A influência do treinamento na satisfação e engajamento no trabalho: um estudo com servidores públicos de uma Instituição Federal de Ensino Superior

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the influence of Training, Development, and Education (TD&E) on the work engagement of public servants, considering the mediating role of satisfaction with the social work environment and satisfaction with human resource management policies, from the perspective of Social Exchange Theory. The research is characterized as quantitative, descriptive, and explanatory, adopting a crosssectional survey design. Data were collected from faculty members and administrative staff of the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Belém Campus, who participated in training programs promoted by the Directorate of Training and Development (CAPACIT/PROGEP) between 2020 and 2025. The sample comprised 203 respondents, and the data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS software (version 4.1.1.8). Initially, the measurement model was assessed in terms of reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity, demonstrating satisfactory psychometric properties of the constructs. Subsequently, the structural model was evaluated through the analysis of path coefficients, mediation effects, coefficients of determination (R²), effect sizes (f²), predictive relevance (Q²), and the PLSpredict procedure. The results indicated that TD&E exerts a positive and statistically significant influence on satisfaction with the social work environment, satisfaction with human resource management policies, and work engagement. Furthermore, both dimensions of job satisfaction positively influenced work engagement and acted as complementary partial mediators in the relationship between TD&E and work engagement, with satisfaction with human resource management policies representing the strongest mediating mechanism. The analyses also revealed moderate explanatory power for the work engagement construct, evidence of predictive relevance for the endogenous constructs, and predictive performance consistent with the explanatory nature of the proposed model. The findings support the assumptions of Social Exchange Theory by demonstrating that organizational investments in employee development are perceived by public servants as organizational benefits that foster reciprocal behaviors, leading to higher levels of job satisfaction and work engagement. It is concluded that TD&E initiatives strengthen employees' work engagement both directly and indirectly through improvements in satisfaction with the social work environment and with human resource management policies, thereby enhancing the understanding of the mechanisms underlying this relationship in the context of public administration. The findings contribute to the advancement of the literature by providing empirical evidence of the mediating role of job satisfaction in the relationship between TD&E and work engagement, while also offering practical insights for improving people development and human resource management policies in public higher education institutions.