An examination of work engagement's antecedents and consequences in a sample of U.S. community mental health providers.

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between job demands and resources, work engagement, and turnover intentions in a community mental health context. Using path analysis, we tested a conceptual model where we hypothesised that job demands (pressure to produce and role ambiguity) had a negative relationship to work engagement (H1) and resources (team commitment, supervisor relationship, and connection to organisational mission) were positively related to engagement (H2). Furthermore, greater engagement would be related to lower intention to leave the job (H3). Additionally, we hypothesised that there was an indirect effect of job demands and resources on turnover intention mediated via engagement (H4). The study used cross-sectional data collected in 2018 from a sample of N=170 mental health providers employed in a community mental health centre in the Southwest region of the United States. The study findings suggest that the job demands tested, pressure to produce and role ambiguity, were negatively related to engagement (H1). Of the job resources tested, only team commitment and connection to mission were positively related to engagement (H2). Work engagement was negatively related to intention to leave (H3). There were indirect effects of job demands and job resources (pressure to produce, role ambiguity and connection to the organisation mission) on intention to leave mediated through engagement (H4). The findings suggest that managers and administrators in community mental health organisations may help promote a more stable workforce by bolstering the resources that lead to greater work engagement and mitigating the job demands that reduce engagement.