Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-x4r87 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T22:49:28.330Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Role-based engagement: scale development and validation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 November 2020

Stephen F. Young Open the ORCID record for Stephen F. Young [Opens in a new window] ,
Lisa A. Steelman ,
Matthew D. Pita  and
James Gallo
Stephen F. Young*
Affiliation:
Center for Creative Leadership, Global Research & Evaluation, 1 Leadership Place, Greensboro, NC27410, USA
Lisa A. Steelman
Affiliation:
Florida Institute of Technology, School of Psychology, 150 W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL32901, USA
Matthew D. Pita
Affiliation:
Florida Institute of Technology, School of Psychology, 150 W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL32901, USA
James Gallo
Affiliation:
Florida Institute of Technology, School of Psychology, 150 W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL32901, USA
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: youngs@ccl.org
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to build on personal engagement and role theory to develop a conceptual definition of engagement to different organizational roles (job, organization, supervisor, and coworkers) and create and validate the Role-Based Engagement Scale (RBES). Data were collected from four samples (n = 1,302) of employees, including three from multiple organizations and one from an aircraft manufacturer. Results across three studies consistently support the four dimension structure of the RBES, its internal consistency, convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity based on a series of confirmatory factor analyses. The RBES is a psychometrically sound instrument that measures engagement to job, organization, supervisor, and coworkers. This instrument will provide more targeted information for human resource management (HRM) professionals tasked with developing training methods and processes to improve low-scoring dimensions of engagement, optimizing HRM interventions.

Keywords

Coworker engagementemployee engagementjob engagementorganization engagementsupervisor engagement
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , First View , pp. 1 - 21
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, D. W. (1988). Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach. Psychological Bulletin, 103, 411–423. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.103.3.411.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ashforth, B. E., & Johnson, S. A. (2001). Which hat to wear? The relative salience of multiple identities in organizational contexts. In Hogg, M. A. & Terry, D. J. (Eds.), Social identity processes in organizational contexts (pp. 31–48). Philadelphia: Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315800530-10.Google Scholar
Baker, W., Cross, R., & Wooten, M. (2003). Positive organizational network analysis and energizing relationships – center for positive organizations. In Cameron, K., Dutton, J., & Quinn, R. (Eds.), Positive organizational scholarship: Foundations of a new discipline (pp. 328–342). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.Google Scholar
Barrick, M. R., Thurgood, G. R., Smith, T. A., & Courtright, S. H. (2015). Collective organizational engagement: Linking motivational antecedents, strategic implementation, and firm performance. Academy of Management Journal, 58(1), 111–135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Biddle, B. J. (1986). Recent developments in role theory. Annual Review of Sociology, 12(1), 67–92. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.so.12.080186.000435.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Biggs, A., Brough, P., & Barbour, J. P. (2014). Strategic alignment with organizational priorities and work engagement: A multi-wave analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 35(3), 301–317. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1866.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Biswas, S., & Bhatnagar, J. (2013). Mediator analysis of employee engagement: Role of perceived organizational support, P-O fit, organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Vikalpa, 38(1), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.1177/0256090920130103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Borman, W. C., & Motowidlo, S. M. (1993). Expanding the criterion domain to include elements of contextual performance. In Schmitt, N. & Borman, W. C. (Eds.), Personnel selection in organizations (pp. 71–98). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Byrne, Z. S. (2015). Understanding employee engagement: Theory, research, and practice. New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.Google Scholar
Cable, D. M., & DeRue, D. S. (2002). The convergent and discriminant validity of subjective fit perceptions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(5), 875–884. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.5.875.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chatman, J. A. (1989). Improving interactional organizational research: A model of person-organization fit. Academy of Management Review, 14(3), 333–349. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1989.4279063.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cheung, G. W., & Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 9(2), 233–255. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christian, M. S., Garza, A. S., & Slaughter, J. E. (2011). Work engagement: A quantitative review and test of Its relations with task and contextual performance. Personnel Psychology, 64(1), 89–136. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2010.01203.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Wang, Y., & Niu, H. J. (2010). Multiple roles of human resource department in building organizational competitiveness – perspective of role theory. International Management Review, 6(2), 13–19.Google Scholar
Edwards, J. R. (1991). Person-job fit: A conceptual integration, literature review, and methodological critique. In Cooper, C. L. & Robertson, I. T. (Eds.), International review of industrial and organizational psychology (Vol. 6, pp. 283–357). Oxford, UK: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Farndale, E., Beijer, S. E., Veldhoven, M. J. P. M. V., Kelliher, C., & Hope-Hailey, V. (2014). Work and organisation engagement: Aligning research and practice. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness, 1(2), 157–176. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOEPP-03-2014-0015.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goffman, E. (1961). Asylums. New York: Doubleday Books.Google Scholar
Graen, G. B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective. The Leadership Quarterly, 6(2), 219–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/1048-9843(95)90036-5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Griffin, M. A., Neal, A., & Parker, S. K. (2007). A new model of work role performance: Positive behavior in uncertain and interdependent contexts. Academy of Management Journal, 50(2), 327–347. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2007.24634438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, D. T., & Richter, J. (1988). Balancing work life and home life: What can organizations do to help? The Academy of Management Executive (1987–1989), 2(3), 213–223.Google Scholar
Harrison, D. A., & McLaughlin, M. E. (1996). Structural properties and psychometric qualities of organizational self-reports: Field tests of connections predicted by cognitive theory. Journal of Management, 22(2), 313–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0149-2063(96)90051-3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heaphy, E. D., & Dutton, J. E. (2008). Integrating organizations and physiology: Getting started. Academy of Management Review, 33(4), 1009–1011. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2008.34422278.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hinkin, T. R. (1995). A review of scale development practices in the study of organizations. Journal of Management, 21(5), 967–988. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639502100509.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hinshelwood, R. (2001). Thinking about institutions: Milieux and madness. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.Google Scholar
Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ilgen, D. R., & Hollenbeck, J. R. (1991). The structure of work: Job design and roles. In Dunnette, M. D. & Hough, L. M. (Eds.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 165–207). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.Google Scholar
Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. The Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692–724. https://doi.org/10.2307/256287.Google Scholar
Kahn, W. A. (1992). To be fully there: Psychological presence at work. Human Relations, 45(4), 321–349. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872679204500402.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kahn, W. A., & Heaphy, E. D. (2014). Relational contexts of personal engagement at work. In Truss, C., Alfes, K., Delbridge, R., Shantz, A. & Soane, E. (Eds.), Employee engagement in theory and practice (pp. 82–96). London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Katz, D., & Kahn, R. L. (1978). The social psychology of organizations (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Klein, K. J., & Kozlowski, S. W. (2000). From micro to meso: Critical steps in conceptualizing and conducting multilevel research. Organizational Research Methods, 3(3), 211–236.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knight, C., Patterson, M., & Dawson, J. (2017). Building work engagement: A systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the effectiveness of work engagement interventions. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38(6), 792–812.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kristof, A. L. (1996). Person-organization fit: An integrative review of its conceptualizations, measurement, and implications. Personnel Psychology, 49(1), 1–49. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1996.tb01790.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lauver, K. J., & Kristof-Brown, A. (2001). Distinguishing between employees’ perceptions of person–job and person–organization fit. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 59(3), 454–470. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.2001.1807.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, K., & Allen, N. J. (2002). Organizational citizenship behavior and workplace deviance: The role of affect and cognitions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(1), 131–142. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.1.131.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Little, T. D., Lindenberger, U., & Nesselroade, J. R. (1999). On selecting indicators for multivariate measurement and modeling with latent variables: When ‘good’ indicators are bad and ‘bad’ indicators are good. Psychological Methods, 4(2), 192–211. https://doi.org/10.1037/1082-989X.4.2.192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lynch, K. D. (2007). Modeling role enactment: Linking role theory and social cognition. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 37(4), 379–399. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5914.2007.00349.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macey, W. H., & Schneider, B. (2008). The meaning of employee engagement. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 1(1), 3–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1754-9434.2007.0002.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacKay, M. M., Allen, J. A., & Landis, R. S. (2017). Investigating the incremental validity of employee engagement in the prediction of employee effectiveness: A meta-analytic path analysis. Human Resource Management Review, 27(1), 108–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mathieu, J., Maynard, M. T., Rapp, T., & Gilson, L. (2008). Team effectiveness 1997–2007: A review of recent advancements and a glimpse into the future. Journal of Management, 34(3), 410–476. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206308316061.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mauno, S., Kinnunen, U., & Ruokolainen, M. (2007). Job demands and resources as antecedents of work engagement: A longitudinal study. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 70(1), 149–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2006.09.002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
May, D. R., Gilson, R. L., & Harter, L. M. (2004). The psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability and the engagement of the human spirit at work. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 77(1), 11–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McNeely, B. L., & Meglino, B. M. (1994). The role of dispositional and situational antecedents in prosocial organizational behavior: An examination of the intended beneficiaries of prosocial behavior. Journal of Applied Psychology, 79(6), 836–844. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.79.6.836.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meade, A. W., Johnson, E. C., & Braddy, P. W. (2008). Power and sensitivity of alternative fit indices in tests of measurement invariance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(3), 568–592. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.93.3.568.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Muthen, L. K., & Muthen, B. O. (1998). Mplus user's guide. Los Angeles, CA: Muthen & Muthen.Google Scholar
Organ, D. W. (1997). Organizational citizenship behavior: It's construct clean-up time. Human Performance, 10(2), 85–97. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327043hup1002_2.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2012). Sources of method bias in social science research and recommendations on how to control it. Annual Review of Psychology, 63(1), 539–569. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100452.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reichers, A. E. (1985). A review and reconceptualization of organizational commitment. The Academy of Management Review, 10(3), 465–476. https://doi.org/10.2307/258128.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rich, B. L., Lepine, J. A., & Crawford, E. R. (2010). Job engagement: Antecedents and effects on job performance. Academy of Management Journal, 53(3), 617–635. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.51468988.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, M. A. (2018). Using multi-item psychometric scales for research and practice in human resource management. Human Resource Management, 57(3), 739–750. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21852.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rothbard, N. P. (2001). Enriching or depleting? The dynamics of engagement in work and family roles. Administrative Science Quarterly, 46(4), 655–684. https://doi.org/10.2307/3094827.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rupp, D. E., & Cropanzano, R. (2002). The mediating effects of social exchange relationships in predicting workplace outcomes from multifoci organizational justice. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 89(1), 925–946. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-5978(02)00036-5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saks, A. M. (2006). Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(7), 600–619. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940610690169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saks, A. M. (2017). Translating employee engagement research into practice. Organizational Dynamics, 46(2), 76–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saks, A. M. (2019). Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement revisited. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 6(1), 19–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saks, A. M., & Ashforth, B. E. (2002). Is job search related to employment quality? It all depends on the fit. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4), 646–654. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.4.646.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saks, A. M., & Gruman, J. A. (2011). Getting newcomers engaged: The role of socialization tactics. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 26(5), 383–402. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683941111139001.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saks, A. M., & Gruman, J. A. (2014). What do we really know about employee engagement? Human Resource Development Quarterly, 25(2), 155–182. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schaufeli, W., & Salanova, M. (2011). Work engagement: On how to better catch a slippery concept. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 20(1), 39–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2010.515981.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schaufeli, W. B. (2013). What is engagement? In Truss, C., Alfes, K., Delbridge, R., Shantz, A. & Soane, E. (Eds.), Employee engagement in theory and practice (pp. 15–35). London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2010). Defining and measuring work engagement: Bringing clarity to the concept. In Bakker, A., & Leiter, M. (Eds.), Work engagement: A handbook of essential theory and research (pp. 10–24). New York: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., González-romá, V., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3(1), 71–92. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015630930326.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schoorman, D., & Mayer, R. (2008). The value of common perspectives in self-reported appraisals. Organizational Research Methods, 11(1), 148–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seers, A. (1989). Team-member exchange quality: A new construct for role-making research. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 43(1), 118–135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seers, A., Petty, M., & Cashman, J. (1995). Team-member exchange under team and traditional management: A naturally occurring quasi-experiment. Group & Organization Management, 20(1), 18–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shanock, L. R., & Eisenberger, R. (2006). When supervisors feel supported: Relationships with subordinates’ perceived supervisor support, perceived organizational support, and performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(3), 689–695. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.91.3.689.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shuck, B., Adelson, J. L., & Reio, T. G. (2017). The employee engagement scale: Initial evidence for construct validity and implications for theory and practice. Human Resource Management, 56(6), 953–977. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21811.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shuck, B., & Reio, T. G. (2011). The employee engagement landscape and HRD: How do we link theory and scholarship to current practice? Advances in Developing Human Resources, 13(4), 419–428. https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422311431153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shuck, B., & Wollard, K. (2010). Employee engagement and HRD: A seminal review of the foundations. Human Resource Development Review, 9(1), 89–110. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484309353560.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soane, E., Truss, C., Alfes, K., Shantz, A., Rees, C., & Gatenby, M. (2012). Development and application of a new measure of employee engagement: The ISA engagement scale. Human Resource Development International, 15(5), 529–547. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2012.726542.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spector, P. E. (1992). Summated rating scale construction: An introduction. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412986038.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2001). Using multivariate statistics (4 ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.Google Scholar
Welbourne, T. M., & Paterson, T. A. (2017). Advancing a richer view of identity at work: The role-based identity scale. Personnel Psychology, 70(2), 315–356. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Welbourne, T. M., & Schlachter, S. (2014). Engaged in what? Role theory perspectives for enhancing employee engagement research and practice. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2014(1), 14033. https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2014.14033abstract.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, L. J., & Anderson, S. E. (1991). Job satisfaction and organizational commitment as predictors of organizational citizenship and in-role behaviors. Journal of Management, 17(3), 601–617. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, L. J., & O'Boyle, E. H. (2008). Measurement models for linking latent variables and indicators: A review of human resource management research using parcels. Human Resource Management Review, 18(4), 233–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2008.07.002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wollard, K. K., & Shuck, B. (2011). Antecedents to employee engagement: A structured review of the literature. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 13(4), 429–446. https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422311431220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xanthopoulou, D., Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2009). Reciprocal relationships between job resources, personal resources, and work engagement. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 74(3), 235–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2008.11.003.CrossRefGoogle Scholar