Happy but Exhausted: The Role of Passion in Explaining the Mitigated Psychological State of Health and Social Services Nonprofit Workers

Abstract

The goal of this study was to enhance our understanding of the psychological state of health and social services nonprofit workers using the concept of passion for work and the JD-R model. We proposed that both harmonious and obsessive passion influence the relationship between job resources and wellbeing at work, and that between job demands and burnout. To test this model, 774 workers completed an online survey. Results of path analysis indicate that job resources were positively associated with harmonious passion, while job demands negatively related to obsessive passion, although some cross-links appeared in both relationships. Results also showed that harmonious passion was positively related to wellbeing at work and negatively related to burnout, while obsessive passion was not related to burnout. Moreover, results showed that harmonious passion mediated the relationship between job demands and burnout, and that between job resources and wellbeing at work. However, obsessive passion was not a significant mediator of the job demands-burnout relationship. In addition, both types of passion were not significant moderators of the resources-wellbeing and demands-burnout relationships. Implications for research and practice regarding the psychological health and passion for work of nonprofit workers are discussed.