Handbook of Employee Engagement: Perspectives, Issues, Research and Practice

Citation

Albrech, S.L. (2011), "Handbook of Employee Engagement: Perspectives, Issues, Research and Practice", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 19 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/hrmid.2011.04419gaa.019

Handbook of Employee Engagement: Perspectives, Issues, Research and Practice

Article Type: Suggested readings From: Human Resource Management International Digest, Volume 19, Issue 7

Simon L. Albrecht (Ed.),Edward Elgar, 2010, ISBN: 9781848448216

The concept of employee engagement plays a central role in the global landscape of business as organizations attempt to optimize the intellectual power inherent in today’s diverse workforce.

Employee engagement represents a sustainable resource capable of promoting organizational success and competitive advantage.

Organizations actively pursue higher levels of employee engagement to increase productivity, imbue positive energy within the corporate culture, and enhance organizational reputation within the industry or the broader business community.

Research presented in the Handbook of Employee Engagement, edited by Simon Albrecht, suggests that effective employee engagement allows organizations to leverage thought leadership, creativity and innovation to gain maximum returns on investments in human capital.

Contributions by internationally recognized practitioners and consultants provide structure and clarity about the otherwise amorphous concept of engagement, helping readers to understand and apply key concepts, models, interventions and measures to promote individual, team and organizational success.

Distinctive features of the Handbook of Employee Engagement include the overarching objective of presenting evidence-based perspectives relevant to both the science and practice of employee engagement, and the presentation of sections detailing the practical application of concepts and interventions in many of its 34 chapters, each of which includes an extensive listing of references to support reader engagement and exploration.

The book is a comprehensive volume of contemporary research, case studies and conceptual pieces examining the “state of play” of employee engagement on a global level. It is a highly readable and accessible, working resource for management consultants and professionals.

Part 1 provides a foundational framework complete with definitions, identification of key issues, and presentation of relevant theories, models and measures.

Part 2 examines key drivers and organizational conditions influencing engagement, theoretical linkages and practical interventions.

Part 3 explores the dynamics and fluctuation of workflow affected by employee creativity, motivation and engagement.

Part 4 presents information on leadership, teams and organizational socialization through management and human-resource systems, practices and processes.

Part 5 presents global perspectives and models of employee engagement.

Part 6 examines interventions promoting psychological engagement, employee self-efficacy and positive behaviors at work, and explores the ability to predict organizational-performance outcomes.

The book provides critical insights into the theory and practice of employee engagement, empirical research, case studies demonstrating issues, challenges and opportunities inherent in contemporary application of employee engagement in applied settings.

The book addresses the need for a single resource describing tested and practical steps that can be used by consultants and human-resource managers to improve employee engagement in various organizational settings and contexts.

The volume uses a balanced approach, integrating academic and applied research, to present key theories, models and interventions fostering employee engagement in a way that helps readers to understand, apply and evaluate these concepts in the context of real-world settings. As a result, the book is well suited for readers interested in the science and practice of employee engagement, organizational behavior, group dynamics and organizational psychology. Consultants in management and organizational behavior, human-resource managers, researchers and students will find value in the insights, state-of-the-art practical applications and areas for future research identified in this comprehensive, informative resource.

The Handbook of Employee Engagement is recommended for anyone seeking to improve organizational performance by harnessing the power and positive energy inherent in increased levels of productivity, creativity and innovation that can be achieved through employee engagement.

Reviewed by Judy Bullock, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

A longer version of this review was originally published in Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 32 No. 3, 2011.