Title: Unravelling the impact of project team members self-efficacy and job autonomy on project success: serial mediation of job crafting and engagement

Authors: Eram Shahid; Jin Xu; Sameen Khalid; Irshad Hussain Sarki; Malik Ikram Ullah

Addresses: School of Economics and Management, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China ' School of Economics and Management, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China; Service Science and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China ' School of Economics and Management, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China ' Department of Business Administration, NCBA&E Lahore, Sub Campus Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan ' Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract: This study examines the impact of project team members' self-efficacy and job autonomy on project success, as well as the sequential mediation effects of job crafting and job engagement in these relationships. These relationships are explored through the lens of job crafting theory. Data were collected from project professionals using a close ended questionnaire, with a sample of 368 participants working in the construction sector in China. Research model was tested through structural equation modelling (SEM). The results show that self-efficacy and job autonomy are positively related to project success. Meanwhile, relationship between self-efficacy and project success was serially mediated by job crafting and engagement. Moreover, the relationship between job autonomy and project success was mediated by job crafting and engagement (sequential mediation). This study extends job crafting theory by integrating personal and job resources of project team members and their impact on project success, highlighting that enhanced engagement through crafting drives project outcomes.

Keywords: self-efficacy; job autonomy; job crafting; job engagement; project success; China construction sector.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBSR.2026.150393

International Journal of Business and Systems Research, 2026 Vol.20 No.1, pp.91 - 114

Received: 12 Oct 2024
Accepted: 09 Dec 2024
Published online: 12 Dec 2025 *

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