I read that employee engagement and work motivation are two different constructs but I am unable to understand the points of difference. References to published journals be welcomed.
A few years ago, the journal, Industrial and Organizational: Perspectives on Science and Practice, published a series of articles on the meaning of work engagement that you may find quite useful. Here is a reference to the lead article:
Macey, W. H., & Schneider, B. (2008). The meaning of the employee engagement. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 1(1), 3–30.
Very interesting question. I've often thought about this as well. I know you are probably looking for published articles, but I can't resist the question.
I think they are two sides of the same coin:
(a) One can be engaged in a project and extrinsically motivated,- e.g., I want this real estate sale to go through because I will get great commission on it; or
(b) one can be engaged in a project and intrinsically motivated - e.g. an aspiring opera singer who is learning to perform Nessun Dorma ;
(c) One can be intrinsically motivated in the 'idea' of the project but not engaged in the work, e.g., I want to save the whales but I can't stand chasing whalers on boats;
(d) one can be extrinsically motivated in the 'project and not engaged in the work, e.g., assembly line workers.
Do you agree?
There is also the more philosophical version: Alfred Schutz in Phenomenology of the Social World speaks of understanding motivation in terms of the 'in-order-to' motive and the 'genuine because' motive. The 'in order to' motive is the projection of the act as an already completed act, and such that one's current actions are meaningful in terms of its status of the projected-completed - act. For example, I am knocking on my neighbor's door to get a cup of sugar in-order-to bake my cookies. Therefore the knocking is meaningful and motivated in terms of the projected-act of a tray of baked cookies.
The genuine-because motive is different. It is of an explanatory nature and is best understood after the act is completed. My motivation to knock on my neighbor's door is because my neighbor and I always ask each other for things we don't have.
In this sense, engagement can be seen as the meaning one gets in the action characterized in terms of its in-order-to / genuine - because components.
Work engagement is defined as a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is
characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption (Schaufeli et al., 2002), while work motivation includes intrinsic (such as, recognition, self-growth, control and warm relationships) and extrinsic (security, promotions, social status, good working conditions and salary) factors.
My research topic is the relationship between emplyee engagement and employee motivation and I must commend the valuable inputs uploaded thus far as I have been struggling to formulate an constructive problem statement for my proposal.
There is al small difference. Work-motivation can be extrinsic and intrinsic. Engagement is always intrinsic (see: articles Self_Determination-theorie, Form Deci and Ryan, 2000).