Psychological Capital as a Predictor of Employee Engagement: Evidence from Cognitive, Emotional, and Physical Dimensions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51137/wrp.ijarbm.677Keywords:
Psychological Capital, Employee Engagement, Job Demands–Resources Model, Military OrganizationsAbstract
This study examines the component level relationships between Psychological Capital (PsyCap), comprising self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience, and the cognitive, emotional, and physical dimensions of employee engagement in a military organizational context. The study addresses three gaps in the literature: the predominant operationalization of PsyCap as a unidimensional composite, the treatment of engagement as a single dimensional construct, and the scarcity of evidence from high demand institutional settings. A cross sectional survey was conducted with 658 military personnel from the border guard service across five units, with 57.4 percent male participants. PsyCap was measured using the 12 item PCQ Self Rater Short Version (α = 0.85) and engagement using the 18 item Job Engagement Scale (α = 0.86). Structural validity was confirmed via confirmatory factor analysis (KMO = .914; NFI = 0.968; SRMR = 0.064). Hypotheses were tested using PLS SEM (SmartPLS 4.1.1.2), with discriminant validity assessed via the Fornell Larcker criterion and common method bias evaluated using Harman's single factor test (34.2 percent, below the 50 percent threshold). All twelve hypothesized paths (H1a to H4c) were supported (p < .01). The model explained 55.6 percent, 47.9 percent, and 38.6 percent of variance in cognitive, physical, and emotional engagement, respectively. Differential patterns emerged: hope showed the strongest association with emotional engagement (β = 0.687), resilience with physical engagement (β = 0.634), optimism with cognitive engagement (β = 0.595), and self-efficacy produced uniform effects across all three dimensions (β = 0.297 to 0.632). This study is among the first to examine PsyCap engagement relationships at the component level in a military context. The findings extend the Job Demands Resources model by demonstrating that distinct PsyCap resources activate engagement through qualitatively different psychological pathways, providing evidence-based guidance for targeted psychological capital development in high demand organizational environments.
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