Developing sustainable employee engagement: a paradox-based framework for learning and renewal

Purpose This paper develops a learning-centered conceptual framework to explain sustainable employee engagement in high-performance contexts. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on paradox theory and organizational learning, this conceptual paper advances a paradox-based framework and offers propositions to explain engagement continuity through learning-based organizational capability. Findings Three persistent tensions shape engagement sustainability: intensity versus endurance, stability versus adaptability, and performance versus development. Sustainable engagement emerges when organizations develop the capability to manage these tensions through coordinated practices that enable renewal over time. Research limitations/implications This study is conceptual and does not provide empirical validation of the proposed framework. Practical implications Sustaining engagement requires redesigning work systems to integrate recovery, support identity during change, and embed learning within performance. Originality/value The paper positions sustainable engagement as an outcome of managing competing demands rather than maximizing motivation, offering a learning-based model of sustainable engagement.