Enhancing employee engagement for small and medium enterprises in Taiwan

Employee engagement is crucial to the success of small-and-medium-enterprises (SMEs). As SMEs are the major GDP contributors in Taiwan, both policy makers and scholars have called further research to evaluate the significance of employee engagement in order to promote business prosperity. Following this logic, the current research has examined how employee engagement is interpreted by Taiwan's SMEs and discussed what could be done to improve employee engagement. Specifically, a qualitative approach is employed for data collection, and both managers and subordinates from five main types of SMEs in Taiwan are recruited for interviews. These types include: Electronics Information, Metal transportation, Machinery Equipment, Food Manufacturing, and Textile. Interview findings have shown that the majority of employees regard employee engagement as a psychological commitment and attachment to their organizations. Based on the views of interviewees, both monetary reward (e.g. bonus) and non-monetary rewards (e.g. performance recognition) generate salient impact on engagement enhancement, i.e., monetary and non-monetary rewards have jointly facilitated employee to make stronger commitment towards organizations and organizational goals. Research findings have also supported the proposition that employees with stronger engagement at work are more likely to have higher level of organizational commitment, contributing to the organizational productivity. The current research is the first of its kind to investigate how employee engagement interacts with organizational commitment and productivity in Taiwan SMEs, providing empirical evidence to decipher the imperativeness of employee engagement enhancement. Research findings have first contributed to the engagement literature, and the implication of findings is also insightful to SME managers and policymakers in their personnel management

Shift in paradigm: Organizational values and performance

Quantum theories have become widely accepted in the fields of management and social sciences, because these theories enhance organizational sustainability. The principles of the quantum approach are humanizing in nature being a panacea in organizational life. In those organizations that adopt this mindset, employees tend to accept common goals and objectives. The aim of this chapter is to ascertain whether management of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), specifically Universities, adhere to the quantum principles already evident in other sectors. Universities are, par excellence, the source for creation and sharing of knowledge, hence this chapter reflects on whether sustainability is achievable and also if major organizational challenges are surpassed in knowledge creation and sharing despite the absence of spiritual capital. Spiritual capital is a vital component in the new age organizational paradigm. The main objective of this chapter, therefore, is the identification of spiritual capital characteristics in profit-oriented organizations, including Universities