The document discusses employee engagement and the factors that contribute to it. It addresses several key points: 1) Employee engagement requires effort from both the company and employees. Companies must provide meaningful work and employees must be willing to take on challenges. 2) Engagement is influenced by self, peer, and manager evaluations as well as feelings of belonging, challenge, freedom and purpose. People want to know their work contributes value. 3) Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are important for engagement. Intrinsic motivators like purpose and mastery are more effective than just external rewards. However, a balance of both is needed. 4) Engagement is influenced by leadership approach, culture, development opportunities,

1. Employee Engagement
Employee Engagement
Emily Kenney
Metropolitan State University
Organizational Communications
December 8th
2013

2. Employee Engagement 2
INTRODUCTION:
Having great leaders in the workplace is essential for any company to succeed. Research
shows however that it takes much more than a few great minds to make a company really
prosper. Total employee engagement is needed on all levels in order to really thrive in today’s
economy (Bhatti, 2011, Xu, 2011). Engagement is twofold taking both sides of the equation to
make it whole. Companies need to give employees meaningful fulfillment in their work lives and
employees must come prepared to take on challenges and pursue greater heights (Robertson,
2010 Shorbaji, 2011, Wang 2013). Engagement in the workplace is deliberate and does not occur
without concentrated effort from all parties; it comes from both inside the individual employees
and the external corporate working.
Self, peer, and managerial evaluation are key factors in employee engagement. No
singular piece is able to provide total engagement. Similar to a chain reaction each piece plays
off the other, propelling engagement up or down depending on the circumstances. In order to
harness engagement employees must have a sense of belonging, challenge, freedom and purpose.
People spend years of their lives at work, they want to know that what they do with their time
will count for something (Bakosh, 2007, Debow, 2011, Lupfer, 2013, Macleod, 2013, Malcolm,
2013, & Xu, 2011).
MOTIVATION:
Engagement is a balance of motivators, these come from both external and internal
sources. Too often businesses rely only on external motivators, but as Dan Pink (2013) discusses
it's not only about giving out nicer carrots and sharper sticks when it comes to employee
engagement. It is more reliant on the internal aspect; people must want to find purpose in their
work and seek mastery in what they do (Pink, 2013). If a company is only seeking compliance

3. Employee Engagement 3
from its employees preventive controls will do, but in order to engage them you have to allow
them to be creative and work outside the box (Cho, 2011, Christ, 2012). Too many preventive
controls can cause employees to feel smothered and make moral plummet. Detective controls on
the other hand allow for risk taking, problem solving and creativity. For total engagement of
employees there must be a balance between creativity and control (Christ, 2012).
Intrinsic motivators are described well in Maslow’s hierarchy. In this model needs are
broken down into five categories, physiological, security, social, esteem and on the top of the
pyramid self-actualization. The pyramid has the basic survival needs at the bottom and the more
complex needs like social acceptance and fulfillment towards the top (Bakosh, 2007, Eisenberg,
2010, Goodall Jr., 2010, & Trethewey, 2010). In order to engage employees it is important that
companies seek to fulfill these higher level needs.
Extrinsic motivators can also be viewed at contingent, the if you do this, you get that
theory. This can be used in the workplace in the form of bonuses, prizes and other opportunities
to climb the corporate ladder. Performance pressure and competition can also be good outside
motivators giving employees accountability to others in their environment (Gardner, 2012,
Hamilton, 2013, Macleod, 2014, & Mirvis, 2012). Furthermore, it is important that managers be
leaders others want to follow. They must establish respect, reciprocate it, as well as, provide a
feeling of trustworthiness (Bhatti, 2011, Cho, 2011, Gardner, 2012, Hamilton, 2013, Wang, 2013,
& Xu, 2011). It is paramount leaders take a bona fide interest in their employees and assiduously
assess employee motivators so they are able to cater to them.

4. Employee Engagement 4
APPROACH:
Much of employee engagement lies in authentic leadership, the approach that is used to
introduce change and office citizenship (Cho, 2011, & Wang, 2013). It can also be viewed in
terms of transactional, relational and developmental approaches. It is important to give
employees a sense of purpose and camaraderie and to make it feel authentic. Listening to
employees sincerely and developing rapport about both work related and personal topics
provides a deeper sense of commitment in the workplace (Mirvis, 2012, & Silverman, 2006).
The transactional end of engagement is tied to addressing employee concerns and
establishing an equitable relationship. It is paramount to garner trust, and boost morale in the
workplace through authentic leadership (Mirvis, 2012, Wang, 2013). Everyone needs to be held
to similar standards and share the work burden, people need to feel that they are treated fairly
and equally. Managers need to implement consistency in how things operate and a protocol in
dealing with various issues so that there is an equilibrium of communication and action (Wang,
2013). How change is implemented and the presentation of information can also contribute to the
transactional nature of engagement (Christ, 2012).
How people come together in the workplace is a part of the relational approach. Things
like giving to others and doing charity work can build a team's spirit and build an attitude of the
collective being socially responsible (Xu, 2011). Common goals, especially on a deeper external
level builds community (Scott, 2012). Corporate culture is also a part of the relational approach,
with all the hours spent at work it is important to foster a good climate in the office. Feelings of
being included, recognized and valued by managers and peers helps positively propel the
corporate culture (Bakosh, 2007, Gardner, 2012, Malcolm, 2013).
Ongoing development and skill building is essential to engagement. Keeping employees
minds sharp and their skills current helps build engagement and allows for change to occur more

5. Employee Engagement 5
smoothly. It can also quell employee’s fear of replacement and becoming outdated if they are
able to continually pursue new skills and mastery of their existing ones. The more well versed
and versatile your workforce the better it will be able to adapt in times of change (Mirvis, 2012,
Silverman, 2006, & Xu, 2011).
GOALS:
Goal setting is another great motivator. Employees need to know that they are working
toward a bigger, greener pasture. A mnemonic device often use in goal setting is S.M.A.R.T,
specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound (Lavinsky, 2013 & Meyer, 2003). This
action based formula ensures goals are set, resources allocated and accountability is present
when setting goals. It is important to narrow the focus of goals with a time line of what should be
expected, what resources are needed and how progress will be measured. Goal creation should
cover the who, what, when, where and why questions. Employees must set goals with purpose
and seek to gain skills that will be mutually beneficial (Malcolm, 2013).
Optimal goal setting is done when team members are allowed time in advance to
calculate their objectives and thoroughly research and plot their course (Malcolm, 2013). By
performing a core evaluation of their individual attributes they are better able to realize their
potential, this in turn helps drive engagement (Lavinsky, 2013, Pink, 2013 Shorbaji, 2011).
Studies suggest the more involved an employee is with their talent management and goal setting
the more self-efficacy they retain. The iconic phrase, “I think I can, I think I can”, is pivotal to
employee engagement. Team members must have a sense of self-empowerment and a positive
outlook in order to truly be engaged with their work (Bakosh, 2007, Robertson, 2010, Shorbaji,
2011).

6. Employee Engagement 6
Managers also have a fundamental role in goal setting, it is vital they provide coaching
and resources to team members. By taking a genuine interest and concisely assessing employees
skills, they can more effectively mentor and challenge others (Lupfer, 2013). They also play an
acute role in terms of on boarding. It is much easier to garner engagement when you have
selected the right people. As Silverman (2006) explains, before a company can begin to think
about its objectives they must have the “right people on the bus”. This means making a thorough
evaluation of people before bringing them in the door. Every place has its own individual
atmosphere, so it is important to select people who will add to the culture and not detract from it.
HEALTH:
The importance of an employee’s outlook on life is critical to their sense of engagement,
self-esteem and mental health play a huge role in this. Those who have a positive outlook on life
are better equipped to cope with challenges in the workplace, viewing them as opportunities
instead of obstacles. Employees with a good emotional balance are more alert, outgoing,
enthusiastic, and are able to network advantageously. It is a chain reaction of sorts; positive self-
evaluation leads to feelings of impact and control over one's environment, which further propels
them to seek rewards through productive, economically successful measures (Bakosh, 2007,
Robertson, 2010, Shorbaji, 2011).
Mental healths shadow consumes much more than just the individual sufferer. The
neuroticism of one person can be felt by colleagues and clients, this in turn translates into
customer satisfaction and profitability. Negativity and positivity can be infectious in the
corporate environment, one person's attitude has a ripple effect expanding to those around them
(Robertson, 2010). It is important to feel nurtured, safe, cared for and respected in the workplace

7. Employee Engagement 7
(Macleod, 2013). When people feel safe they are more likely to take risks, this in turn can lead to
innovation (Bakosh, 2007).
A Gallup poll estimated the cost of disengaged workers to be a staggering three hundred
billion a year. Mental health has been intricately tied to physical health which can further
escalate the fiscal impact. This deficit is made up of lost wages from sick days, disability claims,
turnover, loss of productivity and poor quality work (Amabile, 2011, Robertson, 2010, Shorbaji,
2011). With profit losses this large it is no wonder why employers are after the magic
engagement cure. In 2012 less than a third of employees were actively engaged and over sixty
percent of people were looking for other work. For a small company this could be devastating, as
engaged employees are shown to bring in over a quarter more in profits (Scott, 2012).
CONCLUSION:
Employee engagement is the new “it” term in today’s technology laden workforce. With
developments and change occurring every moment of the work day, it is pivotal employees are
engaged. Job creation and economic stability depend people being innovative, willing to take
risks and forge ahead with new ideas (Friedman, 2011). It is paramount now more then ever that
every individual in every level of a company be fully present and ready to take the lead and drive
home success. Expansion is only possible through a collectively engaged effort (Amabile, 2011,
Bhatti, 2011).
A successfully engaged workplace consists of managers who are effectively involved in
propelling others in seeking out new skills and adequately recognize employee efforts and
contributions (Bhatti, 2011, Cho, 2011, Christ, 2012, Gardner, 2012, Mirvis, 2012, Wang, 2013,
Xu, 2011). Skills and attributes must be well assessed by all parties and joint interest in common
goals both in the internal organization and society at large are needed (Lupfer, 2013, Malcolm,

8. Employee Engagement 8
2013, Scott, 2012). Employees also must be fully present and posses a positive self-evaluation
(Robertson, 2010). Engagement is a collective effort that takes everyone from the CEO down to
the last seemingly insignificant employee.

9. Employee Engagement 9
Annotated Bibliography
Ambille, T. (2011) Do happier people work harder? New York Times, The Opinion Pages, SR7
Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/opinion/sunday/do-happier-people-
work-harder.html
This article provides various statistic in relation to employee engagement. Gallup
estimates the cost of America’s disengagement crisis at a staggering $300 billion in lost
productivity annually. Further is states that when people don’t care about their jobs or
their employers, they don’t show up consistently, they are produce less and their work
quality suffers. Workers’ well-being depends, in large part, on managers’ ability and
willingness to facilitate workers’ accomplishments — by removing obstacles, providing
help and acknowledging strong effort
Bakosh, R. (2007, September). How to motivate your sales force to great performance. Talent &
Organization Performance. Retrieved from http://www.accenture.com/us-
en/outlook/Pages/outlook-journal-2007-motivate-sales-force.aspx
This web article dives into the key elements that motivate a sales force to a high level of
performance. Sales professionals have basic human needs that must be filled. To
effectively motivate your sales professionals they must feel a strong sense of trust,
esteem, social recognition and improved chances to fulfill one’s potential.
Bakosh mentions Maslow’s hierarchical understanding of basic or innate human needs.
People want to be motivated, they want to be successful, and their motivation is the
physiological needs, people need to put food on the table, provide for their family. As

10. Employee Engagement 10
people strive to meet and exceed their goals they are rewarded with incentive of more
money and possibly other benefits.
The need of trust is crucial to motivate, people need to know that they are going to be
compensated justly according to their performance. This trust meets the need for safety
and security. The next two principles in motivating sales people is the need to belong to a
group and that they receive appropriate recognition for the job they are doing. Most
people want to a part of a group whether it is at work, or a team sport. The point is
everyone needs to feel that they play an important role in the success of the team.
Furthermore they need to know that they are being recognized for the job they are doing.
This recognition ensures that people have meaning, and that the work they are doing
matters. Also by giving recognition professional esteem is built and promotes further
motivation to improve one’s ability to reach goals and be successful.
The last principle described is the fulfillment of potential, or self-actualization. Even at a
young age we see that self-actualization is very important as seen in the engine that
could. I think I can I think I can! And when he does it, confidence is gained and he then
says, I thought I could, I thought I could. The point being that when people speak out the
truth, and begin with the actions they will then gain a greater sense fulfillment and
success and continue to grow and build and reach their potential. When sales
professionals are challenged and given the opportunity to grow and achieve greatness
they will reach their full potential.

11. Employee Engagement 11
Bhatti, W. A., Waris, S., Zaheer, A., & Kashif-Ur-Rehman. (2011). The Effect of Commitment
and Motivation on Human Talent and its Contribution to Organizational Performance.
Management & Marketing 6(3), 471-482
This article discussed employee motivation and commitment as being a culmination of
several different factors. It reports that “commitment, motivation, dedication to an
organization, nurturing and individual development”, as some of the prime factors in
employee engagement. It uses the term “human capital” to refer to the product workers
provide to the company. The more engaged employees are the more capital they are
worth.
Failure of a company to manage their human capital can hurt their reputation and hinder
their profits. In order to ward off these types of things it is critical to project future
business needs and develop the talent, allowing for them to grow as the business needs
change. By always providing ongoing training and resources the company is more
flexible in times of growth and thought to be more adaptive in changing circumstances.
This can also aid in employee retention.
Treating employees with respect and seeing things from their view is also integral in
retaining good talent. The employer must be as dedicated to its employees as they want
their employees to be to them. It is truly a two way street. The more valued employees
feels the more they will strive to achieve. This can be displayed through incentives and
praise. In turn the valued employee is liable to continue achieving as they feel committed
to their work and want to have further rewards and fulfillment.

12. Employee Engagement 12
Cho, Y., & Perry, J. (2011). Intrinsic Motivation and Employee Attitudes: Role of Managerial
Trustworthiness, Goal Directness, and Extrinsic Reward Expectancy. Review of Public
Personnel Administration, 32(4), 382-406 doi: 10.1177/0734371x11421495
First and foremost the key to motivating employees is to understand what motivates
people. What are root motivators that enables an employee to get things done efficiently
and to perform at a maximum level? In this study Cho and Perry review key components
to employee motivation and engagement and how their relationships effect the output of
performance and job satisfaction. The initial concept that steps off the page is around
intrinsic motivation, the inner being that in its own existence in humans, it is the fact that
all have internal motivation, each of us are born with it, and each of us can be influence
by how we were raised, the culture we live in and in the our work place.
An example of intrinsic motivation is that people like to help other people, managers
would be wise to direct their teams focus on the big picture by helping people. Humans
want meaning in life, they want to know that what they do counts for something, whether
it be to accomplish something at work or to provide for their hungry family. If managers
can rally these motivations they then build managerial trustworthiness which in turn
promotes the momentum of motivation experienced by individuals and teams alike.
Managerial trustworthiness is crucial to establishing respect, authority and the ability to
be a leader people want to follow.
Furthermore all humans have a basic intrinsic need to succeed, which leads to the
importance of setting clear goals. People are motivated by effectively setting goals with
the strong expectation that they can be achieved. When individuals consistently achieve
their goals their confidence rises and their performance soars to the top.

13. Employee Engagement 13
Christ, M., & Emett, S., & Summers, S., & Wood, D. (2012) The Effects of Preventative and
Detective Controls on Employee Performance and Motivation. Contemporary
Accounting Research 29(2), 432-452. Doi: 10.1111/j.1911-3846-2011-01106.x
What is the better way “control” or “creativity?” This study shows how formal controls
influence employee behavior. There are two specific types of control, preventative
controls that are designed to discourage or deter problems before they happen and
detective controls designed to discover issues and address them after they occur.
Studies show that although these controls are different they both have various pros and
cons. The main focus is how do these controls effect employee engagement? When an
organization over communicates the preventative controls employee moral trends to
decrease, along with employee job satisfaction, the job at hand is not fulfilling and
performance can suffer. On the other hand detective controls let employees be more
creative in their problem solving abilities encouraging open minds and new ways of
performing.
In some industries formal preventative measures are in place to mitigate risk. The ability
to follow policies and provide an outstanding customer experience takes problem solving
skills and creativity. Regulations play a huge role in this, bottom line organizations need
to take a close look at how they are presenting new policies and procedures to ensure the
individual employees who are taking action and following the policies are not lost in the
mix. Ultimately it’s about presentation of the new policies. Poor presentation can create a
lack of employee engagement and cause a various issues in the work place. The key is for
the entire organization to buy into the idea and be able to ask questions to ensure they

14. Employee Engagement 14
understand.
Debow, D. (2011) Three ways to boost commitment at work. CNN Money, Retrieved from
http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2011/03/03/3-ways-to-boost-commitment-at-work/
Make face time
Managers can have an immense impact on employee commitment. Managers can also fail
to motivate by not having a presence in the office. Giving orders is one form of
communication however by being present managers can provide support and feedback to
ensure proper execution and commitment to outstanding quality and employee
engagement.
Say Thanks
People work hard day in day out, managers and executive personnel need to ensure that
they are providing appropriate gratitude towards their front line employees. Recognition
is contagious, and when provided effectively can spur on outstanding employee
performance, continued commitment to the organization and overall employee
satisfaction and employee engagement.
Connect work with meaning
Employees have a human need to have purpose and feel that what they do really matters.
Lack of vision will prove to be a detriment to employee motivation, in that when people
are not reaching for something they become stagnant and complacent.

15. Employee Engagement 15
Eisenberg, E., Goodall Jr., H., & Trethewey, A. (2010). Organizational Communication. (6th ed.,
pp. 41, 59-78, 141-166). Boston & New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.
Friedman, T., Mandelbaum, M. (2011). That used to be us. (1st ed.). New York: Farrar, Straus
and Giroux.
Gardner, H. K. (2012) Performance Pressure as a Double-edged Sword: Enhancing Team
Motivation but Undermining the Use of Team Knowledge. Administrative Science
Quarterly 57(1)1-46, Harvard Business School.
Key focuses throughout the article include performance pressure, accountability, team
effectiveness, knowledge use, and employee motivation. In high performance pressure
environments accountability is very important. Heidi Garner, assistant professor at
Harvard Business School states that when accountability is in place that people tend to
want to respect those who are giving the orders and that it gives people something to
strive for. It is crucial that accountability is consistent with each team member to ensure
that everyone respects direction from management. Furthermore people are motivated by
many factors, including money, family and the opportunity to climb a corporate ladder.
As a manager it is crucial to understand what drives performance and how it impacts a
team’s working performance.

16. Employee Engagement 16
Hamilton, C. (2013). Top ten ideas for employee engagement. Small Business. Retrieved from
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/top-ten-ideas-employee-engagement-31543.html
Trust
Employers should provide openness and transparency when dealing with workers, even
when they have to disclose bad news such as reduced hours. Employees trust executives
who live by example, so business owners should hold themselves to the same standard of
conduct as they do their employees.
Compensation
Employees expect fair compensation for their work and business owners should provide
producing employees with bonuses. This compensation should also include pay increases
and better positions for employees who consistently exceed expectations. Employers
should offer compensation that involves employees in the future of the company, such as
offering stock options and profit sharing.
Games
Business owners should work competitions into their business models to engage
employees. Splitting employees into groups and keeping score of their accomplishments
breaks up the monotony of work, gives them focus and increases productivity. Social
recognition of employee victories further develops engagement.
Lavinsky, D. (2013) 7 Ways to Pump Up Employee Engagement in Your Office. NBC News.
Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/53144615/ns/business-small_business/

17. Employee Engagement 17
There are various factors to consider when setting goals. They should always be set by t
he employee. They should be measurable and timely and reviewed in a consistent
manner. Goals should also be broken down into big and small pieces and should leverage
team accountability.
Lupfer, E. (2013, September 26). 10 employee engagement ideas that get serious results. Small
Business. Retrieved from http://socialmediatoday.com/elizabeth-lupfer/1769696/10-
employee-engagement-ideas-get-serious-results
Leading and coaching employees to success – helping employees to be successful at their
job, and expanding their roles as employees.
Recognize and Reward Your Employees – builds healthy bond between you and the
employee catch them doing things right and it will reinforce their practices.
Increase Employee Involvement – help them see the greater picture and how what they
do matters in the overall success.
Macleod, D. (2013). What is employee engagement? Engage For Success. Retrieved from
http://www.engageforsuccess.org/about/what-is-employee-engagement/
Employees committed to their organizations goals and success are generally more
engaged and have higher self esteem. In order to best harness engagement it is important
for managers to promote mutual fairness and trust. It is also important that employees
come armed with self knowledge and empowerment. When all these factors come
together correctly job satisfaction and engagement are likely outcomes.

18. Employee Engagement 18
Malcolm, J. (2013). [Web log message]. Jack Malcolm Retrieved from
http://jackmalcolm.com/blog/2011/06/10-ways-mindset-can-influence-salespersons’-
success/
Sales performance is related to one’s mindset. It is important to find out how your people
think, and know who they are on an individual level. In doing so it gives you the
opportunity to find ways to communicate appropriately and have a greater impact on their
outlook.
Of these mindsets three if effectively implemented can have positive effect on the team
resulting in increased sales performance. Organizations have goals for all facets of the
company, these goals trickle downward to the front line employees. As managers to the
front line employees it will be very beneficial to help team members set their own goals.
To orchestrate an effective goal setting meeting, give team members the opportunity to
set their own goals prior to having the meeting. Keep in mind as a manager you may
already have a goal set for them in your mind, however let them come up with it and ask
them how they determined their goal and how you could help them be successful? This
approach is very empowering to the individual setting the goal.
The second is that of creating an optimistic work environment, meaning that if sales are
behind, do not quit or let it be negative event. Find a way to rally the troops and speak out
confidence and optimism in that we can successful as a team. Finally create an
environment of coaching and feedback, encourage it on a daily basis both manager to
employee and peer to peer. What this does it creates an opportunity of positive peer
pressure that pushes the team to drive towards success.

19. Employee Engagement 19
Meyer, P. (2003) Smart criteria. Wikipedia. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria
A general overview of the SMART criteria with the idea of effective goal setting. Smart
goals is a mnemonic device meaning:
Specific – precise objective/goal to accomplish
Measurable – ability to set a quantity of completion
Assignable – who is responsible for the project/goal
Realistic – must be reasonable and attainable
Time-related – when completion required
Mirvis, P. (2012) Employee Engagement and CSR: Transactional, Relational, and Developmental
Approaches. California Management Review, 54(4), 93-117
This review takes a deep dive into the corporate responsibility to engage employees,
through way of positive motivation, and giving employees a purpose in the work place.
The three main approaches include transactional, relational and developmental. Each in
its own way has value and adds to overall employee engagement.
The transactional approach looks for ways to establish programs that address employee
concern around employee engagement and finding ways to help boost morale and job
satisfaction. The second approach is relational in that the organization and its employees
come together and create a corporate commitment to social responsibility. Finally the last
approach reviewed is the developmental, where a company is completely involved in
talent management and creating strong employee values. In regards to communication it
is key that if companies want to keep employees satisfied in their jobs an investment

20. Employee Engagement 20
needs to be made in their well-being and professional career.
Pink, D (2013) Top 5 ted talks from employee engagement. Green Mango. Retrieved from
http://greenmango.cc/blog/2013/9/19/top-5-ted-talks-for-employee-engagement
This TED talk is about employee engagement, it discuss the disconnect between science
and business practices. Pink suggests its not about giving employees nicer carrots and
sharp sticks, but about giving them emotional fulfillment and a creative outlet.
Robertson, I. T., & Cooper, C. L. (2010). Full engagement: The Integration of Employee
Engagement and Psychological Well-being. Leadership & Organization Development
Journal, 31(4), 324-336.
This article discusses employee engagement in relation to their mental health. It is
purported the impact of employee mental health is significant on the economy. It plays a
role in how productive employees are while at work, the amount of time they take away
from work and several other factors.
It is thought that the more stable workers are mentally the more they are able to bring to
an organizations table. Mentally stable employees are seen as more confident and
committed to the positions they hold and thus able to generate better quality work.
Mental health and the level of employee engagement are tied to less sick time, overturn,
customer satisfaction and profitability.
Mental health has long been linked to physical health, this in turn can create job strain
when they are not well balanced. The better a person feels, the more positive their
reflection of things become, this carries over to the larger scale in a company. Happier

21. Employee Engagement 21
more positive employees act as a contagion, likewise so do miserable, sick ones.
Engagement is also tied to feelings of having a purpose as is mental health, the more
purposeful and valuable an employee feels the more likely they are to strive to make
gains at work.
Employee engagement often is viewed with a very narrow lens of citizenship and
commitment. This has been shown to translate better when employees feel a sense of
being nurtured in their work environment. It makes people feel less like another cog in
the wheel and more like individuals who are capable of greatness. Taking a more mental
health approach in the workplace can easily translate into higher productivity and a more
positive attitude when approaching difficult tasks. Better mental health also allows for an
individual to perceive feedback less critically and see minor events as defeating. People
with greater psychological health are able to problem solve better, accept change more
readily and are generally more enthusiastic.
The impact of psychological health and employee engagement hold greater weight
together, than alone. People with greater levels of mental health are shown to behave
differently, this is thought to translate into greater moral, productivity and engagement.
Measurement of well-being at work is still in its early stages of development, but even
now it is clear there is a link between the two. More research is needed on the subject to
clearly define whether the well-being starts at home or in the workplace.
Scott, R. (2012) How to get your employees to stop job hunting. NBC News. Retrieved from
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/48177002/

22. Employee Engagement 22
Studies show that engaged employees generate an average of between a quarter to a third
more profits for their companies. Further, fewer than a third of all employees can be
classified as actively engaged at work. This leaves over 66 percent of employees
disengaged. At the time of this poll 60 percent of people were actively looking for work.
This article reports salary and benefits alone do not lead to employee engagement.
Employees need something bigger to be apart such as charity work.
Shorbaji, R., Messarra, L., & Karkoulian, S. (2011). Core-self-evaluation: Predictor of Employee
Engagement. The Business Review, Cambridge, 17(1), 276-283.
Core evaluation is a combination of four personality traits: Locus of Control, Self-
Esteem, Generalized Self-Efficacy, and Neuroticism. This research articles goal is to
correlate one’s ability to effectively engage in their work and their ability to evaluate their
core self. It is believed that people who have a positive outlook and personality tend to be
more productive due to their boosted self-confidence; they tend to be more alert, outgoing
and knowledgeable of opportunities at work.
The research concludes that happier people tend to deal with stress better and thus are
more likely to take on challenging tasks and end up faring better than those with negative
attitudes. Those that possess a positive self-evaluation have better control and a greater
impact on their environment. This in turn leads to more engaged employees and greater
economic success for any given company.

23. Employee Engagement 23
Silverman, L. L. (2006). How do you keep the right people on the bus? Try stories. The Journal
for Quality and Participation, 29(4), 11-15, 39.
This article states before any company can even being to think about what they want to
do, they must first ensure, the right people are on the bus, in the right seats and the wrong
people are off. This insinuates that before a company can look at what its objectives are
they must first get the right management and employees in place.
Further this article discusses the need to tell personal stories as a way to offer a
connection among workers. Stating the more connect people feel the more likely they are
to be high performing. But it is not only telling stories alone that build engagement, it is
also listening in a sincere, real manner to others stories too. The more invested employees
and management are with one another and the more they are able to see one another as
human beings, the more invested in their surrounding they become.
Wang, D., & Hsieh, C (2013). The Effect of Authentic Leadership on Employee Trust and
Employee engagement. Social Behavior and Personality, 41(4), 613-624. doi:
10.2224.sbp.2013.41.4.613
Authentic leadership leads to employee trust, and trust leads to employee engagement.
Wang and Hsieh review the importance of authentic leadership and how it has an
extensive impact on employee engagement and job satisfaction. Employees and people
alike desire to follow leaders who have strong values and integrity and provide valuable
motivation.
Leadership authenticity is developed over time; consistency between communication and
action are prove trustworthiness. Studies show that authentic leadership creates positive

24. Employee Engagement 24
employee attitudes. Perception is everything, and a leader’s word is tested through his
actions. To be successful as leader it is imperative to win the employees trust. As leaders
gain trust and respect, employees will feel supported and sincerely heard resulting in
employee engagement. Authentic leadership promotes a positive environment that creates
a deep level of self-awareness and meets a need that all desire to fill.
Xu, J., & Helena, C. T. (2011). How can leaders achieve high employee engagement?
Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 32(4), 399-416.
This research study aims to link employee engagement and leadership. Engagement is
defined as one’s ability to use both their mental and physical abilities. In today's society it
is critical employers have engaged employees and have them purposefully applying
themselves in all their various tasks. Engaged employees are invaluable to any company
and can profoundly effect a company’s bottom line. Employee engagement is a delicate
act of teamwork, dedication and purpose; when combined properly this vital mix can
make a dream into an economic powerhouse.
According to Xu (2011), engagement is seen as a balance of several factors including;
motivation, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, proactive behaviors, leadership
and organizational citizenship behaviors. Through good leadership others become
invigorated, mentally challenged and thus push themselves to achieve more. Prior
research suggests that tasks, as well as, relationships are interconnected to employee
engagement. The amount of control an individual has in the work setting is also related to
their level of engagement; studies show the more a person feels in control the more
satisfaction they have in their work lives.

25. Employee Engagement 25
More engaged employees lead to greater tenure, but in turn can lead to less engagement
over time as the “honeymoon” stage wears away (Xu, 2011). Ultimately leaders who are
able to develop and support a team are shown to have more engaged workers. If a leader
is able to merge their vision, with those who work for him, it provides the ground work
for greater adaptability and productivity across the team as people are more engaged.