LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
Employee engagement requires a commitment from the top management. Each leader affects the teams they manage, for better or worse, affecting individual involvement (Alfes, Shantz and Truss, 2012). Employee engagement may be influenced by various factors, including the general profitability of the organisation, the leadership style of an individual manager, and team-specific challenges (Dollard and Bakker, 2010). Leaders must distinguish between the variables that motivate people to participate and those that motivate them to disengage to motivate each individual to give their best efforts (Dromey, 2014).
According
to Alfes, Shantz, and Truss (2012), employee engagement is not a magic
trick; it is a learned talent. It requires open communication,
well-defined objectives, and clear expectations. As a result, developing
strong leadership skills is very important for an
individual’s success, and it will help increase employee engagement (Alfes, Shantz and Truss, 2012).
The most critical component of good leadership is that leaders treat their people with genuine concern, fostering innovation and achieving organisational sustainability (Wang and Hsieh, 2013). Genuine leadership might benefit employee engagement, attitudes, work dedication, innovation, and corporate citizenship behaviour. Also, Employees who perceive their superiors to be consistent in their words and behaviour and possess moral beliefs are more likely to be engaged in their job (Wang and Hsieh, 2013).
According to Kompaso and Sridevi (2010), employee engagement should begin at the top management since engaged employees cannot exist in firms without engaged leadership. Additionally, Kompaso and Sridevi (2010) assert that managers should foster two-way communication and guarantee that employees access all necessary resources to perform their jobs. Further, the leadership is accountable for providing adequate training to employees to improve their knowledge and skills, establishing incentive mechanisms to recognise and reward outstanding employee work, and developing a distinctive company culture that promotes employee effort. Leadership is critical in establishing an atmosphere and sustaining success stories while establishing a solid performance management system (Kompaso and Sridevi, 2010b). Any organisation with committed leadership has the potential to attain the necessary level of participation at a lower cost (Kompaso and Sridevi, 2010a).
According to Mickan and Rodger (2000), leadership is mainly built on trust, resulting in effective cooperation and increased employee engagement and performance because team members possess various skills, employees may acquire and exchange information to increase their performance and self-confidence (Mickan and Rodger, 2000).
Any organisation’s fundamental component is teamwork (Senior and Swailes, 2004). A group of employees band together and collaborate to accomplish a common purpose (Rasmussen and Jeppesen, 2006). The leadership input is critical and the team’s positive relationship and leader (Sparrowe and Liden, 2005).
When leaders establish a positive relationship with their team, the quality of their work will improve (Brunetto et al., 2013). Further, Effective teamwork has a beneficial effect on engagement. Organisational objectives and successful sales are accomplished with influential people’s devotion (Rasmussen and Jeppesen, 2006).
Leaders are critical in fostering employee
engagement and establishing the organisation as the top employer.
According to Hewitt
(2014), the Employee Engagement Degree
demonstrates that leaders are crucial in fostering employee engagement.
Leadership entails pushing others to perform their best in order to accomplish
a goal. It entails developing and expressing a future vision, inspiring
individuals, and assuring their involvement (Dixon,
1994).
Hay (2002) said that staff may “resign due to dissatisfaction with
their supervisor.” The leader’s behaviour will affect the organisation’s goals,
customer satisfaction levels, and workers’ attitudes and behavioural outcomes.
According to several academics, leadership is one of the most significant
variables influencing workers and employee engagement (Attridge,
2009).
Example: 01
Tim Cook is the CEO of Apple,
the world’s most valuable firm. He succeeded Steve Jobs as Apple’s CEO. After
Steve Jobs’ death, Cook was instrumental in completing Apple’s change,
developing new product lines, and opening Apple retail locations in China (Centre
for Management & Organization Effectiveness, 2021).
Example: 02
For instance: Sheryl Sandberg has served as Facebook’s chief operations officer since 2008. She started the non-profit organisation “Lean In”, which was inspired by her best-selling book. She has always been an outspoken proponent of women in business. She went effectively from public service in the Ministry of Finance to technological businesses like Google and Facebook (Centre for Management & Organization Effectiveness, 2021).
Example: 03
I am working at a leading private bank in Sri Lanka, and the management of the organisation for which I work has always been receptive to workers’ thoughts and recommendations by fostering an open-door culture and ensuring their comfort. They are always mindful of the company’s goal and operate towards it following it. Further, they have initiated several things which employees can reach top management easily such as employees can directly write to CEO through organisations Intranet “Message to CEO”. Additionally, they trust their employees and offer nearly all of the necessary resources to keep them motivated and on track to meet the organisation’s objectives.
Video: 01
Video:01 explains that employee
engagement is becoming increasingly crucial to a growing number
of businesses & engaging top leadership is critical for reaching high
levels of workforce engagement. Businesses with highly engaged leaders share
one characteristic: they have highly engaged leaders at all levels of the
business. Additionally, the organisation and its employees receive admiration
and a sense of belonging. There is a sense of alignment
around the company’s primary objective.
On the other hand, many businesses fail to grasp that engagement is genuinely belongs to the company’s leaders and that these leaders are most qualified to encourage and engage their staff to accomplish common goals. The company must master specific leadership abilities to foster dedication and development and show high-performance levels (Leadership Development and Training, 2021).
References
Alfes, K., Shantz, A. and Truss, C. (2012) ‘The link
between perceived HRM practices, performance and well-being: The moderating
effect of trust in the employer’, Human Resource Management Journal,
22(4), pp. 409–427. doi: 10.1111/1748-8583.12005.
Attridge, M. (2009)
‘Measuring and managing employee work engagement: A review of the research and
business literature’, Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 24(4), pp.
383–398. doi: 10.1080/15555240903188398.
Brunetto, Y., Xerri, M.,
Shriberg, A., Farr-Wharton, R., Shacklock, K., Newman, S. and Dienger, J.
(2013) ‘The impact of workplace relationships on engagement, well-being,
commitment and turnover for nurses in Australia and the USA’, Journal of
Advanced Nursing, 69(12), pp. 2786–2799. doi: 10.1111/JAN.12165.
Centre for Management
& Organization Effectiveness (2021) 13 Famous Business Leaders Who
Changed The World | CMOE. Available at:
https://cmoe.com/blog/13-of-the-most-influential-leaders-in-business/
(Accessed: 21 November 2021).
Dixon, N. F. (1994) On
the psychology of miltary incompetence. Pimlico.
Dollard, M. F. and
Bakker, A. B. (2010) ‘Psychosocial safety climate as a precursor to conducive
work environments, psychological health problems, and employee engagement’, Journal
of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 83(3), pp. 579–599. doi:
10.1348/096317909X470690.
Dromey, J. (2014) MacLeod
and Clarke’s concept of employee engagement: an analysis based on the workplace
employment relations study. The British Library. Available at:
https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/macleod-and-clarkes-concept-of-employee-engagement-an-analysis-based-on-the-workplace-employment-relations-study
(Accessed: 21 November 2021).
Hay, M. (2002)
‘Strategies for survival in the war of talent’, Career Development
International, 7(1), pp. 52–55. doi: 10.1108/13620430210414883.
Hewitt, A. (2014) 2014
Trends in Global Employee Engagement. Available at:
http://www.conference-board.org/data/globaloutlook.cfm. (Accessed: 21 November
2021).
Kompaso, S. M. and
Sridevi, M. S. (2010a) ‘Employee Engagement: The Key to Improving Performance’,
International Journal of Biometrics. Canadian Center of Science and
Education, 5(12). doi: 10.5539/IJBM.V5N12P89.
Kompaso, S. M. and
Sridevi, M. S. (2010b) ‘Employee Engagement: The Key to Improving Performance’,
International Journal of Business and Management. Canadian Center of
Science and Education, 5(12), p. p89. doi: 10.5539/IJBM.V5N12P89.
Leadership Development
and Training (2021) Leadership and Employee Engagement - 4 Strategies for
Engagement - YouTube. Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8Fe60afXbA (Accessed: 22 November 2021).
Mickan, S. and Rodger, S.
(2000) ‘Characteristics of effective teams: a literature review.’, Australian
health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association,
23(3), pp. 201–208. doi: 10.1071/AH000201.
Rasmussen, T. H. and
Jeppesen, H. J. (2006) ‘Teamwork and associated psychological factors: A
review’, Work and Stress. Taylor and Francis Ltd., 20(2), pp. 105–128.
doi: 10.1080/02678370600920262.
Senior, B. and Swailes,
S. (2004) ‘The dimensions of management team performance: A repertory grid
study’, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management,
53(4), pp. 317–333. doi: 10.1108/17410400410533908.
Sparrowe, R. T. and
Liden, R. C. (2005) ‘Two routes to influence: Integrating leader-member
exchange and social network perspectives’, Administrative Science Quarterly.
Cornell University, 50(4), pp. 505–535. doi: 10.2189/ASQU.50.4.505.
Wang, D. S. and Hsieh, C.
C. (2013) ‘The effect of authentic leadership on employee trust and employee
engagement’, Social Behavior and Personality, 41(4), pp. 613–624. doi:
10.2224/SBP.2013.41.4.613.
Hi Nirmika, the way you approach for the leadership and employee engagement is great. To adding that Wang and Hsieh (2013), emphasis leadership and their qualities enhance employees behavior, attitude and satisfaction further, gaining employee trust is an important factor in becoming an effective leader. These factors lead to create highly engaged employees.
ReplyDeleteAgree with you, Lakshan, according to s. borne and Hammoud (2017) ’s research findings refer to B4:F34 traits such as empathy, good two-way communication, respect and objectivity, which should be adopted by leaders enabling good employee engagement strategies. As Levine (2018) Describes different perspectives, some employee-focused companies view culture as a cause, not an impact, and leaders are responsible for creating a culture that makes it easier for employees to participate.
Deletehi nirmika, agree with you, adding to your points, motivated employee is asset to the organization. Using a well-established motivational strategy could result in more positive outcome from the employees. Motivational Strategies and practices considers as the catalysts for enhancing employee engagement.(De Vito, L. et al, 2016).
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dineth, for the Highlights. I want to add more to the comment; According to Korzynski (2013), employee motivation depends on technological, generational, and organisational changes. The idea that the new generation is more familiar with new technology and more practical when dealing with customers or organisations further, employees like to work under modern organisational culture, increasing their effectiveness.
DeleteWell analysed Nirmika. One of the elements influencing an employee's choice to leave a company was whether or not the leader established a trustworthy relationship with the employee. According to the results of the survey, leaders that recognized and valued their employees' competencies, paid attention to their ambitions, provided challenging work, valued the quality of work-life, and gave opportunities for growth had loyal and engaged employees (Farren, 2008).
ReplyDeleteHi Janakan, Agreed with your points. Further, in their research, Popli and Rizvi (2017) have proven the direct relationship between employee engagement and the leadership style of an organisation. They further emphasise that if an organisation is to achieve the desired outcomes, leadership should develop systems and processes that are focused on employee engagement. Also, Wang and Hsieh (2013) emphasise leadership and their qualities enhance employees behaviour, attitude and satisfaction further; gaining employee trust is an essential factor in becoming an effective leader. These factors lead to creating highly engaged employees.
DeleteNirmika, you are correct. Leaders must also learn how to communicate effectively and clearly. This includes communicating goals, strategies, and decision-making rationales so that employees understand why they are being requested to perform certain activities. Leadership should also communicate success stories at both the individual and corporate levels. Recognizing individual accomplishments on a team, for example, maybe extremely motivational for everyone in the organization. It's also important not to assume that everyone in the organization is aware of organizational successes, such as awards, news stories, or charitable donations ( Cornett, 2012).
ReplyDeleteHi Isuru, Yes, Agreed, Nuwan. Maduka & Okafor (2014) remarks that the challenge arises to the management to understand and identify the correct driving force that encourages the employee’s willingness to enhance employee performance. Also, Ovidiu (2013) suggests that management can focus on two aspects of which, one is to concentrate on reducing the factors that cause job dissatisfaction while the second is to concentrate on improving the motivating factors along with the employee empowerment, which eventually leads to employee motivation, along with improved performance.
DeleteEngaging leadership facilitates, strengthens, connects and motivates employees to increase their work engagement. The research has proven that participative leadership behaviours of leaders nurture employees’ psychological safety to take risk and promotes employee engagement (Chen et al. 2020).
ReplyDeleteSchaufeli, W., 2021. Engaging Leadership: How to Promote Work Engagement?. Frontiers in psychology, 12.
Hi Ravi, Agree with you. Further, Lioyd Morgan supported this proposition, who found that specific characteristics of managers can be critical for engagement – specifically having good communication systems (Lloyd Morgan, 2004). Macey and Schneider (2008a) suggest that the nature of an organisation’s leadership and management can indirectly impact engagement behaviours demonstrated by employees through leaders building trust in their staff.
DeleteAgreed with your points Nirmika. Further employee engagement is a feeling of an individual or employee that is shown by personal initiation , adaptation, effort and persistence to achieve organizational goals. Employee engagement can also be interpreted as an emotional or psychological state in which employees have a feeling of ownership of the interest in the success of the organization and perform tasks and work (Kenny Adrian,2019).
ReplyDeleteHi Upeksha, Thank you very much for your comment. Luthans and Peterson (2002) found that a manager’s self‐efficacy can lead to increases in the engagement and effectiveness of their subordinates. This confidence may be picked up on by employees who, as a result, feel confident in their leadership, enabling them to engage with their organisation.
DeleteWell explained Nirmika. Leadership and employee engagement are two of the most discussed topics in the organization sciences. However, the relationship between leadership and employee engagement has not been widely researched. As many organizations invest significant resources in developing, retaining, and engaging employees, human resource development professionals are tasked to develop and partner with leaders to deliver those strategies effectively (Roccas, 2013).
ReplyDelete
DeleteHi Dileep. Agree with you. Further, Managers’ belief in their capabilities can positively influence the engagement of their staff. In their survey of 170 managers and their subordinates, Luthans and Peterson (2002) found that a manager’s self‐efficacy can increase their subordinates’ engagement and effectiveness. This confidence may be picked up on by employees who, as a result, feel confident in their leadership, enabling them to engage with their organisation (Kenexa, 2008 cited in WFC, 2008).
I agree with you; as work dynamics continue to evolve, scholars and practitioners must view leadership and its practice, Still further, some scholars suggest that traditional attitudes of leadership have reached extinction (Maccoby, 2007).
ReplyDeleteHi Surangi. Agree with you. Dromey (2014) also asserts that communication between leadership and employees should be two-way. Employees become more engaged when they can provide honest feedback to leadership because they believe their opinions matter. Employee surveys, one-on-one conversations, and small group discussions can all help with this.
DeleteHi Nirmika, very well explained. adding to that Showing enthusiasm for your work, and conveying this passion to others, can help increase performance and employee engagement. This optimism can also promote collaborative leadership among workers by empowering them to step up to the plate and lead during tumultuous times. (Allen 2007)
ReplyDeleteHi Ijaz, Thank you very much for your feedback. Wang and Hsieh (2013) emphasise leadership and their qualities enhance employees behaviour, attitude and satisfaction further; gaining employee trust is an essential factor in becoming an effective leader. These factors lead to creating highly engaged employees. BlessingWhite (2008) found that a lack of trust may lead to disengagement in organisations, particularly a lack of trust in senior leadership.
DeleteWell Explained with the examples, I agreed the staff confident is build with the leadership skills.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Armstrong (2009) a very important role is played by the line managers in increasing employee engagement levels. They must be trained and equipped with the skills and knowledge required to play this role.
Hi Shazna, Thanks for the concern. The Managers have been coping with many challenges to put their company ahead of competitors successfully. To help managers manage, different scholars, researchers and consultants have contributed their part showing the best ways they think are helpful to managers (Sridevi and Markos, 2010).
DeleteWell explained on this Nirmika its really useful with examples , adding to your points Lawler(1986) highlighted organizational engagement which is related to employee engagement can be developed through high involvement of management. That means leadership involvement means treating employees as partners in the organization and whose interests are respected.
ReplyDeleteHi Manoj. Agree with you. The organizational values need to be conveyed to all its employees in the best communication method to achieve its goal; when this happens, employees' engagement takes place (Bindl and Parker, 2010). Good communication skills from the top Management will create better employee engagement between the teams (Bakker et al., 2011).
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