The wider context, costs, and benefits of work engagement

Abstract

In this commentary, I address the wider context of work engagement research including the conflicting interests of employees on the one hand and managers and shareholders on the other, exchange relationships in the workplace, and the economic instrumentality of work in people's lives. As such, I suggest that high work engagement might not necessarily be a win–win situation for all involved and encourage work engagement researchers to take into account extrinsic work outcomes. I also question Bakker, Albrecht, and Leiter's (Citation2011 this issue) suggestion that engaged employees may be more likely to alter their jobs in ways that lead to optimal performance. Additionally, I suggest that the costs of high work engagement for employees deserve far greater attention than they have received to date and question to what extent high engagement is always such a positive experience for employees. Lastly, I suggest that a potential benefit of high engagement is that more of people's essential humanity is involved in their work. In this regard, I urge researchers to take into account automaticity and the role of nonconscious processes.

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