Evaluating the Impact of Employee Engagement Practices on the Impact of Employee Performance during the COVID-19 Lockdown in the Private Sector: Case of MT & T COMMUNICATIONS (Pseudonym)

Abstract

Research has highlighted that employee engagement has dual benefits for both personal well-being and organisational profitability and suggests that a communication perspective is valuable for deepening the understanding of employee engagement in organisational life. However, with the widespread shift to work remotely due to COVID19, it was important to explore contextual opportunities for how employees can communicatively demonstrate engagement in a remote work environment. This study sought to analyse the antecedents of employee engagement and how employee engagement affects employee performance at MT & T Communications. A quantitative research approach was employed, and data was collected using a survey questionnaire. A final sample of 30 employees of MT & T Communications was randomly selected in this study. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed that work environment, job fit, and leadership were the factors that influence employee engagement. It was found that leadership and work environment had the strongest influence on employee engagement. Further, the study revealed that employee engagement positively correlates with work environment, job fit and leadership. Thus, a healthy and positive work environment, effective leadership and good job fit are associated with higher employee engagement. Lastly, the study sought to determine the relationship between employee engagement and employee performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between employee engagement and employee performance. Therefore, it was concluded that high levels of employee engagement are important to the productivity of an organisation. This study recommended that strategies should focus on improving aspects of the work environment and leadership to improve employee engagement and in turn improve the performance of employees. It is important for management of MT & T Communications to constantly make sure that flexible work arrangements are in place for employees especially in challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic. This level of flexibility accommodates the illusive work-life balance that employees want. The organisation should also invest in leadership training on employee engagement best practices.