Creative Work, Divine Struggles, and Self-Esteem: Evidence from Singapore

Conceptualizing creative work as a job resource in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, this study examines how creative work is associated with self-esteem. In addition, it assesses how divine struggles not only shape self-esteem, but also the association between creative work and self-esteem. Using data from a nationwide study of Singaporean workers in 2021 (n = 467), our analyses show that creative work is positively associated with self-esteem whereas divine struggles are negatively associated with self-esteem. Moreover, divine struggles modify the association between creative work and self-esteem. Specifically, the positive association between creative work and self-esteem is stronger for those who have higher levels of divine struggles. These observations dovetail with the resource substitution thesis, suggesting that creative work is a critical compensator for self-esteem among those who have troubled relationships with God. Broadly, this study contributes to theoretical knowledge about the ways that religion interacts with work conditions to shape self-concept.