LAUSR

ABSTRACT Employee engagement has an extensive history of application in the broader management and human resource development literature yet its application in sport contexts has been minimal. This study helps to fill that gap through a structural model of employee engagement in a set of North American sport for development (SFD) agencies. The direct outcome of this work includes field sensitive conceptual clarity of the engagement construct for sport management researchers and the utility of employee engagement in the context of the SFD workforce. Results indicate significant relationships between employee engagement and turnover intentions, psychological wellbeing, organizational performance, and innovative work behavior. Furthermore, mission attachment, intrinsic motivation, and identified regulation motivation were significant preconditions of employee engagement. The findings indicate that employee engagement provides a meaningful framework for understanding employee experiences in SFD agencies. Implications from this study include the integration of compassionate leader behaviors, specific communication strategies highlighting mission attachment, and opportunities for recognition that drive value orientation. HIGHLIGHTS An empirical investigation of the role of employee engagement in sport for development. Provides conceptual clarity of the engagement construct in sport management. Establish the utility of employee engagement in the SFD workforce. Mission attachment, intrinsic motivation, and identified regulation predict employee engagement. Employee engagement significantly predicts turnover intentions, psychological wellbeing, organizational performance, and innovative work behavior.