The Key Drivers of Employee Engagement in Development Project Organization: The Case of the Organization for Women In Self-Employment (WISE)
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Date
2022-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This research project seeks to examine the key drivers of employee engagement in a development project organization. The aim of the study is to identify the current
engagement levels of employees and to understand the drivers of engagement in nongovernmental project organizations (i.e. NGOs) in Ethiopia. The research was
prompted by the scarcity of employee engagement studies in the context of development project organizations in the country despite the problems they are facing
in relation to engagement of their employees. The research strategy adopted was mainly a quantitative, deductive approach using staff
survey in the case organization, Organization for Women In Self-Employment (WISE). The survey requested respondents’ views using a six-point Likert type scale on the three
behavioral outcomes of engagement (i.e. Say, Stay and Strive) and 20 engagement drivers grouped under six themes: People, Organization, Work, Culture, Opportunities,
and Procedures. These behavioral outcomes and drivers of engagement are adapted from the model developed by Aon Hewitt, a renowned HR consulting firm that has
undertaken extensive researches on the topic. Both descriptive and inferential statistics through SPSS and Excel were used to
illustrate the findings from the survey. The findings indicate that just 40.6% of the employees in WISE are engaged at present and there is considerable scope for
improvement as the score is supposed to be at least 50%. Besides, the fact that over half of the employees are disengaged with regard to the ‘stay’ engagement behavior is of
particular concern as it suggests that many of the employees are intending to leave the organization. The study also revealed that younger and newer employees are less
engaged than the older ones and those who have worked in WISE for longer time. The results of the survey showed that Senior Management Team, Work Styles, Training
and Development, and Performance Orientation are the main drivers that influence engagement levels the most. Respondents also want WISE to improve Benefits, Pay,
and Communication. Hence, the leadership of WISE needs to work on these drivers that were seen as important factors influencing engagement levels.
This study will contribute to the literature on employee engagement in development project organizations.
Key words: Employee Engagement, Key Engagement Drivers