Comprehending Employee Engagement: Insights from Employees’ Perspectives-Evidence from Jordan

Organizations value employees for a competitive edge in a changing and challenging business landscape, emphasizing factors like engagement. Understanding diverse viewpoints is crucial to promoting a wide comprehension of phenomena and related variables, including exploring employee engagement from the employees' perspective. By considering employees' views, organizations gain valuable insights into what motivates employees and fosters a sense of engagement, leading to a positive workplace culture and strategic advantage. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions to examine employee engagement based on participants' experiences and insights. Two hundred seventy employees who work at consumer goods stores in Jordan were interviewed to discuss employee engagement. Results showed that employees view engagement differently and indicated that employee engagement is, among other issues, a matter of perception. The perceptual dimensions were apparent from the participants' responses, as results reveal that employee engagement is subjective, lacks a common definition, and varies based on individual perceptions. Consequently, the participants submitted six definitions and four related aspects based on their estimation and perception. However, it is noticeable that despite these differences, perspectives seem more interconnected than contradictory. Further research and extensive surveys are needed to generalize these insights on employee engagement. Given the perceptual nature of engagement and the crucial role of employees, the study recommends that fostering an effective and productive engagement environment requires considering employees' perspectives, interpretations, and understandings of engagement.