The Effect of Job Resources on Work Engagement: Does this Matter among Academics in Malaysia?

Abstract

A rapidly changing business environment requires an organization to gain a competitive advantage to survive. As people are known to be the most valuable asset to an organization, having employees that are actively engaged in their work can positively lead to higher performance, and subsequently contribute to the success of the organization. One of the predictors that lead to work engagement is through the dimensions of job resources, which is rooted in Job Demand-Resources Theory. Therefore, the primary purpose of conducting this research is to examine the role of job resources on work engagement among academics in a local public university. Before the actual study, a pilot study was conducted to assess the reliability and suitability of the measurements used. The data from 87% out of 101 academics were collected, and then analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 23.0). The result from the Multiple Regression analysis indicated that only two dimensions in job resources, which are autonomy and social support, have significant and positive relationships with work engagement, while performance feedback is insubstantial. Moreover, from the analysis, a predictor of social support represented the most significant variable influencing work engagement among academics. Theoretical discussion, practical implications, limitations of the study and direction for future research were also discussed in this research.