The Mediating Effect of Self Determination on Professional Commitment and Work Engagement of Social Workers

This research investigated the relationship between professional commitment and work engagement, with self-determination acting as a mediating variable. An adapted structured questionnaires were used to gather data from 130 Social Workers in General Santos City and Tacurong City, Philippines.  The study employed correlational design and mediation analysis. The Statistical tools used include the mean, Pearson and Sobel z Test. The results were the following, the level of professional commitment has 4.29 mean which is very high, then for the level of work engagement has 4.10 mean which is high and lastly, the level of self-determination has a mean of 4.24 which is very high. Also, the findings revealed a strong positive relationship between professional commitment and work engagement, as well as between professional commitment and self-determination. Additionally, a significant positive relationship was observed between work engagement and self-determination. Furthermore, self-determination was found to partially mediate these relationships. Specifically, professional commitment significantly boosts self-determination, which, in turn, positively influences the work engagement of social workers. This indirect effect emphasized the vital role of intrinsic motivation and autonomy in cultivating a committed and engaged workforce among social workers. The findings suggested that professional commitment can be an effective strategy for increasing motivation, enhanced job satisfaction, improved performance, reduced turnover, a positive organizational culture, and opportunities for personal growth, emphasizing the role of self-determination.  Essentially, this study contributed to the existing literature by elucidating the mediating role of self-determination in the relationship between professional commitment and work engagement. The results highlighted the critical importance of professional commitment among social workers as it enhances the quality of care, ethical practice, resilience, advocacy efforts, professional development, client trust, organizational effectiveness, and innovation within the profession.