Background : Positive Organizational Behavior is an approach that controls negative work factors, increases work productivity and emphasizes positive approaches to human resources development in the workplace because they are considered as valuable assets and play an important role in the organization. One aspect that is relevant to organizational behavior is work engagement. Based on social exchange theory, employees are engaged in their work due to employees’ perceptions of the organization in which their work shows caring and valuing their well-being and demonstrates prosocial behavior. Organizational virtuousness refers to the state of excellence in human or organizational character. It can be defined as the actions, desires, and processes of individuals or groups that spread good in an organization to create positive emotions in employees and to motivate them to help and to appreciate one another, avoiding wrong action and building confidence in employees. Virtuousness is deemed important in organizations as a means of achieving organizational sustainability and individual and societal welfare. Employees’ perceptions of organizational virtuousness tend to form emotions, self-construal, organizational image, and strengthen their bond with the organization. Unfortunately, recent research has lack of empirical studies of the perception of virtuousness organization construct. Based on the theory of social identity and social identity-based model motivation, the research purpose organizational identification as a liaison mechanism between perceived organizational virtuousness and work engagement.

Methods : A quantitative approach was employed to gather the data for the research. The sample (n = 84) consisted of working employees from various companies and positions in Indonesia by offline questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three parts, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), Organizational Identification Scale and Organizational Virtuousness Perceived Scale. The data were analyzed by mediation using SPSS 25.0. Following Baron and Kenny, a series of standard multiple regression analyses were completed to examine whether organizational identification (OI) mediated the relationship between employees’ perceptions of organizational virtuousness (OVP) and work engagement (WE).

Results : Three multiple regression analyses were completed to test the conditions required to test for a mediation effect. The result indicates that OI mediated the association between OVP and WE. In the first model, results indicated that OVP was a significant predictor of WE, F(1, 82) = 23.28, p < .005, R² = .22. Results of the second model indicate that perceived OI was significantly related to OVP, F(1, 82) = 108.09, p < .05, R² = .57. With regard to the full model, results indicated that the model was significant, F(2, 81) = 17.33, p < .05, R² = 0.29. OI was inversely related to WE (b = 1.85, p < .05). The direct effect between WE and OVP was calculated and the significance of the direct effect was determined by utilizing a Sobel Mediation Test and bias-corrected bootstrapped confidence intervals. Results from these analyses indicate that OI was a significant mediator (ab = .0.77 95% CI (.45 to 1.09). In addition, OI mediated 54% of the total effect.

Conclusions : The current research examined the mediating role of OI in the relationship between OVP and WE. As hypothesized, OI was a significant mediator in the relationship between OVP and WE. The positive organization can increase organizational identification and steer to engage to the organization.

Added-value : The importance of organizational virtuousness as an important contextual factor affecting employee work engagement, this research enriches the knowledge of the relationship between perceived organizational virtuousness and work engagement. Mediation of organizational identification validates social identity theory as a relevant framework for explaining how organizational virtuousness perceived is associated with work engagement. As with social identity theory, employees’ perceptions of organizational virtuousness are positively related to involvement in their work by strengthening their identification with the organization. Based on recent research, employees’ perception of organizational virtuousness has positive ramifications on their attitude and behaviors. Leaders can apply mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) by providing worksite mindfulness training to help employees feel the virtues supported by the organization and play an influential role in creating sense of ‘we-ness’ to fortify employees’ organizational identification.

Keyword : Organizational Identification, Perceived Organizational Virtuousness, Work Engagement