An investigation to determine if Organisational Change during an Economic Downturn Influences Employee Engagement

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the Study1

Purpose of the Study1

Rationale of the Study2

Aims and Objectives3

Research Questions3

Ethical Concerns3

Structure of the Dissertation4

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY6

The Research Process6

Research Design7

Data Collection and Analysis8

Questionnaire Design8

Primary Data9

Questionnaire Frame Work9

Questionnaire Responses9

Selection of Participants10

Literature Search11

Confidentiality11

Validity and Reliability of Data11

REFERENCES13

Questionnaire15

Gantt chart (July 2012 - June 2013)17

Proposed budget and resources18

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background Of The Study

Organizations around the globe have acknowledged that employee engagement is a phenomenon that can be termed as driving force that aids in improvement of performance results. Research conducted by renowned company called Gallup, reveals that employee's engagement is directly linked to productivity. Their performance is better and they are more customer-focused, more conscientious, and more likely to develop loyalty and least likely to resign. Organization's agree to the fact that a policy should be established and implemented in order to improve employee dedication to further ensure that the objectives of the organization are met that would consequently result in carving a niche for itself amidst the carnivorous competition eventually resulting in superior market presence.

Purpose Of The Study

The economy has witnessed serious setbacks in recent times and it has put many competent companies under financial constraints. Since employee's engagement is a notion that assists in expanding strong positive approaches amidst employees towards their work as well as their organisation, and this in turn serves a critical role in making sure that they do their best even at times of tough financial conditions. Undeniably, it is an arena, which needs greater level of management concentration. The idea of employee engagement itself is not recent; many factors have had a cumulative impact that has led to the development of its significance.

These factors constitute organisational commitment, organisational citizenship (which refers to the readiness to take part in organizational activities besides the job description) and job satisfaction. In a recent Guardian article, Director Robertson Cooper, Ivan Robertson discusses the reason why employee engagement is crucial in difficult times. He further makes an attempt to explore the idea that managers need to prioritise well-being and that employees need to feel that their organisation is genuinely interested in them, especially in the public sector where employees have to deal with a considerable amount of change on regular basis. The distinguishing characteristic of employee engagement as an approach is that it attracts all the positive work attitudes simultaneously under one umbrella. Promoters argue that the study evidently proves that organisations tend to do better when there is high employee engagement. Therefore, it is of crucial important that employers acknowledged the important of employee's engagement in their businesses and put in efforts to maintain high engagement at all times. The purpose of this study is to explore the ways employee engagement could be affected during times of financial constraints and other organization change and recommend ways through which management could continue to sustain a high level of employee engagement across the organizations.

Rationale Of The Study

Organizational change is gaining momentum since the initiation of financial crisis, which has stimulated the organizations to resort to downsizing to remain in ...