To date, most research has assumed an additive relationship between work-related predictors and engagement. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the refinement of engagement theory by exploring the extent to which two predictors – person-organization fit and organizational trust – interact to influence employees’ engagement, which in turn, positively influences their task performance.
A test of moderated mediation was conducted using survey data collected from 335 employees and matched performance records from the Human Resource department in a support services organization in the UK.
Engagement was best predicted by the interactive model, rather than the additive model, as employees who felt a close fit with their organization and who trusted their organization were most engaged with their work. Further, engagement mediated the relationship between the interaction and task performance.
This paper contributes to a refinement of engagement theory by presenting and testing a model that explains the synergistic effect of work-related factors on engagement.
