Causal model on work engagement of the agriculture sector employees in Davao region

Abstract

This quantitative study aimed to examine the best fit causal model of work engagement for the employees in the agriculture sector in their authentic leadership, strategic management, and workplace/ethics in Davao Region, Philippines. Using descriptive-correlation and Structural Equation Modeling, the researcher selected 400 agriculture staffs from the region through stratified quota sampling. Results reveal high levels of genuine leadership, strategic management, workplace ethics and a very high level of employees work engagement. A significant relationship has been identified between all latent exogenous variables and work engagement; all latent exogenous variables significantly correlated to work engagement. The best fit model 4 conveyed a comprehensive new concept that employee work engagement was principally based only on two indicators namely vigor and absorption, as influenced by authentic leadership with the following indicators self-awareness and balance processing, strategic management was strongly supported by one indicator strategic planning, and work place ethics was strongly supported by three indicators namely self-reliance, morality/ethics and the handwork of agriculture staff. Structural Model 4, which depicted the direct causal relationship of authentic leadership, strategic management and workplace ethics to the work engagement of employees in the agriculture sector, was described as the most suitable and parsimonious model.