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The influence of time on employee engagement in the SA business environment

Nico Martins (Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa)
Hester Nienaber (Department of Operations Management, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa) (School of Hotel and Restaurant Management, Northern Arizona University (NAU), Flagstaff, Arizona, USA)

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management

ISSN: 1741-0401

Article publication date: 19 November 2018

Issue publication date: 19 November 2018

715

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to investigate the influence of time on the results of the dimensions of employee engagement; and second, to determine whether there are any significant differences between the levels of engagement of the different demographic groups, so as to determine specific future interventions to improve employee engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a quantitative approach employing a survey which used a questionnaire to collect data from the same convenience sample, over a three-year period. The differences were tested by measuring change through an analysis of variance.

Findings

Three dimensions, namely, team commitment, team orientation and organisational strategy and implementation were significantly higher in the third than first period. Africans and respondents on lower job grades reported significantly lower levels of engagement than white respondents and top management.

Research limitations/implications

The limitation of the study is the low participation rate of some groups.

Practical implications

Top management can foster engagement in addition to introducing effective interventions, based on sound measurement, to improve employees’ engagement levels.

Social implications

Engaged employees are happy/healthy, which can be expected to spill over to their lives outside of the workplace and thus favourably influence society.

Originality/value

Limited longitudinal research in connection with employee engagement is published. This study provides evidence of a valid barometer for a multicultural, developing economy, against which employee engagement can be measured.

Keywords

Citation

Martins, N. and Nienaber, H. (2018), "The influence of time on employee engagement in the SA business environment", International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. 67 No. 9, pp. 1682-1702. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-11-2017-0299

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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