The Relationship between Job Characteristics and Job Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Work Engagement in the Private Sector Organizations in Riyadh

Abstract

This research is aimed at figuring out the role of work engagement as a mediator in the relationship between different dimensions of job characteristics and job satisfaction in the private sector organizations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The respondents of this research were 321 employees working in the private sector. The data were collected using electronic questionnaires and analyzed in three phases: Descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis to test dimensionality, and path analysis. In the first phase, descriptive statistics and correlation matrix of all variables were examined. In the second phase, the confirmatory factor analysis and reliability consistencies were conducted to examine the uni-dimensionality of each variable. In the third phase, the path analysis was conducted using Amos. The research findings showed that there is a significant relationship between job characteristics and job satisfaction. There is a greater relationship between work engagement and job satisfaction. As well as a significant relationship between most of job characteristics and work engagement. On the other side, the mediating role of work engagement could not be proven since there is a direct path between job characteristics and job satisfaction. The results of this research can be used as a reference for private sector organizations in Saudi Arabia to improve employees' satisfaction, and ultimately, support the achievement of organizational goals.