Crafting wellness: Mediation of job crafting on the relationship between workplace social support and employee mental health

Objective: The study investigates the mediating role of job crafting on the relationship between workplace social support and employee mental health. Method: The research utilized a survey method to obtain data from respondents in selected government departments operating within the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A total of 289 usable responses were obtained for analysis with the ordinary least squares regression-based path analysis being conducted using the Hayes Process Macro to quantify the direct effects of the hypothesized relationships. Results: The direct relationships show support for the relationships between (a) workplace social support and job crafting and (b) workplace social support and employee mental health. In terms of the mediation results, job crafting was observed to partially mediate the association between workplace social support and employee mental health. Conclusions: The study establishes that job crafting is the preeminent antecedent of employee mental health compared to workplace social support. This suggests that employees who take proactive steps to modify their work environment tend to experience greater mental well-being. The findings call for an urgent need to promote organizations that not only encourage job crafting but supportive workplace behaviors in promoting mental health.