Employee Engagement

 

In the present turbulent time businesses grapple with challenges to survive the global economic crisis due to pandemics and war. In this context efficiency and productivity are considered vital factors for the survival of the fittest. Kahn (1990), defined personal engagement as ‘the harnessing of organization members’ selves to their work roles: in engagement, people employ and express themselves physically, cognitively, emotionally and mentally during role performances’ (Kahn, 1990). Engaged employees work with passion and feel a profound connection to their work and company and drive innovation and move the organization forward (GMJ, 2006). Hence, innovation through effective engagement is the answer organization look for more than ever before in history.

 

Effectiveness of engagement

Employee engagement happens when ‘people are committed to their work and to the organization’ (Armstrong, 2017). Hence, the commitment of employees to engage is the driving factor shaping the overall performance of the organization. ‘Any initiatives of improvement which are taken by management can not be fruitful without the willful involvement and engagement of employees’ (Markos and Sridevi, 2010). This emphasizes the importance of identifying candidates with the right attitude during the selection process. ‘An individual’s purpose and focused energy, evident to others in the display of personal initiative, adaptability, effort and persistence directed towards organizational goals’ (Macey et al, 2009). Thus, engaged employees serve as role models and motivating factors for disengaged employees to follow suit. Further, many organizations emphasize the focus on emotional and rational factors to improve employees’ willingness to effectively engage. Mone and London (2014), state that employees become engaged when they feel they are involved, committed, passionate, and empowered and demonstrate those feelings in work behaviour.  


Manager’s role in employee engagement

CIPD (2012), states that to achieve sustainable employee engagement, managers need to make the behaviours set out in the ‘managing for sustainable employee engagement’ framework part of their management approach. On the other hand, job satisfaction alone will not guarantee sustainable engagement.  Macey & Schneider (2008), set job satisfaction aside from other previously listed components of engagements. They regard being satisfied with work is fundamentally different from being engaged (Macey & Schneider, 2008). Thus, the role played by the manager with the subordinates could help dictate the outcome of sustainable engagement. According to CIPD (2012), Employee engagement is important for performance, but is likely to be unsustainable unless it goes hand in hand with employee well-being; and manager behaviour is pivotal to both engagement and well-being. For example, employees who are obliged to work under continuous pressure over a period of time could suffer from fatigue and anxiety which may even lead to ‘quiet quitting’.

Development Dimensions International (2005), states that a manager must do five things to create a highly engaged workforce. They are: 

  •      Align efforts with strategy
  •        Empower
  •        Promote and encourage teamwork and collaboration
  •        Help people grow and develop
  •        Provide support and recognition where appropriate (DDI, 2005).

Further, line managers also need to ensure that effective communication practice is in place. Kular et al. (2008), state that giving employees the opportunity to feed their views and opinions upward is a key driver of employee engagement (Kular et al., 2008). Thus, essentially managers play an important part in being the driving force behind employees’ effective engagement. There is already some existing evidence which suggests that exchange-inducing interventions can remind employees of a sense of obligation making them feel obliged to reciprocate (Ganzach et al 2002).


References

Armstrong, M., (2017). Armstrong’s handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, 14th edition, Ashford Colour Press Ltd., UK

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. (2012, 2012a). Managing for sustainable employee engagement: Guidance for employers and managers CIPD: London. [Online] Available at: https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/managing-for-sustainable-employee-engagement-guidance-for-employers-and-managers_2012_tcm18-10753.pdf [Accessed on November 23, 2022]

Development Dimensions International. (2005). Predicting Employee Engagement MRKSRR12-1005 Development Dimensions International, Inc., MMV.

Ganzach, Y., Pazy, A., Ohayun, Y., and Brainin, E. (2002). Social Exchange and Organizational Commitment: Decision-Making Training for Job Choice as an Alternative to the Realistic Job Preview, Personnel Psychology. 55. p613-637. 10.1111/j.1744- 6570.2002.tb00123.x.

The Gallup Organisation, (2006). Engaged employees inspire company innovation, Gallup Management Journal; [Online] Available at:  http://gmj.gallup.com [Accessed on 20th November 2022]

Kahn, W.A. (1990). Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement and Disengagement at Work. Academy of Management Journal. 33(4) 692-724

Kular, S., Gatenby, M., Rees, C., Soanne, E. and Truss, K.  (2008). Employee Engagement: A Literature Review, Kingston Business School, ISBN No. 1-872058-39-6/978-1-872058-39-9/9781872058399

Markos, S., and Sridevi, M.S. (2010). “Employee engagement: The key to improving performance,” International Journal of Business and Management, 5(12). Available at: https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v5n12p89.

Macey, W.H., and Schneider, B. (2008). The Meaning of Employee Engagement. Industrial and Organizational Psychology. 1, 3-30

Macey, W.H., Schneider, B., Barbera, K.M., and Young, S.A. (2009). The “Feel and Look” of Employee Engagement. 10.1002/9781444306538.ch2.


Mone, E.M., and London, M. (2014). Employee Engagement Through Effective Performance Management: A Practical guide for managers, Routledge, New York, ISBN: 978-1-84872-820-2

Wellins, R. S., Bernthal, P., and Phelps, M. (2005). Development dimensions international, Pittsburg, P.A.

 

Comments

  1. Malshani JayaneththiDecember 3, 2022 at 10:39 PM

    Good Blog article Afzal and additionally need to mention, Employee engagement is critical to any organization. Deci and Ryan conducted the most influential study on employee engagement in 1985 (Berens, 2013). Deci and Ryan (1985) expanded on early work by differentiating between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Competence, autonomy, and psychological relatedness which are psychological needs, motivate the individual to initiate behavior essential for psychological health and well-being of an individual and if satisfied may lead to optimal function and growth (Deci & Ryan, 1985). The basic needs of satisfaction have been found to directly relate to dedication of employees (Vandenabeele, 2014).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Afzal FarookDecember 8, 2022 at 9:00 PM

      Thank you for your comment Malshani. According to Van den Broeck et al. (2008), job resources either play an intrinsic motivational role because they foster employees’ growth, learning and development, or they play an extrinsic motivational role because they are instrumental in achieving work goals. Essentially, in either case, the purpose is to encourage employee work engagement.

      Delete
  2. NaushadDecember 4, 2022 at 9:02 AM

    Hi Afzal, Employee engagement is seen as a motivational factor towards organisation’s achieving its objectives. The good environment that is offered to the worker enables him to offer the best that the organisation needs for its achievement of goals and objectives (Paluku, 2016).

    ReplyDelete
  3. M.S.K.Pushpa JayanthiDecember 7, 2022 at 12:00 AM

    Great article. According employee work engagement is defined as a “positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption” (Schaufeli et al., 2002a,b, p. 74). Kahn (1990) conceptualized engagement as “harnessing of organization members’ selves to their work roles” and stated that in engagement, “people employ and express themselves physically, cognitively, and emotionally during role performances.”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Afzal FarookDecember 8, 2022 at 8:54 PM

      Thank you for your comment Pushpa. Engaged employees have high levels of energy, and are enthusiastically involved in their work (Bakker et al., 2008). Thus, energy plays a part in creating a positive mindset which in return encourages work engagement.

      Delete
  4. Zameera ThahaDecember 7, 2022 at 9:45 AM

    Storey (2001: 7) says, Employee Engagement is the modern term of Employee Motivation as this theory explains the factors that affect goal-directed behavior and therefore influences the approaches used in HRM to enhance engagement (the situation in which people are committed
    to their work and the organization and are motivated to achieve high levels of performance) .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Afzal FarookDecember 8, 2022 at 8:59 PM

      Thank you for your comment Zameera. According to Bakker et al., (2010), work engagement thrives in settings that demonstrate the strong connection between corporate and individual values. This implies that the organizational culture encourages HRM initiatives to appreciate employee contributions.

      Delete
  5. Onita JayawardenaDecember 8, 2022 at 6:34 PM

    Agreed. Budriene & Diskiene (2020) states that employee engagement follows five basic principles such as efficiency and effectiveness of labor activity, quantitative and qualitative expressions, physical and mental investments and degree of management in the work environment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Afzal FarookDecember 8, 2022 at 9:24 PM

      Thank you for your comment Onita. According to Schaufeli and Salanova (2007), studies have consistently shown that job resources such as social support from colleagues, and supervisors, performance feedback, skill variety, autonomy, and learning opportunities are positively associated with work engagement.

      Delete
  6. Miyuru MadushanDecember 9, 2022 at 12:56 AM

    Good article Farook. Communication makes possible the interaction between members of the working team. A manager should be the first to establish bridges between the members of the organization, through careful and effective communication. Through communication, organization activities scroll correctly (Bucata & Rizecsu, 2017).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Afzal FarookDecember 10, 2022 at 12:16 AM

      Thank you for your comment Miyuru. According to Byrne (2014), engagement is about investing in oneself, being authentic in the job, and delivering one’s work performance with passion, persistence, and energy. Therefore, managers need to ensure engagement as the engaged employees proved to be productive.

      Delete
  7. Shermila W.December 10, 2022 at 12:14 PM

    Hi Afzal interesting article, agree with you as employee engagement is a key factor.
    when individuals feel positive emotions, they are able to think in a more flexible, open-minded way and are also likely to feel greater self-control, cope more effectively and be less defensive in the workplace West (2005).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Afzal FarookDecember 10, 2022 at 4:00 PM

      Thank you for your comment Shermila. According to Morgan (2014), Having an employee who is more connected to the organization- and that feeling of belonging and ownership translates into more effort, more productivity, and more success for both the individual and the organization. Therefore, organisations focus on employee engagement through the implementation of changes.

      Delete

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