The direct and mediating roles of positive emotions on work engagement among postdoctoral fellows

Universities increasingly value the contribution of postdoctoral fellows (postdocs) toward organizational success, yet this group is often the most overlooked and underserved compared to others in higher education (namely, students, faculty, and staff). Despite the stressful and challenging nature of the profession, it is critical for postdocs to remain highly engaged with their work, considering the strong relationships among work engagement, individual productivity, and organizational success. Studies identified work meaningfulness and supervisor support as strong predictors of engagement; however, less is known about the influence of positive emotions. Thus, the present study (n = 200) examined if emotions contribute to engagement, beyond the effects of work meaningfulness, supervisor support, and demographic controls. Results showed that positive emotions were associated with engagement and fully mediated the link between supervisor support and engagement. To promote postdoc work engagement, supervisors should assign meaningful work, and provide supportive workplace environments that stimulate positive emotions.