This study examined the effects of job demands and resources specific to policing on work burnout and engagement, including self-efficacy’s role in expanding the job demands-resources model (JD-R model).
The authors used survey data from 1,591 South Korean police by nationwide sampling officers in 2023. A moderation analysis was used to examine the relationships between each variable.
Self-efficacy moderates the effects of job demands and job resources on work burnout but not on work engagement. The high self-efficacy group generally exhibits lower levels of work burnout than the low self-efficacy group. The high self-efficacy group is associated with higher levels of work burnout as job demands increase and lower levels of work burnout as job resources increase. The low self-efficacy group experiences higher levels of work burnout independent of job demands and job resources than the high self-efficacy group. In the low self-efficacy group, the reduction in job burnout is very gentle as job resources increase. Also, the increase in job burnout is steep as job demands increase.
Job resources are generally considered helpful in reducing work burnout. However, the current study highlights the necessity for delicate interventions considering self-efficacy levels.
