This position paper presents the state-of-the art of the field of workplace commitment. Yet, for workplace commitment to stay relevant, it is necessary to look beyond current practice and to extrapolate trends to envision what will be needed in future research. Therefore, the aim of this paper is twofold, first, to consolidate our current understanding of workplace commitment in contemporary work settings and, second, to look into the future by identifying and discussing avenues for future research. Representative of the changing nature of work, we explicitly conceptualize workplace commitment in reference to (A) "Temporary work", and (B) "Cross-boundary work". Progressing from these two themes, conceptual, theoretical and methodological advances of the field are discussed. The result is the identification of 10 key paths of research to pursues, a shared agenda for the most promising and needed directions for future research and recommendations for how these will translate into practice. ARTICLE HISTORY

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between the facets of job satisfaction and the work engagement. Previous studies that focus on the linkages between work engagement and overall job satisfaction ignore the multi-faceted nature of job satisfaction construct. In this study, how job satisfaction facets are linked to three dimensions of work engagement – i.e. vigor, dedication and absorption – is discussed by drawing on the social exchange theory. Design/methodology/approach The cross-lagged data used in this study come from the specialist lending division of a UK bank. The linear multiple regression analyses are run to test the proposed theoretical model. Findings The results show that among all the job satisfaction facets, the “satisfaction with work itself” is the key driver of all dimensions of work engagement, i.e. vigor, dedication and absorption. The “satisfaction with conditions” is negatively linked to absorption of employees in their work. This means that the employees with high workload might not be absorbed in their work. Finally, it is found that employees who are satisfied with the communication in their work are also absorbed in their work. Originality/value This study contributes to our knowledge of the drivers of work engagement over time. The facets of job satisfaction as the drivers help us to have a comprehensive understanding of the link between the job satisfaction facets and work engagement. This study first contributes to the work engagement literature which has neglected the multi-dimensional approach of job satisfaction. This study also contributes to the limited number of work engagement studies conducted in service sector and in UK.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that enable work engagement to develop when asynchronous communication is used in virtual team (VT) projects. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative approach, a longitudinal study of an eight-month long VT project was carried out. Data collected included an extensive e-mail archive, project documentation, observation of team meetings and interviews with project members and leaders. Findings The findings show that VT leaders can actively promote work engagement through the effective use of resources along with appropriate practices that foster its development. They can also sustain and nourish work engagement throughout the different phases of the VT lifecycle project. Research limitations/implications The study has examined work engagement in asynchronous mediated settings. Future work should involve studying the effect of synchronous communications on work engagement within VTs. Practical implications Organizations that are interested in promoting effective virtual work practices need to train VT managers on how to keep VT members engaged throughout the various phases of the VT project. Social implications It is posited that developing work engagement is not a one-off practice, but instead, requires ongoing effort that should be evident and supported across the different phases of the VT lifecycle. Originality/value This paper forwards an important debate on work engagement in alternative, non-permanent, work settings.

Using the lens of attachment, we explore microworkers’ views of their employment relationship. Microwork comprises short-term, task-focused exchanges with large numbers of end-users (requesters), implying transitory and transactional relationships. Other key parties, however, include the platform which digitally meditates worker–requester relationships and the online microworker community. We explore the nature of attachment with these parties and the implications for microworkers’ employment experiences. Using data from a workers’ campaign directed at Amazon Mechanical Turk and CEO Jeff Bezos, we demonstrate multiple, dynamic bonds – primarily acquiescence and instrumental bonds – towards requesters and the platform, and identification with the online community. Microworkers also expressed dedication towards the platform. We consider how attachment buffers the exploitative employment relationship and how community bonds mobilise collective worker voice.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between fit (organization and job) perceptions and work engagement (WE). Design/methodology/approach The authors deployed a two-wave survey among 377 clerical employees of the specialist lending division of a large UK bank, with the waves separated by 12 months. Findings The results show a positive relationship between person organization (PO) and person job (PJ) fit perceptions (at Time 1) and WE (at Time 2). Job satisfaction (JS) and affective commitment (AC) dual-mediate these relationships. The effect of PO fit on WE manifests primarily via AC, while the effect of PJ fit manifests primarily via JS. Practical implications The study indicates that organizations should consider the fit of employees to their jobs and the organization when designing interventions intended to increase WE. Also, potential synergies exist between organizational interventions designed to influence employee attitudes focused on similar units of analysis: e.g., PJ fit with JS or PO fit with AC. Originality/value This study provides the first investigation of the dual-mediation, via JS and AC, of the effects of both PJ and PO fit on WE. Furthermore, the use of a time-lagged design strengthens the evidence for the novel hypotheses of this study and enables verification of findings in the extant literature.