Date
12-16-2025
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Wendy Anson
Keywords
Employee engagement, HR practices, perceived organizational support, knowledge-intensive workers, labor-intensive workers, job demands-research model, social exchange theory, goal setting theory
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
McDaniel, Mike, "The Relationship between HR Practices and Employee Engagement: Mediating Role of Perceived Organizational Support across Job Classifications" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7821.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7821
Abstract
Employee engagement is critical for organizational success, but recent trends have shown it to be in decline. This has prompted the need for more research into the antecedents that drive overall employee engagement levels. Grounded in perceived organizational support theory, job demands-resources theory, social exchange theory, and goal setting theory, this quantitative study examined the relationship of HR practices on employee engagement while exploring the mediating effect of perceived organizational support and the moderating effect of job classification. Responses from 180 participants were collected via an anonymous online survey comprised of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, HR Practices Perception Questionnaire, and the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support. Results indicated a positive correlation (r = .651) between HR practices and employee engagement, while also supporting perceived organizational support as a mediator (R = 0.67, R2 = 0.45, p < .001) in that relationship. The study also revealed that job classification did not significantly moderate the relationship between HR practices and employee engagement (B = -0.29, SE = 0.18, t = -1.56, p = 0.12). Overall, this study contributes to engagement research by demonstrating the relationship between HR practices and employee engagement through perceived organizational support, while providing clarity on its interaction across job classifications. It also offers practical implications for HR leaders by highlighting the importance of designing supportive HR practices that are associated with higher levels of employee engagement.
