Linking employee motivation and engagement: A bibliometric review

Employee motivation and engagement are interrelated constructs that are critical to productivity, job satisfaction, and employee retention. Although both topics have been thoroughly studied, their theoretical and thematic intersections have not yet been systematically defined. This study uses 2,169 peer-reviewed journal articles to provide a bibliometric analysis of research on employee motivation and engagement from 1972 to 2025. Using the R Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and Biblioshiny packages, we examine publication trends, important authors and journals, thematic structures, and collaboration networks. The findings indicate significant growth in output and a transition from initial research on organizational commitment and work attitudes to engagement-focused frameworks based on job demands-resources theory and associated organizational and social exchange theories. Keyword and co-citation networks indicate that motivation, employee engagement, work engagement, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction form the conceptual core of the field and are closely related to performance, well-being, and burnout. Future paths that connect engagement and motivation to broader organizational and societal issues include gamification, digital and hybrid work, corporate social responsibility, green HRM, and employee well-being. This review raises issues that require further research and provides insightful material for framing both academic research and evidence-based work practices.