Towards a work engagement framework considering personality traits and basic psychological needs from an organisational neuroscience perspective

Abstract

Despite extensive theoretical exploration, a unified conceptual framework for work engagement remains absent, as reflected by persistently high global disengagement levels. Research indicates that personality traits, as defined by the five-factor model, and the fulfilment of basic psychological needs, both play vital roles in sustaining engagement. However, limited studies have examined their combined predictive influence on engagement, particularly from an organisational neuroscience perspective. Addressing this gap, the present study investigated how personality traits and basic psychological needs together predict engagement, and whether the inclusion of psychological needs enhances explanatory power beyond personality traits alone. Adopting a quantitative, non-experimental design, data were collected from 118 employees of a single South African organisation via an online survey. Instruments included the nine-item Utrecht work engagement scale, the shortened version of the basic traits inventory, and a novel measure of basic psychological needs. Analyses comprised exploratory- and confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The results supported a two dimensional structure of basic psychological needs, ‘joyful connection’ and ‘autonomous mastery’, which demonstrated acceptable reliability but required refinement to improve convergent validity. Work engagement correlated positively with extraversion, conscientiousness, openness, and agreeableness, and negatively with neuroticism. Both basic psychological need dimensions correlated positively with work engagement and with most personality traits, except neuroticism. Regression analysis revealed that extraversion and conscientiousness significantly predicted work engagement, and that adding basic psychological needs significantly increased the explained variance. ‘Joyful connection’ emerged as a strong predictor, confirming the incremental value of need satisfaction alongside personality traits. The findings underscore that an integrated framework considering both personality traits and basic psychological needs offers a more comprehensive explanation of work engagement. Practical recommendations include fostering supportive and enjoyable work settings, promoting independence and skill development, and addressing emotional stability through mental health support. This comprehensive approach could not only enhance work engagement but also improve overall employee well-being, providing valuable insights for organisational strategies. This study, therefore, bridges gaps in the literature by integrating personality psychology with basic psychological needs within an organisational neuroscience framework, setting a solid foundation for future research and practical applications in enhancing work engagement