Introduction
In order to achieve organizational performance goals employee
engagement could be considered as an important factors well as a factor of
motivation (Chandani, Mehta, Mall, & Khokhar, 2016). A good working environment will in turn enable the employee
to give highest results to the company (Velotti, Zavattini, & Garofalo, 2013).
Managers agree that presently there is a demand for efficiency and productivity than any other
times before as businesses are taking every effort to increase the productivity
and profitability (Harter, Schmidt, & Hayes, 2002). Today Managers are facing many challenges in putting
themselves among the competitors .There had been been certain techniques
suggested by different researches such as Total quality management and Business
process Engineering and same was found useful in enhancing company performance by
focusing on operational and process improvements (Kaynak, 2003).
Once the employees are committed on assigned duties in an
enthusiastic working environment, employees
become highly motivated and encouraged to achieve set targets and goals
at highest level. Furthermore managers prefer to retain engaged employees over
disengaged employees (Agustin & Glavas, 2012).
The word, engagement has been replaced with the words such as
job satisfaction, motivation and commitment recently (Schaufeli, Leiter, & Maslach, 2009). Further, engagement
defines the employee commitment and positive behaviors aligned with achieving
organizational goal and objectives (Shuck & Wollard, 2010).
Definitions of
Employee Engagement
Employee engagement has been defined in various ways over the
years depending on the author. The enthusiasm for work which makes an employee
to get involved and satisfy with work can be defined as employee engagement (Harter et al., 2002). When an employee demonstrates a positive, accomplished
working mindset which can be characterized by dedication and absorption can be
considered as an engaged employee (Kuok & Taormina, 2017). The positive attitude of an employee towards the organization
and its value is considered as employee engagement an engaged employee would be
aware of the business affairs and maximize performances for the betterment of
the organization (Hettiararchchi & Jayarathna, 2014).
Engaged performance of an employee can be achieved when the
ardor for the work is stimulated resulting organizational success (Singh & James, 2016). Further, the extent to which employees put discretionary
effort in to their work, in the form of extra time, brain power or energy is
defined as employee engagement (Towers Perrin, 2003).
Dimensions of
Employee Engagement
In any organization, the work force comprises of four types
of employees; highly engaged, Moderately engaged, passively engaged and actively disengaged
(Wildermuth & Pauken, 2008). In a highly engaged environment employees are totally
engaged whereas in a moderately engaged environment employees are nearly engaged, in
a passively engaged environment the employees are nearly engaged as well as
nearly disengaged and and finally actively disengaged employees are the ones who are totally
disengaged (Chandani et al., 2016).
There are three different
facets of engagement as intellectual engagement, effective engagement and
social engagement (Singh & James, 2016). Intellectual engagement is the employee thinking positively
and hard about the work assigned and how could perform better (Shuck & Wollard, 2010). Effective engagement is thinking positively about carrying out a perfect job (Dalal, Brummel, Wee, &
Thomas, 2008) and Social engagement is
actively discussing with the others at work with regard to related improvements
(Singh & James, 2016).
Factors Enhancing
Employee Engagement
Firstly, organisations
need to understand the drivers of employee engagement (Gruman & Saks, 2011).
Job challenge - When the scope of the job is large the
employee gets more chances in engaging in the job.
Autonomy - The freedom that is being given to the
employee to organize the work schedule and organize the way of performing which
provide them the ownership and control.
Variety - This is the job that gives the
employee to perform variety of duties by using different knowledge levels.
Feed back - Giving the employee a feed back of the
performance (Luthans & Peterson, 2002).
Fit - This allows the employee to
believe consistently
Opportunities for development - Giving the job meaningful as the
employer gives pathways for the individuals carrier development and growth
Rewards & Recognition - Giving
necessary rewards and recognition which in turn impact on staff motivation.
Another important factor could be quality of leadership given
by the line managers in performing the duties as employee engagement requires a
proper leadership through focusing on a clear mission, vision and values and further
it is discussed that an effective recruitment and orientation programs are the
first instance of the first day of an employee (Markos & Sandhya, 2010). Almost two thirds (60%) of the surveyed employees require
additional opportunities to grow forward in order to stay satisfied in their
performing jobs.
A crucial ingredient in the employee engagement and retention
formula is the strong Manager employee relationship (Attridge, 2009). Furthermore a manager need to do five things to create a
highly engaged work force, such as Align efforts with strategy, Empower, Promote
and encourage team work and collaboration, help people to grow and develop and
provide support and recognition where appropriate (Bakker & Demerouti, 2008).
By assigning a proper job could enhance the engagement. Further
the employees at the start come for
their employment for the salary however the employee get engaged at their assigned duties since the
employees engaged work is meaningful (Seijts & Crim, 2006). Organizing learning and development programs, Developing
engagement through Rewards systems, recognition and promotions are factors that enhance employee engagement (Bartlomiejczuk, 2015). Therefore when employees are more engaged it tends to
increase productivity (PratimaSarangi & Nayak, B., 2016).
The Components of
Employee Engagement
There are three overlapping components of engagement which is
been introduced by Institute for Employments studies which are; commitment,organizational
citizenship behavior and motivation (Zayas-ortiz, Rosario, Marquez, & Gruñeiro, 2015).
Relationship between Employee Engagement, Job satisfaction
and turnover intent
Job satisfaction is related
to company commitment, job involvement, organizational citizenship behaviors
and mental health and therefore job satisfaction will have an impact on
employee engagement and this will negatively relate to turnover and stress (Lu Lu, Gursoy, & Neale,
2016).
Employee engagement and Organizational Performance
There is a positive
relationship between employee engagement and organizational performance
outcome,employee retention ,productivity,customer loyalty and safety (Kataria, A., Garg, P.,
& Rastogi, 2013).
Researches further indicates
that engagement is positively relates to customer satisfaction and three
general behaviors are being consistently shown by an engaged employee which
will enhance company performance and they are Say,Stay and Strive (Anitha, J., 2014).
Say – The employee advocates
for the organization to co workers and refers potential employees and clients.
Stay –The employee wish to
be a member of the company as the employee gets the opportunity to work in any
other place.
Strive-The employee privide
additional time,effort for the success of the organization.
The role of a line manager in improving employee engagement
There are certain duties of the line managers for a high level
of employee engagement including, understanding strengths and weaknesses of the
employees, continuous feedback and removing unnecessary distractions for the
path (Alfes, Shantz, Truss, & Soane, 2013). Confidence should be given in every possible way by showing
commitment towards individual success (Vakola & Nikolaou, 2005). As a line manager challenge
people within area of distinctive strength and focus on employees skills and knowledge with a view of
converting talents in to strengths (Renwick, 2003). Further the individuals should be given about their
ownership and creation of the outcome (Kramer, 2010).
Draw Backs of
Employee Engagement
Engaged employee is the success of any organization in achieving
high level performance and it is a motivational factor (Kazimoto, 2016). However, some literature suggest that there are some draw backs of employee engagement, as a
highly engaged employee will have a negative impact on their family life (Bolino & Turnley, 2005).
Seylan
Bank’s future outlook in order to enhance employee engagement
Seylan Bank PLC which is a
leading commercial bank in the country states that the best technology in the
world cannot replace the loyalty, dedication and commitment of 3199 staff they have in the organization. They enjoy an
inspiring and enabling working environment where every one is given the
opportunity to achieve their full potential, and have embraced the banks
forward looking initiatives with the usual enthusiasm and commitment. The
achievement is always the results of the combined efforts of all employees. Employee
engagement has resulted in achieving high performance in the organization. Further,
as the bank has taken necessary strategies in enhancing the employee
engagement level, each member has a part to play and they have contributed
wholeheartedly as one team towards reaching bank’s goals.
Seylan bank is proud to have such a group of
highly engaged employees and still, the bank values the sustainable work life
balance of the employees. In order to have a motivated staff, the bank
presently gives out several benefits to the employees including; Staff welfare
and enhancing opportunity for career development, Remuneration and performance
based incentive schemes, Improve training and development on banking product
and services and retaining existing talents, strengthen motivation processes and
staff recognition. Other than that the bank also focuses on, consolidation of multitasking
environment in branch banking with multi service counter proposition, strengthening
the performance driven environment in the bank and fast tracking of career progressions
of juniors and middle level positions to meet the business demand (Annual Report, p. 7-318).
Conclusion
Employee
engagement is one of the most important factors in enhancing the organizational
performance. Engaged individuals will understand the duty in the company strategy
as well as how to achieve the company goals .The engaged employees involved and focus for success, and also a
good team player. Further the organization should always check the employee
engagement level from time to time and give them the information and additional
knowledge which is required. Also the appreciation, giving them the respect,
recognition and rewarding them would motivate employee engagement and will be
in a position to achieve the company goals improve the company performance. Further
open communications, networking with employees, recognition of their efforts,
rewards, opportunities, talent management, empowerment and feedback enhance the
belief of an employee to stay or retain in an organization.
References
Aguinis, H., & Glavas, A. (2012). What We Know and
Don’t Know About Corporate Social Responsibility: A Review and Research Agenda.
Journal of Management, 38(4), 932–968.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206311436079
Alfes, K., Shantz, A. D., Truss, C.,
& Soane, E. C. (2013). The link between perceived human resource management
practices, engagement and employee behaviour: A moderated mediation model. International
Journal of Human Resource Management, 24(2), 330–351.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2012.679950
Attridge, M. (2009). Measuring and
managing employee work engagement: A review of the research and business
literature. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 24(4),
383–398. https://doi.org/10.1080/15555240903188398
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E.
(2008). Towards a model of work engagement. Career Development International,
13(3), 209–223. https://doi.org/10.1108/13620430810870476
Bartlomiejczuk, G. (2015). How do
Recognition Programs Impact Employee Engagement and How have Companies with a
Large Global Footprint Structured such Programs to Drive Results? Cornell
University.
Bolino, M. C., & Turnley, W. H.
(2005). The Personal Costs of Citizenship Behavior : The Relationship Between
Individual Initiative and Role Overload , Job Stress , and Work – Family
Conflict, 90(4), 740–748. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.90.4.740
Chandani, A., Mehta, M., Mall, A.,
& Khokhar, V. (2016). Employee engagement: A review paper on factors
affecting employee engagement. Indian Journal of Science and Technology,
9(15). https://doi.org/10.17485/ijst/2016/v9i15/92145
Dalal, R. S., Brummel, B. J., Wee,
S., & Thomas, L. L. (2008). Defining Employee Engagement for Productive
Research and Practice. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 1(1),
52–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1754-9434.2007.00008.x
Dr. PratimaSarangi, & Dr.
Bhagirathi Nayak. (2016). Employee Engagement and Its Impact on Organizational
Success – A Study in Manufacturing Company, India. IOSR Journal of Business
and Management (IOSR-JBM) , 18(4), 52–57.
https://doi.org/10.9790/487X-1804015257
Gruman, J. A., & Saks, A. M.
(2011). Performance management and employee engagement. Human Resource
Management Review, 21(2), 123–136.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2010.09.004
Harter, J. K., Schmidt, F. L., &
Hayes, T. L. (2002). Business-unit-level relationship between employee
satisfaction, employee engagement, and business outcomes: A meta-analysis. Journal
of Applied Psychology, 87(2), 268–279.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.2.268
Hettiararchchi, H. A. ., &
Jayarathna, S. M. D. . (2014). The effect of Employee Work Related Attitudes on
Employee Job Performance: A Study of Tertiary and Vocational Education Sector
in Sri Lanka. IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 16(4),
74–83. https://doi.org/10.9790/487X-16447483
J., A. (2014). Determinants of
employee engagement and their impact on employee performance. International
Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 63(3), 308–323.
https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-01-2013-0008
Kataria, A., Garg, P., & Rastogi,
R. (2013). Employee Engagement and Organizational Effectiveness : The Role of
Organizational Citizenship Behavior. International Journal of Business
Insights & Transformation, 6(1), 102–113. https://doi.org/10.1530/jrf.0.0800425
Kaynak, H. (2003). The relationship
between total quality management practices and their effects on firm
performance. Journal of Operations Management, 21(4), 405–435.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-6963(03)00004-4
Kazimoto, P. (2016). Employee
Engagement and Organizational Performance of Retails Enterprises, (April),
516–525.
Kramer, B. (2010). Employee ownership
and participation effects on outcomes in firms majority employee-owned through
employee stock ownership plans in the US1. Economic and Industrial Democracy,
31(4), 449–476. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X10365574
Kuok, A. C. H., & Taormina, R. J.
(2017). Work engagement: Evolution of the concept and a new inventory. Psychological
Thought, 10(2), 262–287. https://doi.org/10.5964/psyct.v10i2.236
Lu, L., Lu, A. C. C., Gursoy, D.,
& Neale, N. R. (2016). Work engagement, job satisfaction, and turnover
intentions: A comparison between supervisors and line-level employees. International
Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 28(4), 737–761.
https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-07-2014-0360
Luthans, F. J., & Peterson.
(2002). Employee engagement and manager self-efficacy: Implications for
managerial effectiveness and development. Journal of Management Development
Human Resource Management International Digest Strategic HR Review Iss Human
Resource Management International Digest Iss, 21(17), 376–387.
https://doi.org/10.1108/02621710210426862
Markos, S., & Sandhya, S. (2010).
Employee Engagement: The Key to Improving Performance. International Journal
of Business and Management, 5(12), 89–96. https://doi.org/E-ISSN
1833-8119
Renwick, D. (2003). Line manager
involvement in HRM: An inside view. Employee Relations, 25(3),
262–280. https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450310475856
Schaufeli, W. B., Leiter, M. P.,
& Maslach, C. (2009). Burnout: 35 years of research and practice. Career
Development International, 14(3), 204–220.
https://doi.org/10.1108/13620430910966406
Seijts, B. G. H., & Crim, D.
(2006). What engages employees the most or, the ten C’s of employee engagement.
Ivey Business Journal, 23(4), 1–6.
https://doi.org/10.1306/D42695F3-2B26-11D7-8648000102C1865D
Shuck, B., & Wollard, K. (2010).
Employee engagement and HRD: A seminal review of the foundations. Human
Resource Development Review, 9(1), 89–110.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484309353560
Singh, M., & James, P. S. (2016).
Antecedents and consequence of work engagement: A literature review. International
Journal of Applied Business and Economic Research, 14(12), 8635–8656.
https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940610690169
Towers Perrin. (2003). Working today:
Understanding what drives employee engagement: The 2003 Towers Perrin talen
report, 1–35. https://doi.org/10.13109/prkk.2007.56.4.310
Vakola, M., & Nikolaou, I.
(2005). Attitudes towards organizational change: What is the role of employees’
stress and commitment? Employee Relations, 27(2), 160–174.
https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450510572685
Velotti, P., Zavattini, G. C., &
Garofalo, C. (2013). Lo studio della regolazione delle emozioni: Prospettive
future. Giornale Italiano Di Psicologia, 40(2), 247–262.
https://doi.org/10.1002/job.515
Wildermuth, C. D. M. E. S., &
Pauken, P. D. (2008). A perfect match: Decoding employee engagement - Part II:
Engaging jobs and individuals. Industrial and Commercial Training, 40(4),
206–210. https://doi.org/10.1108/00197850810876253
Zayas-ortiz, M., Rosario, E.,
Marquez, E., & Gruñeiro, P. C. (2015). Relationship between
organizational commitments and organizational citizenship behaviour in a
sample of private banking employees. International Journal of
Sociology and Social Policy, 35(January), 91–106.
https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-02-2014-0010
