Managing self-efficacy for employee engagement and commitment: Planning employee success patterns

Purpose of research: To examine ways in which employee engagement can be enhanced in the organization by managing employee self-efficacy, to propose a conceptual framework of employee engagement and self-engagement that integrates research and theory and help provide a compelling case for action, and to highlight gaps in the literatures on the effectiveness of managing self-efficacy to increase employee engagement and commitment in the organization.Purpose and Scope of Research A. To examine ways in which employee engagement can be enhanced in the organization by managing employee self-efficacy. B. To propose a conceptual framework of employee engagement and self-engagement that integrates research and theory and help provide a compelling case for action. C. Highlight gaps in the literatures on the effectiveness of managing self-efficacy to increase employee engagement and commitment in the organization. Personal Reasons for Research Topic It is the premise that “ …psychological and sociological understanding of the self is a far better predictor and motivator of employee engagement and commitment than tasks, jobs, and role performances” (Kahn, 1990).Importance to Management Practice A. A growing body of evidence suggests that employee engagement is crucial for organizational productivity and success. It encompasses more than the commonly held belief of job satisfaction. It involves an active commitment to performing a task well and helping the organization achieves its goals and objectives. B. In a global competitive environment, many organizations face strong headwinds, and because of that, employee engagement assumes increasing significance. Managers have a unique role to play in managing employees self-efficacy to build employee engagement and self-engagement.Line of Argument A. To the extent that you want to create employee engagement or self engagement one must first develop a plan for how self-efficacy can be managed. B. Effectively managing employee self-efficacy involves planning along a gradient of incremental success based on goal setting and job fit.Most Important Theoretical FrameworksResearch Question “What does a review of the literature say about how managing employee self-efficacy along a gradient of success patterns influences employee engagement, self-engagement, and commitment to the organization?”Research Propositions Proposition 1 A strong and significant relationship exists between self-efficacy and employee engagement. Proposition 2 A Strong and significant relationship exists between self-efficacy and organizational commitment. Proposition 3 Goal setting is a mediator between self-efficacy and employee engagement. Proposition 4 Control for job fit and goal, and positively managing loosely planned gradients of success events over time lead to self-efficacy reinforcement and predict employee engagement and commitment.Primary Practitioner Scenario Leaders of a sales organization were taking part in an employee development program. A key theme that emerged in the discussion was that employees had difficulty leading balanced lives because of job demands and increasing pressures they were facing in their jobs. The discussion continued for some time, and the tension in the room began to escalate. The facilitator then asked two important questions: first, she asked, “how many of you feel overworked and feel you really cannot do any more if asked by your organization?” Virtually every hand in the room was raised. Clearly this group was feeling overworked. Then came the second question: “how many of you feel there is a part of you – your creativity, passion, ingenuity – that is sitting, untapped by this organization?” Virtually all the same hands were raised. Source: Molinaro , V., & Weiss, D. (2005). The Leadership Gap: Developing leaders for competitive advantage . Main Literature Themes & Authors Theme 1 -- Employee engagement (self-engagement) Authors: Kahn; Harter; Saks; Schmidt; Blacksmith; Maslach and Leiter ; Schaufeli and Bakker ; Salanova; Bakker Theme 2 -- Social cognitive theory (e.g.,self-efficacy) Authors: Bandura; Pajares; Bem; Theme 3 -- Organizational commitment Authors: Meyer ; Allen; Bergman, Lester, De Meuse & Grahn; Mowday; Becker, Vandenberghe Theme 4 -- Goal settings Authors: Locke; Latham Theme 5 -- Symbolic interactionism Authors: Mead; Ritzer; Cooley; Blumer; Dewey; Charon Theme 6 -- Organizational citizen behavior (OCB) Authors: Organ; Katz; Van DyneWarrants A. Goals, in conjunction with self-efficacy (task-specific confidence; Bandura, 1997), often mediate or partially mediate the effects of other potentially motivating variables (e.g. employee engagement) (Locke & Latham, 1990, 2002). B. High goals lead to greater effort and/or persistence than do moderately difficult, easy, or vague goals. Feelings of success in the workplace occur to the extent that people see that they are able to grow and meet job challenges by pursuing and attaining goals that are important and meaningful (Locke & Latham, 2002). Conceptual Framework Conclusions The conclusion of this study shows that by gradually and systematically managing success to attain high levels of self-efficacy within a programmed alignment of employee-manager interaction, goal-setting and job fit will be a significant predictor of employee engagement self-engagement in the organization