Share:


Bibliometric and visualized analysis of work engagement in business management

    Ziqiong Zhang Affiliation
    ; Rosmah Mohamed Affiliation
    ; Rozanah Ab Rahman Affiliation
    ; Tao Dong Affiliation

Abstract

Within business management, the growing interest in work engagement stems from its recognised role in mitigating employee well-being, bolstering job satisfaction, and optimising organisational outcomes. This review comprehensively explores the knowledge structure of work engagement in business management, analysing 563 publications from the Scopus database spanning 2005 to 2023 through performance analysis, co-citation analysis, co-authorship analysis, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and content analysis. This review outlines prevailing trends and identifies influential scholars, articles, institutions, and leading countries. It illuminates the current state of scientific collaboration, providing a rationale for developing countries to seek academic cooperation with developed countries. Additionally, it delves into six current themes and four future directions, providing a robust theoretical framework for future research endeavours.

Keyword : bibliometric review, work engagement, cluster analysis, future trends, intellectual structure, business management

How to Cite
Zhang, Z., Mohamed, R., Rahman, R. A., & Dong, T. (2025). Bibliometric and visualized analysis of work engagement in business management. Business: Theory and Practice, 26(1), 162–175. https://doi.org/10.3846/btp.2025.21416
Published in Issue
Apr 14, 2025
Abstract Views
16
PDF Downloads
13
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

Afrahi, B., Blenkinsopp, J., Fernandez de Arroyabe, J. C., & Karim, M. S. (2022). Work disengagement: A review of the literature. Human Resource Management Review, 32(2), Article 100822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2021.100822

Alfes, K., Shantz, A. D., Truss, C., & Soane, E. C. (2013). The link between perceived human resource management practices, engagement and employee behaviour: A moderated mediation model. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24(2), 330–351. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2012.679950

Ali, I., Balta, M., & Papadopoulos, T. (2023). Social media platforms and social enterprise: Bibliometric analysis and systematic review. International Journal of Information Management, 69, Article 102510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2022.102510

Altaf, A., & Masrek, M. (2021). Visualizing the knowledge domain of work engagement through bibliometric analysis. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-Journal). https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/5300

Ampofo, E. T., & Karatepe, O. M. (2022). The effects of on-the-job embeddedness and its sub-dimensions on small-sized hotel employees’ organizational commitment, work engagement and turnover intentions. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 34(2), 509–533. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-07-2021-0858

Andrulli, R., & Gerards, R. (2023). How new ways of working during COVID-19 affect employee well-being via technostress, need for recovery, and work engagement. Computers in Human Behavior, 139, Article 107560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107560

Bakker, A. B. (2022). The social psychology of work engagement: State of the field. Career Development International, 27(1), 36–53. https://doi.org/10.1108/CDI-08-2021-0213

Bakker, A. B., & Albrecht, S. (2018). Work engagement: Current trends. Career Development International, 23(1), 4–11. https://doi.org/10.1108/CDI-11-2017-0207

Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Sanz-Vergel, A. (2023). Job demands–resources theory: Ten years later. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10(1), 25–53. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-053933

Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2005). The crossover of burnout and work engagement among working couples. Human Relations, 58(5), 661–689. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726705055967

Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Verbeke, W. (2004). Using the job demands-resources model to predict burnout and performance. Human Resource Management, 43(1), 83–104. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.20004

Bakker, A. B., Emmerik, H. van, & Euwema, M. C. (2006). Crossover of burnout and engagement in work teams. Work and Occupations, 33(4), 464–489. https://doi.org/10.1177/0730888406291310

Beltrán-Martín, I., Guinot-Reinders, J., & Rodríguez-Sánchez, A. M. (2023). Employee psychological conditions as mediators of the relationship between human resource management and employee work engagement. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 34(11), 2331–2365. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2022.2078990

Canboy, B., Tillou, C., Barzantny, C., Gueclue, B., & Benichoux, F. (2023). The impact of perceived organizational support on work meaningfulness, engagement, and perceived stress in France. European Management Journal, 41(1), 90–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2021.12.004

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

Demerouti, E., & Bakker, A. B. (2022). Job demands-resources theory in times of crises: New propositions. Organizational Psychology Review, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/20413866221135022

Den Hartog, D. N., & Belschak, F. D. (2012). Work engagement and Machiavellianism in the ethical leadership process. Journal of Business Ethics, 107, 35–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1296-4

Farley, S., Mokhtar, D., Ng, K., & Niven, K. (2023). What influences the relationship between workplace bullying and employee well-being? A systematic review of moderators. Work & Stress, 37(3), 345–372. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2023.2169968

Gallup, I. (2025). Indicator: Employee engagement. https://www.gallup.com/394373/indicator-employee-engagement.aspx

Guo, R., Hu, D., Liu, D., Jiang, Q., & Qiu, J. (2023). MXene nanomaterials in biomedicine: A bibliometric perspective. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 11, Article 1184275. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2023.1184275

Han, Y., Yang, Y., & Mohamed, R. (2022). A bibliometric analysis of work engagement in the hospitality and tourism industry. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 6(5), 1946–1966. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-06-2022-0235

Harzing, A. W. (2007) Publish or perish. https://harzing.com/resources/publish-or-perish

Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conservation of resources: A new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American Psychologist, 44(3), 513–524. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.44.3.513

Homans, G. (1958). Social behavior as exchange. American Journal of Sociology, 63(6), 597–606. https://doi.org/10.1086/222355

Imam, A., & Kim, D.-Y. (2023). Ethical leadership and improved work behaviors: A moderated mediation model using prosocial silence and organizational commitment as mediators and employee engagement as moderator. Current Psychology, 42(13), 10519–10532. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02631-5

Jasinski, A. M., & Derbis, R. (2023). Social support at work and job satisfaction among midwives: The mediating role of positive affect and work engagement. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 79(1), 149–160. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15462

Jawad, M., Naz, M., & Rizwan, S. (2023). Leadership support, innovative work behavior, employee work engagement, and corporate reputation: Examining the effect of female in not government organizations. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 30(2), 708–719. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2383

Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692–724. https://doi.org/10.2307/256287

Kanjanakan, P., Zhu, D., Doan, T., & Kim, P. B. (2023). Taking stock: A meta-analysis of work engagement in the hospitality and tourism context. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 47(5), 851–876. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480211066958

Karatepe, O. M., & Kim, T. T. (2023). Job crafting and critical work-related performance outcomes among cabin attendants: Sequential mediation impacts of calling orientation and work engagement. Tourism Management Perspectives, 45, Article 101065. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2022.101065

Karatepe, T., Ozturen, A., Karatepe, O. M., Uner, M. M., & Kim, T. T. (2022). Management commitment to the ecological environment, green work engagement and their effects on hotel employees’ green work outcomes. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 34(8), 3084–3112. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-10-2021-1242

Kişi, N. (2023). Bibliometric analysis and visualization of global research on employee engagement. Sustainability, 15(13), Article 10196. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310196

Klemp, N. (2022, August 10). 5 employee engagement trends in the post COVID era. 15Five. https://www.15five.com/blog/employee-engagement-trends-in-the-era-of-coronavirus/

Knight, C., Patterson, M., & Dawson, J. (2017). Building work engagement: A systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the effectiveness of work engagement interventions. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38(6), 792–812. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2167

Knight, C., Patterson, M., & Dawson, J. (2019). Work engagement interventions can be effective: A systematic review. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 28(3), 348–372. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2019.1588887

Kumar, V. K., & Weil, P. D. (1998). The truth about burnout: How organizations cause personal stress and what to do about it. Personnel Psychology, 51(2), Article 542.

Kwon, K., & Kim, T. (2020). An integrative literature review of employee engagement and innovative behavior: Revisiting the JD-R model. Human Resource Management Review, 30(2), Article 100704. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2019.100704

Leder, T. D., Baucic, M., Leder, N., & Gilic, F. (2023). Optical satellite-derived bathymetry: An overview and WoS and Scopus bibliometric analysis. Remote Sensing, 15(5), Article 1294. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15051294

Lee, S. E., Ju, N., & Lee, K.-H. (2023). Service chatbot: Co-citation and big data analysis toward a review and research agenda. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 194, Article 122722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122722

Lee, W. J., Sok, P., & Mao, S. (2022). When and why does competitive psychological climate affect employee engagement and burnout? Journal of Vocational Behavior, 139, Article 103810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103810

Mitrović, I., Mišić, M., & Protić, J. (2023). Exploring high scientific productivity in international co-authorship of a small developing country based on collaboration patterns. Journal of Big Data, 10(1), Article 64. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40537-023-00744-1

Obschonka, M., Pavez, I., Kautonen, T., Kibler, E., Salmela-Aro, K., & Wincent, J. (2023). Job burnout and work engagement in entrepreneurs: How the psychological utility of entrepreneurship drives healthy engagement. Journal of Business Venturing, 38(2), Article 106272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2022.106272

Ok, C. M., & Lim, S. E. (2022). Job crafting to innovative and extra-role behaviors: A serial mediation through fit perceptions and work engagement. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 106, Article 103288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103288

Petrou, P., Demerouti, E., Peeters, M. C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Hetland, J. (2012). Crafting a job on a daily basis: Contextual correlates and the link to work engagement. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(8), 1120–1141. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1783

Qi, J. (Miracle), Wang, S., & Lindsey Hall, K. K. (2023). Bridging employee engagement and customer engagement in a service context. Journal of Business Research, 160, Article 113803. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.113803

Reiche, S. B., Dimitrova, M., Westman, M., Chen, S., Wurtz, O., Lazarova, M., & Shaffer, M. A. (2023). Expatriate work role engagement and the work-family interface: A conditional crossover and spillover perspective. Human Relations, 76(3), 452–482. https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267211046816

Salanova, M., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2008). A cross-national study of work engagement as a mediator between job resources and proactive behaviour. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(1), 116–131. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190701763982

Shuck, B., Reio Jr, T. G., & Rocco, T. S. (2011). Employee engagement: An examination of antecedent and outcome variables. Human Resource Development International, 14(4), 427–445. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2011.601587

Shuck, B., & Wollard, K. (2010). Employee engagement and HRD: A seminal review of the foundations. Human Resource Development Review, 9(1), 89–110. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484309353560

Tims, M., Bakker, A. B., & Xanthopoulou, D. (2011). Do transformational leaders enhance their followers’ daily work engagement? The Leadership Quarterly, 22(1), 121–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2010.12.011

Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3

Wang, F., & Li, Y. (2023). Social media use for work during non-work hours and work engagement: Effects of work-family conflict and public service motivation. Government Information Quarterly, 40(3), Article 101804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2023.101804

Wang, H., Xiao, Y., Zhang, H., & Chen, X. (2023). “Who knows me understands my needs”: The effect of home-based telework on work engagement. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 16, 619–635. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S402159

Xanthopoulou, D., Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2009). Reciprocal relationships between job resources, personal resources, and work engagement. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 74(3), 235–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2008.11.003

Yan, Q., & Donaldson, S. I. (2023). What are the differences between flow and work engagement? A systematic review of positive intervention research. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 18(3), 449–459. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2022.2036798

Zahari, N., & Kaliannan, M. (2022). Antecedents of work engagement in the public sector: A systematic literature review. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 43(3), 557–582. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X221106792

Zakaria, R., Ahmi, A., Ahmad, A. H., & Othman, Z. (2021). Worldwide melatonin research: A bibliometric analysis of the published literature between 2015 and 2019. Chronobiology International, 38(1), 27–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2020.1838534

Zhao, X., Wang, J., Mattila, A., Leong, A. M. W., Cui, Z., Sun, Z., Yang, C., & Chen, Y. (2023). Examining the cross-level mechanisms of the influence of supervisors’ job crafting on frontline employees’ engagement and performance. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 35(12), 4428–4450. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-08-2022-1028