Employee Engagement Among Distance Learning Students in Higher Education Institutions: A Role of Job Features, Working Conditions and Perceived Support

Abstract

Employee engagement has become a significant organizational concern in recent years and remains a top priority for employers in the globalized era. It refers to the level of commitment and participation that an employee has towards their organization and its core values. The challenging economic landscape in Malaysia during the MCO period has led many companies across various sectors to face the repercussions of employee disengagement, highlighting the need for scholarly research to develop strategies for maintaining employee engagement. Employee engagement fosters a positive mindset among staff towards their organization. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the connection between job characteristics, working environment, and perceived support on employee engagement among distance learning students in higher education institutions. A total of 115 students pursuing a bachelor's degree through distance learning at a higher education institution completed online questionnaires. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between the working conditions and job characteristics as the two independent variables. However, the analysis indicated that organizational support does not exhibit a significant positive relationship with employee engagement in the context of distance learning students. This research underscores the benefits and inspires students, as well as leaders and managers across all industries in Malaysia, to effectively leverage their workforce's capabilities, commitment, and unrecognized talent, ultimately improving business performance in the future