Professional Literature Analysis: Employee Engagement

Professional Literature Analysis: Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is an important implication to initiate when implementing change in a complex organization. There are numerous studies offering different strategies for successful change management. The articles described in this paper, share many common themes; however the most important theme agreed on is that successful employee engagement is considered the primary initiator to any successful changes. Kahn defines personal engagement as "the simultaneous employment and expression of a person's "preferred self" in a task behaviors that promote connection to work and to others, personal presence, and active full role performance (p.700). Organizations are continually evolving and changing; employees receiving ongoing feedback, specifically positive, on their performance are more engaged, because they also see it as recognition and encouragement, which contributes to positive employee engagement.

As Ferguson (2000) states, engagement affects employee performance. Employee engagement could affect any organization. From my research, to successfully engage employees, the organization needs to capture the employee's core performances and acknowledge the work done well. In return, employee engagement builds a guiding coalition, points out the successful initiatives; strengthen ties among employees, and communication which is most common of these effects of employee engagement, followed by collaboration.

The overall approach regarding employee engagement is realistic for all organizations, clients, and stakeholders. According to (Goodman & Rousseau, 2004), states that positive employee engagement identifies linkage gaps, bridges, and mechanisms valid for all organizations seeking to resolve the organizational improvement paradox. In another article it states that the more an organization engages with its stakeholders the more it is responsible and adapts to changes (Greenwood, 2007). Kirst-Ashman Hall agrees and also suggests that the Culture-Quality Theory produces a relationship with high quality production and high employee commitment with greater employee participation in decision making regarding changes to its clients and stakeholders. From a theoretical perspective, the concept of organizational change has a close alignment with the theory of social change and conflict theory (Price & Chanhal, 2005).

I would apply this approach and theory to organizational change due to using relationship-building and positive interpersonal skills to initiate contacts, establish communication, and build trust in an organization. These authors agreed that engaged employees understand the value of ensuring a positive customer experience and are more likely to demonstrate their commitment by delivering high quality products and services when promoting positive employee engagement is initiated. This information