The Role of Role Ambiguity, Role Conflict, Perceived Organizational Support, and Self-Efficacy on Work Engagement: The Case of Hong Kong Construction Professionals
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70301/Keywords:
Work Engagement, role conflict, role ambiguity, perceived organizational support, self-efficacy, construction professionals, Hong Kong, Job Demands–Resources model, challenge demands, mixed-method researchAbstract
Work engagement plays a vital role in the construction industry by enhancing productivity, safety, and project quality. This study examined how role conflict, role ambiguity, perceived organizational support, and self-efficacy relate to the work engagement of Hong Kong construction professionals. A mixed-method design was adopted. A quantitative cross-sectional survey of 198 professionals was followed by 13 semi-structured interviews. The quantitative findings showed that role conflict, role ambiguity, perceived organizational support, and self-efficacy were each positively associated with work engagement. Self-efficacy mediated the relationships between role conflict, role ambiguity, and engagement, while role conflict and ambiguity mediated the relationship between perceived organizational support and engagement. Professionals with higher self-efficacy became more engaged when facing greater role conflict or reduced ambiguity. The qualitative findings indicated that role conflict and ambiguity are prevalent in the sector but are interpreted as challenge demands that foster personal growth and career development, rather than as hindrance demands. The study contributes a context-specific reframing of role stressors as challenge demands and offers practical guidance for enhancing engagement.
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