The question of what motivates engagement in the workplace has received a
great deal of research attention. The role of job stressors and demands as well
as job resources is detailed by the Job Demands Resources (JD-R) theory and has
been used to predict burnout, engagement, work enjoyment and performance, and
overall employee wellbeing. Although research based on the JD-R has been
conducted in many settings, prior to this study, municipal government workers
were frequently left out. A quantitative, correlational survey study was
conducted with the employees of a city in the southwestern United States (N =
352) using three research instruments: the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the
Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), and the Jobs Demands-Resources Scale (JDRS).
Analysis of the data using Pearson’s r received indicated a significant
positive correlation between job demands and employee burnout (r (350) = .443, p < .05), a significant positive correlation between job
resources and employee engagement (r (350) = .580, p < .05.), and a
significant negative correlation between job resources and employee burnout (r (350) = -.482, p < .05), but
interestingly, no correlation was found between job demands and employee
engagement. Results are discussed in terms of applicability to JD-R theory and
practical benefits. Future directions for research are discussed.
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