DISCUSSION
5.4 Practical Implication
Several implications can be obtained from this study. This study complied that employee’s work engagement level is positively influenced by various resources such as organizational resources, job resources and personal resources. Therefore, by emphasizing on these resources, organizations can generate a higher level of engagement among their employees.
For example, since personal resources are found to be the most important determinants, the employers should focus on developing this resource in an
organizational setting. Self-efficacy, organization-based self-esteem, optimism, hope and resilience were found to be the important elements of personal resources that have highest influence on work engagement among other resources. Therefore, organizations can give a closer look on attaining and valuing personal resources among the employees. Self-efficacy, one of the crucial personal resources, enables the individuals to have belief on them and control events that associate with their life.
Bakker and Demerouti (2008) claimed that one of the characteristics of engaged employees is self-efficacy. According to them, self-efficacy influences the employees to control the environment successfully which lead to achieving their career satisfaction. Therefore, setting a proper working climate where individuals can share their ideas and build their confidence level can enhance the self-efficacy level of the employees. Like self-efficacy, organization based self-esteem also has positive association with work engagement. Xanthoupoulou et al. (2007) found out that organization-based self-esteem is a strong predictor of work engagement. This special resource enables the employees to believe by satisfying their needs on their own and contributing in different roles in the organization (Mauno et al., 2007). As a leader, employers need to put a closer attention to their employees so that they can develop their self-esteem by participating in various roles in the organization. To cultivate the self-esteem level, organizations can redesign jobs and set various coaching and mentoring session where employees have got opportunity to explore their self.
Besides, optimism, hope and resiliency also play a significant role in work engagement. Employees who are optimistic tend to be more engaged in their work than those who are pessimistic. According to Bakker and Demerouti (2008), optimism is a unique attribute of individuals that explain work engagement in various levels.
Managers can put a closer look on the selection process to recruit an employee who has a positive mindset towards their life.
Significant influence has also been observed between organizational climate and work engagement. Organizational climate, which is an important element in organizational resource plays a significant role. Organizations can create a positive organizational climate by initiating favorable policies where the employees can find a positive environment for their work. Having a climate of open communication, opinion sharing, individuality valuing, increases the trust level of the employees
(Alfes, Shantz, & Truss, 2012). Therefore, the organization can create an open communication culture where employees can share their opinion and encourage the enhancement of upward communication with the supervisors. Hughes, Avey, and Norman (2008) showed that trust is an important antecedent of work engagement.
Therefore, the organization should build a climate where employees feel they are safe, supported, and able to make decisions to accelerate the engagement level of the employees. In addition, developing a proper support system for the organization also motivates the employees to be engaged in their jobs. The organization can incorporate their activities, upgrade their policies and create supportive environment to the employees. The supportive environment enhances career satisfaction, commitment, productivity and efficiency (Reece, 2012). Besides, HRM practices also play a vital role in organizational resources. A positive and fairly implemented HRM practices influence the employees to improve their performance as well as to increase their well-being (Aryee, Budhwar, & Chen, 2002). Therefore, the organization should focus on the integrated HRM policies where the roles, guidelines and producers will be clearly structured and defined. In line with HRM practices, fairness also influences the work engagement level of the employees. If the organization fails to provide fairness, equality and justice to the employees, it brings a negative effect on trust (Alfes, Shantz, Truss, & Soane, 2013). Employees would not portray their integrity in an unfair working environment. Therefore, a fair policy and proper justice system influence the employees to be more engaged in their job. Another important aspect of organizational resources is value congruence. Having a significant influence on work engagement, managers need to develop an environment where employees feel they share the same value system with the organization. According to Erdogan, Kraimer, and Liden (2004), value congruence can increase the job and career satisfaction of the employees. They also suggested that by providing a supportive hand so that the leader can increase the satisfaction level of the employees who have low value congruence.
Another important antecedent of work engagement is job resources. Job resources significantly influence work engagement. Job resources such as autonomy, social support, performance feedback, task significance and opportunities for learning and development are found to be the influential elements that impact work
engagement. In this regard, employer can provide autonomy that are associated with their jobs to their employees. While performing, if employees would able to use their freedom and authority to perform their task, it can boost up their engagement level.
Runhaar, Konermann, and Sanders (2012) claimed that increasing autonomy help individuals to attain their freedom by scheduling their time and prioritize their task that eventually increase their organization citizenship behavior and work engagement.
In addition, social support also plays an important role in job resources. Besides the current study, previous research also aid the social support that has a positive influence on work engagement (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007). According to Bakker and Demerouti (2008), social support fulfills the need to belong to individuals.
Therefore, employer can focus on developing a culture where individuals can respond to physical and psychological support from their colleagues and their supervisors to attain a higher degree of work engagement level irrespective of their jobs. Another significant element of job resources that influence work engagement is performance feedback. Receiving feedback regarding the work, employees tend to become more engaged towards their job. As a motivation-driven process, employees are urged to get feedback for their performance. According to Schaufeli, Bakker, and Rhenen (2009) performance feedback foster the learning opportunity among the employees.
Therefore, the employer can develop a 360-degree performance feedback system where supervisors, colleagues, subordinates and the employees can provide feedback for their work. Task significance is another job resource that has found a positive association with work engagement. Once employees understand the importance of their jobs, it increases their motivational level by complying to it successfully. They tend to be more engaged while they understand the significance. According to Christian, Garza, and Slaughter (2011) task significance is considered as a motivational characteristic that is positively associated with work engagement, as it brings meaningfulness to their work. Therefore, employers can see the aspect of the importance of task significance and design a job that brings significance towards their employees. The last job resource that is discussed in this research is opportunities for learning and development. Continuous development encourages the individuals to be more active towards their work. Schaufeli et al. (2008) found out that opportunities to learn and develop were a positive predictor of work engagement. The higher the
chance an employee receives to improve them, the more they are engaged in their work. Having this organization can focus on their training and development program to assess and understand the need of the employees’ job. Besides, they also focus on personal coaching system where supervisors can coach their subordinates to perform their task efficiently.