ABSTRACT
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of workers have quit their jobs. Many reasons have been associated with these transitions;however, burnout has been a leading cause of individuals resigning. Work engagement is the antithesis of burnout and is often linked with greater health and well-being, higher organizational commitment, improved job performance, positive emotions, a more significant amount of personal initiative, and motivation to learn. Given the rapid rate of change and increased burden on organizations, it has become more important to understand the antecedents of work engagement. The present study aimed to understand the relationship between self-leadership and work engagement and the mediating effect of psychological capital through a cross-sectional correlational survey design method. A total of 164 respondents completed the Abbreviated Self-Leadership Questionnaire, Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Results indicated that psychological capital significantly predicted work engagement, accounted for 17.6% of the variance and partially mediated the relationship between self-leadership and work engagement. Self-leadership also significantly predicted work engagement and accounted for 5.7% of the variance. These results were significant and imply that one's ability to engage in self-leadership behaviors and marshal internal resources to maintain a more positive and resilient outlook on their future is critical to remaining engaged at work. Organizations seeking to improve the level of engagement could leverage these results to modify leadership programs to include elements of self-discovery that will impact one's ability to influence themselves and their internal narrative. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)