Influence of individualized consideration on employee engagement in parastatals in the energy sector in Kenya

Employee engagement has become a critical business priority for senior executives. Engaged employees are inclined to contribute more to organizational output and sustain greater commitment toward their organizations. Individualized consideration is a component of transformational leadership that involves offering personalized support to employees, understanding their unique needs and aspirations, and fostering their career development through mentorship and coaching. This study aimed to examine the influence of individualized consideration on employee engagement. The article is guided by three objectives: the influence of supportive leadership on employee engagement, mentorship and coaching on employee engagement, and career development and training on employee engagement. This study targeted the 10 parastatals within the energy sector in Kenya, with a population of 315 middle-level managers. The study adopted a positivist research philosophy to examine the influence of individualized consideration on employee engagement, and data was collected using structured questionnaires. A correlational research design was conducted to determine the extent to which constructs of individualized consideration influence employee engagement. The findings showed that employee engagement has a statistically significant relationship with supportive leadership, r(161) = 0.413, p < 0.01; mentorship and coaching, r(161) = 0.480, p < 0.01; and career development and training, r(161) = 0.454, p < 0.01. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that supportive leadership, mentorship and coaching, and career development and training positively and significantly influence employee engagement, respectively, ? = 0.141, p < .01, ? = 0.252, p < .01, ? = 0.207, p < .01. The study concluded that supportive leadership, mentorship and coaching, and career development and training positively and significantly enhance employee engagement.