The Relationship between Work Engagement and Job Satisfaction: A Study on Tourism Academics

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63556/tisej.2026.1859

Keywords:

Work Engagement, Job Satisfaction, Tourism Academics, Higher Education, Tourism Education

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between work engagement levels and job satisfaction among tourism academics in Türkiye. The research population consists of 2338 tourism academics working in state and foundation universities in Türkiye. Data were collected from 229 academics reached through convenience sampling using the survey technique. The data were tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Path Analysis. The findings indicate that all sub-dimensions of work engagement (vigor, dedication, and absorption) were positively and significantly associated with job satisfaction. It was determined that the strongest relationship was found in the absorption dimension. The research results point out that work engagement components should be taken into consideration by higher education institutions while developing strategies aimed at increasing the job satisfaction of academic staff and, consequently, institutional productivity. In this regard, various recommendations have been presented for university administrations, policymakers, and future researchers.

References

Abraham, S. (2012). Job Satisfaction as an Antecedent to Employee Engagement. SIES Journal of Management, 8(2), 27-36.

Alarcon, G. M., & Lyons, J. B. (2011). The Relationship of Engagement and Job Satisfaction in Working Samples. The Journal of Psychology, 145(5), 463-480. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2011.584083

Albrecht, S., Bakker, A. B., Gruman, J., Macey, W., & Saks, A. M. (2015). Employee Engagement, Human Resources Management Practices and Competitive Advantage: An Integrated Approach. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 2, 7-35. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOEPP-03-2015-0009

Al-Dalahmeh, M., Khalaf, R., & Obeidat, B. (2018). The Effect of Employee Engagement on Organizational Performance via the Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction: The Case of IT Employees in Jordanian Banking Sector. Modern Applied Science, 12(6), 17-43. https://doi.org/10.5539/mas.v12n6p17

Arini, S., Arafat, Y., & Wahidy, A. (2021). Pengaruh Kepemimpinan Kepala Sekolah Dan Lingkungan Kerja Terhadap Kepuasan Kerja. Produ: Prokurasi Edukasi-Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 2, 79-92.

Ariyanto, E., Wijaya, M. H., & Sari, A. N. M. (2025). The Effect of Employee Engagement (Vigor, Dedication, and Absorption) on Job Satisfaction at PT Pelindo 1. International Journal of Current Science Research and Review, 8(2), 673-679.

Armstrong, M. (2006). A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. (10th ed.). London, Kogan Page Publishing.

Aryanti, S. D., & Herawati, J. (2021). Strategi Meningkatkan Keterlibatan Kerja Karyawan Dengan Persepsi Dukungan Perusahaan Dan Kompensasi: Kepuasan Kerja Sebagai Intervening Pada Karyawan Dinas Tenaga Kerja Dan Transmigrasi Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY). Jurnal Manajemen, Ekonomi dan Akuntansi, 5(1), 47-62.

Avery, D. R., McKay, P. F., & Wilson, D. C. (2007). Engaging the Aging Workforce: The Relationship Between Perceived Age Similarity, Satisfaction with Coworkers, and Employee Engagement. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(6), 1542-1566. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.6.1542

Aziri, B. (2011). Job Satisfaction: A Literature Review. Management Research & Practice, 3(4), 77-86.

Biswas, S., & Bhatnagar, J. (2013). Mediator Analysis of Employee Engagement: Role of Perceived Organizational Support, PO Fit, Organizational Commitment and Job Satisfaction. Vikalpa, 38(1), 27-40. https://doi.org/10.1177/0256090920130103

Brayfield, A. H., & Rothe, H. F. (1951). An Index of Job Satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 35(5), 307-311. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0055617

Britt, T. W., Castro, C. A., & Adler, A. B. (2005). Self-Engagement, Stressors, and Health: A Longitudinal Study. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 1475-1486. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167205276630

Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1992). Alternative Ways of Assessing Model Fit. In K. A. Bollen & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing Structural Equation Models (pp. 136-162). Sage.

Bui, N. T. (2019). Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction of Academics - Evidence from Vietnamese Universities. Archives of Business Research, 7(10), 19-40.

Caesens, G., & Stinglhamber, F. (2014). The Relationship Between Perceived Organizational Support and Work Engagement: The Role of Self-Efficacy and Its Outcomes. European Review of Applied Psychology, 64(5), 259-267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erap.2014.08.001

Christian, M. S., Garza, A. S., & Slaughter, J. E. (2011). Work Engagement: A Quantitative Review and Test of Its Relations with Task and Contextual Performance. Personnel Psychology, 64(1), 89-136. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2010.01203.x

Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Davis, K., & Nestrom, J. W. (1985). Human Behavior at Work: Organizational Behaviour, (7th ed.). New York, McGraw Hill.

Delaney, M. L., & Royal, M. A. (2017). Breaking Engagement Apart: The Role of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in Engagement Strategies. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 10(1), 127-140. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2017.2

Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The job demands-resources model of burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 499-512. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.499

Eriksson Hallberg, U. (2005). A thesis on fire: studies of work engagement, type a behavior and burnout (Doctoral Dissertation). Stockholm University, Stockholm.

Eryılmaz, A., & Doğan, T. (2012). İş Yaşamında Öznel İyi Oluş: Utrecht İşe Bağlılık Ölçeğinin Psikometrik Niteliklerinin İncelenmesi. Klinik Psikiyatri Dergisi, 15(1), 49-55.

Fisher, C. D. (2010). Happiness at Work. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(4), 384-412. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2009.00270.x

Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104

Giallonardo, L. M., Wong, C. A., & Iwasiw, C. L. (2010). Authentic Leadership of Preceptors: Predictor of New Graduate Nurses’ Work Engagement and Job Satisfaction. Journal of Nursing Management, 18(8), 993-1003. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2834.2010.01126.x

Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate Data Analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Hakanen, J. J., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2012). Do burnout and work engagement predict depressive symptoms and life satisfaction? A three-wave seven-year prospective study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 141(2-3), 415-424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2012.02.043

Harter, J. K., Schmidt, F. L., & Hayes, T. L. (2002). Business-Unit Level Relationship Between Employee Satisfaction, Employee Engagement, and Business Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(2), 268-279. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.2.268

Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115-135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8

Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conservation of resources: a new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American Psychologist, 44(3), 513. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.44.3.513

Høigaard, R., Giske, R., & Sundsli, K. (2012). Newly Qualified Teachers’ Work Engagement and Teacher Efficacy Influences on Job Satisfaction, Burnout, and the Intention to Quit. European Journal of Teacher Education, 35(3), 347-357. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2012.687314

Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff Criteria for Fit Indexes in Covariance Structure Analysis: Conventional Criteria Versus New Alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118

Hughes, V. M. (2006). Teacher Evaluation Practice and Teacher Job Satisfaction in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree Doctor of Education (Doctoral dissertation). University of Missouri-Columbia.

Ibrahim, B. A., & Hussein, S. M. (2024). Relationship Between Resilience at Work, Work Engagement and Job Satisfaction Among Engineers: A Cross-Sectional Study. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 1077. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18617-6

Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement and Disengagement at Work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692-724. https://doi.org/10.5465/256287

Kahn, W. A. (1992). To Be Fully There: Psychological Presence at Work. Human Relations, 45(4), 321-349. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872679204500403

Kaliski, B. S. (2007). Encyclopedia of Business and Finance (2nd ed.). Detroit, MI: Thomson Gale.

Kamalanabhan, T. J., & Prakashsai, L. (2009). Employee Engagement and Job Satisfaction in the Information Technology Industry. Psychological Reports, 105(3), 759-770.

Karanika-Murray, M., Duncan, N., Pontes, H. M., & Griffiths, M. D. (2015). Organizational Identification, Work Engagement, and Job Satisfaction. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 30, 1019-1033. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-11-2013-0359

Kline, R. B. (2016). Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling (4th ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

Kohli, A., & Sharma, A. (2018). The Critical Dimensions of Job Satisfaction of Academicians: An Empirical Analysis. IUP Journal of Organizational Behaviour, 17(4), 21-35.

Kuşluvan, Z., & Kuşluvan, S. (2005). Otel İşletmelerinde İş ve İşletme ile İlgili Faktörlerin İşgören Tatmini Üzerindeki Görece Etkisi: Nevşehir Örneği. Anatolia: Turizm Araştırmaları Dergisi, 16(2), 183-203.

Lee, D. J., Grace, B. Y., Sirgy, M. J., Singhapakdi, A., & Lucianetti, L. (2018). The Effects of Explicit and Implicit Ethics Institutionalization on Employee Life Satisfaction and Happiness: The Mediating Effects of Employee Experiences in Work Life and Moderating Effects of Work–Family Life Conflict. Journal of Business Ethics, 147(4), 855-874. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2984-7

Leiter, M. P., & Bakker, A. B. (2010). Work Engagement: Introduction. In A. B. Bakker & M. P. Leiter (Eds.), Work Engagement: A Handbook of Essential Theory and Research (pp. 10-24). New York, NY: Psychology Press.

Locke, E. A. (1969). What Is Job Satisfaction? Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 4(4), 309-336. https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(69)90013-0

Ludviga, I., & Kalvina, A. (2016). Exploring the Relationships Between Job Satisfaction, Work Engagement and Loyalty of Academic Staff. International Journal of Economics and Management Engineering, 10(1), 99-101.

Macey, W. H., & Schneider, B. (2008). The Meaning of Employee Engagement. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 1(1), 3-30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1754-9434.2007.00002.x

Machado-Taylor, M. L., Meir Soars, V., & Gouveia, O. (2010). The Role of Job Motivation Among Academic Staff University. Global Business and Economics Anthology, 2(2), 242-246.

Mincu, C. L. (2015). The Impact of Personal Resources on Organizational Attitudes: Job Satisfaction and Trust in Organization. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 187, 685-689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.03.141

Mishra, P. K. (2013). Job Satisfaction. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 14(5), 45-54.

Nakip, M. (2003). Pazarlama Araştırmaları Teknikler ve SPSS Destekli Uygulamalar. Ankara: Seçkin Kitabevi.

Orgambídez, A., & Extremera, N. (2020). Understanding the Link between Work Engagement and Job Satisfaction: Do Role Stressors Underlie This Relationship? Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 61(3), 443-449. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12605

Özoğlu, B. (2010). Tüketici Odaklı Yaklaşım ile İnternet Bankacılığı Faaliyetlerini Değerlendirmeye Yönelik bir Uygulama (Yüksek Lisans Tezi). Erciyes Üniversitesi, Kayseri.

Radosevich, D. J., Radosevich, D. M., Riddle, M. R., & Hughes, P. A. (2008). Goal Orientation as a Predictor of Cognitive Engagement, Performance, and Satisfaction. Journal of Academy of Business and Economics, 8(3), 46-55.

Rothbard, N. P. (2001). Enriching or Depleting? The Dynamics of Engagement in Work and Family Roles. Administrative Science Quarterly, 46(4), 655-684. https://doi.org/10.2307/3094827

Saks, A. M. (2006). Antecedents and Consequences of Employee Engagement. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(7), 600-619. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940610690169

Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Job Demands, Job Resources, and Their Relationship with Burnout and Engagement: A Multi‐Sample Study. Journal of Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Behavior, 25(3), 293-315. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.248

Schaufeli, W. B., Bakker, A. B., & Salanova, M. (2006). The Measurement of Work Engagement with a Short Questionnaire: A Cross-National Study. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 66(4), 701-716. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164405282471

Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., González-Romá, V., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). The Measurement of Engagement and Burnout: A Two-Sample Confirmatory Factor Analytic Approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3(1), 71-92. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015653441596

Soliman, M., Di Virgilio, F., Figueiredo, R., & Sousa, M. J. (2021). The Impact of Workplace Spirituality on Academics’ Attitudes in Tourism and Hospitality Higher Education Institutions. Tourism Management Perspectives, 38, 100826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2021.100826

Sonnentag, S. (2003). Recovery, Work Engagement, and Proactive Behavior: A New Look at the Interface Between Nonwork and Work. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(3), 518-528. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.3.518

Sonnentag, S., Mojza, E. J., Demerouti, E., & Bakker, A. (2012). Reciprocal Relations Between Recovery and Work Engagement: The Moderating Role of Job Stressors. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(4), 842-853. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028292

Stankovska, G., Angelkoska, S., Osmani, F., & Grncarovska, S. P. (2017). Job Motivation and Job Satisfaction Among Academic Staff in Higher Education. Paper presented at the Annual International Conference of the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society (BCES) and the International Partner Conference of the International Research Centre (IRC), Bulgaria.

Statt, D. (2004). The Routledge Dictionary of Business Management (3rd ed.). Routledge Publishing.

Thompson, R. J. (2016). An Investigation of Work Environment Characteristics and Work Engagement of Limited and Full-Service Hotel Property Front-Line Employees (Doctoral dissertation). The University of Southern Mississippi, MS.

Tsaur, S. H., Hsu, F. S., & Lin, H. (2019). Workplace Fun and Work Engagement in Tourism and Hospitality: The Role of Psychological Capital. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 81, 131-140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.03.008

Tuan, V. V., & Anh, B. H. (2022). Measuring Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction and Engagement Among Academic Staff at the Tertiary Level. TNU Journal of Science and Technology, 227(4), 50-58.

Van Iddekinge, C. H., Roth, P. L., Putka, D. J., & Lanivich, S. E. (2011). Are You Interested? A Meta-Analysis of Relations Between Vocational Interests and Employee Performance and Turnover. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(6), 1167-1194. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024043

Vanderbilt, S. (2019). The Work Engagement and Work Performance Experience of State Government Employees: A Case Study (Doctoral dissertation). Capella University, MN.

Vinahapsari, C. A., Ibrahim, H. I., & Kimpah, J. (2024). The Role of Lecturers' Engagement in Higher Education Institutions: Perceived Organizational Support as Moderator. Global Business and Management Research, 16(4s), 47-60.

Wefald, A. J., & Downey, R. G. (2009). Construct Dimensionality of Engagement and Its Relation with Satisfaction. The Journal of Psychology, 143(1), 91-112. https://doi.org/10.3200/JRLP.143.1.91-112

Wei, H., Horsley, L., Cao, Y., Haddad, L. M., Hall, K. C., Robinson, R., Powers, M., & Anderson, D. G. (2023). The Associations Among Nurse Work Engagement, Job Satisfaction, Quality of Care, and Intent to Leave: A National Survey in the United States. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 10(4), 476-484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2023.09.006

Yan, X., Su, J., Wen, Z., & Luo, Z. (2019). The Role of Work Engagement on the Relationship Between Personality and Job Satisfaction in Chinese Nurses. Current Psychology, 38(3), 873-878. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9667-3

Yeh, C. M. (2013). Tourism Involvement, Work Engagement and Job Satisfaction Among Frontline Hotel Employees. Annals of Tourism Research, 42(3), 214-239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2013.02.002

Yoon, J., & Thye, S. R. (2002). A Dual Process Model of Organizational Commitment: Job Satisfaction and Organizational Support. Work and Occupations, 29(1), 97-124. https://doi.org/10.1177/0730888402029001006

Yükseköğretim Kurulu. (2025). YÖK Akademik. Yükseköğretim Akademik Arama. https://akademik.yok.gov.tr/AkademikArama/view/searchResultviewListAuthor.jsp

Zhu, Y. (2012). A Review of Job Satisfaction. Asian Social Science, 9(1), 293-298. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v9n1p293

Znidarsic, J., & Maric, M. (2021). Relationships Between Work-Family Balance, Job Satisfaction, Life Satisfaction, and Work Engagement Among Higher Education Academics. Organizacija, 54(3), 227-237. https://doi.org/10.2478/orga-2021-0015

Downloads

Published

22.06.2026

Issue

Section

Research Article

How to Cite

The Relationship between Work Engagement and Job Satisfaction: A Study on Tourism Academics. (2026). Third Sector Social Economic Review, 61(2), 1791-1810. https://doi.org/10.63556/tisej.2026.1859