The role of work engagement and organizational commitment in improving job performance

Abstract This study aimed to identify the factors that can improve job performance by scrutinizing various variables, namely organizational identification, Islamic work ethic, work engagement, and organizational commitment, based on the perspective of engagement theory. The respondents consisted of 206 faculty members from Islamic state universities in Central Java, Indonesia, with a participation rate of 72%. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling and hypotheses were tested using the AMOS 24 application. The result showed that work engagement and organizational commitment strengthened the effect of organizational identification and Islamic work ethic on job performance. Furthermore, these findings provided novel insights from the perspective of engagement theory, where work engagement and organizational commitment play pivotal roles in enhancing job performance. The study demonstrated that organization identification did not have a direct effect on job performance, while Islamic work ethic promoted the development of organizational commitment.

Faqih Nabhan is a lecturer and researcher at state Islamic university, Salatiga, Indonesia, who has expertise in marketing, human resources management, organizational behavior and entrepreneurship. His experience and academic background provide valuable insight into managerial and organizational challenge in a dynamic's era. His research focus on understanding the key success factors that contribute the organization and business. His recent paper on the role of work engagement and organizational commitment in improving job performance is part of the research program to identify the most effective organizational strategic to optimize performance. Currently, he is conducting research on the distribution network, service orientation and market performance on the financial institution. Munajat Munajatis a lecture and researcher at Faculty of Syariah, State Islamic University, Salatiga. He graduated with a Doctoral degree at Texas A&M university. His research interest focus on Islamic studies, human resources and sociology.

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT
Improving job performance is an important way to improve organizational performance. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected an employee's behaviour and orientation at work. Changes in employee work behaviour encourage the importance of the values of commitment and engagement in optimizing work performance. Optimizing employee commitment and fostering work engagement are two of the key strategies that can be pursued to achieve optimal employee performance. This study investigates the role of work engagement and organizational commitment in increasing the effect of organizational identification and Islamic work ethics on job performance. The study found that organizational commitment and work engagement effectively leverage employee performance.
In the contemporary era of high competition, job performance is an extremely significant factor. Over time, studies have made efforts to identify the factors that influence job performance. Among the various studies cited in numerous references, work engagement has emerged as a crucial factor in enhancing job performance Buil et al. (2019). As a driver of the organization, human resources are crucial in determining the success of achieving company goals. According to Buil et al. (2019) and Piccoli et al. (2017), employees who view themselves as integral parts of the organization tend to have high levels of commitment and attachment. Subsequently, high levels of work engagement contribute to the achievement of increased job performance (Buil et al., 2019;Eliyana et al., 2019).
Organizational identification refers to the degree to which personal attributes, values, and goals of an organization are perceived to be aligned with those of the company (Cheema et al., 2020). It promotes job performance improvement by increasing work engagement and organizational commitment (Cesário, 2017). Therefore, work engagement is a vital variable in enhancing job performance.
Controversy over the influence of organization identification on job performance has been reported in recent years. Some studies indicated that organization identification can improve job performance (Astakhova & Porter, 2015;Callea et al., 2016;Zagenczyk et al., 2021). Employees who identify their attributes as aligned with the company or organization of work can serve as a driving force in achieving job performance. However, Buil et al. (2019) stated that organization identification cannot improve job performance. Based on the gap, the problem formulation is the difference in findings on the influence of organization identification on job performance.
Based on the inconsistency of the results mentioned above, a conceptual framework model of organization identification was proposed, which can enhance job performance. The Engagement theory perspective (Kahn 1990;Sun & Bunchapattanasakda, 2019) was used to explore the concepts of work engagement and organizational commitment. It is expected that work engagement can mediate the influence of organizational identification and Islamic work ethic on job performance (Buil et al., 2019;Gheitani et al., 2019).
Studies on the role of ethics in business practices have been widely conducted. Islam et al. (2023) examined the role of organizational leadership ethics in enhancing work engagement. The analysis found that ethical leadership styles can significantly promote work engagement. Furthermore, Chaudhary et al. (2023) studied the role of Islamic work ethic in promoting knowledge-sharing behavior among committed employees. The variable can strengthen the influence of affective and normative commitment on knowledge sharing, but contradictory results were found in the influence of continuance commitment, which weakened knowledge sharing. Furthermore, Islam et al. (2022) investigated the role of Islamic work ethic in despotic leadership behavior. The investigation reported that the variable can act as a buffer against the negative impact of despotic leadership on job dissatisfaction. A study on abusive supervision has also been conducted by Islam et al. (2021), where Islamic work ethic can mitigate the negative impact of the variable on knowledge sharing. This study has not explored the impact of Islamic work ethic on job performance. Therefore, it is necessary to examine in-depth the role of Islamic work ethic in promoting organizational commitment and enhancing job performance. Work engagement has been the focus of different studies in recent years, and this term refers to an individual's attachment to their organization or company (Schaufeli & De Witte, 2017). A study suggested that organizational commitment can act as a mediator between the influence of organizational identification and Islamic work ethic. Specifically, higher levels of organizational identification and Islamic work ethic tend to result in greater commitment (Ahmed et al., 2019;Nguyen et al., 2020). Furthermore, increased levels of organizational commitment can lead to higher levels of job performance (Eliyana et al., 2019;Malini et al., 2016). This study tests and builds an empirical model framework for the influence of Islamic work ethic and organization identification in enhancing commitment and work engagement to improve job performance.
The present study is carried out at Islamic state universities located in Central Java. Islamic higher education institutions are pivotal in enhancing the quality of human resources. Central Java is selected as the study population due to its diverse demographic and moderate level of education, coupled with the growing quality of its Islamic state universities. This is evidenced by the increasing number of institutions changing their status from institutes to universities. The study is conducted during the early months of 2022, a period characterized by the implementation of new normal lifestyles in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organizational identification
Organizational identification has been conducted by several studies. Reina et al. (2014) (Uppal, 2020); examined the variable and reported that it does not have a significant effect on company performance. Piccoli et al. (2017) stated that organization identification mediates the relationship between job insecurity and performance. Astakhova and Porter (2015) researched organization identification as a mediator between harmonious work passion and performance. Callea et al. (2016) examined the impact of job insecurity on job performance and citizenship behavior, with organization identification as a mediating variable, and found that organization identification increases job performance. Buil et al. (2019) studied the effect of organization identification as an intervening variable between transformational leadership, citizenship behavior, and job performance. The results showed that organization identification did not directly improve job performance. However, work engagement mediated the relationship between organizational identification and job performance. Nguyen et al. (2020) investigated the influence of organization identification on affective commitment and found a positive relationship between the variables.
In contrast, this study proposed a model of organizational identification and Islamic work ethic in improving job performance using the engagement theory approach, with work engagement and commitment as mediating variables. The model addressed the controversy surrounding the impact of organization identification on job performance.
In recent years, organization identification was a topic of significant interest, particularly in the context of social identity theory (SIT). It was characterized by a sense of unity within the organization, where the occurrences within the organization were viewed as personal experiences by its members (Mael & Ashforth, 1992;Schrodt, 2002). This fusion of self-identity with the organization created a desire to contribute to the organization.

Islamic work ethics
In this modern era, creativity is essential to managing resources by cultivating values that stem from the beliefs of employees. One of these values is Islamic ethical values and work standards. Islamic work ethic is founded on the principles in the Qur'an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad. The principles guide and regulate all aspects of life, including human relationships with fellow humans and with God (Islam et al., 2022). For employees who adhere to the teachings of the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad, obeying Allah's commands and refraining from His prohibitions is a fundamental principle for achieving life goals. Islamic values mandate that individuals be compassionate to others, honor promises, be reliable, and work sincerely (Salin et al., 2020). Work is not merely a means of attaining financial gain, but also a way of worshipping and gaining divine rewards.
These Islamic work ethics have several important components. First, they are based on highvalue standards from the Qur'an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Chaudhary et al., 2023). Second, the values provide guidelines for good and bad behavior in the workplace . Third, they emphasize the consequences and accountability for every action (Islam et al., 2022). These Islamic ethical values have great potential to drive performance improvement. Organizations can instill ethical beliefs in their employees using socialization and setting ethical examples through leadership, as they are perceived to be genuine values (Hernandez-Lopez et al., 2020). Furthermore, employees can enhance their ethical work proficiency by fostering an ethical organizational culture and climate. By adopting this approach, they can gain a deeper appreciation of the significance of work ethics, and assimilate them as work standards.

Organizational identification and performance
Organization identification is a construct derived from social identity theory, where an individual's social identity is shaped by their perception of belonging to a particular social category, and the subsequent motivation to contribute to the group (Guerrero & Herrbach, 2009;Van Knippenberg & Sleebos, 2006). Several studies found that the variable can increase job performance. Piccoli et al. (2017) asserted that organization identification can lead to positive outcomes for both the employees and the organization. This is because individuals who strongly identify with the organization tend to integrate its objectives into their personal goals.
Through organizational identification, employees can satisfy their need for affiliation. Callea et al. (2016) showed that organization identification is a vital factor in promoting employee performance. The variable is directly proportional to employee commitment and engagement in their work. According to Afshari et al. (2020) and Gautam et al. (2004), employees who strongly identify with their organization tend to conform to the norms and values espoused by the company. Similarly, Reina et al. (2014) reported that at the top management level, organization identification can foster integration and togetherness, leading to enhanced company performance. In contrast to these findings, Buil et al. (2019) did not discover any evidence indicating that the variable is needed to enhance employee performance. Based on the aforementioned literature, the following hypothesis can be formulated:

H1:
The higher the organizational identification, the higher the job performance.

Organizational identification and organizational commitment
Study on organization commitment often employs the social exchange theory, where the quality of relationships is established through an exchange of resources between two parties. The construct of the variable has been extensively investigated in the literature. Gautam et al. (2004) divided organization commitment into affective, normative, and attitudinal concepts. This study used attitudinal commitment to examine organizational commitment, focusing more on the willingness of an individual to be dedicated to the organization. According to Mowday et al. (1982) and Rafiq et al. (2019), the variable can be explained as consisting of three factors, namely strong belief in the organization's goals and values, willingness to work hard for the organization, and loyalty.
Several research has shown that organizational identification can increase organizational commitment. Stinglhamber et al. (2015) stated that organizational identification can increase commitment. Furthermore, Lindsey Hall et al. (2016) showed that employees with high organizational identification were able to increase organizational commitment. Schutts and Shelley Ph (2014) found that organization members with high togetherness can foster selfidentification, which increases commitment among them within the organization. Similarly, Nguyen et al. (2020) stated that organizational identification can promote the growth of organizational commitment. Based on several findings above, the following hypothesis can be presented:

H2:
The higher the organizational identification, the higher the organizational commitment.

Organizational identification and work engagement
Employees with a high degree of organization identification view the success of the company as a personal achievement. This condition leads to greater involvement and commitment to the organization's tasks and responsibilities (Buil et al., 2019). Rich et al. (2010) asserted that employees who share values with those of the organization are more inclined to become actively involved in the work of the company. Similarly, Biswas and Bhatnagar (2013) and Jena et al. (2017) demonstrated that when they have a strong self-relationship with the organization, greater involvement in its activities and routines is exhibited. He et al. (2014) also explained that employees who perceive a strong alignment between their values and those of the company are more likely to engage in work with a high level of commitment. Based on the aforementioned literature, the following hypothesis is proposed:

H3:
The higher the organizational identification, the higher the work engagement.

Islamic work ethic and organizational commitment
Islamic work ethics can be interpreted as a standard of values and morals that guide a person's work behavior based on beliefs derived from the Qur'an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Salin et al., 2020). As a standard of values, Islamic work ethics serve as a guide for individuals in their actions, contributing to the direction of goal achievement and inspiring work behavior (Gheitani et al., 2019). Islamic work ethics can also be a navigator that directs right and wrong actions . Therefore, this aspect can promote individuals to behave well, including committing to the organization, as stated in the Qur'an, Surah Ali Imran, verse 76, where God (Allah) loves those who keep their promises or commitments.
Islamic work ethics and organizational commitment have been the focus of several studies. Shafique et al. (2015) stated that the variables are essential components for companies and employees to attain goodness. This is because the ethical values espoused by the organization are applicable in all facets of life. Therefore, adhering to these values provides individuals with a clear sense of direction, which facilitates the attainment of success. Ahmed et al. (2019) also stated that these ethics contain motivational values and exhortations to work sincerely. Dedicated efforts towards work signify an individual's commitment to the organization (Chaudhary et al., 2023) and reflect a strong desire to achieve work-related objectives. The degree of commitment is highly dependent on ethical values and behavioral standards . Therefore, employees who adhere to high Islamic work ethics tend to exhibit positive attitudes towards work and are more likely to maintain a strong sense of commitment to the organization. Based on the aforementioned literature, the following hypothesis is proposed:

H4:
The higher the Islamic work ethic, the higher the organizational commitment.

Organizational commitment and job performance
Commitment can be defined as the firmness in oneself to keep and fulfill promises or agreements to others, or an organization. It is expected that every employee carries out their work diligently, taking responsibility for the successful completion of assigned tasks and responsibilities. Moreover, organizational commitment has a significant impact on job performance. Tolentino (2013) divided the variable into affective, normative, and continuance commitment, and found a positive relationship with job performance.
According to Eliyana et al. (2019), individuals with high levels of organizational commitment exhibit positive behaviors toward their organization, display a strong work ethic, are willing to make sacrifices, and display high levels of loyalty toward the organization. Therefore, individuals with high levels of organizational commitment are more likely to be motivated to achieve job performance. Similarly, Hettiararchchi and Jayarathna (2014) and Malini et al. (2016) demonstrated that an individual's level of commitment can significantly improve job performance. Based on these findings, the following hypothesis can be proposed:

H5:
The higher the organizational commitment, the higher the job performance.

Work engagement and job performance
Employees who have been actively involved in a company tend to demonstrate a high level of commitment to their work. As asserted by (Rich et al., 2010), when they are engaged with an organization, a greater effort is exerted toward achieving superior performance. Additionally, engaged employees are willing to work with exceptional intensity and for extended periods. Buil et al. (2019) also found that work engagement has significantly increased job performance. Several studies have suggested that there are discernible differences in performance levels between employees exhibiting work engagement and those who do not. Halbesleben and Wheeler (2008) showed that work engagement provides a unique contribution to performance improvement. Based on several reviews, the hypothesis can be presented as follows: H6: The higher the work engagement, the higher the job performance.
Based on the review and proposed hypotheses, the empirical study model can be presented in Figure 1.

Data collection and sampling
Data was collected from lecturers of state Islamic universities in Central Java with a population of 1,012 individuals from January to June 2022. This population was selected due to the crucial role that Islamic higher education institutions play in enhancing the quality of human resources. The province of Central Java had six Islamic higher education institutions, and state Islamic universities were chosen as the population due to the moderate levels of education and fairly heterogeneous population in the province. Furthermore, the quality of state Islamic universities steadily increased, as evidenced by the growing number of status transfers from institutes to universities. The questionnaire was created using Google Forms and sent through WhatsApp to 286 lecturers from six state Islamic universities in Central Java. Out of the 286 respondents, 214 responded by filling out and returning the questionnaire, resulting in a response rate of 75%. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to determine the sample, with the criteria being lecturers of Islamic higher education institutions. This method was selected to obtain respondents appropriate for this study (Sekaran & Bougie, 2016), who experienced the post-COVID-19 pandemic work environment.
Out of the 214 respondents who filled out and returned the questionnaire, the data was screened, and incomplete responses and outliers were removed, resulting in 206 valid responses for further analysis. The study used Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis, which was processed using the AMOS 24 application.

Measurement of variable
The operationalization of the variables used is presented in Table 1. Data was collected through the distribution of questionnaires designed using an interval scale with a range of 1 to 10, from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The research constructs were adapted from several scholars. Organizational identification was based on the adaption of Buil et al. (2019) and Carmeli et al. (2006), these involve owning the organization, the organization's values are the same as what I believe in, and this organizational problem is also my problem. The second one is the construction of organizational commitment, which is adapted from Briggs et al. (2012) and Bulut and Culha (2010), who describe often conveying the goodness of the organization to others, accept all duties and responsibilities of this organization, and strongly believe that this organization is the best place to work. The construction of work engagement was adapted from Buil et al. (2019), these involve i work full of energy, i have a strong dedication to this organization, and i am always enthusiastic about doing work in this organization. Job performance was based on the adaption of Buil et al. (2019) and Na-Nan et al. (2018), which consist of always finishing work on time, always getting the job accomplished correctly, and always completing work to standards. The last one is the Islamic work ethic, which is adapted from Ahmed et al. (2019), Ali et al. (2021) and Chaudhary et al. (2023), which consist of work is part of worship, always work honestly, and life is meaningless without work.
The Table 1 showed that each indicator had a loading factor above 0.60, hence all indicators were valid measures of their respective variables. Reliability testing was performed by calculating the construct reliability and variance extract (Hair et al., 2010). Furthermore, the construct reliability calculation for each variable showed values greater than 0.70 and variance extract greater than 0.50, indicating good reliability values.

Data analysis
Data analysis was carried out by examining the multivariate statistical suitability to ensure that the data were normally distributed. The data from the five variables showed indications of nonnormal distribution. Outlier tests were then carried out, with 80 data removed, resulting in 206 respondents. After obtaining normal distribution, the data were reprocessed using Amos 21 for Confirmatory Factor Analysis and full model testing. Table 1 showed that the loading factor values were greater than 0.60 and the probability was above 0.05. Therefore, the indicators were valid in measuring their respective variables and the data confirmed the model to be analyzed. The structural model analysis indicated that the criteria for the goodness of fit index were met, with χ 2 = 101.082, significant probability = 0.078, CMIN/DF = 1.227, GFI = 0.939, TLI = 0.993, CFI = 0.995, and RMSEA = 0.033. Based on, this study model fits the expected population, and Figure 2 showed the expected results.

Hypothesis testing and result
The results of the hypothesis testing using SEM AMOS are presented in Table 2. The first hypothesis testing resulted in a critical ratio (CR) of −2.227 with a probability of 0.026. According to Tabachnick and Fidell (2013), the CR was less than 2, meaning the regression weight of organization identification in predicting job performance or hypothesis 1 was not acceptable even though the probability was less than 0.05. However, the critical ratio for the influence of organization identification on organization commitment was 12.028, with a probability of less than 0.001.

Variance Extract
Organizational Identification (Buil et al., 2019;Carmeli et al., 2006) Sense of belonging on the organization 0.859 1.409 0.846 The organization's values are the same as what I believe in.

0.921
This organizational problem is also my problem.

0.811
Organizational commitment (Briggs et al., 2012;Bulut & Culha, 2010) Often conveying the goodness of the organization to others. Consequently, hypothesis 2, where higher levels of organization identification corresponded to organization commitment was accepted.
Similarly, the test for the influence of organization identification on work engagement yielded a critical ratio of 21.235, with a probability of less than 0.001. This finding demonstrated that organization identification had a positive effect on work engagement, and hypothesis 3 was accepted.  The influence of Islamic work ethic on organization commitment resulted in a critical ratio of 2.484 with a probability of 0.013. This result showed a significant figure at 0.05 degrees, hence hypothesis 4 stated that the positive relationship between Islamic work ethic and organizational commitment was accepted. The critical ratio of the influence of organizational commitment on job performance was 2.368, with a probability of 0.018. This indicated that hypothesis 5, where there was a positive relationship between organizational commitment and job performance was accepted. The result of testing the influence of work engagement on job performance showed a critical ratio of 4.014, with a probability of less than 0.001, meaning hypothesis 6 was accepted.

Discussion
Based on empirical data and hypothesis testing, several findings can be presented as follows, firstly, organization identification cannot improve job performance. Employees who share values and problems with the company with a strong sense of belonging cannot boost performance. This study is consistent with Buil et al. (2019) that organization identification cannot improve job performance. Similarly, Reina et al. (2014), found that employees with high organization identification cannot directly improve job performance. The academic staff may experience a lack of performance improvement, despite their strong sense of organizational identification. Other factors are needed to bridge the gap between organization identification and lecturer performance. However, these findings differ from (Astakhova & Porter, 2015;Callea et al., 2016;Piccoli et al. 2017), where increased organization identification in employees improved their performance.
Secondly, organization identification can improve performance through organizational commitment. Employees who share values and problems with the company and have a strong sense of belonging promote the growth of a strong organizational commitment. This is in line with Lindsey Hall et al. (2016) that organization identification can increase employee organization commitment. Individuals who share a strong sense of identity with their organization are more likely to exhibit a high level of organizational commitment. Nguyen et al. (2020) found that employees who identify with the organization can promote commitment to the company. Furthermore, increased organizational commitment has been proven to improve performance. This study is in line with Eliyana et al. (2019), that high commitment shows positive behavior for the organization since employees are willing to make the best effort for the organization. Therefore, individuals with high commitment are promoted to achieve increased job performance (Hettiararchchi & Jayarathna, 2014).
Thirdly, organization identification can also improve performance through work engagement. Employees who perceive a congruence between their identity and the organization are more likely to develop a strong attachment. These employees, characterized by high levels of dedication, are likely to make genuine efforts toward achieving optimal performance (Buil et al., 2019). There is a prevalent phenomenon in organizations where employees perceive their hard work as a contribution to the organization and personal growth. This mindset can result from the employee's belief that the organization is a reflection of themselves. The findings are consistent with He et al. (2014), where employees' sense of personal connection with the company can significantly enhance their engagement in company activities. This result is in line with Buil et al. (2019) and Rich et al. (2010), that work engagement can directly improve job performance. Employees who exhibit high levels of dedication toward their work tend to approach tasks with a heightened level of intensity, leading to improved job performance outcomes. The assertion is supported by (Halbesleben & Wheeler, 2008) study, where work engagement has a direct impact on enhancing job performance Fourthly, an Islamic work ethic has been proven to increase organizational commitment. Companies need to pay attention to the development of Islamic work ethics, which can effectively promote an increase in organizational commitment. The development of this variable can be accomplished by socializing these values and providing ethical leadership examples (Hernandez-Lopez et al., 2020). Improving the growth of the Islamic work ethic can also be accomplished by disseminating and understanding work values throughout the organization, enabling a work ethic orientation (Nguyen et al., 2020). Nizam Bin Salahudin et al. (2016) found the same result that Islamic work ethic can directly improve employee organizational commitment. Likewise, Ahmed et al. (2019), stated that Islamic work ethic enables working with sincerity to increase selfawareness of the importance of work. This sincerity in work increases self-awareness of the importance of work, thereby increasing commitment to the organization.

Research contribution and managerial implication
These results contribute to further study from the perspective of social identity theory. Even though several studies have been conducted on organization identification to improve job performance, there is still inconsistency in the findings. This study also provides new insights into the engagement theory perspective that work engagement and organization commitment can mediate the influence of organization identification on job performance. Furthermore, it states a new perspective that Islamic work ethic, as an antecedent variable, can promote the development of employee organizational commitment. Islamic work ethic promotes the growth of a sense of keeping promises and holding commitments to the interests of the organization. The analysis results indicate that to improve performance, organizations should pay attention to optimizing the role of work engagement and organizational commitment. Strong work engagement and organizational commitment among employees will drive organizational performance improvement. Developing organizational identification alone has been proven to fail in improving organizational performance.
In the post-COVID-19 era, there are changes in perspectives and work habits than those before the pandemic. Therefore, organizations should pay more attention to work engagement when developing organizational identification to improve performance. This can be seen from the largest direct and indirect effects, compared to organizational commitment. However, building an Islamic work ethic is also necessary to strengthen the level of organizational member commitment.

Limitations of the research
This study builds a model of the influence of organizational identification and Islamic work ethic in increasing organizational commitment and work engagement to improve performance. However, it was only conducted in the context of lecturers at state Islamic universities in Central Java. Further studies need to expand the scope of discussion at the state Islamic universities in Indonesia, including other organizational sectors. The more extensive the data collected, the stronger the confirmation of knowledge and understanding of this concept.