Employee Engagement as A Catalyst for Organizational Sustainability: An Integrated Approach

Abstract

In the pursuit of long-term competitiveness and responsible growth, organizations increasingly recognize employee engagement as a critical enabler of sustainability. The relationship between employee engagement and organizational sustainability is examined here, emphasizing the mediation of leadership support and the moderating influence of practices of green human resource management (GHRM). From Social Exchange Theory, Transformational Leadership Theory, and the Resource-Based View (RBV), the research proposes an integrated model linking individual, managerial, and systemic factors that drive sustainable outcomes. A sample of 412 employees from technology and service-based organizations in India were surveyed. The hypothesized model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) in order to examine measurement model and structural model. Results revealed there is significant positive impact of social, environmental and economic dimensions of organizational sustainability. Leadership support partially mediates this relationship, highlighting the importance of supportive leadership in translating engagement into sustainability performance. Furthermore, GHRM practices positively moderate the engagement–sustainability link, strengthening the behavioral impact of engaged employees in environmentally responsible contexts. The findings underscore that sustainability is not solely a procedural or policy outcome but a human-driven process rooted in engagement, leadership, and HR systems. Contribution to theory building this study was by integrating psychological and strategic dimensions of sustainability and offers managerial insigh