The role of needs-supplies fit and job satisfaction in predicting employee engagement

Employee engagement has become a key concern for organizations as it provides value for sustainable competitive advantage. Fully engaged workforce is not only important in helping organizations flourish in good times but also relevant in helping organizations persevere during tough times. However, the main challenge for employers is to motivate and keep their employee engaged. Recent organizational behaviour studies emphasize the importance of environmental influences in understanding employees attitudes and behaviours. Consistent with this development, the present study seeks to examine the role of needs-supplies fit and job satisfaction in predicting employee engagement. Drawing from the self-in-role view and social exchange theory, it was hypothesized that needs-supplies fit predicts employee engagement, and the relationship between the two constructs is mediated by job satisfaction. Using a self-administered survey, data were obtained from 161 employees of a large public university in Malaysia. The results fully supported the hypothesized relationships. Implications for theory and practice are discussed

How workplace loneliness harms employee well-being:A moderated mediational model

This study investigated the effect of workplace loneliness on work-related subjective well-being by proposing work engagement as an explanatory mechanism in the workplace loneliness—job dissatisfaction relationship. Moreover, the study examines the need to belong as a coping mechanism in the relationship between workplace loneliness and work engagement. Specifically, the study posits that workplace loneliness reduces the positive and fulfilling state of work engagement that in turn increases job dissatisfaction and that this mediation depends on the employee’s level of need to belong. Data were collected from employees (N = 274) working in diverse domestic and multinational organizations in Lahore, Pakistan. Results showed that workplace loneliness reduced the work engagement of lonely individuals that in turn increased their job dissatisfaction. However, the deleterious effect of workplace loneliness on work engagement was weaker for individuals having a higher need to belong. These findings have important implications for organizations wishing to mitigate the harmful effects of workplace loneliness on employees’ subjective well-being.</p

How workplace loneliness harms employee well-being:A moderated mediational model

This study investigated the effect of workplace loneliness on work-related subjective well-being by proposing work engagement as an explanatory mechanism in the workplace loneliness—job dissatisfaction relationship. Moreover, the study examines the need to belong as a coping mechanism in the relationship between workplace loneliness and work engagement. Specifically, the study posits that workplace loneliness reduces the positive and fulfilling state of work engagement that in turn increases job dissatisfaction and that this mediation depends on the employee’s level of need to belong. Data were collected from employees (N = 274) working in diverse domestic and multinational organizations in Lahore, Pakistan. Results showed that workplace loneliness reduced the work engagement of lonely individuals that in turn increased their job dissatisfaction. However, the deleterious effect of workplace loneliness on work engagement was weaker for individuals having a higher need to belong. These findings have important implications for organizations wishing to mitigate the harmful effects of workplace loneliness on employees’ subjective well-being.</p

Psychometric Properties of the Job Engagement Scale: A Cross-Country Analysis

Job engagement is a motivational construct that refers to the willingness of employees to invest their physical, emotional and cognitive energies in their jobs in a holistic and simultaneous manner. Researchers use the Job Engagement Scale (JES) to measure the above conceptualization of job engagement, whose application is recent in job engagement research and is based largely on Western samples. In order to examine how job engagement is perceived in Asian contexts, this exploratory study aimed to provide a cross-country analysis of psychometric properties of the JES. We utilized data from earlier research of the first author, which were collected from 347 Pakistani and 498 Malaysian employees worked at diverse organizations. Psychometric analyses with reliability and validity estimations were performed using the Structural Equation Modeling. Results showed good internal consistency reliability, convergent validity and factorial validity of the JES for both Pakistani and Malaysian samples. However, psychometric properties of the JES for Pakistan outperformed those for Malaysia in all the estimations. Implications for future use of the JES and limitations of the study are discussed

How workplace loneliness harms employee well-being: A moderated mediational model

This study investigated the effect of workplace loneliness on work-related subjective well-being by proposing work engagement as an explanatory mechanism in the workplace loneliness—job dissatisfaction relationship. Moreover, the study examines the need to belong as a coping mechanism in the relationship between workplace loneliness and work engagement. Specifically, the study posits that workplace loneliness reduces the positive and fulfilling state of work engagement that in turn increases job dissatisfaction and that this mediation depends on the employee’s level of need to belong. Data were collected from employees (N = 274) working in diverse domestic and multinational organizations in Lahore, Pakistan. Results showed that workplace loneliness reduced the work engagement of lonely individuals that in turn increased their job dissatisfaction. However, the deleterious effect of workplace loneliness on work engagement was weaker for individuals having a higher need to belong. These findings have important implications for organizations wishing to mitigate the harmful effects of workplace loneliness on employees’ subjective well-being

How does political skill lead to job and organization engagement? Role of self-evaluations

Purpose: Political skill is a valued resource employees use to achieve success. Earlier research has mostly focused on the effect of political skill on others rather than on the self of the politically skilled individuals. Specifically, there is disconnect between political skill and employee engagement research as both these fields have been growing in isolation. Drawing from theories of engagement and conservation of resources, this study bridges this gap in knowledge by investigating how political skill leads to job and organization engagement of politically skilled employees via impacting their self-evaluations of organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) and organizational identification. Design/methodology/approach: Using a survey method, data were obtained from 188 employees who worked in three private schools of Lahore, Pakistan. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model. Findings: This study found that individuals who used political skill by practicing social astuteness, interpersonal influence, networking and sincerity rated themselves high in OBSE and organizational identification. As a consequence, high OBSE enhanced their job engagement, whereas high organizational identification increased their organization engagement. Originality/value: This study is one of the first studies to present political skill as a driver of job and organization engagement. It reveals that the self-evaluations of OBSE and organizational identification mediate the political skill–engagement relations in unique manners.</p

Examining how respectful engagement affects task performance and affective organizational commitment:The role of job engagement

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to advance research on the newly developed construct of respectful engagement (RE) (Carmeli et al., 2015), which focuses on positive interrelating behaviors characterized by respect in the organizational context. Further, this study aims to examine whether RE was associated with task performance and affective organizational commitment, and whether employee job engagement mediated these relationships. Design/methodology/approach: Using the self-reported measures and online survey method, data were collected from 185 employees working in one of the world’s largest hosiery firms located in the eastern part of Punjab, Pakistan. Structural equation modeling and multiple regressions were used to test the proposed conceptual model. Findings: RE had significant positive effects on task performance and affective commitment. The effect of RE on affective commitment was stronger than it was on task performance. Moreover, job engagement significantly mediated the effects of RE on task performance and affective commitment. Research limitations/implications: This study provides empirical evidence that RE enhances job engagement of employees by improving their levels of effort, enthusiasm and pride and concentration in work roles. Consequently, the enhanced level of job engagement leads employees to demonstrate better task performance and increased affective commitment with the organization. Practical implications: Managers can institutionalize RE by applying strategies suggested by (Dutton, 2003) that focus on conveying presence, being genuine, communicating affirmation, effective listening and supportive communication. Training programs around these strategies can help managers to achieve this goal. Furthermore, in their day-to-day performance discussions, managers should follow the above strategies that could open further avenues for RE at the workplace. Managers can also allocate some weight to employees’ RE as part of their performance appraisals. The use of rewards would encourage employees to adopt RE as a norm desired by the organization. Originality/value: This study extends research on the new developed construct of RE by focusing on task performance and affective commitment as its key outcomes. Furthermore, this study is the first to introduce job engagement as mediator in the relationship of RE with task performance and affective commitment. Another important aspect of this study is that its model has been tested on the data collected from Pakistan, which is an underrepresented geographical region in the management literature.</p

Trust in Supervisor and Job Engagement:Mediating Effects of Psychological Safety and Felt Obligation

In the social context of job engagement, the role of trust in supervisor in predicting engagement of employees has received attention in research. Very limited research, however, has investigated the mechanisms mediating this dynamic relationship. To address this important gap in knowledge, the aim of this study was to examine psychological safety and felt obligation as two psychological mechanisms mediating the effect of trust in supervisor on job engagement. Drawing from job engagement and social exchange theories, the mediating roles of psychological safety and felt obligation in the trust-engagement relationship were empirically investigated in the Malaysian context. Using self-report questionnaires, data were collected from 337 nurses employed in a public hospital located near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Results fully supported the proposed serial multiple mediator model. Trust in supervisor was indirectly related to job engagement via psychological safety followed by felt obligation. This study provides empirical evidence that trust in supervisor makes employees feel psychologically safe to employ and express their selves in their job roles. This satisfaction of the psychological safety need is interpreted by employees as an important socioemotional benefit that, in turn, makes them feel obligated to pay back to their organization through their enhanced level of job engagement. Implications for theory and practice were discussed.</p

How does political skill lead to job and organization engagement? Role of self-evaluations

Purpose: Political skill is a valued resource employees use to achieve success. Earlier research has mostly focused on the effect of political skill on others rather than on the self of the politically skilled individuals. Specifically, there is disconnect between political skill and employee engagement research as both these fields have been growing in isolation. Drawing from theories of engagement and conservation of resources, this study bridges this gap in knowledge by investigating how political skill leads to job and organization engagement of politically skilled employees via impacting their self-evaluations of organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) and organizational identification. Design/methodology/approach: Using a survey method, data were obtained from 188 employees who worked in three private schools of Lahore, Pakistan. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model. Findings: This study found that individuals who used political skill by practicing social astuteness, interpersonal influence, networking and sincerity rated themselves high in OBSE and organizational identification. As a consequence, high OBSE enhanced their job engagement, whereas high organizational identification increased their organization engagement. Originality/value: This study is one of the first studies to present political skill as a driver of job and organization engagement. It reveals that the self-evaluations of OBSE and organizational identification mediate the political skill–engagement relations in unique manners.</p

Cognition-Based and Affect-Based Trust in Supervisor and Job Engagement: Evidence from Malaysia

Job engagement is a motivational latent construct represented by cognitive, emotional, and physical energies employees choose to invest into jobs. Despite the importance of trust in supervisor and its positive outcomes, little attention has been paid to examine its effect on subordinates’ job engagement, and even less is known about mechanisms that might exist in this relationship. The aim of this study, thus, was to examine the effects of cognition-based and affect-based trust in supervisor on job engagement. Further, drawing from the engagement model of Kahn (1990) and social exchange theory, the mediating roles of psychological safety and felt obligation in the trust-engagement relationship were also investigated. Although trust is a reciprocal and dynamic construct that continually evolves in relationships, this study captures a snapshot in time within this dynamic trust-engagement relationship by using self-report questionnaires to gather data from 415 nurses working in a large Malaysian public hospital. Structural equation modeling results indicated that cognition-based trust in supervisor was both related directly and indirectly to job engagement. Affect-based trust in supervisor, however, was only indirectly related to job engagement. Moreover, only felt obligation, and not psychological safety, mediated the trust-engagement relationship. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.<br/