The role of perceived organizational support between HRD practices and employee engagement: evidence from Nepalese commercial banks

Purpose Highly committed, energetic, and dedicated employees are crucial for ensuring an organization’s success and competitiveness. This research aims to examine the relationship between human resource development (HRD) practices and employee engagement, using perceived organizational support (POS) as a mediating variable. Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional data were collected from 396 bank employees across 10 commercial banks, comprising 2 public limited banks, 3 joint ventures and 5 private commercial banks. The data supported the hypothesized relationships. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (SmartPLS) was used to evaluate the proposed model and hypotheses. Construct reliability and validity were established through assessment of convergent and discriminant validity. Findings The results reveal that career development is significantly associated with employee engagement. In addition, training and development also show a significant association with employee engagement. Furthermore, the results indicate that perceived organizational support (POS) partially mediates the relationship between career development and employee engagement. Similarly, POS partially mediates the relationship between training and development and employee engagement. Originality/value An initial attempt has been made in the academic literature to examine the role of POS in the relationship between HRD practices and employee engagement. Furthermore, there is a lack of empirical research analyzing the association between various organizational characteristics and employee engagement with POS as a mediating variable. Consequently, bank managers can use the findings of this study as a strategic tool to develop organizational policies that promote higher employee engagement.