Psychological Factors of Employee Engagement in IT Companies

- Клєсман, Ольга Валеріївна (orcid.org/0000‐0001‐7559‐5537) (2025) Psychological Factors of Employee Engagement in IT Companies Doctoral thesis, ДЗВО «Університет менеджменту освіти».

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Abstract

Kliesman O. V. «Psychological Factors of Employee Engagement in IT Companies». – Qualified scientific work on the rights of the manuscript. A Dissertation for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Specialty 053 Psychology (05 – Social and Behavioral Sciences). State Higher Educational Institution “University of Educational Management” of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, 2025. Annotation content This dissertation is devoted to the theoretical substantiation and empirical investigation of the psychological factors influencing employee engagement in IT companies. The object of the research is employee engagement, while the subject is the psychological factors of employee engagement in IT companies. The aim of the dissertation is to conduct a theoretical analysis of the phenomenon of work engagement in general, and employee engagement in IT companies in particular; to empirically examine its psychological determinants; and to develop and test a program for enhancing employee engagement in the field of information technology. In accordance with the research aim, the following objectives were accomplished in the dissertation: 1. To conduct a theoretical analysis of scientific approaches to understanding work engagement, to clarify its conceptual and categorical framework, and to identify the key psychological factors that determine its development. 2. To reveal the psychological characteristics of professional functioning and the organizational environment of IT companies that influence employee work engagement and highlight the importance of maintaining it under conditions of high dynamics and stress in the sector. 3. To develop a theoretical model of the psychological factors of employee work engagement in IT companies, which integrates personal, interpersonal, and organizational determinants and serves as a foundation for further empirical 4. To adapt and psychometrically validate the Ukrainian version of the 'Psychological Safety' scale as a tool for measuring a factor of work engagement in the IT sector. 5. To empirically investigate the indicators and levels of employee work engagement in an IT company, as well as its psychological determinants. 6. To design, implement, and pilot a psychological program aimed at enhancing employee work engagement in an IT company. To accomplish the stated objectives, the following methods were used: - Theoretical methods: analysis, generalization, systematization, and interpretation of scientific literature; - Empirical methods included ascertaining and formative experiments, as well as a set of psychodiagnostic tools: 1) Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17) (W. Schaufeli & A. Bakker; Ukrainian adaptation by L. Karamushka, O. Bondarchuk, T. Hrubi); 2) Psychological Safety Questionnaire (R. O’Donovan et al.; Ukrainian adaptation by O. Bondarchuk, O. Bryukhovetska, O. Klesman, L. Tyahur); 3) Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale (T. Rigotti et al.; Ukrainian adaptation by O. Kredentser); 4) "How Is Your Organization Developing?" Questionnaire (V. Ziegert & L. Lang; modified by L. Karamushka); 5) Career Engagement Scale (A. Hirschi et al.; Ukrainian adaptation by R. Chaika); 6) Resource Provision Questionnaire (Author-developed tool). - Mathematical and statistical methods included descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, and analysis of variance (ANOVA), as well as factor and cluster analysis. Data processing and statistical computations were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics (version 23) and JASP (version 0.19.3). Based on the results of a theoretical analysis of scholarly literature, modern approaches to understanding work engagement have been synthesized, and the conceptual and categorical framework of the study has been clarified. The research is grounded in the definition of work engagement as a positive, active psychological state characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption (according to W. Schaufeli). The organizational and psychological context of the IT sector has been identified as a factor shaping the unique features of employee engagement. The professional environment is marked by work intensity, project dynamism, flexible team structures, cross-cultural interaction, and a high level of competition. Under such conditions, sustaining employee engagement requires stable psychological resource support, emphasizing the critical role of psychological safety, horizontal leadership styles, a culture of mutual respect, and maintaining work–life balance. Taking into account both the theoretical analysis and the specific characteristics of the IT environment, a theoretical model of employee work engagement was developed. This model incorporates three interrelated levels of factors: the individual level (professional self-efficacy, career engagement, and internal resources), the team level (psychological safety in interactions with colleagues and management), and the organizational level (organizational development and external resource support). The proposed conceptual model explains how personal, team, and organizational factors contribute to the formation of employee engagement, which manifests in vigor, dedication, and absorption. The model also serves as a methodological foundation for empirical research and practical employee support programs in the context of digitalization and the challenges of wartime. The Ukrainian version of the “Psychological Safety” scale was adapted for the IT sector, taking into account cultural and professional specificities. The scale demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.917) and validity, with a confirmed two-factor structure: interaction with the supervisor, and interaction with the team. The instrument exhibited convergent validity and can be used to assess team climate and factors influencing work engagement within the organizational environment of IT companies. An empirical study involving 254 IT professionals confirmed significant associations between work engagement and both psychological and organizational factors. The strongest predictors of engagement were found to be psychological safety within the team and occupational self-efficacy. Three distinct employee profiles were identified, reflecting varying levels of work engagement and indicating the need for psychologically oriented, adaptive personnel management strategies. The highest levels of engagement, particularly in dedication and absorption, were observed among mid-level and top-level managers, as well as creative professionals, while the lowest levels were recorded among analysts and administrative staff. For new employees undergoing adaptation, engagement was largely dependent on organizational support. Socio-organizational characteristics including job position, work format, and company type, were also shown to influence employee engagement. Notably, the highest levels of engagement were reported among those working in hybrid and remote formats. The results contributed to the refinement of the theoretical model and confirmed its applied value for human resource management in IT companies. A program aimed at enhancing employee work engagement in an IT company was developed, implemented, and piloted. The program is based on the author’s model of psychological factors influencing work engagement and encompasses three levels of influence: individual, team, and organizational. It includes training sessions on effective communication, conflict management, and fostering psychological safety within teams; interactive modules for strengthening occupational self-efficacy and building trust within the team; individual organizational consulting sessions; psychological support for teams during periods of transformation; and facilitation support for managers. The program’s effectiveness was tested in a formative experiment, within which participants in the experimental group demonstrated statistically significant positive changes in work engagement, psychological safety, self-efficacy, and perception of the organizational context. The program also proved to be flexible and adaptive: selected modules were successfully piloted in other organizations. The obtained data indicate the program’s potential for scaling to other sectors, including education, the creative industries, and the public sector, where maintaining employee engagement remains a critical issue. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the clarification of theoretical foundations, empirical justification of key factors, and the development of a program for enhancing employee work engagement in an IT company, which is specified in the following provisions:  for the first time, a conceptual synthesis of contemporary theoretical approaches to studying employee work engagement in the context of the Ukrainian IT sector has been conducted; - the author’s model of psychological factors influencing employee engagement in IT companies has been theoretically substantiated and empirically tested. The model includes the following interrelated components: psychological safety in the professional environment, occupational self-efficacy, resource provision, and organizational development;  the “Psychological Safety” scale (R. O’Donovan et al., 2020) was adapted and psychometrically validated for a Ukrainian sample of IT sector employees; - the leading role of psychological safety within the team in shaping work engagement has been empirically confirmed; for the first time, this relationship has been established specifically within the context of the Ukrainian IT environment. - an original psychological program for enhancing employee work engagement in an IT company was developed and piloted. Its effectiveness was confirmed through indicators of psychological and organizational functioning at three levels: individual, team, and organizational. The practical significance of the study lies in the development of a comprehensive model of psychological factors influencing employee work engagement in an IT company and the implementation of an adaptive program to enhance it. The designed psychological program integrates training modules, facilitation practices, individual counseling, and organizational support. It is based on scientifically validated factors—namely, psychological safety, occupational self-efficacy, resource provision, and the level of organizational development—and is implemented across three levels: individual, team, and organizational. To assess work engagement and its psychological determinants, a set of adapted and validated psychodiagnostic tools was used, including the Psychological Safety Scale (adapted for the Ukrainian IT context), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), and measures of occupational self-efficacy, career engagement, and organizational development. The proposed model and psychological program can be applied in the practice of organizational psychologists, HR professionals, and IT company managers to improve personnel management, enhance team interaction, reduce the risk of emotional burnout, retain key specialists, and maintain a positive psychological climate within the team. The program also has the potential to be adapted for other sectors such as education, the creative industries, and the public sector—taking into account their specific organizational contexts. Prospects for further research lie in expanding both theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of employee work engagement. In particular, it is relevant to analyze the cross-cultural dimensions of this phenomenon, the impact of leadership styles and the nature of team interaction on engagement levels, as well as the role of psychological well-being, resilience, and individual professional styles. Special attention should be given to examining work engagement in high-stress professional settings such as healthcare, emergency services, and fire departments, especially in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the prolonged effects of crisis conditions. A separate direction for future research involves adapting engagement-related approaches for IT professionals who have been mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine or are returning to civilian professional activity after demobilization. It is important to explore changes in their work engagement and related psychological factors in the context of transitioning from military service to civilian work life. Additionally, an in-depth analysis of work engagement under remote and hybrid employment conditions is considered promising particularly in the context of adapting to environmental instability and the transformation of organizational culture in the modern Ukrainian IT sector.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Keywords:	work engagement, employee engagement, psychological safety, IT sector, professional burnout, organizational psychology, personnel, personnel of business organizations, business communication, psychological climate, self-efficacy, personal potential, distance work, professionalism, professional development, professional self-efficacy, burnout, psychological well-being, career development, business leaders, personal resources, job satisfaction, personnel management, self-actualization, management, management mechanisms, psychological mechanisms, information technology society, personality, interaction, employees who work remotely, wartime conditions, managerial decisions, adaptive decision-making strategies, achievement motivation, personal maturity.
Subjects:	Science and knowledge. Organization. Computer science. Information. Documentation. Librarianship. Institutions. Publications > 00 Prolegomena. Fundamentals of knowledge and culture. Propaedeutics > 004 Computer science and technology. Computing. Data processing Science and knowledge. Organization. Computer science. Information. Documentation. Librarianship. Institutions. Publications > 1 Philosophy. Psychology Science and knowledge. Organization. Computer science. Information. Documentation. Librarianship. Institutions. Publications > 3 Social Sciences > 314/316 Society
Divisions:	State institution of higher education «University of educational management» > Educational and scientific institute of management and psychology > Educational and scientific institute of management and psychology
Depositing User:	К.іст.н. Алла Анатоліївна Вініченко
Date Deposited:	19 Jan 2026 14:13
Last Modified:	19 Jan 2026 14:13
URI:	https://lib.iitta.gov.ua/id/eprint/748254

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