Introduction
It is a well known and established fact that employee engagement augments the performance of organizations. Top executives recognize that employee engagement can increase the productivity and performance of organizations, while minimizing the costs of recruitment (Harvard Business Review, 2013; Markos & Sridevi, 2010). The world market has become very competitive in terms of business and employees. As a result, organizations tend to offer better perks to lure competent candidates. Under these circumstances, it becomes crucial for organizations to ensure that there is a culture of employee engagement among the workforce so that shifting of jobs becomes negligible. It is understood that employees change jobs if they are not satisfied with their current job profile, salary, facilities, working environment, responsibilities, etc. (Haid & Sims, 2009). Different employees have different perspectives about their jobs. Such perspectives decide the level of commitment of employees towards their organizations. Employee engagement is a result of commitment, which in turn is influenced by various engagement levers/drivers (Soni, 2013). This research is aimed at investigating the various engagement levers/drivers that help organizations in retaining their workforce and increasing employee commitment.
Purpose of the Research
The purpose of this experimental research will be to test the theory of Gallup (Gallup, 2014) that relates organizational commitment to organizational performance, controlled by engagement levers/drivers, for the employees at Google. The independent variable will be characterized like a variable that stands alone and unaffected, irrespective of modifications in other variables. The dependent variable will be defined as a variable that depends on several other factors. The control variables will be defined as variables that counteract the factors that might have an impact on the dependent variable. The intervening variables will be defined as variables that are not accounted for.
Significance of the Study
This dissertation, by contributing toward the assessment of various engagement levers/drivers, may help organizations in retaining their employees and augmenting employee engagement.
Research Question
How does Gallup’s theory explain the link between organizational commitment and organizational performance, controlled by the effects of engagement levers/drivers?
The statistical model used to test the overall hypothesis is Statistical Process Control (SPC) where the probability sample is obtained by choosing randomly from a given population (Oakland, 2003).
Hypotheses
NULL hypotheses
- H01: Organizations will be able to perform better if their employees are engaged in their jobs.
- H02: Employee commitment will be better if engagement levers/drivers are provided.
- H03: Organizations will be able to save on recruitment expenses because engaged employees will not switch jobs frequently.
Alternate hypotheses
- HA1: If employees are not engaged in their jobs, organizations will not perform well.
- HA2: If engagement levers/drivers are not provided, employee commitment will not be better.
- HA3: If employees switch jobs frequently, organizations will not be able to save on recruitment expenses.
Method Overview
The researcher will prepare a questionnaire (12 questions as per Gallup’s theory) and approach the target audience. The target audience for this research will be the employees (including top executives) and management of Google. A prior approval will be obtained from the management of Google to conduct the questionnaire survey. A consent letter will also be prepared, which the proposed participants will have to sign. The consent letter will include the ethical considerations also that will guarantee complete confidentiality and presentation of truth. The researcher proposes to interview 500 employees (respondents) of Google and some members of the management team.
After the completion of the requisite interviews, the information from each respondent will be summarized and categorized. Responses with similar thematic answers will be separated (no duplicate entries will be made). Answers with different themes will be accumulated and a specific theme will be formed. It is important to consider the relation of the respondents with the research group; their perspective, characteristics, and the environment.
Dissertation Title
The Importance of Engagement Levers/Drivers in Employee Engagement to Improve Organizational Performance
References
Gallup. (2014). Employee engagement. Web.
Haid, M., & Sims, J. (2009). Employee engagement: maximizing organizational performance. Web.
Harvard Business Review. (2013). The impact of employee engagement on performance. Web.
Markos, S., & Sridevi, M. S. (2010). Employee engagement: the key to improving performance. International Journal of Business Management, 5(12), 89-96.
Oakland, J. S. (2003). Statistical process control – 5th edition. Oxford, United Kingdom: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Soni, B. S. (2013). Employee engagement – a key to organizational success in 21st century. Voice of Research, 1(4), 51-55.