The engagement factor: building a high‐commitment organization in a low‐commitment world

Purpose – Attracting and retaining a talented work force is a strategic imperative. Doing so requires organizations to create an overall context through a set of macro‐level organizational practices we refer to as the HR value chain. However, this organizational context must be supplemented at the micro level through leader behavior, job characteristics, and challenging goals. An evidence‐based integrative model of organizational practices is developed that will lead to a high level of employee engagement. Design/methodology/approach – The paper addresses several key questions: Do engaged employees perform better than those that are not engaged? How should companies best organize their HR processes at a firm‐wide level to foster employee engagement? What should companies do at an employee level to foster engagement? What is the role of employee to manager trust in employee engagement? A review and summary of existing empirical literature from the areas of employee engagement, human resources, strategy, and leadership was assembled to answer these questions and provide an evidenced‐based set of prescriptions for practicing managers seeking to enhance employee engagement. Findings – The evidence presented supports seven key engagement principles characterized by: an integrated HR value chain; full‐range leader behaviors incorporating contingent reward and transformational behaviors; job enrichment through variety, significance, and task identity; challenging and specific performance goals; in‐role job performance; extra‐role performance behaviors; and employee trust in their leader. Originality/value – The content of the paper is useful to executives and managers in firms of various sizes and across industries by: presenting empirically‐based evidence that engaged employees perform better than those that are not engaged; providing pragmatic recommendations regarding how to establish firm‐wide human resources process that foster workforce engagement; providing practical recommendations regarding what companies should do at an employee level to foster engagement; explaining the role of employee to manager trust in employee engagement; providing a bridge across the often decried gap between academic research and the practice of management.