The Effect of Perceived Organizational Support on Work Engagement: Sequential Mediation by Psychological Empowerment and Job Crafting

Purpose: This study aims to examine the sequential dual mediation effects of psychological empowerment and job crafting on the relationship between perceived organizational support and work engagement. Integrating the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and Social Exchange Theory (SET), the research seeks to explain how organizational resources are internalized into psychological states and proactive behaviors that foster engagement. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 312 employees working in companies located in Jeollanam-do, South Korea. The study employed SPSS, AMOS, and Hayes’ PROCESS macro (model 6) for statistical analyses. Confirmatory factor analysis verified the validity and reliability of the constructs, and a bootstrapping procedure was used to test the significance of the mediation effects. Findings: Results indicate that perceived organizational support has a significant positive effect on work engagement, both directly and indirectly, through a sequential pathway where perceived organizational support enhances psychological empowerment, which in turn promotes job crafting, ultimately increasing work engagement. These findings empirically support the integrated JD-R-SET framework, showing that structural resources from the organization are reciprocated through enhanced psychological states and self-initiated work behaviors. Research limitations/implications: While the sample was limited to one region, the findings highlight practical strategies for maximizing engagement: strengthening perceived organizational support, cultivating psychological empowerment, and encouraging job crafting. Future studies should test the model across industries, regions, and cultural contexts, and consider longitudinal designs. Originality/value: This study empirically examines the sequential dual mediating effects of psychological empowerment and job crafting in the perceived organizational support -work engagement relationship, extending the JD-R and SET frameworks to propose a novel integrated theoretical model that explains how supportive organizational environments are transformed into sustained employee engagement.