Prompt engineering as a new resource and demand for professional practice

This thesis explores the impact of large language models (LLMs) on the job performance and emotional well-being of knowledge workers. The main objective of the study was to determine whether and how LLMs can reduce the effort required to manage the job demands of knowledge workers, thereby improving their emotional state and positively influencing their job engagement. The study is based on the "Job Demands–Resources" (JD-R) model and focuses on analyzing the use of LLMs in meeting the job demands. For this purpose, a qualitative study was conducted among nine junior consultants at a consulting firm. The research findings are analyzed and compared with other relevant studies on similar topics. The context awareness ability of LLMs was identified as a key mechanism that allows them to reduce the effort needed to manage job demands. This thesis can be useful for knowledge workers and human resource managers by offering practical ways to utilize LLMs in practice and providing a theoretical foundation for understanding the impact of LLMs on job performance and the emotional well-being of workers.