Is there a relationship between job satisfaction and work engagement?

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v14i4.4218

Keywords:

Work engagement, job satisfaction, administrative employees, government department

Abstract

Research on job satisfaction (JS) and work engagement (WE) has been conducted in the context of the South African public sector; however, there remains a gap in understanding the relationship between JS and WE within the offices of specific government departments. This study sought to investigate the correlation between work engagement and job satisfaction among administrative employees. The South African Government is viewed as a failed state because of its difficulties in delivering efficient and effective services to its citizens, which may undermine public trust in institutions. The study sought to ascertain that managers in a chosen government department recognise the correlation between job satisfaction and work engagement. A quantitative research approach employing a cross-sectional design was implemented, utilising two established questionnaires on job satisfaction and work engagement, which were distributed to administrative employees (n = 180) through Google Forms. Participants were selected using the snowball sampling method. The collected data underwent analysis through factor analysis. The data obtained from 180 respondents indicated a positive correlation between work engagement and job satisfaction. Management should prioritise the enhancement of work engagement, as it directly impacts job satisfaction and can lead to improvements in both employee and organisational performance. This alignment may improve employee motivation and the contributions employees make to the organisation. This study emphasises the significant correlation between employee engagement and job satisfaction, especially among administrative staff. This will assist the organisation in aligning its policies with employee expectations.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ahmad, M., Khan, A., & Arshad, M. (2021). Major theories of job satisfaction and their use in the field of librarianship. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal), 6385(1), 1-17.

Aldaihani, S.G. (2020). Administrative empowerment among Kuwait University staff and its effect on their job satisfaction. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 12(2), 210-229. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-02-2019-0027

Amos, T., Pearse, N.J., Ristow, L., & Ristow, A. (2019). Human resource management. Juta and Company Ltd.

Amushila, J., & Bussin, M. H. (2021). The effect of talent management practices on employee retention at the Namibia University of Science and Technology: Middle-level administration staff. South African Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v19i0.1485

Arias, V.B., Ponce, F.P., Garrido, L.E., Nieto-Cañaveras, M.D., Martínez-Molina, A., & Arias, B. (2024). Detecting non-content-based response styles in survey data: An application of mixture factor analysis. Behavior Research Methods, 56(4), 3242-3258. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-023-02308-w

Arifin, Z., Nirwanto, N., & Manan, A. (2019). Analysis of bullying effects on job performance using employee engagement and job satisfaction as mediation. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 9(6), 42-56.

Battistuzzi, L., Papadopoulos, C., Hill, T., Castro, N., Bruno, B., & Sgorbissa, A. (2021). Socially assistive robots, older adults and research ethics: The case for case-based ethics training. International Journal of Social Robotics, 13(5), 647-659. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-020-00652-x

Boat, A.A., Syvertsen, A.K., & Scales, P.C. (2021). The role of social capital in promoting work readiness among opportunity youth. Children and Youth Services Review, 131, 106270. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106270

Bourne, V., James, A.I., Wilson-Smith, K., & Fairlamb, S. (2021). Understanding quantitative and qualitative research in psychology: A practical guide to methods, statistics, and analysis. Oxford University Press.

CNBC Africa. (2024). What business wants from the DTIC. https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2024/what-business-wants-from-the-dtic/

Creswell, J.W., & Creswell, J.D. (2023). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage Publications.

Dappa, K., Bhatti, F., & Aljarah, A. (2019). A study on the effect of transformational leadership on job satisfaction: The role of gender, perceived organizational politics and perceived organizational commitment. Management Science Letters, 9(6), 823-834. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2019.3.006

Dunn, S., & Maharaj, P. (2024). Female labour force participation in South Africa. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 1-19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00219096231224696

Khair, H., Annisa, N., Pratiwi, R., & Rozak, A. (2024). Leader-member exchange, perceived organisational support and job satisfaction: Mediating role of employee engagement. Jurnal Manajemen, 28(1), 64-87. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24912/jm.v28i1.1638

Maseke, B.F., Unengu, V.K., & Haufiku, T. (2022). Effectiveness of performance management system on employee performance. Management and Commerce Innovations, 9(2), 440-452.

Nguyen, C.M.A., & Ha, M.T. (2023). The interplay between internal communication, employee engagement, job satisfaction, and employee loyalty in higher education institutions in Vietnam. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1), 1-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01806-8

Ragde, N. (2023). Does brand personality affect the branding and promotion of tourism destinations? Evidence from Ajanta Caves, India. Journal of Tourism, 24(2).

Rai, A., & Maheshwari, S. (2020). Exploring the mediating role of work engagement between the linkages of job characteristics with organizational engagement and job satisfaction. Management Research Review, 44(1), 133-157. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-10-2019-0442

Rivaldo, Y., & Nabella, S.D. (2023). Employee performance: Education, training, experience and work discipline. Calitatea, 24(193), 182-188. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47750/QAS/24.193.20

Shrestha, N. (2021). Factor analysis as a tool for survey analysis. American Journal of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, 9(1), 4-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12691/ajams-9-1-2

Stats, S. (2024). Quarterly labour force survey, quarter 1: 2024. Statistical release P0211 1, 1-132.

Thokoa, R.L., Naidoo, V., & Herbst, T. (2021). A study of job satisfaction and work engagement at the National Treasury of South Africa. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 19, 10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v19i0.1557

Thusi, X. (2023). An investigation of staff performance and production in the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa. Journal of Public Administration, Finance & Law, 1(28), 425-441. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47743/jopafl-2023-28-33

Zhou, H., Xu, S.Q., Chung, D.H., & Dang, D.X. (2025). Job satisfaction mediates the effect of self-efficacy on work engagement among physical education teachers in economically disadvantaged areas. PloS One, 20(4), e0321055. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0321055

Downloads

Published

2025-07-15

How to Cite

Mothema, M. M., Ramasimu, N. F., & Maake, G. (2025). Is there a relationship between job satisfaction and work engagement?. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147- 4478), 14(4), 160–170. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v14i4.4218

Issue

Section

Organizational Culture, Leadership and Human Resources Management