Managing engagement: the role of purpose, autonomy, and professional identity

Abstract

Abstract. The article examines the impact of management practices on employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment. A comparative analysis of roles in the information technology (IT) and retail sectors reveals different work patterns and varying levels of employee turnover. It is shown that factors such as meaningful work, autonomy, and job satisfaction significantly influence employees’ decisions to remain with an organization or change workplaces. The study focuses on positions characterized by high levels of turnover and professional burnout. Various methods were applied for comparison. In retail, a charitable fundraising campaign and a short survey were conducted to determine whether employees perceive their activities as meaningful and aligned with their personal values. In the IT sector, personnel engagement practices were analyzed in both startups and large corporations, focusing on decision-making autonomy, recognition of professional expertise, psychological safety, learning opportunities, workload intensity, and work-life balance. Both emerging and established IT companies were considered, without emphasis on a single managerial strategy. The results indicate that engagement factors vary significantly depending on the type of work and industry. In retail, socially meaningful initiatives foster a sense of personal contribution and strengthen employees’ connection to the organization, but they do not always automatically increase satisfaction, attendance, or service quality. In IT companies, engagement increases substantially when autonomy, learning opportunities, psychological safety, and recognition of professional capabilities are provided. Excessive managerial control in large corporations reduces engagement, while overloading in startups can hinder creativity and increase turnover. The study concludes that sustaining employee satisfaction and retention requires a differentiated management approach. Universal managerial solutions are insufficient. In the retail sector, initiatives based on meaningful work should be combined with clear role design and operational support. In the IT sector, managers should support decision-making freedom, recognition of expertise, psychological safety, and long-term skill relevance while controlling workload and limiting micromanagement. Such approaches contribute to improved employee retention and long-term organizational performance.