By Alba Blue - 06/24/24 - https://alba.blue/#about

Abstract : This article examines the role of employee engagement in organizational performance, focusing on 2023 Jennifer Johannsen's study : Engaging employees: Strategies for improving organizational performance.

This works identifies critical engagement drivers and offers actionable HR strategies. Integrating Johannsen’s findings with established HRM theories, such as Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, the Resource-Based View (RBV), and Kahn’s concept of psychological engagement, this article try to explore the implications, implementation challenges, and relevance to contemporary HR trends.

Why we used Johannsen's study in this article? After some research, we found that it offers a credible foundation that integrates key HRM theories while addressing current challenges like remote work. Also, this approach bridges theory and practice, allowing for critical engagement and making our analysis timely and (we hope) impactful.

This article is linked with : Enhancing Internal Talent Management with AI: Opportunities and Challenges

Introduction

As a starting point, we observed that the employee engagement is increasingly recognized as crucial to organizational success, impacting productivity, job satisfaction, and overall performance. Despite this, a lot of organizations could struggle to engage their workforce effectively, leading to issues such as high turnover and low morale.

The Johannsen’s study provides valuable insights into the factors driving employee engagement that could offering strategies for HR professionals. This article builds on her findings, contextualise them within broader HRM literature and recent industry trends. Our goal is to provide HR professionals and enthusiastic with a comprehensive guide to enhancing employee engagement and organizational performance.

In order to understand the key HRM concepts, we found essential to make an overview of the foundational literature and empirical studies that shaped our comprehension of employee engagement.

Literature Review & Theoretical Framework

The Johannsen’s study, employing a mixed-methods approach by identifying key engagement drivers, including leadership, recognition, professional growth opportunities, and communication.

These findings align with several established HRM theories:

Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory:

• In 1968, the american psychologist Frederick Herzberg’s theory distinguishes between hygiene factors and motivators, with Johannsen’s emphasis on recognition and growth opportunities directly aligning with the latter, reinforcing the importance of intrinsic motivators in fostering engagement.

Resource-Based View (RBV):

• The RBV (presented by Barney in 1991) posits that a firm’s competitive advantage stems from unique resources, including its workforce. Johannsen’s findings support this by highlighting how engaged employees are a critical resource that enhances organizational performance.

Kahn’s Concept of Psychological Engagement:

• In 1990, Kahn suggests employees are most engaged when they feel psychologically safe and valued. Johannsen’s study emphasizes the role of leadership and communication in creating such an environment, thus supporting Kahn’s theory.

The Herzberg’s Theory provides insight into the motivational factors while the other ones contextualize how the engage employee become a valuable organisational assets.

Current HRM Trends and Contextualization