The role of job autonomy and collective psychological ownership in work engagement: a multilevel analysis among social workers in China

This study examines how job autonomy and collective psychological ownership (CPO) influence work engagement among social workers in China using data from 5,215 individuals nested within 769 organisations in the 2022 China Social Work Longitudinal Study. Multilevel analyses indicate that job autonomy and self-perceived CPO are positively associated with work engagement, and that self-perceived CPO strengthens the relationship between autonomy and engagement. However, composite CPO at the organisational level does not demonstrate a direct association with individual engagement. These findings highlight the importance of promoting job autonomy and fostering employees’ sense of shared ownership in high-demand service settings. By distinguishing between individual- and organisational-level ownership constructs within the JD-R framework, this study refines understanding of how multilevel resources operate in sustaining motivation.