FACTORS LINKED TO PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS JAMIE R. DEWEERDT CLEMSON UNIVERSITY DR. BRONACK HRD 880 APRIL 2009 Employee Engagement

What is Engagement? “ Engagement is the harnessing of organizational members’ selves to their work roles; likewise disengagement is the uncoupling of selves from work roles” (Kahn, 1990). “ A heightened emotional and intellectual connection that an employee has for his/her job, organization, manager, or co-workers that, in turn, influences him/her to apply additional discretionary effort to work” (Gibbons, 2006). “ Bringing discretionary effort to work, in the form of extra time, brain power and energy” (Perrin, 2003).

“ Engagement is the harnessing of organizational members’ selves to their work roles; likewise disengagement is the uncoupling of selves from work roles” (Kahn, 1990).

“ A heightened emotional and intellectual connection that an employee has for his/her job, organization, manager, or co-workers that, in turn, influences him/her to apply additional discretionary effort to work” (Gibbons, 2006).

“ Bringing discretionary effort to work, in the form of extra time, brain power and energy” (Perrin, 2003).

Why is engagement challenging? Employee engagement is complex . Demographics, culture, values, and the environment all impact people in different ways at different times in the workplace. It is difficult to determine exactly what it should look like; those behaviors must be specified.

Employee engagement is complex .

Demographics, culture, values, and the environment all impact people in different ways at different times in the workplace.

It is difficult to determine exactly what it should look like; those behaviors must be specified.

Employee Engagement

The Facts 29% of the North American workforce is fully engaged in their roles 19% are completely disengaged U.S. companies are losing more than $350 billion annually due to disengaged employees Ironically, it is the skilled labor shortage, coupled with an ever increasing need for higher levels of customer service that is pushing the pendulum back toward employee engagement”

29% of the North American workforce is fully engaged in their roles

19% are completely disengaged

U.S. companies are losing more than $350 billion annually due to disengaged employees

Ironically, it is the skilled labor shortage, coupled with an ever increasing need for higher levels of customer service that is pushing the pendulum back toward employee engagement”

Who is William Kahn? The first known scholar credited for linking engagement and the workplace in the early 1990s. Very little attention had been spent examining how people occupy their roles and to what degree. People exert various levels of energy physically, cognitively, and emotionally when engaged in a task. Kahn’s scope of research focused on the moments when people transition in and out of these roles.

The first known scholar credited for linking engagement and the workplace in the early 1990s.

Very little attention had been spent examining how people occupy their roles and to what degree.

People exert various levels of energy physically, cognitively, and emotionally when engaged in a task.

Kahn’s scope of research focused on the moments when people transition in and out of these roles.

Engagement Links to Motivational Theory

Psychological Meaningfulness “ Psychological Meaningfulness is the value of a work goal or purpose, judged in relation to an individual’s own ideals or standards” How meaningful is it for me to bring myself into this performance? When people feel worthwhile, useful, and valuable

“ Psychological Meaningfulness is the value of a work goal or purpose, judged in relation to an individual’s own ideals or standards”

How meaningful is it for me to bring myself into this performance?

When people feel worthwhile, useful, and valuable

Psychological Safety “ Psychological Safety is feeling able to show and employ one’s self without fear of negative consequences to self-image, status or career” How safe is it to bring myself into this performance? When people feel situations are trustworthy, secure, predictable, and clear in terms of behavioral consequences.

“ Psychological Safety is feeling able to show and employ one’s self without fear of negative consequences to self-image, status or career”

How safe is it to bring myself into this performance?

When people feel situations are trustworthy, secure, predictable, and clear in terms of behavioral consequences.

Psychological Availability “ Psychological Availability is an individual’s belief that s/he has the physical, emotional or cognitive resources to engage the self at work” How available am I to do this? When people feel capable of driving physical, intellectual, and emotional energies into a role.

“ Psychological Availability is an individual’s belief that s/he has the physical, emotional or cognitive resources to engage the self at work”

How available am I to do this?

When people feel capable of driving physical, intellectual, and emotional energies into a role.

Studied Factors Link to Conditions Age and age perception had a positive correlation between psychological meaningfulness and safety. Job enrichment and work role fit were confidently associated with meaningfulness. Supportive supervisor interactions , rewarding co-worker relations , and self consciousness were positively linked to feelings of psychological safety. The studies ultimately revealed that all three constructs play a role in the varying degrees of engagement a person exerts in the workplace.

Age and age perception had a positive correlation between psychological meaningfulness and safety.

Job enrichment and work role fit were confidently associated with meaningfulness.

Supportive supervisor interactions , rewarding co-worker relations , and self consciousness were positively linked to feelings of psychological safety.

The studies ultimately revealed that all three constructs play a role in the varying degrees of engagement a person exerts in the workplace.

Employee Engagement

What’s to Come? Concepts such as work flexibility, policies, communication, and leadership style are just to name a few factors worth exploring. The real challenge now is continuous recruitment and retention and finding motivated, passionate employees that fit a firm’s culture and vice versa. As workers become more disengaged, hopefully emerging research and design methods will aid in finding new ways to inspire and engage today’s workforce.

Concepts such as work flexibility, policies, communication, and leadership style are just to name a few factors worth exploring.

The real challenge now is continuous recruitment and retention and finding motivated, passionate employees that fit a firm’s culture and vice versa.

As workers become more disengaged, hopefully emerging research and design methods will aid in finding new ways to inspire and engage today’s workforce.

Contact Information Jamie R. DeWeerdt [email_address] [email_address] 843-260-4461

Jamie R. DeWeerdt

[email_address]

[email_address]

843-260-4461