Improving Employee Engagement Through Organization Development Intervention: An action research study in XW Construction Company, China

Background and Aim: Increased competition within China's construction industry. The demographic dividend is gradually diminishing, resulting in increased labor demand and rising labor costs. Employee engagement is a vital factor in determining both organizational success and competitiveness. This study analyzes the XW Construction Company in China, comparing differences in employee engagement, effective communication, supervisor support, team collaboration, motivation, and job satisfaction before and after the ODI. The research employs a Participatory Action Research (PAR) to identify and enhance the factors influencing employee engagement. Materials and Methods: The researcher establishes theoretical connections and builds relationships between variables through social exchange, JD-R, and Habermas theories. Using quantitative and qualitative research methods. This study employed interviews and questionnaires to survey XW Construction Company employees, investigating ways to enhance employee engagement. The study aimed to improve employee engagement factors by employing Participatory Action Research (PAR). The study used a survey instrument to collect data from 50 project employees of XW Construction Company, analyzing variables such as supervisor support, effective communication, teamwork, motivation, job satisfaction, and employee engagement. Results: The results of the study showed that ODI activities effectively demonstrated the impact of the intervention on supervisor support, effective communication, teamwork, motivation, employee satisfaction, and employee engagement. Conclusion: The researchers recommended increasing the length of ODIs, collecting and analyzing data regularly, and adjusting the intervention duration accordingly. This intervention method is more effective in enhancing the variables in a favorable direction, thereby allowing for improved employee engagement in construction companies. In practical terms, it offers an organizational development program that identifies the factors influencing employee engagement in construction firms and highlights key considerations for HR departments moving forward.