Exploratory study

Abstract

PurposeEmployee engagement recently emerged as a promising mechanism to improve organisational effectiveness and accordingly reduce the performance gap. This paper empirically demonstrates which employee engagement dimension(s) act as the strongest dimension to enhance the levels of employee engagement and consequently organisational effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a quantitative approach, specifically a survey design, using a questionnaire to collect data. Regression analysis was applied to predict the impact of the employee engagement dimensions on the level of employee engagement in organisations and the impact of online/social media, as part of communication, on employee engagement.FindingsThe statistical analyses indicate that the dimensions organisational strategy and implementation, organisational commitment and team commitment are significant predictors of employee engagement. On-line/social media has a negative effect on employee engagement. However, according to the results, communication in organisations can be improved, especially by using online/social media more effectively.Research limitations/implicationsThis includes low response rate from some groups.Practical implicationsThe importance of secondary general management tasks, particularly motivation and communication, in mobilising employees to cooperate in pursuing organisational goals, became apparent. This study reflects the adverse effect of a lack of leadership and management skills, and ineffective use of online/social media on organisational performance, as reported in academic and practitioner research. Regardless, practitioners can apply the levers of motivation, via structural dimensions of organisation, to activate psychological presence which drives employee engagement and in turn facilitates strategy implementation and consequently organisational effectiveness. Scholars can modify their research agendas by investigating the “(un)availability” of human resources to improve organisational effectiveness.Social implicationsThe costs of disengaged employees are high, in terms of productivity losses and the performance gap, with adverse consequences for society.Originality/valueEmployee engagement as a driver of strategy implementation is an overlooked area of research. This study offers a better explanation of employee engagement as a mechanism to improve strategy implementation, thus reducing the performance gap, and consequently waste. Employee engagement engenders employee support to pursue organisational goals, in a coordinated system of cooperation, and is produced by the structural dimensions of organisation, the parameters within which psychological presence is activated. Psychological presence drives employee engagement which enables employees to be available to implement strategy to achieve organisational goals and thus organisational effectiveness. Engagement at a broader level than individual is significant.