This study aims to examine the relationship among promotion, job security and work engagement on employee retention in the pharmaceutical industry of Bangladesh. Drawing on the social exchange theory, the research examines how work engagement mediates the relationships among promotion, job security and employee retention. Data were collected using a quantitative survey questionnaire approach from 309 medical representatives, which was analysed using PLS-SEM. The study results revealed that promotion and job security have a significant relationship with work engagement and work engagement has a significant relationship with employee retention. Hence, this study emphasizes that clear policies to promote and discuss job security may lead to work engagement, which is associated with employee retention. Practical implications highlight human resource management and how they should support sufficient promotion opportunities, guarantee job security and implement active work programmes to boost employee loyalty. This study concludes that specific HR practices influence employee retention through work engagement, highlighting their value in strengthening organizational performance. Although based on a single industry, the findings provide a foundation for broader investigation. Future research should test these relationships across diverse contexts to enhance generalizability.
Islam et al. (Sun,) studied this question.