The article examines the assumptions made about performance within discussions about employee engagement. It argues that each model abd conceptualisation of engagement brings with it a set of implicit assumptions about this. However,... more
The article examines the assumptions made about performance within discussions about employee engagement. It argues that each model abd conceptualisation of engagement brings with it a set of implicit assumptions about this. However, these models differ. It is also unclear what causal direction should exists between engagement and organization performance. The job attitudes literature is used to consider the likely answer. Finally, questions are raised about the range of performance outcomes that engagement should be expected to impact. Keywords: employee engagement; organization performance; job attitudes; service-profit chain
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Research Interests: Medicine and Attendance
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NHS Employers has collaborated with a research team to carry out a staff engagement project funded by the National Institute of Healthcare Research (NIHR). In this webinar Dilys Robinson and Katie Truss, researchers from the Institute of... more
NHS Employers has collaborated with a research team to carry out a staff engagement project funded by the National Institute of Healthcare Research (NIHR). In this webinar Dilys Robinson and Katie Truss, researchers from the Institute of Employment Studies, give an overview of the project which looks at the available evidence on the nature, impact and benefits of staff engagement in the NHS. The webinar outlines the emerging findings and the planned resources that will be produced to support staff engagement practitioners.
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This paper reviews 14 practitioner studies on engagement. These studies identified seven key themes in relation to tools and resources which organisations and managers can put into place to foster and embed high levels of engagement.... more
This paper reviews 14 practitioner studies on engagement. These studies identified seven key themes in relation to tools and resources which organisations and managers can put into place to foster and embed high levels of engagement. These can be used to form evidence-based recommendations for practice, particularly for NHS organisations.
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BackgroundRecent studies have suggested engagement is linked with beneficial outcomes for individuals and organisations. Despite growing demand for resources and advice on engagement within the NHS, there has been no systematic evaluation... more
BackgroundRecent studies have suggested engagement is linked with beneficial outcomes for individuals and organisations. Despite growing demand for resources and advice on engagement within the NHS, there has been no systematic evaluation of how engagement strategies can be developed and operationalised within the NHS.Objectives and research questionsTo evaluate evidence and theories of employee engagement within the NHS and the general workforce to inform policy and practice. Four research questions focused on definitions and models of engagement; the evidence of links between engagement and staff morale and performance; approaches and interventions that have the greatest potential to create and embed high levels of engagement within the NHS; and the most useful tools and resources for NHS managers in order to improve engagement.Review methodsEvidence was evaluated using a narrative synthesis approach involving a structured search of relevant academic databases and grey literature....
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This article discusses productivity from several angles how it is measured, the history of the concept, some productivity problems, the relationship of productivity to the various initiatives designed to improve organisational... more
This article discusses productivity from several angles how it is measured, the history of the concept, some productivity problems, the relationship of productivity to the various initiatives designed to improve organisational performance, and the role played by HR. Productivity is not a comfortable concept for many HR practitioners. It seems hard-edged, mechanistic, perhaps even exploitative. Todays fast moving and fiercely competitive environment, however, means that the focus on employee productivity remains. To keep up, companies need to do more with less input. Organisations that embrace quality initiatives, or opt for a major process overhaul, are often driven by the desire to increase productivity and make an impact on the bottom line. However, it is often operational managers who take charge of the productivity concept, and HR practitioners who are left behind to pick up the resultant pieces disputes about bonuses, targets, penalties, etc. How is productivity measured? There...
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Employee engagement has generated interest in many stakeholder groups ranging from academics (e.g. Kahn, 1990; May et al., 2004; Schaufeli et al., 2002), HR practitioners and consultancies (e.g. Harter et al., 2002; Masson et al., 2008),... more
Employee engagement has generated interest in many stakeholder groups ranging from academics (e.g. Kahn, 1990; May et al., 2004; Schaufeli et al., 2002), HR practitioners and consultancies (e.g. Harter et al., 2002; Masson et al., 2008), to government policy-makers (e.g. MacLeod, Clarke 2009). As this interest in employee engagement has rapidly increased over the last decade (as highlighted by Wilmar Schaufeli in Chapter 1 of this volume), so has the desire to measure, evaluate, and benchmark levels of engagement within and between organizations. Measurement is powerful, because ‘what gets measured gets attention’ (Eccles, 1991: 131). Performance dashboards, of which the ‘balanced scorecard’ (Kaplan, Norton,1992) is a well-known example, attempt to ensure that all the major factors contributing to an organization’s success are being measured – related to operations, customers, finance and employees. A performance indicator that represents the extent to which employees are engaged ca...
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This paper has been written following discussions with IES colleagues, and informed further by a literature search on the subject of job families. Our original intention was to involve IES member companies, via a workshop and case study... more
This paper has been written following discussions with IES colleagues, and informed further by a literature search on the subject of job families. Our original intention was to involve IES member companies, via a workshop and case study visits. However, member interest in the subject proved lukewarm, and we cancelled the planned workshop due to lack of interest. Nevertheless, the fact remains that all our member organisations use a variety of employee taxonomies, for different purposes and with varying degrees of success, and several have experimented with the job family approach. We are interested in what works, and what does not, and in the organisational factors that need to be in place for an employee taxonomy to be usable and useful.
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The National Institute of Healthcare Research (NIHR) has undertaken a major review of the evidence on staff engagement in the NHS. As part of the review the NIHR has produced a series of publications on staff engagement. The Guide to... more
The National Institute of Healthcare Research (NIHR) has undertaken a major review of the evidence on staff engagement in the NHS. As part of the review the NIHR has produced a series of publications on staff engagement. The Guide to Engagement for Senior Leaders looks at the key role senior leaders can play in shaping organisational culture to support staff engagement. It summarises the evidence based review of the impact of leadership.
We spend a lot of our time at work. Around eight hours a day, for at least 40 weeks every year, for 40 years or so… It’s an unsurprising hypothesis that being bored, feeling disconnected, and seeing no point in our work is likely to have... more
We spend a lot of our time at work. Around eight hours a day, for at least 40 weeks every year, for 40 years or so… It’s an unsurprising hypothesis that being bored, feeling disconnected, and seeing no point in our work is likely to have a damaging effect. While the impact may not be quite as severe as the often-quoted Dostoevsky prognosis below, people who find no real meaning in their work are likely to suffer (emotionally and perhaps also mentally and physically), especially if they do not have absorbing interests outside work to bolster their self-esteem and sense of self-worth.
This chapter aims a) to provide a review of the main ways in which employee engagement has been measured; b) to give insight into issues that may occur when designing and implementing such measures; and c) to consider implications in... more
This chapter aims a) to provide a review of the main ways in which employee engagement has been measured; b) to give insight into issues that may occur when designing and implementing such measures; and c) to consider implications in regards to presenting and interpreting engagement scores. Whilst covering academic material, this chapter is designed with the practitioner in mind. Two short case studies illustrating how employee engagement can be measured and evaluated in practice are described at the end of this chapter.
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The National Institute of Healthcare Research (NIHR) has produced a series of guides following a major review of the evidence of staff engagement within the NHS. The Guide to Engagement for Line Managers focuses on the key role of first... more
The National Institute of Healthcare Research (NIHR) has produced a series of guides following a major review of the evidence of staff engagement within the NHS. The Guide to Engagement for Line Managers focuses on the key role of first level supervisors and line managers. The guide highlights their important role of developing staff engagement within their teams, which is fundamental for organisational engagement. In particular it includes ideas for how line managers can develop their engagement skills.
As part of the National Institute of Healthcare Research (NIHR) major review of staff engagement within the NHS, the NIHR has produced a series of publications on key issues of staff engagement. The Guide to Engagement in the NHS is aimed... more
As part of the National Institute of Healthcare Research (NIHR) major review of staff engagement within the NHS, the NIHR has produced a series of publications on key issues of staff engagement. The Guide to Engagement in the NHS is aimed at HR leaders and examines the role they play in developing approaches to staff engagement.
A survey of 34,400 staff in 59 London trusts found general dissatisfaction with pay but satisfaction with immediate managers, equal opportunities and communications. A good working relationship with an immediate manager emerged as key to... more
A survey of 34,400 staff in 59 London trusts found general dissatisfaction with pay but satisfaction with immediate managers, equal opportunities and communications. A good working relationship with an immediate manager emerged as key to feeling valued. The better the communications in a trust, the more staff felt valued. Forty-two per cent of respondents--14,000 people--did not have a personal development plan and had not had an appraisal, leaving them outside major career development systems. This left them dissatisfied.
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Engagement is a frequently used and fashionable term. Some companies now have 'engagement models' and are attempting to measure levels of engagement, perhaps to input to the balanced scorecard, or for incorporation into the human... more
Engagement is a frequently used and fashionable term. Some companies now have 'engagement models' and are attempting to measure levels of engagement, perhaps to input to the balanced scorecard, or for incorporation into the human capital report. Research into engagement, however, is almost non-existent. It appears that 'engagement' is not a recognised academic construct, yet all of us feel intuitively that we understand what it means. If engagement can be defined and measured, what drives it? What persuades the employee to 'go that extra mile' - and what does the organisation need to give in return?
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This paper considers how utilizing a model of job-related affect can be used to explain the processes through which perceived training and development influence employee retention. We applied Russell’s model of core affect to categorize... more
This paper considers how utilizing a model of job-related affect can be used to explain the processes through which perceived training and development influence employee retention. We applied Russell’s model of core affect to categorize four different forms of work attitude, and positioned these as mediators of the relationship between perceived training and development and intention to stay. Using data from 1,191 employees across seven organizations, multilevel analyses found that job satisfaction, employee engagement, and change-related anxiety were significantly associated with intention to stay, and fully mediated the relationship between perceived training and development and intention to stay. Contrary to our hypotheses, emotional exhaustion was not significantly associated with intention to stay nor acted as a mediator when the other attitudes were included. These findings show the usefulness of Russell’s model of core affect in explaining the link between training and develo...
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... in the use of competencies in performance review and in assessment and measurement ofcompetencies by eight leading British ... value to their practices were using competencies to define job requirements and training staff in the use... more
... in the use of competencies in performance review and in assessment and measurement ofcompetencies by eight leading British ... value to their practices were using competencies to define job requirements and training staff in the use of competencies. ... Identifiers: Great Britain. ...