Pathways to Employee Engagement: The Mediating Influence of Feedback and Management-Employee Relationships on Sense of Belonging and Intrinsic Motivation

Pathways to Employee Engagement: The Mediating Influence of Feedback and Management-Employee Relationships on Sense of Belonging and Intrinsic Motivation | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Pathways to Employee Engagement: The Mediating Influence of Feedback and Management-Employee Relationships on Sense of Belonging and Intrinsic Motivation Tekilew Zewdu Gizaw This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7317406/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study investigates the mediating roles of feedback involvement and management-employee relationships in the relationship between sense of belonging, intrinsic motivation, with employee engagement at United Insurance S.C. Rooted in an explanatory research design and a quantitative research approach, the study utilized primary data collected through a structured, self-administered survey instrument targeting a sample of 280 employees randomly selected from a total population of 975 employees. To analyze the data and test the proposed hypotheses, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling was employed using Smart PLS, allowing for investigation of complex relationships among variables. The results of the study provide employee engagement is driven by both intrinsic psychological factors and relational processes within the organization. Specifically, sense of belonging and intrinsic motivation has the strongest direct effects on engagement, indicating that when employees feel included and purpose-driven, they are significantly more likely to be emotionally and cognitively committed to their roles. Additionally, feedback involvement and management-staff relationships also positively influence engagement, underscoring the importance of participatory communication and supportive leadership in shaping engaged workplace cultures. The study further demonstrates that feedback involvement and management-employee relationships play critical mediating roles between the antecedents and engagement outcomes. These indicate that the effect of belonging and motivation is amplified when organizations foster open communication, and employee involvement in decision-making. Thus, enhancing engagement requires not only empowering individuals internally but also creating organizational structures that translate psychological resources into meaningful behavioral outcomes. Management feedback involvement management-employee relationships sense of belongingness intrinsic motivation engagement Figures Figure 1 1. Introduction Employee engagement is an essential factor to develop innovation, organizational performance, and long-term competitive success, particularly in rapidly developing service industries (Albrecht et al., 2015 ). In a rapidly changing business scenario, there is a greater need to build a workforce that is emotionally committed and mentally sold on corporate objectives (Bakker & Albrecht, 2018 ). Of the foundational precursors to employee engagement, a strong sense of belonging and intrinsic motivation has consistently been key drivers, with significant influences on individual performance and organizational overall performance (Olafsen & Deci, 2020 ). While their direct influences on engagement are well established, the dynamics by which their complete capacities are released regularly depend on the quality of interpersonal and relational processes within the workplace. Sense of belongingness, defined as feeling appreciated, accepted, and a part of one's place of work, is a good forecaster of increased engagement, reduced turnover, and enhanced well-being (Jena & Pradhan, 2017 ; Puranitee, 2022). Similarly, intrinsic motivation, which is developed because of the inherent satisfaction obtained from the task, energizes an employee's drive and commitment. The study Puranitee, (2022) estimates that the paths from intrinsic motivation and feelings of belonging to high employee involvement are not always direct, but are heavily influenced and solidified by key organizational factors. Within specific context, good quality feedback systems and favorable management-employee relationships are theorized to have significant mediating roles. Sense of belonging is the extent to which employees feel they are being appreciated and accepted in the workplace .It is a good predictor of increased engagement, less turnover, and greater well-being (Jena & Pradhan, 2017 ). When employees strongly feel that they belong, they are more likely to be engaged, productive, and job committed, leading to increased productivity and performance (Harter et al., 2002 ). Intrinsic motivation is very much related to the concept of engagement. It refers to the enthusiasm, contentment, and sound mental and spiritual condition of employees in the workplace (Tims, et al., 2011 ). For instance, some studies have analyzed workplace engagement and employee motivation. (Georgellis, et al., 2011 ) established that employee motivation reflects greater levels of workplace engagement, performance, and productivity at the workplace (Van Beek et al., 2012 ). Employee intrinsic motivation is a vital parameter that plays a revolutionary role in engagement, productivity, and work performance. Engaged and motivated people are the true tools for highest productivity in the workplace. Employees who are intrinsically motivated are found to perform better despite the fact that there are several ways of motivating them. According to Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017 ), intrinsic motivation refers to the act of doing something because it brings about pleasure, interest, or wholeness for itself without external pressure, reward, or duty. Since the individual's activity is based on internal needs and not on demands or incentives from the outside, it is the most self-determined motivation. Intrinsically motivated individuals do things because they are personally interesting, meaningful, or fulfilling to them. Building on this, it is this research's contention that the relationships between feeling a sense of belonging and intrinsic motivation to high employee engagement are not linear but are overwhelmingly constructed and supported by certain organizational factors. Specifically, positive employee-management relations and good feedback mechanisms are expected to perform key mediating roles. Active, constructive engagement with feedback and openness to receiving feedback is two key dimensions of feedback engagement conceptualization (Fredricks et al., 2004 ; Handley et al., 2011 ). While the latter entails intentional thought about feedback, e.g., activities such as questioning and interacting with providers of feedback, the former indicates willingness to invest time and energy on assignments and the consequent feedback (Zhang & Hyland, 2022 ). Performance feedback can potentially maintain employees motivated and work attitude positive (Kluger & DeNisi, 1996 ). Christian et al. ( 2011 ) identified feedback as one of the most important resources to identify work engagement, which was maintained by Bai & Zhang (2014) who proved its impact alongside social support, career development, and self-regulation. Giving feedback to employees initiates a process of motivation (Kluger & Denisi, 1996 ) that enhances work dedication (Bakker & Leiter, 2010 ). Therefore, in order to sustain employees' involvement and allow them to make more informed decisions regarding work, managers need to ensure that they receive candid and relevant feedback (Peterson, 1996 ). Such relational forces are the facilitative environment wherein belonging is affirmed and intrinsic motivation is developed, thereby enhancing their role to an employee's overall involvement. Despite extensive research validating the significance of employee engagement to foster innovation, enhance productivity, and achieve competitive advantage (Albrecht et al., 2015 ; Bakker & Albrecht, 2018 ), there are still most organizations to combat pervasive issues of disengagement, turnover, and underperformance. While a strong sense of belonging and intrinsic motivation are both widely acknowledged to be core drivers of engagement (Olafsen & Deci, 2020 ; Harter et al., 2002 ), there exists a broad organizational gap in being capable of translating these ingrained psychological states into sustained high workplace engagement. Organizations invest in programs aimed at creating a sense of belonging or improving motivation, but they fail to fully capitalize on what they are doing, which shows a partial grasp of the underlying operational dynamics through which these issues contribute to sustained employee engagement. This highlights a sharp need to uncover the unique mechanisms that bridge the gap between employees' internal states and their outward behavior of commitment and energy at work. Literature to date has solidly established the direct correlations between the underlying factors. Belongingness has been consistently linked with greater engagement, productivity, and motivation (Carr et al., 2019 ; Herbert, 2020; Kennedy, 2021; Jena & Pradhan, 2017 ; Puranitee, 2022). Studies by Gillen-O'Neel (2019), Lartey ( 2022 ), Byrd ( 2022 ), and Byrd and Sparkman ( 2022 ) also explain the need for belonging in various work environments, including virtual work environments. Similarly, intrinsic motivation is equally established as a predictor of engagement, performance, and productivity (Tims, Bakker, & Xanthopoulou, 2011 ; Georgellis, Iossa, & Tabvuma, 2011 ; Van Beek et al., 2012 ). Empirical work of Singh ( 2016 ), Putra, Cho, and Liu ( 2017 ), Engidaw ( 2021 ), Hoxha and Ramadani ( 2024 ), and Almamari, Muslim, and Khudari ( 2025 ) also affirm the strong positive influence of intrinsic motivation on engagement. The importance of feedback and manager-employee relationships (LMX) has been separately identified as crucial to engagement (Kluger & DeNisi, 1996 ; Christian et al., 2011 ; Bai & Zhang, 2014; Mustafa et al., 2022 ). Work by Bouckenooghe et al. (2021), Bhattacharya ( 2023 ), Marodin et al. (2023), and Tabak et al. ( 2023 ) captures the overt impact of LMX and feedback on certain constructs of employee outcomes, like employee engagement. All of these findings individually aside, there is a huge gap in this work towards understanding complex pathways through which a sense of belongingness and intrinsic motivation are completely realized as employee engagement. While correlations are straightforward, fewer studies have sought to investigate deeply the mediating effects of feedback mechanisms and manager-employee relations in this specific context. The existing body of knowledge has a tendency of framing these variables as independent predictors or moderators, rather than as critical conduits that increase or decrease the initial effect of belonging and intrinsic motivation to engagement. For instance, in what ways does a felt sense of belonging turn into real engagement through positive feedback, or via a positive relationship with the manager? Similarly, in what ways does natural intrinsic motivation turn into strengthened engagement when there is timely and appropriate feedback, or when they have a high-trust relationship with their supervisor? This inability to clarify the precise mechanisms leaves a theoretical and practical vacuum regarding where the optimal points of leverage are within organizations. Therefore, the aim of this study is to address this pressing research gap by critically evaluating the mediating effects of good feedback systems and positive management-employee rapport on the established relationships between a sense of belonging, intrinsic motivation, and employee engagement. Hence the focus of this research is to examine the mediating roles of feedback involvement and manager-employee relationships in the connection between sense of belonging, intrinsic motivation, and employee engagement at United Insurance S.C. 2. Literature Review and Hypothesis Development 2.1. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) Self-determination theory is developed by Deci and Ryan, emphasizes the importance of fulfilling three innate psychological needs autonomy, competence, and relatedness in fostering intrinsic motivation and psychological well-being (Ryan & Deci, 2000 ). In the context of employee engagement, SDT theory expects that when employees feel they have a degree of control over their work (autonomy), that they feel competent and effective (competence), and that they feel connected to others (relatedness), they will be more intrinsically motivated and more fully engaged in their work. This theory has been applied widely in organizational settings to design work environments that foster these needs, and thereby motivation, satisfaction, and performance (Ryan & Deci, 2017 ). 2.2. Kahn’s Theory of Engagement (1990) Kahn's Engagement Theory (1990) proposes that psychological states of meaningfulness, safety, and availability motivate employee engagement. According to Kahn, individuals engage more in their work tasks when they find their work personally meaningful, feel safe to be themselves without fear of negative consequences, and possess physical, emotional, and psychological resources that they are able to invest in their work (Kahn, 1990 ). This model highlights the active and contextual qualities of engagement, observing that organizations must create environments that facilitate these psychological states if they are to gain authentic and sustained employee engagement. Kahn's theory paved the way for much contemporary work on engagement by framing it as a holistic and deeply personal experience. 2.3. Social Exchange Theory Social Exchange Theory, as laid out by Blau ( 1964 ), assumes that employment relations are established on the basis of reciprocal exchanges wherein people evaluate the utility and price of their transactions. In an organization, as soon as the managers indulge in offering supportive criticism and constructive feedback, their behavior is perceived to create value in the exchange relationship by the employees. This activates trust, commitment, and a propensity to reciprocate by becoming more involved and delivering better performance. Feedback participation thus emerges as an avenue through which workers assess managerial intent, cementing the strength of manager-employee relationships and impacting organizational citizenship behaviors (Blau, 1964 ). 2.4. Sense of belongingness and Employee engagement More and more evidence comes to validate that a strong sense of belonging increases employees' engagement in different working environments. Carr et al. ( 2019 ) confirmed that high belonging was found to result in a 56% increase in job performance and a 75% reduction in sick days, confirming its organizational benefit. Herbert (2020) added that workers who feel a sense of belonging are over six times more likely to be engaged, particularly with inclusive leadership and feedback mechanisms in place. Kennedy (2021) emphasized inclusive leadership as a means by which cross-cultural engagement and psychological safety are achieved, while Gillen-O'Neel (2019) demonstrated that daily variations in belonging forecast engagement even among students. In virtual environments, Lartey ( 2022 ) suggested the EENDEED model, illustrating that membership and leader-member exchange are still necessary to engagement despite physical distance. Byrd ( 2022 ) then illustrated that strategic inclusion strategies sustain engagement in virtual teams, and Byrd and Sparkman ( 2022 ) argued that belonging is a moral and strategic imperative for diversity and performance. Collectively, these studies affirm that a sense of belonging is a psychological need that also enhances motivation, commitment, and organizational performance. H1 : Sense of belongingness has a positive and significance effect on employee engagement. 2.5. Intrinsic motivation and employee engagement Intrinsic motivation the intrinsic motivation to work on tasks for intrinsic satisfaction has been persistently acknowledged as a key driver of employee engagement in industries and cultures. Singh ( 2016 ) found intrinsic motivation through personal development and meaningful work to be more powerful drivers of engagement than extrinsic rewards, with a specific emphasis on aligning work to employee interests. In hospitality, Putra, Cho, and Liu ( 2017 ) showed how intrinsic motivation is an integral driver of engagement, while poorly managed extrinsic rewards can actually decrease it. Engidaw ( 2021 ), conducting research on Ethiopia's public sector, confirmed that intrinsic motivation develops active and affectively committed workers, even in resource-constrained environments. Hoxha and Ramadani ( 2024 ) also found that intrinsic motivation, through work engagement, leads to sustainable extra-role behaviors like innovation and collaboration. To the same effect, Almamari, Muslim, and Khudari ( 2025 ) confirmed that intrinsic motivation with support from top management is strongly correlated with Omani university students' engagement. Collectively, these studies validate that intrinsic motivation not only boosts participation but also enhances resilience, fulfillment, and long-term organizational effectiveness. H2 : Intrinsic motivation has a positive and significance effect on employee engagement. 2.6. Feedback Involvement and Employee engagement A robust empirical literature establishes that feedback involvement has a significant effect on enhancing employee engagement through clarity, motivation, and purpose. Bouckenooghe et al., (2021) showed that feedback-seeking behavior serves as a mediator of the engagement-performance relationship, particularly when employees possess personal resources like resilience and self-efficacy. Bhattacharya ( 2023 ) pointed out that an open culture of continuous, two-way feedback builds emotional and cognitive engagement by triggering employees' identification with their firm. Marodin et al. (2023) found that feedback on the shop floor enhances motivation and engagement immediately by associating tasks with meaning and supporting intrinsic motivation. In virtual service settings, Lechermeier, et al. ( 2020 ) found that transparent immediate feedback enhances satisfaction and involvement, most noticeably when seen as equitable. Eva et al. (2019) highlighted coworker feedback in ensuring psychological safety and engagement by means of informal peer-to-peer interactions. Lastly, Menguc et al. (2013) pointed to supervisor feedback and support as major predictors of engagement, especially when linked with the provision of recognition and developmental guidance. Overall, supervisor feedback and participative and developmental feedback mechanisms combined emphasize that participative and development feedback mechanisms are fundamental for creating long-term employee engagement. H3 : Feedback Involvement has a positive and significance effect on employee engagement. 2.7. Management Staff relationship and Employee engagement A staff-management trust-based relationship, as conceived in Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory, is a key driver of employee engagement in high-stakes, knowledge-intensive environments. Empirical evidence consistently shows that high-quality LMX is the antecedent to emotional and cognitive bond with job positions, and consequently enhances innovation, commitment, and performance. For instance, Mustafa et al. ( 2022 ) depicted that equitable and supportive leadership enhances engagement and creative behavior among IT professionals, while Hayati and Rifani ( 2025 ) found that high-quality LMX relationships sustain engagement and organizational citizenship behavior even among employees who are stressed academically. Tabak et al. ( 2023 ) also emphasized that LMX is a more significant contributor to engagement than peer relationships and reduces turnover intentions. Johnson (2020) highlighted the value of open communication and empathy in the creation of engagement, and Chen and Peng (2021) discovered that supervisor trust in particular enhances service performance by strengthening engagement. Awan et al. ( 2020 ) linked assistance from managers in performance systems with job performance and engagement, and Aggarwal et al. (2020) showed that psychological empowerment mediates the LMX-engagement relationship. Finally, Mao and Tian ( 2022 ) identified psychological safety as a significant mechanism, especially in hospitals, whereby open communication produces more engagement. H4 : Management Staff relationship has a positive and significance effect on employee engagement. 2.8. Sense of belongingness, Feedback Involvement and Employee engagement Feedback involvement plays a critical mediating function in linking employees' sense of belongingness to actual employee engagement in organizations. Research emphasizes that when workers receive high-quality, developmentally focused feedback most importantly in climates that are support and inclusion-rich they become more psychologically attached and appreciated, thus becoming more emotionally committed to the organization (Liu et al., 2022). Similarly, seeking feedback has been found to moderate the relationship between perceived organizational support and work engagement, such that utilizing feedback channels actively reinforces good work attitudes (Musenze & Nkundabanyanga, 2021). In addition, development feedback grounded in inclusive leadership strengthens employee vigor and well-being two of engagement's cornerstones via reaffirmation of a sense of recognition and belongingness (Liu et al., 2024). Together, they indicate the significance that feedback involvement whether requested or non-requested is not only vital to generating belongingness but also perform a substantial psychological and behavioral conduit role in connecting relational support to enhanced employee engagement. H5 : Feedback Involvement mediates between sense of belongingness and employee engagement. 2.9. Intrinsic motivation, Feedback Involvement and Employee engagement Feedback involvement has an active mediating role in the intrinsic motivation to employee engagement process as indicated by a growing evidence base. Lee, et al. (2019) observes that developmental feedback enhances engagement through renewing employees' internal drivers of autonomy and mastery, the hallmarks of intrinsic motivation. The same process is replicated in Thuấn and Thanh's (2019) findings, where developmental feedback converted intrinsic motivation into creativity proxy for engagement. Jankelová, et al. (2021) also show how proactive seeking of feedback strengthens the motivational basis for work engagement, even though intrinsic motivation was not their main variable. The organizational perspective is supplemented by Almamari, et al. ( 2025 ), who illustrates how feedback as an element of top management support closes motivational states and engagement outcomes at universities. In tougher environments, feedback works as an emotional and motivational cushion, for example, in Lu et al. (2025), and as a psychological availability-amplifying device, as speculated by Cui and Wang (2025). Collectively, these studies affirm that feedback participation is a key conduit through which intrinsically motivated employees convert personal motivation to stable, active work behavior. H6 : Feedback Involvement mediates between intrinsic motivation and employee engagement. 2.10. Sense of belongingness, Management staff relationship and Employee engagement The management-staff relationship is also a key mediator of workplace belongingness on staff engagement through either enabling or inhibiting its behavioral expression. Schilpzand and Huang (2018) asserted that when management relationships are characterized by incivility or supportiveness, the motivational advantages of belongingness are diminished to a significant extent, as toxic dynamics undermine the psychological safety needed for engagement. Similarly, Katsaros (2022) demonstrated how a sense of belonging constructs receptiveness to organizational change and true employee engagement relies on the presence of communicative and inclusive leadership to recognize the part played by management in guiding belonging towards participative behaviors. To this end, Den Hartog et al. (2007) showed that charismatic leadership maximizes the effect of belongingness such that not only are employees valued but also, being validated by management's support, they exhibit greater compliance and helping behaviors. All these works stress that while belonging causes emotional readiness, the type of relationship between management and personnel transforms this readiness into viable engagement. H7 : Management staff mediates between sense of belongingness and employee engagement. 2.11. Intrinsic motivation, Management staff relationship and Employee engagement The interdependence between intrinsic motivation and staff engagement is established, and recent studies emphasize that the quality of managerial-staff relationships is a significant proxy variable in this context. Almamari, et al. ( 2025 ) demonstrated that top management support exerts a powerful influence of strengthening the motivational impact on engagement, i.e., relational strength at managerial levels increases the internal drive of employees. Azis et al. (2019) followed this by showing that transformational leadership, characterized by relation sensitivity, indirectly enhances engagement through enhanced motivation and affective commitment. Liu et al. (2024) further asserted that humble leadership, trust and psychological safety building, develops intrinsic motivation which in turn enhances engagement. Widodo and Nurhayati (2024) corroborated this by showing how fair and facilitative organizational practices, often determined by managers, enhance motivation and engagement. Combined, these findings suggest that intrinsic motivation is more effectively translated into real engagement outcomes when it is channeled through trusting and supportive management relationships. H8 : Management staff mediates between intrinsic motivation and employee engagement. 2.12. Conceptual Frame work The conceptual framework illustrated in Fig. 1 synthesizes elements from three foundational theories: Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985 ), Social Exchange Theory (Blau, 1964 ), and Kahn’s ( 1990 ) Employee Engagement Model. This integration enables a multifaceted analysis of how motivational and relational dynamics shape employee engagement in contemporary organizations. 3. Research Methodology The study employs explanatory research designs to examine the mediating role of feedback involvement and management-employee relations in the relationship between sense of belonging, intrinsic motivation and employee engagement. Explanatory research examines further understanding, explaining, predicting, and controlling relationships among variables (Hair et al., 2015), which is necessary for understanding how those variables were related to each other. Given that quantitative methods enable testing of theory and explanation of guided research findings (Creswell, 2018 ), with the aid of a quantitative research design, the study aims to provide an explanatory insight into these dynamics, In order to achieve the research objectives, primary information was collected by structured questionnaires which were administered to employees in United Insurance S.C. The population of the whole study consists of 975 employees who are working in United insurance S.C. across Ethiopia. The research then utilized the simple random sampling method to collect the data. A simple random sample is a population subset that is selected by random choice. In this sampling method, all the members of the population had an exactly equal chance to be selected. From 975 employees, the researcher used the following formula to determine the sample size which is developed by Yamane (1967). Respondents, approximately 284 respondents according to this formula at 95% confidence level and 5% level but only 280 complete questionnaires were gathered. \(\:\varvec{n}=\frac{\varvec{N}}{{1+\varvec{N}\left(\varvec{e}\right)}^{2}}\) = \(\:\frac{975\:}{{1+975\left(0.05\right)}^{2}}\) = 283.68 =284 Where: N= population size, n= sample size, e= level of statistical significance set (5% =0.05) For measuring study variables, 5-point Likert scale items (5 being strongly agree, the lowest being 1 for strongly disagree) were used. Data were collected from the sample using the validated and reliable research instrument of authors on each dimension. The study followed a quantitative approach with a survey-based structured questionnaire to examine the mediating effect of feedback and manager-employee relationships on the relationship between sense of belonging, intrinsic motivation, and employee engagement. The data were collected from a sample of employees selected by using random sampling, and the mediation was examined by using SmartPLS 4.0, which enabled the strict examination of both direct and indirect relationships in the conceptual model. The questionnaire was derived from validated scales in the literature, offering both construct reliability and validity through confirmatory factor analysis and composite reliability tests. Ethical guidelines were followed strictly, including informed consent, anonymity, and proper referencing of all academic work. Model specification was reflective-formative in nature in line with theoretical expectations, and multicollinearity diagnostics and model fit statistics were checked to validate the structural model. The research design ensured methodological rigor and ethical appropriateness while allowing meaningful inferences on the pathways influencing employee engagement. 4. Result and Discussions Table 1 Path coefficients in mediation analysis result (authors’ own, analysis result) Path Path coefficients T statistics (|O/STDEV|) P values Feedback Involvement ->Engagement 0.239 5.542 0.000 Intrinsic Motivation ->Engagement 0.221 5.375 0.000 Intrinsic Motivation ->Feedback Involvement 0.335 9.262 0.000 Intrinsic Motivation ->Management Staff relationship 0.493 12.284 0.000 Management Staff relationship ->Engagement 0.311 6.349 0.000 Sense of belongingness ->Engagement 0.277 5.578 0.000 Sense of belongingness ->Feedback Involvement 0.562 16.232 0.000 Sense of belongingness ->Management Staff relationship 0.439 11.694 0.000 The mediation analysis in the above Table 1 reveals statistically significant and substantive paths on employee engagement. All of the direct paths i.e., Feedback Involvement on Engagement (β = 0.239, p = 0.000), Intrinsic Motivation on Engagement (β = 0.221, p = 0.000), and Sense of Belongingness on Engagement (β = 0.277, p = 0.000) indicate that the variables independently contribute to enhancing employee engagement. Moreover, Management-Staff Relationship to Engagement (β = 0.311, p = 0.000) depicts that relationship dynamics with leadership have a direct and significant role to play in engagement. The high t-values of all the paths indicate strong statistical reliability, so that the relationships are not random. Moreover, the indirect paths reveal essential mediating roles. Intrinsic Motivation strongly influences Feedback Involvement (β = 0.335) and Management-Staff Relationship (β = 0.493), with intrinsically motivated staff more likely to actively seek feedback and form positive relationships with their managers both of which subsequently drive engagement. Similarly, Sense of Belongingness exerts strong influences on both Feedback Involvement (β = 0.562) and Management-Staff Relationship (β = 0.439), indicating that it acts as a fundamental psychological resource that facilitates the engagement process via interpersonal and informational channels. These findings provide empirical validation for the hypothesized mediation model wherein feedback and relationship quality act as conduits linking internal psychological states (belonging and motivation) to behavioral and affective commitment expressed in employee engagement. Table 2 Specific Indirect Effect (authors’ own, analysis result) Specific indirect effects Specific indirect effects T statistics (|O/STDEV|) P values Intrinsic Motivation ->Feedback Involvement ->Engagement 0.080 4.423 0.000 Sense of belongingness ->Management Staff relationship ->Engagement 0.137 5.870 0.000 Sense of belongingness ->Feedback Involvement ->Engagement 0.135 5.402 0.000 Intrinsic Motivation ->Management Staff relationship ->Engagement 0.153 5.465 0.000 The single indirect effects from the above Table 2 SmartPLS mediation analysis yield sound empirical support for the conceptual model between intrinsic motivation and sense of belongingness and employee engagement through feedback involvement and manager-staff relationships. The chain Intrinsic Motivation on Feedback Involvement on Engagement (β = 0.080, p = 0.000) shows that intrinsically motivated staff members are likely to engage in feedback processes, and this enhances their engagement. Equally, the mediating effect Intrinsic Motivation on Management Staff Relationship on Engagement (β = 0.153, p = 0.000) indicates the channel of relation of intrinsic motivation, with workers with good relations to supervisors enhancing their emotional and behavioral engagement in work. In parallel, Sense of Belongingness displays a high-level indirect influence on engagement via both intermediaries. The indirect effect Sense of Belongingness on Feedback Involvement on Engagement (β = 0.135, p = 0.000) suggests that feeling accepted and being valued compels employees to freely participate in cycles of feedback towards stronger engagement outcomes. Similarly, Sense of Belongingness on Management Staff Relationship on Engagement (β = 0.137, p = 0.000) suggests that belongingness leads to constructive leader-member relationships, which subsequently contribute to enhanced levels of engagement. Large t-values and statistically significant p-values on all paths validate the mediating strength of both feedback and relational mechanisms, reinforcing those internal psychological states exert their influence on engagement best insofar as they are channeled through supportive organizational processes. Table 3 Total Effects (authors’ own, analysis result) Total Effect Total effects T statistics (|O/STDEV|) P values Feedback Involvement ->Engagement 0.239 5.542 0.000 Intrinsic Motivation ->Engagement 0.455 14.003 0.000 Intrinsic Motivation ->Feedback Involvement 0.335 9.262 0.000 Intrinsic Motivation ->Management Staff relationship 0.493 12.284 0.000 Management Staff relationship ->Engagement 0.311 6.349 0.000 Sense of belongingness ->Engagement 0.548 16.137 0.000 Sense of belongingness ->Feedback Involvement 0.562 16.232 0.000 Sense of belongingness ->Management Staff relationship 0.439 11.694 0.000 As shown in the above Table 3 the total effects on the basis of mediation model provide excellent evidence for the underlying mechanisms determining employee engagement. Sense of belongingness was the most significant overall predictor of engagement (β = 0.548, p = 0.000), verifying its foundation role in creating a committed and emotionally connected workforce. Similarly, Intrinsic Motivation on Engagement (β = 0.455, p = 0.000) depicts the inner motivation as an important stimulus for engagement and confirms that employees who find personal meaning from work are likely to engage cognitively and emotionally. Direct effect of Feedback Involvement on Engagement (β = 0.239, p = 0.000) also reinforces the role of open communication and participative performance practices in motivating employees. At the same time, global effects also illustrate how previous variables influence participation indirectly through interpersonal and informational channels. Intrinsic motivation was positively linked with both Management-Staff Relationship (β = 0.493) and Feedback Involvement (β = 0.335), showing employees who are intrinsically motivated will naturally seek out connection and positive speech in the workplace. Likewise, Sense of belongingness moderating Feedback Involvement (β = 0.562) and Manager-Staff Relationship (β = 0.439) suggests that those employees who perceive being accepted and sensing belongingness are more likely to form strong relationships and participate more actively in the feedback culture. Overall, these findings underscore that the encouragement of psychological safety, motivation, and relationship quality may have a great impact on employee engagement both directly and indirectly through powerful mediators. Table 4 Model Fit and Variance Explained (authors’ own, analysis result) Variables R-square R-square adjusted T statistics (|O/STDEV|) P values Engagement 0.777 0.774 34.649 0.000 Feedback Involvement 0.581 0.578 17.741 0.000 Management Staff relationship 0.610 0.607 16.987 0.000 The R-square values in the above Table 4 mediation model indicate substantial explanatory power of predictors to the endogenous variables. Employee Engagement, for instance, has an R² value of 0.777, which signifies that approximately 77.7% of the variance in engagement is accounted for by sense of belongingness, intrinsic motivation, feedback involvement, and manager-staff relationships indicating a highly predictive model. Similarly, Feedback Involvement (R² = 0.581) and Management-Staff Relationship (R² = 0.610) explain substantial variance accounted for by respective antecedents, specifically sense of belongingness and intrinsic motivation. The extremely high t-statistics and statistically significant p-values (all p = 0.000) confirm the reliability and stability of the model estimates, again in favor of the conclusion that the specified pathways significantly explain engagement and its psychological antecedents within the organizational context. 4.1. Hypothesis test result Table 5 Hypothesis tested result (authors’ own, analysis result) No Hypothesis Coefficients Result H1 Sense of belonging have a positively and statistically significant effects on employee engagement B = 0.548, P = 0.000 Accepted H2 Intrinsic motivation have a positively and statistically significant effects on employee engagement B = 0.455, p = 0.000 Accepted H3 Feedback involvement have a positively and statistically significant effects on employee engagement B = 0.239, p = 0.000 Accepted H4 The management-staff relationship have a positively and statistically significant effects on employee engagement B = 0.311, p = 0.000 Accepted H5 Feedback involvement mediates the relationship between sense of belonging and employee engagement. B = 0.135, p = 0.000 Accepted H6 Feedback involvement mediates the relationship between intrinsic motivation and employee engagement. B = 0.080, p = 0.000 Accepted H7 The management-staff relationship mediates the relationship between sense of belonging and employee engagement. B = 0.137, p = 0.000 Accepted H8 The management-staff relationship mediates the relationship between intrinsic motivation and employee engagement. B = 0.153, p = 0.000 Accepted The results presented in Table 5 reveal that all eight hypotheses were supported, demonstrating statistically significant relationships among the studied variables. These findings validate the proposed framework and align with the theoretical underpinnings discussed in the literature review. Each accepted hypothesis is further interpreted in the discussion section, offering insights into motivational and relational drivers of employee engagement. 4.2. Discussions The empirical findings of these study offer strong evidence in support of the hypotheses postulated, with all eight paths being statistically significant and positive in influence. H1, postulating that sense of belonging bears significant influence on employee engagement (β = 0.548, p = 0.000), is firmly supported by literature that attaches significance to belonging as a psychological requirement precipitating motivation and attachment (Carr et al., 2019 ; Herbert, 2020; Kennedy, 2021). Similarly, H2, confirming the impact of intrinsic motivation (β = 0.455, p = 0.000), affirms studies by Singh ( 2016 ), Putra et al. ( 2017 ), and Engidaw ( 2021 ), whose studies confirm the motivational power of meaningful and purposeful work over external rewards. The findings again reinforce the psychological foundation of worker motivation, particularly in knowledge-intensive and mission-driven environments. H3 and H4 also confirm the role of interpersonal relationships and organizational practices in shaping engagement outcomes. The positive influence of feedback participation (β = 0.239, p = 0.000) is in line with Bhattacharya ( 2023 ) and Marodin et al. (2023), who argue that participatory and continuous cultures of feedback are the pillars of staff motivation. Besides, the high impact of the manager-employee relationship (β = 0.311, p = 0.000) is congruent with the general principles of Leader-Member Exchange theory (Mustafa et al., 2022 ; Chen & Peng, 2021), which reaffirms that support, communication, and trust offered by managers have a crucial role in shaping emotional investment and work performance. The outcomes of mediation provide additional nuance, with relational and feedback variables as major mediators among psychological antecedents and engagement. H5 and H7 confirm that manager-staff relationships (β = 0.137) and feedback involvement (β = 0.135) significantly mediate sense of belonging and engagement, in line with the evidence of Lartey ( 2022 ), Byrd ( 2022 ), and Mao & Tian ( 2022 ) pointing to the processes by which belonging is translated into behavior commitment. Similarly, H6 and H8 also indicate that intrinsic motivation works indirectly on engagement through both feedback (β = 0.080) and relational mechanisms (β = 0.153), backing Aggarwal et al. (2020) and Hoxha & Ramadani ( 2024 ) in their research concerning the connection between internal drivers and long-term performance through supportive structures. Together, the results support a multi-level theory of engagement whereby individual psychological resources of intrinsic motivation and belongingness exert their full effect through social processes. The results not only verify theoretical formulations such as Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000 ), Social Exchange Theory (Blau, 1964 ), and Kahn's Theory of Engagement (Kahn, 1990 ) but also have implications for human resource practice. Organizations, especially in an environment such as United Insurance S.C. or the insurance industry at large, would be helped by amplifying inclusive cultures, improving feedback mechanisms, and developing leadership habits fostering trust and empowerment. These are all critical steps to take if they hope to effectively turn internal states into employee commitment and business success. 5. Conclusion The results of the study provide compelling evidence that employee engagement is driven by both intrinsic psychological factors and relational processes within the organization. Specifically, sense of belonging and intrinsic motivation has the strongest direct effects on engagement, indicating that when employees feel included and purpose-driven, they are significantly more likely to be emotionally and cognitively committed to their roles. Additionally, feedback involvement and manager-staff relationships also positively influence engagement, underscoring the importance of participatory communication and supportive leadership in shaping engaged workplace cultures. The study further demonstrates that feedback involvement and management-employee relationships play critical mediating roles between the antecedents and engagement outcomes. These pathways highlight that the impact of belonging and motivation is amplified when organizations foster open communication, mutual trust, and employee involvement in decision-making. Thus, enhancing engagement requires not only empowering individuals internally but also creating organizational structures that translate psychological resources into meaningful behavioral outcomes. These conclusions reinforce theories such as Self-Determination Theory, Social Exchange Theory, and Kahn's Theory of Engagement, which are shown to be effective in demonstrating that when employees feel valued, skilled, and connected, they're emotionally and mentally more engaged in their work. Additionally, the research identifies that engagement thrives not only through job design or motivation but through a positive organizational culture in which employees feel encouraged, noticed, and empowered. Therefore, the intermediary roles of feedback participation and manager-staff relationship also imply that organizational routines must be consciously crafted to facilitate ongoing communication and trust. Managers who foster inclusive environments and provide high-quality feedback play key facilitators of engagement by translating employee motivation and belonging into productive workplace action. The results have practical implications for institutions such as United Insurance S.C. and other similar organizations from sectors emphasizing the strategic value of establishing relational trust, enhancing psychological safety, and cultivating feedback-high cultures. Employee engagement is then constructed in a balanced environment where individual and organizational factors come together to spark sustained performance, well-being, and organizational success. 6. Recommendations Based on the study findings, it is recommended that United Insurance S.C. and similar organization focus on creating inclusive and trust-based organizational cultures that engage employees meaningfully in purposeful participation and ongoing feedback. Managers are recommended to be trained and supported to establish effective interpersonal relationships, create safe spaces for open communication, and give high-quality, developmental feedback. Organizationally, companies need to build in feedback mechanisms and participative decision-making into managerial practice on a daily basis, sending the message that every employee's voice counts. Furthermore, institutional policies need to be tailored to be motivated by motivational principles such that employees feel competent, autonomous, and related. By building these relational and psychological drivers into practice, businesses can enhance worker engagement and in doing so develop a high-performing, resilient, and people-focused work culture. 6.1. Suggestions for future Study Building on the findings of this study, future research could explore longitudinal designs to examine how the relationships between intrinsic motivation, sense of belonging, feedback involvement, and manager-staff relationships evolve over time and influence sustained employee engagement. Tracking these dynamics across different organizational phases or during periods of change such as digital transformation or leadership shifts could yield valuable insights into the durability and adaptability of the engagement mechanisms identified here. In addition, future comparative cross-industry studies can utilize the same conceptual structure for a wide range of industries, such as manufacturing, health care, and public administration. In this way, researchers will have the option to investigate whether the employee engagement continua are equally robust for different organizational forms, cultures, and professions to enhance the overall generalizability and usability of the study findings to practice. Declarations Ethics Approval Statement: This study was approved by the Addis Ababa University College of Business and Economics Research Ethics Committee. All participants provided informed consent prior to data collection. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7317406","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":497083762,"identity":"a3df8d44-68a7-4f03-ad05-2ea4bed019cd","order_by":0,"name":"Tekilew Zewdu Gizaw","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA0UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFACNhC24eEHsRMKiNDAA9GSJiPZANJiQLyWwzYGB0BcYrTYs7clf/hQxsxjfH514ocHBgzy/GIHCNjCc+yA4YxzbDxmN95ulgA6zHDm7AQCWiTSG5J523iAWs5uAGlJMLhNSIv884bDf9skeIxnnN38gzgtEmwHmxnbDHgM+Hu3EWnLmbRkxp5zCTwSN3i3WSQYSBD2C3v7MeMPP8r+2/P3n91880eFjTy/NAEtCCABVilBrHIQ4D9AiupRMApGwSgYSQAAIotAmyl94QUAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6246-9703","institution":"Addis Ababa University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Tekilew","middleName":"Zewdu","lastName":"Gizaw","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-08-07 09:57:49","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7317406/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7317406/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":88753003,"identity":"6c29d8fe-12c0-4c1c-9901-95dbdff44140","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-11 06:45:16","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":32729,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eConceptual Frame work (Adapted from Deci \u0026amp; Ryan (1985), Blau (1964), and Kahn (1990). The framework integrates constructs from Self-Determination Theory, Social Exchange Theory, and the Employee Engagement Model to explain drivers of employee engagement.)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7317406/v1/577d17eb93afe617d42f4548.png"},{"id":88753265,"identity":"f0308563-abfe-40f1-b453-b718781f5171","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-11 06:53:21","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1326734,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7317406/v1/174a4cc5-68bd-480a-8bca-72fe9045a6ec.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePathways to Employee Engagement: The Mediating Influence of Feedback and Management-Employee Relationships on Sense of Belonging and Intrinsic Motivation\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eEmployee engagement is an essential factor to develop innovation, organizational performance, and long-term competitive success, particularly in rapidly developing service industries (Albrecht et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). In a rapidly changing business scenario, there is a greater need to build a workforce that is emotionally committed and mentally sold on corporate objectives (Bakker \u0026amp; Albrecht, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Of the foundational precursors to employee engagement, a strong sense of belonging and intrinsic motivation has consistently been key drivers, with significant influences on individual performance and organizational overall performance (Olafsen \u0026amp; Deci, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR58\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). While their direct influences on engagement are well established, the dynamics by which their complete capacities are released regularly depend on the quality of interpersonal and relational processes within the workplace.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSense of belongingness, defined as feeling appreciated, accepted, and a part of one's place of work, is a good forecaster of increased engagement, reduced turnover, and enhanced well-being (Jena \u0026amp; Pradhan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR66\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Puranitee, 2022). Similarly, intrinsic motivation, which is developed because of the inherent satisfaction obtained from the task, energizes an employee's drive and commitment. The study Puranitee, (2022) estimates that the paths from intrinsic motivation and feelings of belonging to high employee involvement are not always direct, but are heavily influenced and solidified by key organizational factors. Within specific context, good quality feedback systems and favorable management-employee relationships are theorized to have significant mediating roles. Sense of belonging is the extent to which employees feel they are being appreciated and accepted in the workplace .It is a good predictor of increased engagement, less turnover, and greater well-being (Jena \u0026amp; Pradhan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR66\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). When employees strongly feel that they belong, they are more likely to be engaged, productive, and job committed, leading to increased productivity and performance (Harter et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntrinsic motivation is very much related to the concept of engagement. It refers to the enthusiasm, contentment, and sound mental and spiritual condition of employees in the workplace (Tims, et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR84\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e). For instance, some studies have analyzed workplace engagement and employee motivation. (Georgellis, et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e) established that employee motivation reflects greater levels of workplace engagement, performance, and productivity at the workplace (Van Beek et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR86\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e). Employee intrinsic motivation is a vital parameter that plays a revolutionary role in engagement, productivity, and work performance. Engaged and motivated people are the true tools for highest productivity in the workplace. Employees who are intrinsically motivated are found to perform better despite the fact that there are several ways of motivating them. According to Self-Determination Theory (Ryan \u0026amp; Deci, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR74\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e), intrinsic motivation refers to the act of doing something because it brings about pleasure, interest, or wholeness for itself without external pressure, reward, or duty. Since the individual's activity is based on internal needs and not on demands or incentives from the outside, it is the most self-determined motivation. Intrinsically motivated individuals do things because they are personally interesting, meaningful, or fulfilling to them.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBuilding on this, it is this research's contention that the relationships between feeling a sense of belonging and intrinsic motivation to high employee engagement are not linear but are overwhelmingly constructed and supported by certain organizational factors. Specifically, positive employee-management relations and good feedback mechanisms are expected to perform key mediating roles. Active, constructive engagement with feedback and openness to receiving feedback is two key dimensions of feedback engagement conceptualization (Fredricks et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003e; Handley et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e). While the latter entails intentional thought about feedback, e.g., activities such as questioning and interacting with providers of feedback, the former indicates willingness to invest time and energy on assignments and the consequent feedback (Zhang \u0026amp; Hyland, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR88\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Performance feedback can potentially maintain employees motivated and work attitude positive (Kluger \u0026amp; DeNisi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1996\u003c/span\u003e). Christian et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e) identified feedback as one of the most important resources to identify work engagement, which was maintained by Bai \u0026amp; Zhang (2014) who proved its impact alongside social support, career development, and self-regulation. Giving feedback to employees initiates a process of motivation (Kluger \u0026amp; Denisi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1996\u003c/span\u003e) that enhances work dedication (Bakker \u0026amp; Leiter, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, in order to sustain employees' involvement and allow them to make more informed decisions regarding work, managers need to ensure that they receive candid and relevant feedback (Peterson, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1996\u003c/span\u003e). Such relational forces are the facilitative environment wherein belonging is affirmed and intrinsic motivation is developed, thereby enhancing their role to an employee's overall involvement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite extensive research validating the significance of employee engagement to foster innovation, enhance productivity, and achieve competitive advantage (Albrecht et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Bakker \u0026amp; Albrecht, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e), there are still most organizations to combat pervasive issues of disengagement, turnover, and underperformance. While a strong sense of belonging and intrinsic motivation are both widely acknowledged to be core drivers of engagement (Olafsen \u0026amp; Deci, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR58\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Harter et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e), there exists a broad organizational gap in being capable of translating these ingrained psychological states into sustained high workplace engagement. Organizations invest in programs aimed at creating a sense of belonging or improving motivation, but they fail to fully capitalize on what they are doing, which shows a partial grasp of the underlying operational dynamics through which these issues contribute to sustained employee engagement. This highlights a sharp need to uncover the unique mechanisms that bridge the gap between employees' internal states and their outward behavior of commitment and energy at work.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLiterature to date has solidly established the direct correlations between the underlying factors. Belongingness has been consistently linked with greater engagement, productivity, and motivation (Carr et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Herbert, 2020; Kennedy, 2021; Jena \u0026amp; Pradhan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR66\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Puranitee, 2022). Studies by Gillen-O'Neel (2019), Lartey (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), Byrd (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), and Byrd and Sparkman (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) also explain the need for belonging in various work environments, including virtual work environments. Similarly, intrinsic motivation is equally established as a predictor of engagement, performance, and productivity (Tims, Bakker, \u0026amp; Xanthopoulou, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR84\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Georgellis, Iossa, \u0026amp; Tabvuma, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Van Beek et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR86\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e). Empirical work of Singh (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR76\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e), Putra, Cho, and Liu (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR70\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e), Engidaw (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), Hoxha and Ramadani (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e), and Almamari, Muslim, and Khudari (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e) also affirm the strong positive influence of intrinsic motivation on engagement. The importance of feedback and manager-employee relationships (LMX) has been separately identified as crucial to engagement (Kluger \u0026amp; DeNisi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1996\u003c/span\u003e; Christian et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Bai \u0026amp; Zhang, 2014; Mustafa et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR56\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Work by Bouckenooghe et al. (2021), Bhattacharya (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), Marodin et al. (2023), and Tabak et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR80\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) captures the overt impact of LMX and feedback on certain constructs of employee outcomes, like employee engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll of these findings individually aside, there is a huge gap in this work towards understanding complex pathways through which a sense of belongingness and intrinsic motivation are completely realized as employee engagement. While correlations are straightforward, fewer studies have sought to investigate deeply the mediating effects of feedback mechanisms and manager-employee relations in this specific context. The existing body of knowledge has a tendency of framing these variables as independent predictors or moderators, rather than as critical conduits that increase or decrease the initial effect of belonging and intrinsic motivation to engagement. For instance, in what ways does a felt sense of belonging turn into real engagement through positive feedback, or via a positive relationship with the manager? Similarly, in what ways does natural intrinsic motivation turn into strengthened engagement when there is timely and appropriate feedback, or when they have a high-trust relationship with their supervisor? This inability to clarify the precise mechanisms leaves a theoretical and practical vacuum regarding where the optimal points of leverage are within organizations.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTherefore, the aim of this study is to address this pressing research gap by critically evaluating the mediating effects of good feedback systems and positive management-employee rapport on the established relationships between a sense of belonging, intrinsic motivation, and employee engagement. Hence the focus of this research is to examine the mediating roles of feedback involvement and manager-employee relationships in the connection between sense of belonging, intrinsic motivation, and employee engagement at United Insurance S.C.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Literature Review and Hypothesis Development","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.1. Self-Determination Theory (SDT)\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSelf-determination theory is developed by Deci and Ryan, emphasizes the importance of fulfilling three innate psychological needs autonomy, competence, and relatedness in fostering intrinsic motivation and psychological well-being (Ryan \u0026amp; Deci, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR72\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e). In the context of employee engagement, SDT theory expects that when employees feel they have a degree of control over their work (autonomy), that they feel competent and effective (competence), and that they feel connected to others (relatedness), they will be more intrinsically motivated and more fully engaged in their work. This theory has been applied widely in organizational settings to design work environments that foster these needs, and thereby motivation, satisfaction, and performance (Ryan \u0026amp; Deci, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR74\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.2. Kahn\u0026rsquo;s Theory of Engagement (1990)\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eKahn's Engagement Theory (1990) proposes that psychological states of meaningfulness, safety, and availability motivate employee engagement. According to Kahn, individuals engage more in their work tasks when they find their work personally meaningful, feel safe to be themselves without fear of negative consequences, and possess physical, emotional, and psychological resources that they are able to invest in their work (Kahn, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1990\u003c/span\u003e). This model highlights the active and contextual qualities of engagement, observing that organizations must create environments that facilitate these psychological states if they are to gain authentic and sustained employee engagement. Kahn's theory paved the way for much contemporary work on engagement by framing it as a holistic and deeply personal experience.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.3. Social Exchange Theory\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSocial Exchange Theory, as laid out by Blau (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1964\u003c/span\u003e), assumes that employment relations are established on the basis of reciprocal exchanges wherein people evaluate the utility and price of their transactions. In an organization, as soon as the managers indulge in offering supportive criticism and constructive feedback, their behavior is perceived to create value in the exchange relationship by the employees. This activates trust, commitment, and a propensity to reciprocate by becoming more involved and delivering better performance. Feedback participation thus emerges as an avenue through which workers assess managerial intent, cementing the strength of manager-employee relationships and impacting organizational citizenship behaviors (Blau, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1964\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.4. Sense of belongingness and Employee engagement\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eMore and more evidence comes to validate that a strong sense of belonging increases employees' engagement in different working environments. Carr et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) confirmed that high belonging was found to result in a 56% increase in job performance and a 75% reduction in sick days, confirming its organizational benefit. Herbert (2020) added that workers who feel a sense of belonging are over six times more likely to be engaged, particularly with inclusive leadership and feedback mechanisms in place. Kennedy (2021) emphasized inclusive leadership as a means by which cross-cultural engagement and psychological safety are achieved, while Gillen-O'Neel (2019) demonstrated that daily variations in belonging forecast engagement even among students. In virtual environments, Lartey (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) suggested the EENDEED model, illustrating that membership and leader-member exchange are still necessary to engagement despite physical distance. Byrd (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) then illustrated that strategic inclusion strategies sustain engagement in virtual teams, and Byrd and Sparkman (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) argued that belonging is a moral and strategic imperative for diversity and performance. Collectively, these studies affirm that a sense of belonging is a psychological need that also enhances motivation, commitment, and organizational performance.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH1\u003c/b\u003e: \u003cb\u003eSense of belongingness has a positive and significance effect on employee engagement.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.5. Intrinsic motivation and employee engagement\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntrinsic motivation the intrinsic motivation to work on tasks for intrinsic satisfaction has been persistently acknowledged as a key driver of employee engagement in industries and cultures. Singh (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR76\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e) found intrinsic motivation through personal development and meaningful work to be more powerful drivers of engagement than extrinsic rewards, with a specific emphasis on aligning work to employee interests. In hospitality, Putra, Cho, and Liu (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR70\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e) showed how intrinsic motivation is an integral driver of engagement, while poorly managed extrinsic rewards can actually decrease it. Engidaw (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), conducting research on Ethiopia's public sector, confirmed that intrinsic motivation develops active and affectively committed workers, even in resource-constrained environments. Hoxha and Ramadani (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) also found that intrinsic motivation, through work engagement, leads to sustainable extra-role behaviors like innovation and collaboration. To the same effect, Almamari, Muslim, and Khudari (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e) confirmed that intrinsic motivation with support from top management is strongly correlated with Omani university students' engagement. Collectively, these studies validate that intrinsic motivation not only boosts participation but also enhances resilience, fulfillment, and long-term organizational effectiveness.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH2\u003c/b\u003e: \u003cb\u003eIntrinsic motivation has a positive and significance effect on employee engagement.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.6. Feedback Involvement and Employee engagement\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA robust empirical literature establishes that feedback involvement has a significant effect on enhancing employee engagement through clarity, motivation, and purpose. Bouckenooghe et al., (2021) showed that feedback-seeking behavior serves as a mediator of the engagement-performance relationship, particularly when employees possess personal resources like resilience and self-efficacy. Bhattacharya (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) pointed out that an open culture of continuous, two-way feedback builds emotional and cognitive engagement by triggering employees' identification with their firm. Marodin et al. (2023) found that feedback on the shop floor enhances motivation and engagement immediately by associating tasks with meaning and supporting intrinsic motivation. In virtual service settings, Lechermeier, et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR52\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) found that transparent immediate feedback enhances satisfaction and involvement, most noticeably when seen as equitable. Eva et al. (2019) highlighted coworker feedback in ensuring psychological safety and engagement by means of informal peer-to-peer interactions. Lastly, Menguc et al. (2013) pointed to supervisor feedback and support as major predictors of engagement, especially when linked with the provision of recognition and developmental guidance. Overall, supervisor feedback and participative and developmental feedback mechanisms combined emphasize that participative and development feedback mechanisms are fundamental for creating long-term employee engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH3\u003c/b\u003e: \u003cb\u003eFeedback Involvement has a positive and significance effect on employee engagement.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.7. Management Staff relationship and Employee engagement\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA staff-management trust-based relationship, as conceived in Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory, is a key driver of employee engagement in high-stakes, knowledge-intensive environments. Empirical evidence consistently shows that high-quality LMX is the antecedent to emotional and cognitive bond with job positions, and consequently enhances innovation, commitment, and performance. For instance, Mustafa et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR56\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) depicted that equitable and supportive leadership enhances engagement and creative behavior among IT professionals, while Hayati and Rifani (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e) found that high-quality LMX relationships sustain engagement and organizational citizenship behavior even among employees who are stressed academically. Tabak et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR80\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) also emphasized that LMX is a more significant contributor to engagement than peer relationships and reduces turnover intentions. Johnson (2020) highlighted the value of open communication and empathy in the creation of engagement, and Chen and Peng (2021) discovered that supervisor trust in particular enhances service performance by strengthening engagement. Awan et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) linked assistance from managers in performance systems with job performance and engagement, and Aggarwal et al. (2020) showed that psychological empowerment mediates the LMX-engagement relationship. Finally, Mao and Tian (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR82\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) identified psychological safety as a significant mechanism, especially in hospitals, whereby open communication produces more engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH4\u003c/b\u003e: \u003cb\u003eManagement Staff relationship has a positive and significance effect on employee engagement.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.8. Sense of belongingness, Feedback Involvement and Employee engagement\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeedback involvement plays a critical mediating function in linking employees' sense of belongingness to actual employee engagement in organizations. Research emphasizes that when workers receive high-quality, developmentally focused feedback most importantly in climates that are support and inclusion-rich they become more psychologically attached and appreciated, thus becoming more emotionally committed to the organization (Liu et al., 2022). Similarly, seeking feedback has been found to moderate the relationship between perceived organizational support and work engagement, such that utilizing feedback channels actively reinforces good work attitudes (Musenze \u0026amp; Nkundabanyanga, 2021). In addition, development feedback grounded in inclusive leadership strengthens employee vigor and well-being two of engagement's cornerstones via reaffirmation of a sense of recognition and belongingness (Liu et al., 2024). Together, they indicate the significance that feedback involvement whether requested or non-requested is not only vital to generating belongingness but also perform a substantial psychological and behavioral conduit role in connecting relational support to enhanced employee engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH5\u003c/b\u003e: \u003cb\u003eFeedback Involvement mediates between sense of belongingness and employee engagement.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.9. Intrinsic motivation, Feedback Involvement and Employee engagement\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeedback involvement has an active mediating role in the intrinsic motivation to employee engagement process as indicated by a growing evidence base. Lee, et al. (2019) observes that developmental feedback enhances engagement through renewing employees' internal drivers of autonomy and mastery, the hallmarks of intrinsic motivation. The same process is replicated in Thuấn and Thanh's (2019) findings, where developmental feedback converted intrinsic motivation into creativity proxy for engagement. Jankelov\u0026aacute;, et al. (2021) also show how proactive seeking of feedback strengthens the motivational basis for work engagement, even though intrinsic motivation was not their main variable. The organizational perspective is supplemented by Almamari, et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e), who illustrates how feedback as an element of top management support closes motivational states and engagement outcomes at universities. In tougher environments, feedback works as an emotional and motivational cushion, for example, in Lu et al. (2025), and as a psychological availability-amplifying device, as speculated by Cui and Wang (2025). Collectively, these studies affirm that feedback participation is a key conduit through which intrinsically motivated employees convert personal motivation to stable, active work behavior.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH6\u003c/b\u003e: \u003cb\u003eFeedback Involvement mediates between intrinsic motivation and employee engagement.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.10. Sense of belongingness, Management staff relationship and Employee engagement\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe management-staff relationship is also a key mediator of workplace belongingness on staff engagement through either enabling or inhibiting its behavioral expression. Schilpzand and Huang (2018) asserted that when management relationships are characterized by incivility or supportiveness, the motivational advantages of belongingness are diminished to a significant extent, as toxic dynamics undermine the psychological safety needed for engagement. Similarly, Katsaros (2022) demonstrated how a sense of belonging constructs receptiveness to organizational change and true employee engagement relies on the presence of communicative and inclusive leadership to recognize the part played by management in guiding belonging towards participative behaviors. To this end, Den Hartog et al. (2007) showed that charismatic leadership maximizes the effect of belongingness such that not only are employees valued but also, being validated by management's support, they exhibit greater compliance and helping behaviors. All these works stress that while belonging causes emotional readiness, the type of relationship between management and personnel transforms this readiness into viable engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH7\u003c/b\u003e: \u003cb\u003eManagement staff mediates between sense of belongingness and employee engagement.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.11. Intrinsic motivation, Management staff relationship and Employee engagement\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe interdependence between intrinsic motivation and staff engagement is established, and recent studies emphasize that the quality of managerial-staff relationships is a significant proxy variable in this context. Almamari, et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e) demonstrated that top management support exerts a powerful influence of strengthening the motivational impact on engagement, i.e., relational strength at managerial levels increases the internal drive of employees. Azis et al. (2019) followed this by showing that transformational leadership, characterized by relation sensitivity, indirectly enhances engagement through enhanced motivation and affective commitment. Liu et al. (2024) further asserted that humble leadership, trust and psychological safety building, develops intrinsic motivation which in turn enhances engagement. Widodo and Nurhayati (2024) corroborated this by showing how fair and facilitative organizational practices, often determined by managers, enhance motivation and engagement. Combined, these findings suggest that intrinsic motivation is more effectively translated into real engagement outcomes when it is channeled through trusting and supportive management relationships.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH8\u003c/b\u003e: \u003cb\u003eManagement staff mediates between intrinsic motivation and employee engagement.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.12. Conceptual Frame work\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe conceptual framework illustrated in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e synthesizes elements from three foundational theories: Self-Determination Theory (Deci \u0026amp; Ryan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1985\u003c/span\u003e), Social Exchange Theory (Blau, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1964\u003c/span\u003e), and Kahn\u0026rsquo;s (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1990\u003c/span\u003e) Employee Engagement Model. This integration enables a multifaceted analysis of how motivational and relational dynamics shape employee engagement in contemporary organizations.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3. Research Methodology","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe study employs explanatory research designs to examine the mediating role of feedback involvement and management-employee relations in the relationship between sense of belonging, intrinsic motivation and employee engagement. Explanatory research examines further understanding, explaining, predicting, and controlling relationships among variables (Hair et al., 2015), which is necessary for understanding how those variables were related to each other. Given that quantitative methods enable testing of theory and explanation of guided research findings (Creswell, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e), with the aid of a quantitative research design, the study aims to provide an explanatory insight into these dynamics,\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn order to achieve the research objectives, primary information was collected by structured questionnaires which were administered to employees in United Insurance S.C. The population of the whole study consists of 975 employees who are working in United insurance S.C. across Ethiopia. The research then utilized the simple random sampling method to collect the data. A simple random sample is a population subset that is selected by random choice. In this sampling method, all the members of the population had an exactly equal chance to be selected. From 975 employees, the researcher used the following formula to determine the sample size which is developed by Yamane (1967). Respondents, approximately 284 respondents according to this formula at 95% confidence level and 5% level but only 280 complete questionnaires were gathered. \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:\\varvec{n}=\\frac{\\varvec{N}}{{1+\\varvec{N}\\left(\\varvec{e}\\right)}^{2}}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e \u003cb\u003e=\u003c/b\u003e \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:\\frac{975\\:}{{1+975\\left(0.05\\right)}^{2}}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e \u003cb\u003e=\u003c/b\u003e283.68 =284 Where: N= population size, n= sample size, e= level of statistical significance set (5% =0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor measuring study variables, 5-point Likert scale items (5 being strongly agree, the lowest being 1 for strongly disagree) were used. Data were collected from the sample using the validated and reliable research instrument of authors on each dimension. The study followed a quantitative approach with a survey-based structured questionnaire to examine the mediating effect of feedback and manager-employee relationships on the relationship between sense of belonging, intrinsic motivation, and employee engagement. The data were collected from a sample of employees selected by using random sampling, and the mediation was examined by using SmartPLS 4.0, which enabled the strict examination of both direct and indirect relationships in the conceptual model. The questionnaire was derived from validated scales in the literature, offering both construct reliability and validity through confirmatory factor analysis and composite reliability tests. Ethical guidelines were followed strictly, including informed consent, anonymity, and proper referencing of all academic work. Model specification was reflective-formative in nature in line with theoretical expectations, and multicollinearity diagnostics and model fit statistics were checked to validate the structural model. The research design ensured methodological rigor and ethical appropriateness while allowing meaningful inferences on the pathways influencing employee engagement.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"4. Result and Discussions","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePath coefficients in mediation analysis result (authors\u0026rsquo; own, analysis result)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePath\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePath coefficients\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT statistics (|O/STDEV|)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP values\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeedback Involvement -\u0026gt;Engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.239\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.542\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntrinsic Motivation -\u0026gt;Engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.221\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.375\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntrinsic Motivation -\u0026gt;Feedback Involvement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.335\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.262\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntrinsic Motivation -\u0026gt;Management Staff relationship\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.493\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.284\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eManagement Staff relationship -\u0026gt;Engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.311\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.349\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSense of belongingness -\u0026gt;Engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.277\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.578\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSense of belongingness -\u0026gt;Feedback Involvement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.562\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.232\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSense of belongingness -\u0026gt;Management Staff relationship\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.439\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.694\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe mediation analysis in the above Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e reveals statistically significant and substantive paths on employee engagement. All of the direct paths i.e., Feedback Involvement on Engagement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.239, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000), Intrinsic Motivation on Engagement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.221, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000), and Sense of Belongingness on Engagement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.277, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000) indicate that the variables independently contribute to enhancing employee engagement. Moreover, Management-Staff Relationship to Engagement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.311, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000) depicts that relationship dynamics with leadership have a direct and significant role to play in engagement. The high t-values of all the paths indicate strong statistical reliability, so that the relationships are not random.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMoreover, the indirect paths reveal essential mediating roles. Intrinsic Motivation strongly influences Feedback Involvement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.335) and Management-Staff Relationship (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.493), with intrinsically motivated staff more likely to actively seek feedback and form positive relationships with their managers both of which subsequently drive engagement. Similarly, Sense of Belongingness exerts strong influences on both Feedback Involvement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.562) and Management-Staff Relationship (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.439), indicating that it acts as a fundamental psychological resource that facilitates the engagement process via interpersonal and informational channels. These findings provide empirical validation for the hypothesized mediation model wherein feedback and relationship quality act as conduits linking internal psychological states (belonging and motivation) to behavioral and affective commitment expressed in employee engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSpecific Indirect Effect (authors\u0026rsquo; own, analysis result)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSpecific indirect effects\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSpecific indirect effects\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT statistics (|O/STDEV|)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP values\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntrinsic Motivation -\u0026gt;Feedback Involvement -\u0026gt;Engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.080\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.423\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSense of belongingness -\u0026gt;Management Staff relationship -\u0026gt;Engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.137\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.870\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSense of belongingness -\u0026gt;Feedback Involvement -\u0026gt;Engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.135\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.402\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntrinsic Motivation -\u0026gt;Management Staff relationship -\u0026gt;Engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.153\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.465\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe single indirect effects from the above Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e SmartPLS mediation analysis yield sound empirical support for the conceptual model between intrinsic motivation and sense of belongingness and employee engagement through feedback involvement and manager-staff relationships. The chain Intrinsic Motivation on Feedback Involvement on Engagement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.080, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000) shows that intrinsically motivated staff members are likely to engage in feedback processes, and this enhances their engagement. Equally, the mediating effect Intrinsic Motivation on Management Staff Relationship on Engagement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.153, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000) indicates the channel of relation of intrinsic motivation, with workers with good relations to supervisors enhancing their emotional and behavioral engagement in work.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn parallel, Sense of Belongingness displays a high-level indirect influence on engagement via both intermediaries. The indirect effect Sense of Belongingness on Feedback Involvement on Engagement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.135, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000) suggests that feeling accepted and being valued compels employees to freely participate in cycles of feedback towards stronger engagement outcomes. Similarly, Sense of Belongingness on Management Staff Relationship on Engagement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.137, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000) suggests that belongingness leads to constructive leader-member relationships, which subsequently contribute to enhanced levels of engagement. Large t-values and statistically significant p-values on all paths validate the mediating strength of both feedback and relational mechanisms, reinforcing those internal psychological states exert their influence on engagement best insofar as they are channeled through supportive organizational processes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal Effects (authors\u0026rsquo; own, analysis result)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal Effect\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal effects\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT statistics (|O/STDEV|)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP values\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeedback Involvement -\u0026gt;Engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.239\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.542\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntrinsic Motivation -\u0026gt;Engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.455\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.003\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntrinsic Motivation -\u0026gt;Feedback Involvement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.335\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.262\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntrinsic Motivation -\u0026gt;Management Staff relationship\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.493\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.284\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eManagement Staff relationship -\u0026gt;Engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.311\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.349\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSense of belongingness -\u0026gt;Engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.548\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.137\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSense of belongingness -\u0026gt;Feedback Involvement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.562\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.232\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSense of belongingness -\u0026gt;Management Staff relationship\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.439\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.694\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs shown in the above Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e the total effects on the basis of mediation model provide excellent evidence for the underlying mechanisms determining employee engagement. Sense of belongingness was the most significant overall predictor of engagement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.548, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000), verifying its foundation role in creating a committed and emotionally connected workforce. Similarly, Intrinsic Motivation on Engagement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.455, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000) depicts the inner motivation as an important stimulus for engagement and confirms that employees who find personal meaning from work are likely to engage cognitively and emotionally. Direct effect of Feedback Involvement on Engagement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.239, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000) also reinforces the role of open communication and participative performance practices in motivating employees.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the same time, global effects also illustrate how previous variables influence participation indirectly through interpersonal and informational channels. Intrinsic motivation was positively linked with both Management-Staff Relationship (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.493) and Feedback Involvement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.335), showing employees who are intrinsically motivated will naturally seek out connection and positive speech in the workplace. Likewise, Sense of belongingness moderating Feedback Involvement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.562) and Manager-Staff Relationship (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.439) suggests that those employees who perceive being accepted and sensing belongingness are more likely to form strong relationships and participate more actively in the feedback culture. Overall, these findings underscore that the encouragement of psychological safety, motivation, and relationship quality may have a great impact on employee engagement both directly and indirectly through powerful mediators.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eModel Fit and Variance Explained (authors\u0026rsquo; own, analysis result)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eR-square\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eR-square adjusted\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT statistics (|O/STDEV|)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP values\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEngagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.777\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.774\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e34.649\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeedback Involvement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.581\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.578\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17.741\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eManagement Staff relationship\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.610\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.607\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.987\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe R-square values in the above Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e mediation model indicate substantial explanatory power of predictors to the endogenous variables. Employee Engagement, for instance, has an R\u0026sup2; value of 0.777, which signifies that approximately 77.7% of the variance in engagement is accounted for by sense of belongingness, intrinsic motivation, feedback involvement, and manager-staff relationships indicating a highly predictive model. Similarly, Feedback Involvement (R\u0026sup2; = 0.581) and Management-Staff Relationship (R\u0026sup2; = 0.610) explain substantial variance accounted for by respective antecedents, specifically sense of belongingness and intrinsic motivation. The extremely high t-statistics and statistically significant p-values (all p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000) confirm the reliability and stability of the model estimates, again in favor of the conclusion that the specified pathways significantly explain engagement and its psychological antecedents within the organizational context.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.1. Hypothesis test result\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHypothesis tested result (authors\u0026rsquo; own, analysis result)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHypothesis\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCoefficients\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eResult\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eH1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSense of belonging have a positively and statistically significant effects on employee engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eB\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.548, P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccepted\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eH2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntrinsic motivation have a positively and statistically significant effects on employee engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eB\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.455, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccepted\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eH3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeedback involvement have a positively and statistically significant effects on employee engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eB\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.239, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccepted\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eH4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe management-staff relationship have a positively and statistically significant effects on employee engagement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eB\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.311, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccepted\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eH5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeedback involvement mediates the relationship between sense of belonging and employee engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eB\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.135, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccepted\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eH6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeedback involvement mediates the relationship between intrinsic motivation and employee engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eB\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.080, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccepted\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eH7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe management-staff relationship mediates the relationship between sense of belonging and employee engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eB\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.137, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccepted\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eH8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe management-staff relationship mediates the relationship between intrinsic motivation and employee engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eB\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.153, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccepted\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe results presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e reveal that all eight hypotheses were supported, demonstrating statistically significant relationships among the studied variables. These findings validate the proposed framework and align with the theoretical underpinnings discussed in the literature review. Each accepted hypothesis is further interpreted in the discussion section, offering insights into motivational and relational drivers of employee engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec18\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.2. Discussions\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe empirical findings of these study offer strong evidence in support of the hypotheses postulated, with all eight paths being statistically significant and positive in influence. H1, postulating that sense of belonging bears significant influence on employee engagement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.548, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000), is firmly supported by literature that attaches significance to belonging as a psychological requirement precipitating motivation and attachment (Carr et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Herbert, 2020; Kennedy, 2021). Similarly, H2, confirming the impact of intrinsic motivation (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.455, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000), affirms studies by Singh (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR76\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e), Putra et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR70\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e), and Engidaw (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), whose studies confirm the motivational power of meaningful and purposeful work over external rewards. The findings again reinforce the psychological foundation of worker motivation, particularly in knowledge-intensive and mission-driven environments.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eH3 and H4 also confirm the role of interpersonal relationships and organizational practices in shaping engagement outcomes. The positive influence of feedback participation (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.239, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000) is in line with Bhattacharya (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) and Marodin et al. (2023), who argue that participatory and continuous cultures of feedback are the pillars of staff motivation. Besides, the high impact of the manager-employee relationship (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.311, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.000) is congruent with the general principles of Leader-Member Exchange theory (Mustafa et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR56\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Chen \u0026amp; Peng, 2021), which reaffirms that support, communication, and trust offered by managers have a crucial role in shaping emotional investment and work performance.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe outcomes of mediation provide additional nuance, with relational and feedback variables as major mediators among psychological antecedents and engagement. H5 and H7 confirm that manager-staff relationships (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.137) and feedback involvement (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.135) significantly mediate sense of belonging and engagement, in line with the evidence of Lartey (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), Byrd (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), and Mao \u0026amp; Tian (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR82\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) pointing to the processes by which belonging is translated into behavior commitment. Similarly, H6 and H8 also indicate that intrinsic motivation works indirectly on engagement through both feedback (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.080) and relational mechanisms (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.153), backing Aggarwal et al. (2020) and Hoxha \u0026amp; Ramadani (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) in their research concerning the connection between internal drivers and long-term performance through supportive structures.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTogether, the results support a multi-level theory of engagement whereby individual psychological resources of intrinsic motivation and belongingness exert their full effect through social processes. The results not only verify theoretical formulations such as Self-Determination Theory (Ryan \u0026amp; Deci, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR72\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e), Social Exchange Theory (Blau, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1964\u003c/span\u003e), and Kahn's Theory of Engagement (Kahn, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1990\u003c/span\u003e) but also have implications for human resource practice. Organizations, especially in an environment such as United Insurance S.C. or the insurance industry at large, would be helped by amplifying inclusive cultures, improving feedback mechanisms, and developing leadership habits fostering trust and empowerment. These are all critical steps to take if they hope to effectively turn internal states into employee commitment and business success.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"5. Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe results of the study provide compelling evidence that employee engagement is driven by both intrinsic psychological factors and relational processes within the organization. Specifically, sense of belonging and intrinsic motivation has the strongest direct effects on engagement, indicating that when employees feel included and purpose-driven, they are significantly more likely to be emotionally and cognitively committed to their roles. Additionally, feedback involvement and manager-staff relationships also positively influence engagement, underscoring the importance of participatory communication and supportive leadership in shaping engaged workplace cultures. The study further demonstrates that feedback involvement and management-employee relationships play critical mediating roles between the antecedents and engagement outcomes. These pathways highlight that the impact of belonging and motivation is amplified when organizations foster open communication, mutual trust, and employee involvement in decision-making. Thus, enhancing engagement requires not only empowering individuals internally but also creating organizational structures that translate psychological resources into meaningful behavioral outcomes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese conclusions reinforce theories such as Self-Determination Theory, Social Exchange Theory, and Kahn's Theory of Engagement, which are shown to be effective in demonstrating that when employees feel valued, skilled, and connected, they're emotionally and mentally more engaged in their work. Additionally, the research identifies that engagement thrives not only through job design or motivation but through a positive organizational culture in which employees feel encouraged, noticed, and empowered. Therefore, the intermediary roles of feedback participation and manager-staff relationship also imply that organizational routines must be consciously crafted to facilitate ongoing communication and trust. Managers who foster inclusive environments and provide high-quality feedback play key facilitators of engagement by translating employee motivation and belonging into productive workplace action. The results have practical implications for institutions such as United Insurance S.C. and other similar organizations from sectors emphasizing the strategic value of establishing relational trust, enhancing psychological safety, and cultivating feedback-high cultures. Employee engagement is then constructed in a balanced environment where individual and organizational factors come together to spark sustained performance, well-being, and organizational success.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"6. Recommendations","content":"\u003cp\u003eBased on the study findings, it is recommended that United Insurance S.C. and similar organization focus on creating inclusive and trust-based organizational cultures that engage employees meaningfully in purposeful participation and ongoing feedback. Managers are recommended to be trained and supported to establish effective interpersonal relationships, create safe spaces for open communication, and give high-quality, developmental feedback. Organizationally, companies need to build in feedback mechanisms and participative decision-making into managerial practice on a daily basis, sending the message that every employee's voice counts. Furthermore, institutional policies need to be tailored to be motivated by motivational principles such that employees feel competent, autonomous, and related. By building these relational and psychological drivers into practice, businesses can enhance worker engagement and in doing so develop a high-performing, resilient, and people-focused work culture.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e6.1. Suggestions for future Study\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eBuilding on the findings of this study, future research could explore longitudinal designs to examine how the relationships between intrinsic motivation, sense of belonging, feedback involvement, and manager-staff relationships evolve over time and influence sustained employee engagement. Tracking these dynamics across different organizational phases or during periods of change such as digital transformation or leadership shifts could yield valuable insights into the durability and adaptability of the engagement mechanisms identified here.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn addition, future comparative cross-industry studies can utilize the same conceptual structure for a wide range of industries, such as manufacturing, health care, and public administration. In this way, researchers will have the option to investigate whether the employee engagement continua are equally robust for different organizational forms, cultures, and professions to enhance the overall generalizability and usability of the study findings to practice.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003eEthics Approval Statement: This study was approved by the Addis Ababa University College of Business and Economics Research Ethics Committee. All participants provided informed consent prior to data collection.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlbrecht, S.L., Bakker, A.B., Gruman, J.A., Macey, W.H. and Saks, A.M. 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IEEE Access, 11, 79588-79608.\u003cbr /\u003e https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3299815.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"Addis Ababa University","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"feedback involvement, management-employee relationships, sense of belongingness, intrinsic motivation, engagement","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7317406/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7317406/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis study investigates the mediating roles of feedback involvement and management-employee relationships in the relationship between sense of belonging, intrinsic motivation, with employee engagement at United Insurance S.C. Rooted in an explanatory research design and a quantitative research approach, the study utilized primary data collected through a structured, self-administered survey instrument targeting a sample of 280 employees randomly selected from a total population of 975 employees. To analyze the data and test the proposed hypotheses, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling was employed using Smart PLS, allowing for investigation of complex relationships among variables. The results of the study provide employee engagement is driven by both intrinsic psychological factors and relational processes within the organization. Specifically, sense of belonging and intrinsic motivation has the strongest direct effects on engagement, indicating that when employees feel included and purpose-driven, they are significantly more likely to be emotionally and cognitively committed to their roles. Additionally, feedback involvement and management-staff relationships also positively influence engagement, underscoring the importance of participatory communication and supportive leadership in shaping engaged workplace cultures. The study further demonstrates that feedback involvement and management-employee relationships play critical mediating roles between the antecedents and engagement outcomes. These indicate that the effect of belonging and motivation is amplified when organizations foster open communication, and employee involvement in decision-making. Thus, enhancing engagement requires not only empowering individuals internally but also creating organizational structures that translate psychological resources into meaningful behavioral outcomes.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Pathways to Employee Engagement: The Mediating Influence of Feedback and Management-Employee Relationships on Sense of Belonging and Intrinsic Motivation","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-08-11 06:37:11","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7317406/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"d181cde3-251f-4a57-b884-fa0cbf6bdbdc","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 11th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":52804480,"name":"Management"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-08-11T06:37:11+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-08-11 06:37:11","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7317406","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7317406","identity":"rs-7317406","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}