Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Human Services

Advisor

Marlon F. Sukal

Abstract

Marginal and fluctuating employee engagement levels continue to be a concern among organizations, evidenced by the quest for dynamic solutions and the investigative work observed in the literature. The purpose of this study was to understand the meaning of engagement for employees working in two urban, private-sector companies in Jamaica. A qualitative approach, with a hermeneutic phenomenological design was used to complete the study using the lens of self-efficacy theory. Semistructured interviews were conducted via Zoom with 12 employees and their engagement experiences were analyzed. The results indicate that organizational systems, working conditions, and shared values (organizational and national culture) were enablers of engagement, meaning was evoked through unique psychological encounters. These findings were extrapolated from seven themes that emerged from analyses: (a) awareness and understanding of EE; (b) recognition and reward evoke positive emotions; (c) personal and professional growth influences work performance; (d) dominant safety features (company support, family orientation, and financial health); (e) responses to COVID-19 disruptions; (f) shared values (integrity, respect, and honesty); and (g) features of Jamaican upbringing (resilience, Christian principles, and strong community). The foregoing are key areas for enrichment by business leaders and HR practitioners in their quest for sustained employee engagement levels. The findings also have potential implications for positive social change that include broader and deeper EE conversations in various organizations, encouragement for more targeted research, and possible national discourse with the aim of improving Jamaica’s EE and productivity levels.

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