Employee Engagement

Employee engagement refers to the emotional commitment and connection an employee has to their organization and its goals, extending beyond mere job satisfaction. As a critical concept in Human Resources and management, it describes the level of enthusiasm and dedication a worker feels towards their job, which in turn drives them to invest discretionary effort—going above and beyond their basic duties. Fostering a highly engaged workforce is a strategic business objective because it is directly linked to tangible outcomes such as increased productivity, higher retention rates, improved customer satisfaction, and greater overall profitability.

1. Foundations of Employee Engagement
   1. Defining Employee Engagement
      1. Core Concept and Definition
      2. Emotional Commitment
      3. Rational Commitment
      4. Discretionary Effort
      5. Behavioral Indicators of Engagement
   2. Differentiating Engagement from Related Concepts
      1. Employee Satisfaction
      2. Employee Motivation
      3. Employee Happiness
      4. Employee Experience
      5. Organizational Commitment
      6. Job Involvement
   3. Historical Context and Evolution
      1. Early Management Theories
         1. Scientific Management
         2. Human Relations Movement
         3. Classical Motivation Theories
            1. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
            2. Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory
            3. McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y
      2. Emergence as a Business Metric
         1. Shift to Knowledge Work
         2. Rise of Employee Surveys
         3. Integration into HR Strategy
      3. Recent Trends in Engagement Research
   4. Key Models of Employee Engagement
      1. Kahn's Model of Personal Engagement
         1. Psychological Meaningfulness
         2. Psychological Safety
         3. Psychological Availability
      2. Utrecht Work Engagement Scale
         1. Vigor
         2. Dedication
         3. Absorption
      3. Maslach Burnout Inventory as Counterpart
         1. Emotional Exhaustion
         2. Depersonalization
         3. Reduced Personal Accomplishment
      4. Gallup's Q12 Model
         1. Overview of the 12 Elements
         2. Application in Organizations
      5. Other Notable Models
         1. Aon Hewitt Model
         2. Towers Watson Model
         3. JRA Model
         4. ISA Engagement Scale