This report will comprise of three parts that will be ultimately focussed on using
scholarly literature to understand employee engagement in South African
organisations. The first section will be looking at the most significant challenges to
employee engagement in South African organisations using published dissertations
on case studies and literature reviews. The second part of the report will be based
on using research and studies conducted in the literature to make recommendations
on ways to improve organisational effectiveness using this knowledge about
employee engagement. The conclusive portion of the report will then build on all this
logic to determine whether there is a positive correlation or relationship that exists
between employee engagement and organisational effectiveness.
Section 1
This is a brief introduction to the concepts of employee engagement and
performance management since those are the topics under review. A definition for
performance management is “a continuous process of identifying, measuring and
developing the performance of individuals and teams and aligning performance with
strategic goals of the organisation” (Govender, 2020). This suggests that the
purpose of the process is to create a system whereby every employee is provided
with a frequent and clear open line of communication that goes both ways in order to
give the employee the best opportunity to maximise their efforts in contributing to the
team with confidence (Chinake, 2006). There is a lot of time, money and effort that
can be wasted if this is not a concern to management because when employees are
not aware of and committed to the strategic goals of the organisation then they aren’t
as effective in performing well in their compartmental roles (Fauske, 2004).
Employee engagement is therefore also crucial in empowering employees with the
proactive initiative needed to sustain the business (Schalkwyk, 2010). Employee
engagement has been defined as “a positive attitude held by the employee towards
the organisation and its value (Ates, 2013). An engaged employee is aware of
business context and works with colleagues to improve performance within the job
for the benefit of the organisation (Govender, 2020). The organisation must work to
develop engagement, which requires a two-way relationship between the employer
and the employee” (Govender, 2020). This definition has accurate because it
emphasises the key aspect of reciprocation and of mutual growth achieved through a
genuine relationship built between employees and the organisation at different levels
, (Lewin, 1986). It also enhances the importance of creating a sense of significance for
ones work so that there can be a lasting positive affiliation between the employee
and their role (Chinake, 2006). There will be more discussions about the struggles of
bringing about this characteristic into the workplace.
What seems to be the biggest challenge in South African organisations at the root of
the issue is the racial socio-economic past that has trickled down into the
generations to position unskilled and uneducated individuals in leadership roles that
they cannot use to coach and mentor due to being (Chinake, 2006). There are many
business owners and leaders in organisations that do not have enough training or
experience to lead therefore they may mismanage the performance of their
employees (Schalkwyk, 2010). The biggest challenges facing these organisations
from being able to get the full engagement of their employees is the fact that leaders
and management are inefficient in providing timely feedback, suitable recognition
and rewards, communication lines, role allocation systems, clear guidelines, a voice
to share ideas or apt opportunity to correct mistakes. This results in employees
growing an increasing level of job insecurity which is reasonable within the context of
the employment rate of the country (Ates, 2013). The kind of treatment that
employees receive from their superiors often leaves them feeling intimidated rather
than empowered and this is statistically the reason why a lot of employees don’t
attempt to go the extra mile (Fauske, 2004). There is a lot of literature that speaks to
the phenomena of South African organisations using a ‘one size fits all’ management
approach which has been proven to be ineffective when it comes to driving up levels
of employee engagement (Quinn, 2014). This is represented in situations where for
example performance appraisal procedures and sometimes even the incentive
schemes for jobs will be identical even though the tasks and ultimately the career
paths are very different (Chinake, 2006). This sense of being neglectful to the
particulars and specifications that make an individual’s job unique are essentially the
factors that increase job insecurity and decrease employee engagement (Schalkwyk,
2010). Understanding that the level of engagement is a presentiment that is both
cognitive and lasting in its nature, this is to say that the progress is done on a mental
realm, and it is not fickle (Govender, 2020). This battle to try and improve the
employees’ intellectual relationship with the business and trying to think of ways to
help it reach its strategic goals is known as cognitive commitment (Fauske, 2004).
scholarly literature to understand employee engagement in South African
organisations. The first section will be looking at the most significant challenges to
employee engagement in South African organisations using published dissertations
on case studies and literature reviews. The second part of the report will be based
on using research and studies conducted in the literature to make recommendations
on ways to improve organisational effectiveness using this knowledge about
employee engagement. The conclusive portion of the report will then build on all this
logic to determine whether there is a positive correlation or relationship that exists
between employee engagement and organisational effectiveness.
Section 1
This is a brief introduction to the concepts of employee engagement and
performance management since those are the topics under review. A definition for
performance management is “a continuous process of identifying, measuring and
developing the performance of individuals and teams and aligning performance with
strategic goals of the organisation” (Govender, 2020). This suggests that the
purpose of the process is to create a system whereby every employee is provided
with a frequent and clear open line of communication that goes both ways in order to
give the employee the best opportunity to maximise their efforts in contributing to the
team with confidence (Chinake, 2006). There is a lot of time, money and effort that
can be wasted if this is not a concern to management because when employees are
not aware of and committed to the strategic goals of the organisation then they aren’t
as effective in performing well in their compartmental roles (Fauske, 2004).
Employee engagement is therefore also crucial in empowering employees with the
proactive initiative needed to sustain the business (Schalkwyk, 2010). Employee
engagement has been defined as “a positive attitude held by the employee towards
the organisation and its value (Ates, 2013). An engaged employee is aware of
business context and works with colleagues to improve performance within the job
for the benefit of the organisation (Govender, 2020). The organisation must work to
develop engagement, which requires a two-way relationship between the employer
and the employee” (Govender, 2020). This definition has accurate because it
emphasises the key aspect of reciprocation and of mutual growth achieved through a
genuine relationship built between employees and the organisation at different levels
, (Lewin, 1986). It also enhances the importance of creating a sense of significance for
ones work so that there can be a lasting positive affiliation between the employee
and their role (Chinake, 2006). There will be more discussions about the struggles of
bringing about this characteristic into the workplace.
What seems to be the biggest challenge in South African organisations at the root of
the issue is the racial socio-economic past that has trickled down into the
generations to position unskilled and uneducated individuals in leadership roles that
they cannot use to coach and mentor due to being (Chinake, 2006). There are many
business owners and leaders in organisations that do not have enough training or
experience to lead therefore they may mismanage the performance of their
employees (Schalkwyk, 2010). The biggest challenges facing these organisations
from being able to get the full engagement of their employees is the fact that leaders
and management are inefficient in providing timely feedback, suitable recognition
and rewards, communication lines, role allocation systems, clear guidelines, a voice
to share ideas or apt opportunity to correct mistakes. This results in employees
growing an increasing level of job insecurity which is reasonable within the context of
the employment rate of the country (Ates, 2013). The kind of treatment that
employees receive from their superiors often leaves them feeling intimidated rather
than empowered and this is statistically the reason why a lot of employees don’t
attempt to go the extra mile (Fauske, 2004). There is a lot of literature that speaks to
the phenomena of South African organisations using a ‘one size fits all’ management
approach which has been proven to be ineffective when it comes to driving up levels
of employee engagement (Quinn, 2014). This is represented in situations where for
example performance appraisal procedures and sometimes even the incentive
schemes for jobs will be identical even though the tasks and ultimately the career
paths are very different (Chinake, 2006). This sense of being neglectful to the
particulars and specifications that make an individual’s job unique are essentially the
factors that increase job insecurity and decrease employee engagement (Schalkwyk,
2010). Understanding that the level of engagement is a presentiment that is both
cognitive and lasting in its nature, this is to say that the progress is done on a mental
realm, and it is not fickle (Govender, 2020). This battle to try and improve the
employees’ intellectual relationship with the business and trying to think of ways to
help it reach its strategic goals is known as cognitive commitment (Fauske, 2004).
