A Multi-Domain Work and Non-work Approach to linking Resources and Demands, Attitudes and Behaviours

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Description of Research Project

This project will systematically synthesize quantitative research, using meta-analysis, to examine how demands and resources shape individual outcomes across multiple life domains, including both work and non-work contexts. The focus is on understanding how different demand and resource factors relate to stress, satisfaction, and performance in everyday life, adopting a resource–demand perspective that explicitly spans roles and settings beyond traditional employment.

The study is grounded in a Demands–Resources (D–R) framework that extends ideas from Bakker and Demerouti’s (2017) model to a broader set of life domains. Within this approach, individual functioning is viewed as emerging from the dynamic balance between demands—conditions that require sustained physical, cognitive, or emotional effort—and resources—assets that help individuals cope with those demands and pursue valued goals. Demands may include high workload, role conflict, time scarcity, or intensive caregiving responsibilities in both work and non-work spheres, and are expected to increase strain, depletion, and risk of health impairment when not adequately offset. Resources encompass elements such as autonomy, social and community support, financial security, skills, and coping strategies that reduce the effort required to manage demands, buffer adverse consequences, and foster well-being and motivation.

By explicitly considering demands and resources across work and non-work domains, the project examines how experiences in one area of life may either undermine or bolster functioning in others. For example, heavy job demands may contribute to exhaustion and lower satisfaction, whereas supportive supervision, flexible work arrangements, or strong personal relationships can mitigate these risks. Similarly, demanding non-work roles such as caregiving may erode well-being, but access to community networks, respite options, or family support can attenuate negative effects and help sustain motivation, satisfaction, and performance in both paid and unpaid roles. In this way, the project adopts a cross-domain resource–demand lens to understand how people manage multiple roles simultaneously.

Using meta-analytic techniques, the project will aggregate correlations and related quantitative estimates from existing studies that assess demands, resources, and individual outcomes such as distress, burnout, domain-specific and global satisfaction, and indicators of performance or role effectiveness. The analysis will estimate the strength of associations between different types of demands and resources and these outcomes across work and non-work settings, and will explore potential moderators such as type of role or occupation, cultural context, and individual characteristics in order to clarify when and for whom particular demands and resources are most consequential. A central objective is to construct and test a meta-analytic structural equation model representing core pathways in the D–R framework (Bakker & Demerouti, 2017) across domains. This integrative model will enable the project to assess how demands and resources jointly influence well-being and performance, and whether patterns typically observed in work-focused research generalize to non-work roles. The findings are expected to refine theoretical understanding of cross-domain demands and resources and inform practical strategies for designing jobs, policies, and supports that help individuals manage demands and leverage resources across the different areas of their lives.

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Undergraduate Student Responsibilities

The undergraduate student will be actively involved in the meta-analytic review. Their responsibilities will include conducting systematic literature searches using academic databases, screening studies for eligibility based on predefined criteria, extracting and coding information on study characteristics, measures of demands, resources, and outcomes, and effect size estimates, and assessing the quality and relevance of included studies. The student will also assist with data preparation, descriptive analyses, and preliminary meta-analytic computations, as well as contribute to the preparation of summaries, tables, and figures. As supervisor, guidance and training will be provided in literature review methods, coding and data management, basic meta-analytic techniques, and effective written communication. Clear expectations, timelines, and learning goals will be established at the outset to ensure that the student’s work contributes meaningfully to the project while supporting their methodological and professional development.

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Qualifications Required

The ideal candidate for this position will have proficiency with common computer applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel, strong written and oral communication skills, and basic research skills including the ability to locate, read, and summarize empirical articles. They should be reliable, self-motivated, and able to complete tasks in a timely manner with appropriate guidance. It is advantageous if the student can quickly learn new software tools or research techniques as needed, adapt to evolving project requirements, read and interpret empirical journal articles with an eye toward identifying key arguments and findings, and begin to critically evaluate research methods and results. Familiarity with reference management software such as Mendeley (or similar tools) is considered an asset, as is a substantive interest in topics such as human resource management, occupational health, or work–life interface issues.