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Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): April

Copyright (c) 2026 Mohammad Ismail Saiel, Ziauddin Rahimi, Abdul Wahab Zahir, Ziarmal Murad Ali

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A Study on the Factors Influencing Employee Engagement and Its Work Outcomes: Evidence from Kabul University

https://doi.org/10.62810/jssh.v3i2.237
Mohammad Ismail Saiel
Zabul University, Economic faculty, BA department, Zabul, Afghanistan
Ziauddin Rahimi
Parwan University, Economic faculty, BA department, Parwan, Afghanistan
Abdul Wahab Zahir
Khost University, Economic faculty, BA department, Khost, Afghanistan
Ziarmal Murad Ali
Khost University, Economic faculty, BA department, Khost, Afghanistan

Corresponding Author(s) : Mohammad Ismail Saiel

ismailsaiel82@gmail.com

Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): April

Abstract

Grounded in Social Exchange Theory (SET), this study investigates the factors and outcomes of employee engagement by distinguishing between job and organizational engagement. This study examines how employee communication, employee development, and co-supportive employee behavior influence key work outcomes through the mediating roles of job and organizational engagement. Data were collected from 133 out of 200 administrative and academic members at Kabul University using a structured questionnaire and stratified random sampling. Multiple regression analyses revealed that co-supportive employee behavior was the only significant predictor of both forms of engagement, exerting a stronger effect on the job engagement. Employee communication and employee development showed insignificant direct effects. The findings further indicate that both job and organizational engagement significantly enhance job satisfaction and organizational commitment, but have no significant effects on organizational citizenship behavior or intention to quit. Mediation analysis confirmed that the two engagement dimensions significantly mediated the relationships between factors and most outcome variables, except for the intention to quit. Overall, this study contributes to the engagement literature by empirically distinguishing between job and organizational engagement in a higher education context and by highlighting the critical role of peer support in fostering desirable employee attitudes and behaviors in Afghan academic institutions.

Keywords

Employee engagement Influencing factors Social Exchange theory work outcome
Saiel, M. I., Rahimi, Z., Zahir, A. W., & Ali, Z. M. (2026). A Study on the Factors Influencing Employee Engagement and Its Work Outcomes: Evidence from Kabul University. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 3(2), 542–566. https://doi.org/10.62810/jssh.v3i2.237
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Received 2025-11-26
Accepted 2026-04-28
Published 2026-04-30
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