What drives organisational engagement? A case study on trust, justice perceptions and withdrawal attitudes

Abstract

Purpose

Past research has found meaningful differences between job and organisational engagement. However, research to date has mainly focused on job engagement, whereas the construct of organisational engagement has been largely neglected. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antecedents of organisational engagement and its influence on withdrawal attitudes.

Design/methodology/approach

Using an on‐line survey, the authors investigated employees’ perceptions of fairness and trust in senior management, 12 months prior to the measurement of organisational engagement and withdrawal attitudes. The study was conducted in a professional services public organisation, characterised by frequent change and uncertainty.

Findings

The authors showed that perceptions of procedural justice and trust in senior management predicted organisational engagement 12 months later. In addition, organisational engagement partially mediated the relationship between procedural justice perceptions, trust in senior management, and withdrawal attitudes.

Practical implications

The authors’ research suggests that monitoring and influencing employees’ levels of engagement can benefit organisations, and that leaders in particular can influence employees’ level of engagement. Indeed, the present research showed that employees who had trust in senior management and felt that they had a voice in the organisation showed higher levels of engagement and lower intentions to exit the organisation.

Originality/value

This research contributes to our understanding of the drivers of engagement, and demonstrates the importance of organisational‐level, in addition to job‐level engagement.

Citation

Malinen, S., Wright, S. and Cammock, P. (2013), "What drives organisational engagement? A case study on trust, justice perceptions and withdrawal attitudes", Evidence-based HRM, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 96-108. https://doi.org/10.1108/20493981311318638