The Impact of Employee Engagement Essay

Employee motivation is a critical aspect of human resource management that leads to the improved performance of department and even the company. High level of employee engagement is intrinsically linked to the high level of employee motivation. It is generally accepted that motivation is linked with both learning and performance at workplace. The motivation can be in both extrinsic and intrinsic terms (Eisele, Grohnert, Beausaert, & Segers, 2013). The later is defined as the one under which there is a strong desire to perform and activity while gaining experience and satisfaction that is inherited in the activity itself. This essay will discuss how employee motivation is directly linked to employee performance and learning and how managers can improve employee motivation levels at workplace. 

According to Kuvaas et al. (2017), organizations are required to address both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations as separate overall organizational motives. The finding of the article imply that extrinsic motivation is most advantageous for the individuals as well as organizations. Extrinsic motivation is defined by Kuvaas et al. (2017) as the desire for performing an activity with target of attaining positive results and/or avoiding negative consequences like punishment. Kuvaas et al. (2017) also highlighted the importance of employees’ engagement by asserting that managers must listen to consider employees’ perspectives, their choices and feedback while making the final decisions. Another key finding of the article proclaimed that the organizations must proceed with caution while applying strict controls like making comparison between employee’s performances, close monitoring, making competitive base pay levels and setting contingent tangible incentives. The key findings of the study also highlighted the negative correlation between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation levels (Kuvaas, Buch, Weibel, Dysvik, & Nerstad, 2017). 

The arguments provided in the article by Kuvaas et al. (2017) included the measurement of extrinsic motivation. According to Gagne & Forest (2008), the extrinsic motivation cannot be measured without having empirical data. Moreover, it is generally argued that extrinsic motivation measurement is mostly based on experiments which are difficult to be extrapolated to real world compensation system. Another argument that can be considered is the relative contribution of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation levels that is made for achieving best employee outcomes. According to Gagne & Forest (2008), extrinsic motivation measures can result into unbalance preoccupations, work stress, impaired health and safety, high turnover and fixed mind-sets. 

Kuvaas et al. (2017) asserted that despite of having limited knowledge over extrinsic motivation measurement and its expected mediating effect on employee performance, the study aimed at increasing the knowledge over how the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation levels can be related to various employee outcomes. The study was done on three studies (two cross sectional and one cross lagged) across different types of industries. The article also asserted that intrinsic motivation is mostly associated with positive outcomes of employees as compared to extrinsic motivation which was found to be negatively associated with employees’ outcomes (Kuvaas, Buch, Weibel, Dysvik, & Nerstad, 2017). It was also asserted in the study that intrinsic motivation and performance has weak link when the incentives are directly related with performance. However, the link is stronger between performance and intrinsic motivation when the incentives are indirectly linked up with employees’ performance. 

Another study by Eisele et al. (2013) highlighted the link between employee development, performance and motivation. The study’s key findings indicated a moderating impact of motivation on employee’s work effectiveness and productivity. According to Eisele et al. (2013), employees’ development activities are directly linked with the motivation of individuals. Using the goal-oriented framework, Eisele et al. (2013) found out that learning and development plans of the organizations directly enhance the motivation levels of the individuals working in a competitive environment. Eisele et al. (2013) also concluded that organizations must create successful personal development plans and foster learning environment for improving the motivation amongst the employees working in the organization. The article also found that those employees who have motivating supervisor who provides them with both formal and informal learning plans, tend to have higher level of motivation as compared to those employees that do not have motivating supervisor.   

Arguments provided in the paper by Eisele et al. (2013) discussed the difference between motivation levels of individuals given basic learning environment and one development plan implemented for all the employees. It was argued that since every individual is different, so the motivation levels tend to differ amongst individuals. Hence, it was argued that supervisors must be trained for using different types of development plans and designing different types of learning material while taking into account the individual needs and differences of the employees.  

The article- asserted that personal development plans are considerably used by several organizations for improving the motivation levels of the employees. The study by Eisele et al. (2013) also asserted that personal development plans support the learning and performance in the workplace which in turn enhance the motivation level of the workers. A moderation analysis was done using goal orientation theory to assert that learning plans and development plans of employees positively influence the perceived job performance through a mediating effect of enhanced motivation. The finding of Bullock et al. (2007) were also discussed in the article for asserting that a motivating supervisor must be present in the firms for enhancing the motivation of employees. Moreover, the article also suggested that learning activities are directly linked with employees’ productivity and perceived performance through employee motivation.

The chosen two articles provided insight on how employee engagement, learning plans and development plans result in increased motivation levels of the employees. The AHRI model of excellence also indicated the people’s management and creation of productive work environment to be resulting in success of organization. The articles used succeeding HR theories like self-determination theory, expectancy theory, goal orientation theory and matching theory for indicating a positive impact of employees’ engagement, learning environment and development plans on employees’ motivation. The research papers selected for this essay were of high quality as they discussed limitations, implications for future research, assertions, hypothesis and arguments presented by preceding articles.