In 1990, Kahn introduced the concepts of personal engagement and personal
disengagement. This introduction was based on the premise that previously
conceptualized concepts, such as job involvement, organizational commitment, and
intrinsic motivation, exist at too far of a distance from employees’ day-to-day
experiences within their work role. Kahn (1990) defines personal engagement and
personal disengagement as “the behaviors by which people bring in or leave out their
personal selves during work role performances”. Personal engagement is further
described as the employing or expressing of oneself physically, cognitively, and
emotionally during work role performances. When engaged, an employee is
understood to be physically involved, cognitively vigilant, and emotionally connected.
In contrast, personal disengagement is defined as the withdrawing or defending of
oneself physically, cognitively, or emotionally during their work role performances.