Engagement contagion from managers to employees: the role of eudaimonic well-being beliefs

This study examined engagement (vigor and dedication) contagion from managers to employees and the role of managers’ eudaimonic well-being beliefs (EWBs) as a precursor of this contagion. EWBs refer to the degree to which managers define their well-being at work based on their self-development and contribution to others. Using multilevel structural equation modelling, we tested whether managers’ engagement at Time 2 mediates the relationship between their EWBs at Time 1 and employees’ engagement at Time 2. Participants were 53 managers and 360 employees from organizations serving individuals with intellectual disabilities. Our results confirmed that managers’ engagement mediates the relationships between their EWBs and employees’ engagement. These findings support the idea that managers’ EWBs foster their engagement, which is then positively linked to employees’ work engagement. The research contributes to the literature by corroborating that engagement contagion exists within organizations, and that EWBs produce this contagion in organizations for individuals with intellectual disability.