Purpose – The overall goal of the manuscript is to deepen our understanding of job crafting and its consequences. An occupational framework is proposed as an alternative to the exclusive focus of current theory on the individual- and job-level of analysis. This model extends job crafting theory by applying a multilevel framework, examining bottom-up and top-down influences of occupations, and explicates the interplay among occupation- and job-level autonomy and job crafting.

Design/methodology/approach – We conducted a two-study research program using multilevel modeling and moderated mediation analysis. Data were derived from two large-scale archival databases. Study 1 spanned 701 occupations and 50,729 individuals. Study 2 involved 270 occupations and 3,270 individuals.

Findings – Study 1 reveals that nearly one-third of the variability in job crafting is attributable to occupational context. Study 2 shows that occupational contexts moderate individual-level processes whereby occupational-level crafting moderated the mediated effects between job-level autonomy, job-level crafting, and individual-level outcomes.

Practical implications – Results inform interventions that can be used to facilitate job crafting. Increasing autonomy generally increases job crafting, yet this effect does not always hold. This result demonstrates the importance of attending to the occupations in which people work. Also, job crafting is related to positive outcomes for individuals (e.g., satisfaction), but is also linked to some negative consequences (e.g., burnout).

Originality/value – The research empirically demonstrates the need to expand job crafting theory beyond the individual and job levels, as well as offers a deeper and expanded understanding of job crafting and its relationship with people’s occupations.