Sensemaking and Work Engagement Among Police Personnel at Maha Kumbh Mela

This study investigated the relationship between ‘sensemaking’ and ‘work engagement’ among police personnel deployed during the Maha Kumbh Mela. The Maha Kumbh Mela is a large-scale religious congregation characterized by high demands and complex working conditions. Specifically, this study examined the interrelationships among sensemaking, perceived stress, resilience and work satisfaction, and analysed their mediating roles in influencing work engagement. A cross-sectional research design was employed for this purpose, involving a sample of 543 police personnel. Researchers used standardized measures of perceived stress, resilience, work satisfaction and work engagement, as well as a self-developed scale to assess sensemaking within the context of duty at the Maha Kumbh Mela. The data were analysed using correlational, regression and mediation analyses. The findings revealed that sensemaking was positively associated with work engagement, resilience and work satisfaction, and negatively associated with perceived stress. Path analysis indicated that work satisfaction significantly mediated the relationship between sensemaking and work engagement. In contrast, perceived stress and resilience did not demonstrate any significant indirect effects. The results suggest that while sensemaking reduces stress and enhances resilience, its impact on work engagement is primarily mediated by increased work satisfaction. This study indicated that sensemaking of duty among police personnel at the Maha Kumbh Mela is positively associated with work engagement, work satisfaction and resilience, and adversely correlated with perceived stress. Furthermore, the data reveal that police personnel’s work satisfaction considerably mediates the association between sensemaking of duty and work engagement, meaning that work satisfaction can promote both sensemaking and work engagement.