Enhance Employee Engagement Research Articles

Task performance and training of employees: the mediating role of employee engagement in the tourism and hospitality industry

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyse the perception of employees towards training and also examine the mediation effect of employee engagement between training and task performance.Design/methodology/approachAn integrated model has been developed highlighting the relationship of the motivation for training and support for training and their implications on task performance through the mediating role of employee engagement. Using the sample of 397, structural equation modelling has been used with the help of SPSS and AMOS to validate the hypothesized relationship and evaluate the responses of employees working in travel agencies operating in Delhi (capital), India.FindingsThe findings of this study demonstrated a positively significant relationship between training and task performance of employees in the tourism and hospitality industry. Simultaneously, employee engagement positively mediates the relationship between training and task performance directly and indirectly. This study goes over the ramifications of the findings and offers some suggestions for practical implementations.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study can be used by managers and HR professionals to organize exclusive training programs for improving employees’ performance based on the dimensions used in this study. This study also suggests that training program enhances employee engagement in organizational activities which leads to build up team work and overall organizational as well as individual performance.Originality/valueThis study also introduces a conceptual model and theoretical framework that provide a significant contribution to the training and task performance of employees. This study provides a strong theoretical foundation by incorporating the social exchange theory to confirm the role of employee engagement in performance. Further, this novel piece of research explores the relationship between training and task performance with employee engagement as a mediator, especially in the Indian tourism and hospitality industry.

Enhancing Employee Engagement through Gamification: Empirical Study of an Indonesian State-Owned Enterprise

Highly engaged employees are vital in Indonesian State-Owned Enterprises. Considering the condition of deterioration in previous findings, particularly infrastructure services, one of the firms within the cluster has launched a nongaming context learning program known as UlarTangga for improving employee engagement. However, the effects of implementing the system to enhance engagement remain uncertain since previous studies showed ambiguous results, especially engagement in the context of an industrial or working environment. This study examines the possible effect of gamification on enjoyment through needs satisfaction to enhance employee engagement. The survey was conducted across departments that have experience using the game-mobile apps. The analysis in this study employs a quantitative methodology, with a total of 129 respondents remaining after a data cleansing process for outliers and testing assumptions. Inferential statistics and correlational analysis with partial least squares structural equation modeling were then used to analyze the data. This study discovered that enjoyment significantly affected employee engagement; gamification significantly affected enjoyment; gamification significantly affected need satisfaction; and need satisfaction significantly affected enjoyment. In addition, enjoyment fully mediates gamification and employee engagement; enjoyment fully mediates need satisfaction and employee engagement; need satisfaction and enjoyment fully mediate gamification on employee engagement; and need satisfaction partially mediates the effect of gamification on enjoyment. Thus, concluded that gamification elements could enhance engagement among workforces in a state-owned firm.

Navigate Employees’ CSR Perceptions and Leadership Roles: An Individual-level Study

This study evaluates the mediational role of employee perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) between two leadership styles and employee outcomes. Data was collected from 348 front-line employees of hotels in Pakistan. Structural equation modeling was used to test the data in AMOS. Results reveal that employees’ perception of organizations' CSR is shaped by its leader’s moral conduct and helps to enhance their commitment and engagement towards the organization. Findings reveal that partial mediation yields better results than full mediation and CSR mediates the relation between ethical, participative leadership and employees’ outcomes that leads toward higher engagement and commitment. The study is unique in its nature by investigating employees' perceived CSR as a mediator to explore the underlying mechanism between leadership roles and employees’ outcomes. The study holds valuable implications for managers and organizations especially for enhancing employee engagement and commitment.

Employee engagement, its antecedents and effects on business performance in hospitality industry: a multilevel analysis

PurposeEmployee engagement serves as a critical strategy for tourism and hospitality organizations to support their employees and fight adversity. This study aims to investigate the antecedents and effects of employee engagement and examine innovative behavior as a linchpin mechanism for the relationship between organizational engagement culture and organizational performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study analyzed the antecedents and effects of employee engagement through a hierarchical linear model that considers both organizational- and individual-level factors. The data was collected through a questionnaire survey from employees of 39 hotels in Guangzhou, China.FindingsThe results confirmed the significant positive effect of organizational empowerment, leadership and collaboration atmosphere on employment engagement. An individual’s perception of rewards and recognition, distributive justice and procedural justice significantly affected employee engagement. It was also confirmed that employee engagement ultimately improved performance outcomes at the individual and organizational levels. Additionally, the mediation effect of organizational innovation culture on the relationship between organizational employee engagement and organizational performance was confirmed.Practical implicationsOrganizations can improve their performance by enhancing employee engagement, which in turn, can be encouraged by empowering leadership and organizational collaboration culture. Organizations can also improve their performance by providing rewards and recognition appreciated by employees and ensuring justice to them.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the literature on employee engagement in the hospitality industry by demonstrating how organizational performance can be improved through employee engagement using a multilevel model. The findings highlight that organizations with engaged employees are more likely to achieve an innovative culture, which in turn, leads to organizational success. This study also confirmed that empowerment, leadership and collaboration culture help improve organizational performance in the hospitality industry.

CitiusTech: employee engagement amidst disruption

Research methodology The case was developed by interviewing Rizwan Koita, CitiusTech chief operating officer (CEO) and cofounder. Case overview/Synopsis CitiusTech, Inc. was a privately held health-care technology and consulting services provider with over 6,000 employees worldwide, with the majority in India. Since 2015, CitiusTech has been certified as one of India's best workplaces by the Great Place to Work Institute®.The case is set in 2020 when CitiusTech's business operations were severely disrupted as its customers suspended work on health-care technology projects to focus on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Rizwan Koita, CitiusTech's CEO and cofounder, suddenly found himself with a considerably large, highly qualified, underused talent pool and a significant loss in revenue. Instead of laying off highly skilled and trained employees, CitiusTech took a long-term view of the situation, believing that business would pick up in the third or fourth quarters and there would be a need to scale up teams. However, as 2020 was closing, Koita wondered if he had done enough to enhance employee engagement amid the disruption caused by COVID-19. Complexity academic level This case is intended for use in undergraduate courses focusing on leadership, industrial and organizational psychology or human resources management. This case may be positioned after students have been familiarized with the fundamental concept of employee engagement.

Workplace Bullying, Engagement and Employability: Moderating Role of Organization-Based Self-Esteem

The present research paper aims to examine the influence of workplace bullying on employee work outcomes in terms of employee engagement and perceived internal employability. The paper also analyses the moderating role of organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) in the relationship between workplace bullying and employee work outcomes. The authors relied on cross-sectional data from teaching faculty across universities and colleges in South India to validate hypotheses empirically. The proposed model was tested using Warp-PLS and PROCESS macro in SPSS. The study reported a significant negative influence of workplace bullying on perceived internal employability and employee engagement. The study also found that OBSE positively moderated the negative relationship between workplace bullying and employee work outcomes in terms of engaging employees and perceived employability. The unique aspect of this research is that it is the first time the moderating role of OBSE is discussed in bullying literature. The study puts across OBSE as a positive organization related construct that can nullify the negative impacts of workplace bullying. OBSE is a crucial resource in annualizing the negative effect of bullying in the workplace. Policymakers should imbibe OBSE as a crucial factor in the policies and ethics of their organization for enhancing employee engagement and employability.

Ethics of care in action: Overview of holistic framework with application to employee engagement

At the heart of public relations is the act of creating relationships that facilitate dialog, collaboration, and ongoing trust. This paper aims to conceptualize a framework based on ethics of care (EoC) that harnesses these core underpinnings, which propel the public relations industry, to enhance employee engagement. The ethics of care applied to employee engagement (EoCAEE) framework combines the success found within the EoC phases, along with the landscapes presented in the Applied Model of Care Considerations (AMCC), to ensure ethical, holistic decision making. EoCAEE repositions employee engagement as an ethical practice for organizations to prioritize with actionable steps.

Investigating Inclusive Leadership and Pro-Social Rule Breaking in Hospitality Industry: Important Role of Psychological Safety and Leadership Identification.

This study aims to empirically examine the mediating effects of psychological safety and leadership identification on the relationship between inclusive leadership and pro-social rule breaking among hospitality employees. This study analyzes the survey data collected in three waves from 589 employees working in different hotels and restaurants operating in the Northern areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The scale validity, composite reliability, and hypotheses were assessed through PLS-SEM. The study found that inclusive leadership significantly impacts employees’ pro-social rule-breaking. The study also found that leadership identification and psychological safety partially mediate the relationship between inclusive leadership and pro-social rule-breaking. Hospitality leaders can practice inclusive leadership characteristics because it may significantly enhance employee engagement in pro-social rule-breaking. Through their inclusive features, hospitality leaders can improve employees’ psychological safety and leadership identification, enhancing frontline employees’ pro-social rule-breaking.

Augmented employee voice and employee engagement using artificial intelligence-enabled chatbots: a field study

Employee engagement is critical for the sustenance of organizations. Scholars have highlighted that the employer-employee interaction is an essential mechanism that enhances employee engagement. The communicative and interactional features of AI applications in HRM allow for a personalized and individualized approach to employees. The proliferation of AI-based solutions is increasing in various dimensions of HR business processes, leading to enhanced employee experiences and job satisfaction. However, this research domain is exploratory concerning the impact of AI-mediation HRM practices. Based on a multi-source, time-lagged study spanning over ten months in a multinational company, we have investigated the impact of AI-enabled chatbots on employee engagement in the present study. We have also examined climate for trust as the path through which chatbots impact engagement. Moreover, we have analyzed the implications of AI-enabled chatbots on employee outcomes based on their age and past performance. The contributions of the study to theory and practice have also been discussed.

High-involvement work practices, employee trust and engagement: the mediating role of perceived organisational politics

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine perceptions of organisational politics (POP) as a mediator of the relationship between high-involvement work practices (HIWPs) and employee outcomes (trust in employer and employee engagement).Design/methodology/approachUsing a longitudinal time-lagged quantitative survey design, data were collected in two waves (n = 1,554, time 1, and n = 970, time 2). Direct and indirect (mediation) effects were tested through structural equation modelling (SEM) in AMOS.FindingsThe results of SEM suggest that HIWPs are positively associated with trust in the employer and employee engagement and negatively associated with POP. The data supported a partial mediation model in which POP mediated the relationship between HIWPs and both trust in the employer and employee engagement levels.Practical implicationsHIWPs reduce employees’ perceptions of the degree to which their work environment is politicised, enhance employee engagement and develop a more trusting relationship between employee and employer.Originality/valuePerceptions that workplace environments are characterised by political behaviours are ubiquitous and a large body of research has highlighted their detrimental effects on both employees and employers. This is the first study that has examined the potential of HIWPs in reducing such perceptions, which in turn, can foster employee engagement and enhance trust in the employer. Longitudinal studies of the effect HIWPs have on employee perceptions and attitudes are also still scarce.

The effect of inclusive leadership on employee engagement, mediated by psychological safety in the hospitality industry

PurposeThis paper assesses the inclusive leadership and employee engagement nexus in the hospitality industry, using psychological safety as a mediator.Design/methodology/approachThe study conveniently sampled 247 employees from the hospitality industry in Zimbabwe. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire with the aid of trained research assistants. Descriptive and inferential statistics were generated using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Regression analysis was used.FindingsThe findings of this study indicate that the predictor variable (inclusive leadership) directly affects the outcome variable (employee engagement) in the presence of the mediator. In addition, these findings depict that the indirect coefficient was partially significant, which shows that psychological safety partially affects employee engagement in the presence of inclusive leadership.Research limitations/implicationsThe study came up with essential conclusions on the link between inclusive leadership and employee engagement in the hospitality industry. However, there is a need to exercise caution when generalising the findings to a different setting. The results represent the opinions of a sample drawn from Zimbabwe, a developing country in Southern Africa. Future research can carry out a comparative study on the same variables in the context of developed and developing countries. Further, future research can execute a longitudinal analysis to better understand if inclusive leadership directly affects employee engagement in the presence of psychological safety. This would help hospitality management to employ relevant leadership strategies that enhance employee engagement.Practical implicationsThis research has pertinent implications for both academics and human resource practitioners. The study results revealed that there is a direct effect on inclusive leadership and employee engagement. Practically, if leaders avail themselves to work with employees and discuss business operations and social issues affecting them, employees will be committed to exerting more energy towards their work and productivity will be improved. Moreover, it is understandable that mistakes always happen, but errors will be minimised and controlled in such an environment. The results also revealed that the connection between inclusive leadership on employee engagement is partly enhanced by the moderator. This may be taken as a good strategy that can be employed by human resources practitioners in the hospitality industry.Originality/valueThe study significantly contributes to researchers and practitioners because it develops strategies for enhancing employee engagement in the hospitality sector. In addition, there is scant research that explores the mediating relationship of psychological safety between inclusive leadership and employee engagement in developing countries, particularly in the hospitality sector.

Transformational Leadership During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Strengthening Employee Engagement Through Internal Communication

This article examines the function of transformational leadership in enhancing employee engagement through internal communication during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the companies’ sustainability. This article is based on semi-structured interviews with 16 informants (human resources department representatives and employees) from the four industries most impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic: travel, hotel, food and beverage, and retail sectors. The findings reveal that transformational leaders play a critical role in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by encouraging employees to be innovative and creative, undertaking active actions, and strengthening employee engagement through internal communication. On the other hand, internal communication has changed due to the pandemic, including communication flow, messages, and media. Internal communication has promoted a climate for active communication behaviors encouraging knowledge sharing, collaboration, and creativity-enhancing employee engagement. Through spiritual values, transformational leaders who promote employee engagement amid this crisis ensure the organization's sustainability. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this research suggests that leaders might increase employee engagement by including spiritual values through internal communication.

Employees’ Self-Worth: Psychological and sociological factors influencing job satisfaction

This study aimed to examine whether individual self-worth influences job satisfaction through the mediating role of employee engagement at Kedai Ayamas, a convenience food store chain. Data were collected from 120 employees from Kedai Ayamas outlets throughout Malaysia. Questionnaires were developed and distributed via Google form link through emails. Perceived organizational support outperformed self-worth and value congruence in enhancing employee engagement and job satisfaction in convenience stores. Moreover, perceived organizational support makes employees feel accountable for the organization and helps it achieve its goals. The findings assist managers understand how employee engagement affects job satisfaction and view their personal traits. Keywords: Convenience stores, employees’ self-worth, sociological factors, job satisfaction eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7i19.3247

Framework for Gamification of Online Training Platforms for Employee Engagement Enhancement

Organizations have moved away from traditional classroom-based training to online training whereby employees can attend courses at their convenience either at home or in the workplace. This transition has been fuelled by lockdowns that governments worldwide have implemented to counter the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, where employees are expected to work or attend training from home. However, several issues including lack of employee engagement hinder the effective delivery of online corporate training. In recent years, gamification has been identified as a solution to lack of engagement in education. Gamification involves the incorporation of game elements into non-game applications to encourage user engagement, where different combinations are used for different learning contexts. However, little research has been done to identify suitable game elements for the gamification of corporate online training. This study proposes a set of game elements to improve employee engagement with online training platforms. A step-by-step analysis of the literature led to the identification of nine potentially suitable game elements. These elements were evaluated by a group of experts selected from five well-known training providers in Saudi Arabia, who completed a semi-structured interview questionnaire about the usability, completeness, and usefulness of the elements. The result of the evaluation indicated that the identified game elements will be able to effectively and efficiently improve employee engagement. The set of nine game elements was then incorporated into a proposed framework for the gamification of online training platforms to enhance employee engagement.

Leadership Styles and Employee Engagement: A Field Study at a Qatari Public Corporation: الأنماط القيادية وتأثيرها على الانغماس الوظيفي: دراسة ميدانية في مؤسسة عامة قطرية

The current study explored the relationship between leadership styles and employee engagement in the case of a Qatari public corporation. Survey research method was used in the research. In order to meet the research objectives, an online survey questionnaire was developed and distributed to a simple random sample of 294 employees. Descriptive and analytical statistical techniques available in SPSS were used to analyze the data of the 125 returned surveys. The results of the current study revealed that: (1) about 75% of the respondents are engaged in their work, (2) employees perceive their supervisors as transformational leaders rather than transactional leaders. Nonetheless, employees perceive their supervisors as neither pure transformational leaders nor pure transactional leaders, (3) there is strong and positive correlation between employee engagement and both transformational and transactional leadership styles. However, the correlation between transactional leadership and employee engagement was stronger than the correlation between transformational leadership and employee engagement. Based on that it is recommended to: (1) encourage supervisors to mix both transformational and transactional leadership styles by considering the situation and the nature of the task assigned to employees, (2) take action to develop leadership skills and behaviors, (3) show recognition for employee contributions and efforts, (4) strengthen the relationships between employees and their supervisors. In conclusion, it is important to develop strategies and practices to enhance employee engagement. One of the key factors in doing so is the development of leadership styles and behaviours.

Enhancing Employee Engagement via Leaders’ Motivational Language in times of crisis: Perspectives from the COVID-19 outbreak

By bridging theoretical perspectives from diverse disciplines including public relations, organizational communication, psychology, and management, this study advances a sequential mediation process model that links leaders’ motivational communication—specifically, direction-giving, empathetic, and meaning-making language—to employees’ organizational engagement during times of crisis. The model incorporates employees’ psychological needs satisfaction and their subsequent crisis coping strategies so as to explain the process that underlies the effects of leader communication on employee engagement. We tested the model in a unique yet underexplored crisis context: organizational crises triggered by the global pandemic of COVID-19. The results of an online survey of 490 full-time U.S. employees provide strong support to the model’s predictions. Our research extends internal crisis communication scholarship in public relations by addressing what types of leader communication strategies as well as how these strategies contribute to employee engagement in a holistic fashion. It also advances theoretical development of the motivational language theory, self-determination theory, transactional model of stress and coping, and organizational engagement—the four theoretical bases of our study—in the context of organizational crises. Lastly, the study results provide timely practical insights on effective internal crisis communication.

Employee Engagement in A Remote Working Scenario

Remote working is a concept in which the employees do not commute or travel to the Organizations place of work but allows the employees to work outside of the traditional office environment. Employee engagement can be viewed as an attitude of an employee/employee’s a to be productive, to excel and therefore be committed towards the organisation. Remote working applies to a variety of employees especially office or desk-based workers. This paper explores different facets of the remote worker’s persona and provides recommendations and practices to enhance employee engagement of the employees working remotely. Remote work culture is not a new concept, but due to the current Covid-19 Pandemic situation there seems to be a rapid shift of many employees to the remote working model essentially working away from the traditional office ecosystem. This paper examines two aspects of working remotely, a. In regular times b. during a crisis and in both these scenarios how to keep the remote workers engaged and motivated to ensure a minimum if not zero loss of Productivity.

Decoding leadership to leverage employee engagement in virtual teams

PurposeVirtual teams are characterized by short social exchanges and a lack of para-verbal and non-verbal communication. This poses several challenges to virtual leaders. This study aims to decode the role of leadership and understand its impact on engaging geographically dispersed teams. This research offers a comprehensive view of idealized influence and inspirational motivation – the two sub-factors of transformational leadership which defines the charisma of a leader in leveraging engagement of virtual employees. It also studies the impact of effective leadership communication and trust between team members in engaging employees working in virtual teams.Design/methodology/approachThis research is a mixed method study. Phase I of qualitative study (10 FGD) facilitated phase II of quantitative study. A questionnaire was developed to reflect themes that emerged from qualitative phase. The focus of the qualitative study was to understand the role of leaders viewed by virtual employees in the context of engagement. A cross-sectional data of 300 respondents from eight different industries was gathered using a survey questionnaire. Purposive non-probability sampling technique was used. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling, SmartPLS 3 software.FindingsResults showed that leaders play a significant role in engaging virtual employees. The transformational leadership behaviour with a purview of idealized influence and inspirational motivation positively engages employees in virtual teams. The findings emphasize that trust between team members impacts engagement, and trust mediates the relationship between leadership communication effectiveness and engagement of virtual employees.Practical implicationsPositive leadership behaviour such as transformational leadership helps create an environment of trust and engagement that is experienced by a team working distantly. Leader plays a critical role to foster an engaging environment that boosts the potential of every employee. Organizations invest a lot of money, time and resources in leadership and communication training. This study could help organizations in training their managers/leaders for adapting their leadership style that suits the virtual work environment. Organizations can also pay attention to the required skill sets of people while hiring and/or promoting leaders who have to lead virtual employees.Originality/valueThe exponential increase in virtual working has necessitated decoding essential leadership skills to engage the virtual workforce. Working virtually is psychologically a different experience and hence requires a separate study. The lack of proximity and face-to-face conversations in virtual teams increases the complexity of leading and thus alters the engagement equation. This paper explores the impact of leaders in enhancing employee engagement and that is presented in a condensed manner.

Progressing Organisational Behaviour towards a New Normal

The economic and social impacts of the coronavirus pandemic have affected organisations and businesses in multiple ways. The lockdown restrictions implemented by governing bodies, have resulted in organisations changing their behaviours from conventional methods of face-to-face engagement in physical settings, onto digital platforms. This study aims to identify the challenges pertaining to organisational behaviour during the covid-19 pandemic. Recommendations are made to facilitate organisations to implement changes in their behaviour and enhance employee engagement in the new normal world. This study is implemented through a systematic review of published and grey literature sources. Results indicate that motivation, adaptation, continual learning and building trust are challenges important to overcome within the new normal world.

Enhancement Health Care Workers Engagement in the Light of Advanced Technology: Employees’ Perspectives

Regardless of the size of the hospital, the leaders have critical responsibilities to engage the employee in some situations. So you are in luck if you have the most precious tool of technologies usage as an enhancement variable. Aim: This study aimed to explore Employee Engagement factors in the light of advanced technology. Design: An exploratory correlation study design was exploited in this study. Sample& Setting: a cross-sectional sample of 350 different category employees was employed. Tools: an adapted engagement questionnaire was used to collect the pertinent facts. Results: The main discoveries of this study exhibited that, in the light of technology, many factors are important for enhancing work engagement; these factors are leadership, teamwork, social engagement, staffing& resource capability…..etc. Respectively: These factors did not differ between the studied group work engagements concerning neither their working department nor relation to their gender, but there was a highly significant difference between the studied group work engagements to their years of experience Conclusion: technology using can enhance employee engagement. Although many factors enhance employee engagement, the advanced technologies make those factors differ in their priority and importance. Recommendations: all organizations should promote technologies induction within limits that help in employees’ engagement. Also, to achieve a higher level of work engagement when deploying technology, it's important to distinguish between tacit and explicit knowledge. Keywords (MeSH words): technology, engagement, employees, organization.