The Effect of Empowering Leadership, Perceived Organizational Support, And Job Demands on Work Engagement Through Work Fatigue As A Mediating Variable

Abstract

Employee work engagement is a crucial factor in maintaining productivity and organizational sustainability, particularly in project-based construction environments characterized by high workload intensity, time pressure, and operational complexity. This research aims to examine the effects of empowering leadership, perceived organizational support, and job demands on work engagement through work fatigue as a mediating variable among employees of PT Hutama Karya (Persero) Infrastructure Division I involved in strategic projects in the Jabodetabek area. This research employed a quantitative survey method involving 184 employees selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4 to examine the direct and indirect relationships among variables. The results indicate that empowering leadership and perceived organizational support have positive and significant effects on work engagement, whereas job demands have a negative and significant effect on work engagement. Furthermore, empowering leadership and perceived organizational support have negative effects on work fatigue, while job demands positively increase work fatigue. Work fatigue was also found to have a negative and significant effect on work engagement. In addition, mediation analysis confirms that work fatigue significantly mediates the relationships between empowering leadership, perceived organizational support, and job demands and work engagement. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening organizational resources through empowering leadership and organizational support while managing excessive job demands to reduce fatigue and enhance employee engagement. This study contributes to the development of Job Demands–Resources Theory by explaining the psychological mechanism of work fatigue in linking job resources and job demands with employee engagement in construction project environments.