‐R CFT micro‐intervention using a 10‐day experience sampling study ( N = 191). Specifically, we demonstrate that this micro‐intervention indirectly promotes daily job crafting behaviours in workers through triggering proactive goal setting, which in turn enhances their work engagement and task performance. Our research seeks to contribute to Job Demands‐Resources theory by integrating upward S‐R CFT as a metacognitive strategy that can motivate people to set and act on job crafting goals, thereby addressing calls for deeper insight into the psychological mechanisms underlying job crafting. Practically, we offer a scalable self‐regulatory tool to complement existing job crafting interventions.