Work Engagement

This article proposes a theoretical model linking the relatively new concept of work engagement to three major domains of employees’ lives—work, personal life, and community—and demonstrates the added value of engagement to each of these domains, above and beyond other well-known concepts in the employee–organization relationship. We propose that promoting work engagement among employees provides organizations with a competitive advantage. Moreover, we maintain that work engagement also creates added value beyond the boundaries of the workplace and has the potential to enrich other major areas in an employee’s life. When compared with similar work-related attitudes such as job involvement and job satisfaction, the work engagement concept also provides added value to organizations, their employees, and their community beyond these similar concepts. This article addresses the paucity of structured literature on the multiple facets and added value of work engagement within organizations and beyond, and presents a comprehensive, holistic model for improving engagement in work that human resource development practitioners can implement.