The Relationship Between Work Engagement and Organizational Commitment: Proposing Research Agendas Through a Review of Empirical Literature

Abstract

Work engagement and organizational commitment are among the most studied topics in a range of fields, including human resource development (HRD) and organization development (OD). The value of such work is evident in the direct influence of work engagement and organizational commitment on employee well-being and organizational performance. However, scholars have divergent perspectives on the relationship between these two concepts. While some studies have examined work engagement as a precursor to organizational commitment, others have investigated work engagement as an outcome of organizational commitment. Despite the contrasting perspectives, little research effort has been made to reconcile these differing views through the synthesis and analysis of the extant literature. Therefore, this study aims to examine the current state of engagement-commitment research and then to suggest HRD implications for research and practice based on a review of selected literature.

Corporate Volunteering: Relationship to Job Resources and Work Engagement

“…These results are consistent with Allen’s (2013) finding that the indirect satisfaction of employees’ needs through volunteering could serve as a basis for a positive correlation between these two constructs. However, some authors (e.g., Caudron, 1994; Booth et al, 2009; Breitsohl and Ehrig, 2016; Rodell et al, 2016, 2017) have reported a positive effect of corporate volunteering on other organizational behaviors (productivity, job satisfaction, sense of belonging, performance), which are positively correlated with work engagement (Harter et al, 2013; Karanika-Murray et al, 2014; Kim et al, 2017). …”

“…Work engagement is in fact a specific construct, different from constructs such as loyalty to the organization or work inclusion, with which it is occasionally conflated in practice (Bakker and Leiter, 2010). It is positively associated with constructs such as work performance, productivity (Harter et al, 2013), organizational commitment (Kim et al, 2017), organizational identification, job satisfaction (Karanika-Murray et al, 2014). …”

“…Harter et al, 2013; Karanika-Murray et al, 2014; Kim et al, 2017), since employed volunteers show better performance results and remain at their companies for longer periods of time (Rodell et al, 2016), feel a higher sense of belonging to the organization (Breitsohl and Ehrig, 2016), are more loyal to the organization and have higher levels of job satisfaction (Caudron, 1994). In addition, they identify with their companies more (Rodell et al, 2017) and possess better work-related skills such as communication, interpersonal skills, dedication, creativity and active listening.…”

Cultural Intelligence and Work–Family Conflict: A Moderated Mediation Model Based on Conservation of Resources Theory

“…Vigor refers to energy and resilience in work; dedication means one’s deep involvement in work and in experiencing associated feelings of significance, enthusiasm, and challenge; and absorption refers to the state of being totally absorbed and actively engaged in work. Although work engagement is a multi-dimensional concept, this study examines it as an integral construct, consistent with most of the literature (e.g., [65,66]).…”

“…Work engagement has become a popular topic for organizations and researchers, especially as it usually brings desirable outcomes for different types of organizations and individuals [65]. Many studies have explored the antecedents and outcome variables of work engagement (e.g., [29,30]).…”