Affective Engagement, Gender Diversity and Employee Performance in the Tanzanian Textile Industry

Abstract

Employee performance is increasingly recognized as one of the key variables in human resources management, and has been the subject of increasing interest and research by many scholars. Given the dynamic and volatile business environment, the survival of any business depends on the ability of its work force to perform well in order to achieve its goals. However, in some businesses the reality is not the same, where employees are not performing well due to several factors such as low levels of affective engagement and a lack of gender diversity, which are considered to be crucial factors that influence employee performance. The low employee performance observed in the textile industry in Tanzania can partly be explained by low levels of affective engagement, and yet this sector is key to the economic welfare of the country. Most of the reviewed studies have examined employee performance based on a single dimension. This study investigated the influence of affective engagement on employee performance considering the mediating effect of gender diversity. The study sample consisted of 618 employees from textile firms in four Tanzanian regions: Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Shinyanga, and Simuyu. Multistage sampling technique was employed, and descriptive and structural equation model were used for data analysis. This study established that affective engagement had a statistically significant, positive influence on employees’ adaptive, contextual and task performance, while gender diversity had a partial mediating effect on the influence of affective engagement on contextual and task performance. The study provided several recommendations, including the suggestion that managers should promote an environment that fosters employees’ positive emotions, energy, and enthusiasm towards their roles.