Organization-Based Self-Esteem and Employee Engagement
Summary
Organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) refers to the extent to which employees believe they are valuable, capable and respected members of their employing organisation. Employee engagement describes a positive, fulfilling work-related state of mind characterised by vigour, dedication and absorption. Research has established that high OBSE fosters greater psychological investment in one’s work, strengthens affective commitment and buffers against burnout. Theoretical frameworks such as the Job Demands-Resources model illuminate how organisational support, fair treatment and meaningful feedback enhance OBSE, which in turn mobilises personal resources to meet job demands. Conversely, declines in domain-specific esteem can precipitate reduced engagement, lower job satisfaction and higher turnover intentions. Measurement advances now permit precise tracking of both constructs over time, revealing that interventions aimed at strengthening employees’ sense of belonging and competence yield sustainable gains in performance and well-being. The global relevance of this research is underscored by multinational studies linking OBSE to productivity, safety behaviours and innovation across diverse sectors. Practical applications include leadership training in supportive communication, redesign of appraisal systems to emphasise developmental feedback and organisational justice initiatives to foster inclusive cultures. Together, these efforts illustrate how nurturing employees’ self-esteem within the organisational context is pivotal to sustaining motivation, resilience and high performance in today’s complex work environments.
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Organization-Based Self-Esteem and Employee Engagement publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in organization-based self-esteem and employee engagement across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Organization-based self-esteem (OBSE): An individual’s sense of self-worth derived from their perceived competence, status and value within their employing organisation.
Employee engagement: A positive work-related state characterised by high levels of energy (vigour), mental resilience (dedication) and engrossment (absorption) in one’s tasks.
Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model: A framework positing that job resources (e.g. support, feedback) foster engagement and buffer against the strain caused by job demands (e.g. workload, emotional pressure).
Affective commitment: The emotional attachment and identification an employee feels toward their organisation, influencing willingness to maintain membership and invest effort in organisational goals.
References
- Longitudinal correlated changes of global and organization‐based self‐esteem at work. Applied Psychology (2023).
- The impact of leader safety communication on work engagement under pandemic: The effect of OBSE and anxiety based on COVID-19. Frontiers in Public Health (2023).
- Validation of the Organizational-Based General Self-Esteem Scale. Frontiers in Psychology (2022).
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