Work digitalization and job crafting: The role of attitudes toward technology

Responding to recent calls in literature, this article aims at investigating the effect of digitalization and information and communication technologies (ICT) on job crafting, a proactive behavior defined as work personalization or individual job redesign. More specifically, through a qualitative pilot study, we examine the attitudes toward technology – namely the individual’s collection of beliefs which determines whether or not to engage in certain related behaviors – leading to these “do it yourself”, unstructured, and self-targeted practices in a working context that is increasingly digitalized. The inductive qualitative research with 28 interviews suggests the mediating role of two variables in the smartphone and general social media usage. Implications for theory and practice, suggesting optimal behaviors and functioning within organizations arising from positive and proactive attitudes and traits of individuals, are discussed.