Definition of Employee Engagement
Discuss about the Organizational Behavior for Technology and Innovations.
The business world has undergone much transformation on the score of various factors like “the advent of globalization and the developments in the fields of technology and innovations” (Saks and Gruman 2014). Therefore, the various “business organizations often take the help of various kinds of effective strategies” not only to “bring about the overall growth as well as the development of the overall business process but also to enhance the individual and the overall performance of the various employees” (Saks and Gruman 2014). One of the most common methods “used by the various business organizations to enhance the individual as well as the overall performance” of their business organization is the concept of “employee engagement” (Anitha 2014). This literature review will discuss about the concept of employee engagement and its importance in the field of business.
The concept of “employee engagement” can be defined “as the process by means of which the various business organizations enhance the engagement level of the various employees in a bid to enhance their individual performance as well as the overall performance of the organization” (Mishra, Boynton and Mishra 2014). In the opinion of many people “Employee engagement is a property of the relationship between an organization and its employees. An engaged employee is one who is fully absorbed by and enthusiastic about their work and so takes positive action to further the organization’s reputation and interests” (Mishra, Boynton and Mishra 2014). In other words, the process of employee engagement “is a fundamental concept in the effort to understand and describe, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the nature of the relationship between an organization and its employees”(Breevaart et al. 2014). Therefore, in the present times the various business organizations use this particular concept to further their prospects in the business world (Breevaart et al. 2014). A typical example of this particular process is the business organization “Woolworth Limited” which uses the concept of employee engagement not only to enhance the performance of the individuals but also to create a more positive work environment (Shuck and Herd 2012).
The primary reason why most of the business organizations take the “help of the concept of employee engagement is to enhance the individual performance of the various employees who are related to the organization and in turn to improve the overall performance of the organization concerned” (Shuck and Herd 2012). Furthermore, this particular concept is used by “the various business organizations also to create a more positive environment atmosphere at the workplace” (Alfes et al. 2013). It is significant to note that a positive environment at the workplace helps the various employees to perform in a much better manner whereas a negative environment decreases “the individual performance of the employees and thereby the overall performance of the organization” (Alfes et al. 2013). The “Dual factor theory of Herzberg” also states that there are two factors within the workplace-“the positive ones which increases the job satisfaction level of the employees and thus helps them to perform in a much better manner” and the negative factors which reduces the job “satisfaction level of the employees and thereby reduces the performance level of the employees” (Alfes et al. 2013). Therefore, it can be said that the primary goal of the concept of employee engagement is “to enhance the factors which increases the job satisfaction level of the employees and thereby their resultant performance” (Cole et al. 2012). It addition to this, the concept of employee engagement also increases the level of bonding among the various employees of the organization and helps them to perform in a much better manner in the team environment of the organization (Cole et al. 2012). It is significant to note that the team environment has become a part of the most of the business organizations of the world and therefore the concept of employee engagement becomes very significant in this particular context (Cole et al. 2012).
Importance of Employee Engagement in Business Organizations
The various companies of the present times usually take the help of the several kinds of employee engagement techniques or means in a “bid to enhance the level of employee engagement within the organization” (Andrew and Sofian 2012). The most important means of employee engagement means which most of the business organizations often take the help of in the present times is the various fun activities which not only reduces the level of stress faced by the various employees but also increases their level of engagement within the workplace (Andrew and Sofian 2012). In addition to this, “it is often seen that the various business organizations take the help of various kinds of recreational activities” like the various yoga activities which not only improves the health of the various employees but also enhances the level of their engagement (Menguc et al. 2013). Furthermore, “it is often seen that the various business organizations take the help of diverse kinds of yearly activities and picnics” also to improve the level of bonding among the various employees (Menguc et al. 2013). It is seen that the operations of the “various business organizations in the present times require the engagement of the various employees for the effective conduct of the business” (Menguc et al. 2013). For example, the companies like “Woolworths Limited” which is “one of the major retail business organizations not only of the Australia but also of the world” take the help of various kinds of employee engagement policies to seek the active cooperation of the various employees within the organization (Mone and London 2018). This particular feature not only helps the various business organizations to seek the active cooperation of the employees in a bid “to bring about the overall growth as well as development of their business organizations” but also to enhance the level of their organizational performance (Mone and London 2018).
It is significant to note that several researches have been conducted on the concepts of strategic management, operations management and various related aspects of the business world. However, very few researches have been conducted on the topic of employee engagement which although forms one of the most important aspects of the various business organizations have received very less amount of attention in the present times. Therefore, this particular research focusing on the concept of employee engagement will be a very important one as it will detail with a very important aspect of the business world which has yet not been explored in a significant manner.
Conclusion
To conclude, “employee engagement forms one of the most important aspects of the present day business world”. It is generally “seen that the various business organizations take the help of this particular method” not only “to enhance the level of participation of the various employees in the business activities of the concerned business organization” but also to enhance “the performance level of the individual employees in a significant manner and thereby the overall performance of the employees”. Thus, it can be said that this particular aspect of the business world forms one of the most nascent area and research needs to be conducted in this particular area so that the various business organizations can utilize it in a much more effective manner.
References
Alfes, K., Shantz, A.D., Truss, C. and Soane, E.C., 2013. The link between perceived human resource management practices, engagement and employee behaviour: a moderated mediation model. The international journal of human resource management, 24(2), pp.330-351.
Andrew, O.C. and Sofian, S., 2012. Individual factors and work outcomes of employee engagement. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 40, pp.498-508.
Anitha, J., 2014. Determinants of employee engagement and their impact on employee performance. International journal of productivity and performance management, 63(3), p.308.
Breevaart, K., Bakker, A., Hetland, J., Demerouti, E., Olsen, O.K. and Espevik, R., 2014. Daily transactional and transformational leadership and daily employee engagement. Journal of occupational and organizational psychology, 87(1), pp.138-157.
Cole, M.S., Walter, F., Bedeian, A.G. and O’Boyle, E.H., 2012. Job burnout and employee engagement: A meta-analytic examination of construct proliferation. Journal of management, 38(5), pp.1550-1581.
Menguc, B., Auh, S., Fisher, M. and Haddad, A., 2013. To be engaged or not to be engaged: The antecedents and consequences of service employee engagement. Journal of business research, 66(11), pp.2163-2170.
Mishra, K., Boynton, L. and Mishra, A., 2014. Driving employee engagement: The expanded role of internal communications. International Journal of Business Communication, 51(2), pp.183-202.
Mone, E.M. and London, M., 2018. Employee engagement through effective performance management: A practical guide for managers. Routledge.
Saks, A.M. and Gruman, J.A., 2014. What do we really know about employee engagement?. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 25(2), pp.155-182.
Shuck, B. and Herd, A.M., 2012. Employee engagement and leadership: Exploring the convergence of two frameworks and implications for leadership development in HRD. Human resource development review, 11(2), pp.156-181.