The Levers of Employee Engagement in a Large Scientific Organization: An Empirical Study

Employee engagement is a critical factor in organizational success, yet research on its levers within federal institutions that support basic research in science and engineering remains limited. This study examines the relationship between key engagement drivers—leadership, supervision, intrinsic motivation, communication, and professional development—and employee engagement within the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Using secondary data from 978 NSF employees who participated in the 2024 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), this quantitative, explanatory study examined how these levers influence engagement while controlling for demographic factors such as age, gender, and supervisory status. After validating the scales using exploratory factor analysis to determine the underlying factors, a multiple regression analysis was performed to determine predictors of employee engagement. The results showed that intrinsic motivation was the strongest predictor of employee engagement. Leader behavior and supervisor support were found to have moderate statistically significant relationships with employee engagement. A follow-up mediation model was conducted, which found that intrinsic motivation partially mediated the relationship between leader behavior, supervisor support, and employee engagement. The findings from this research contribute to the broader understanding of the levers of employee engagement within federal agencies. The findings support the theoretical frameworks of the two-factor theory of motivation, self-determination theory, and social exchange theory. By addressing a gap in scholarly literature, this study offers leaders insight into behaviors that foster a more engaged and high-performing workforce.