Unraveling the Dynamics of Employee Engagement: A Study of Employees’ Information-Sharing Networks and Voice Behavior within Organizations

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study explores employee engagement by examining the complex relationship between information-sharing networks, employee voice behavior, and employee engagement. By focusing on the often-neglected dynamics of coworker relationships, this study draws on a social capital perspective and uses egocentric network analysis to examine how various attributes of employees’ information sharing networks – namely network size, strength, diversity, and ratio of friends – affect employee outcomes. Through an online egocentric survey of 400 full-time employees, the findings revealed that employees with larger, more diverse networks, and frequent interactions with coworkers are more likely to engage in voice behavior. The results also underscored the importance of friendship ties among coworkers, highlighting that employees who perceive more of their coworkers as friends within these networks are more likely to engage in voice behavior. This voice behavior, in turn, promotes employee engagement. The findings establish the significance of employees’ information-sharing networks with coworkers to leaders and communication professionals in nurturing a culture of engagement.