Public sector employee well-being: examining its determinants using the JD-R and P-E fit models

In this chapter, we focus on employee well-being within the public sector, and especially on its main determinants, using two theoretical models: the job demands–resources (JD-R) model and the person–environment (P-E) fit model. These are not the only models that have been deployed in empirical studies but are, in the literature, often seen as the main theoretical frameworks for studying well-being issues in organizations. Further, these models are relevant here as they clarify how individual, job, and organizational characteristics have a (positive or negative) effect on employee well-being. Although these models are general, and have not been specifically developed for the public sector, we will show that they can easily be applied in a public sector context.