The term employee engagement has gained considerable popularity in the past 20 years yet it remains inconsistently defined and conceptualized. Although much has been written on the subject, little rigorous academic research has been done. This gap has resulted in a disjointed approach to understanding and developing strategies around employee engagement within organizations. This article explores the development of employee engagement through a historical lens using an integrated literature review to define and situate the concept within the HRD field by systematically reviewing and organizing literature across various disciplines and fields of study. Seminal works on the topic were identified and reviewed to gain an understanding of the topic’s development.A working definition is proposed and implications for theory, scholarship, and organizational practice are discussed.

The Problem. Employee engagement is an emerging concept in the HRD literature, with demonstrated organizational benefits; yet little is known about its antecedents. The purpose of this article is to explore conceptual and empirically driven antecedents as well as differentiate the two perspectives. The Solution. As a result of a structured literature review method, 42 antecedents were grouped by application at the individual and organizational level. The Stakeholders. HRD researchers seeking to conduct original research in organizations, and practitioners interested in creating greater levels of engagement in their organizations will find the discussion and implications sections and the index tool valuable.

This article investigates the previous research and theories of workplace commitment using content analysis and concept mapping. It provides a conceptual model of workplace commitment, integrating the literature on organizational commitment, occupational/career commitment, and individual commitment. The significance of this article lies in the integration of the extant literature on commitment and the development of a conceptual model of workplace commitment and related propositions derived from the literature. The article discusses interventions that can be used by human resource development (HRD) researchers and practitioners to improve organizational performance by developing workplace commitment in the organization.

Tomorrow's workforce is seeking more than a paycheck; they want their work to meet their needs for affiliation, meaning, and self‐development. Companies willing to meet these demands will capture the enormous profit potential of a workforce of fully engaged workers. This piece explores what engagement is, why it matters, and how human resource development (HRD) professionals can be strategic corporate partners in creating the changes necessary to engage the talent in their employees.

The Problem. Employee engagement continues to capture the interest of practitioners and scholars, yet estimates are that between 50%and 70% of workers are not engaged. Disengagement has implications for profitability, productivity, safety, mental health, turnover, and employee theft. The Solution. The article builds on Kahn's concept of disengagement and presents a consolidated view of the research regarding the process of disengagement. A call to action is presented, as a plea to organizations to address cognitive, emotional and behavioral/ physical needs of the majority of workers who are less than fully engaged. The Stakeholders. Human resource development (HRD) researcher and practitioners who work in organizations where engagement is low, turnover is high, or morale is plummeting.