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engagement

in-GAYDJ-muhnt /ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ.mənt/

nounB2IELTSTOEFL

generalprofessional

The emotional commitment an employee has to their organization and its goals, resulting in discretionary effort.

Goes beyond superficial satisfaction to mean active investment and enthusiasm in one's daily work.

The story behind the word. Derived from Old French 'engager' (to pledge or bind by contract). It moved from legal pledges to military engagements, and in 1990 psychologist William Kahn introduced it to organizational behavior literature.

Word relationships

commitment: Commitment is a sense of duty or loyalty, whereas engagement emphasizes enthusiasm and active participation.
involvement: Involvement means participating, while engagement implies personal emotional investment in outcomes.

disengagement: A state of detachment, indifference, or psychological withdrawal from work.
apathy: Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

Commonly confused with

satisfaction: Satisfaction means being content with pay/conditions, while engagement means actively striving for team success.

Word family

engage (verb): To occupy, attract, or involve someone's interest or attention.
engaged (adjective): Occupied, committed, or emotionally invested.

Collocations

employee engagement
foster engagement
engagement survey
disengagement

Idioms & expressions

all in
heart and soul

Example sentences

"High employee engagement correlates directly with customer retention, lower turnover, and increased operating margin." Organizational Psychology
"Employee engagement is the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals." Executive Management (Kevin Kruse, Forbes Strategic Leadership (2012))

Memory hook

ENGAGE your gears = fully connected and driving forward. Emotional connection to work.

When not to use

Do not confuse with a formal betrothal to marry when discussing corporate psychology.

Fun facts

Gallup's global workplace surveys consistently report that only about 21% to 23% of the global workforce is actively engaged.