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.