Employee engagement: a prescription for organizational transformation

Ivanitskaya, Glazer, and Erofeev (2009) suggest that "the most fundamental element of any organization that helps the organization to survive is the individual person" (p. 109). It is the motivation of human capital that makes a health-care organization come to life. Health-care is a unique industry; its accomplishments are directly dependent upon the competencies and technical skills of its employees. "When people in the workplace fulfill their organizational roles, then the organization thrives" (Ivanitskaya et al., 2009, p. 110). Health-care systems will require organizations that thrive and exhibit characteristics of continuous growth, expressing excessive levels of energy and an immense capacity for flourishing. Anticipating the challenges of the next decade, health-care organizations must achieve a higher degree of employee engagement to enhance organizational performance and profitability. The data analyzed for this chapter indicate that employees who are engaged are more enthusiastic and aspired to achieve both individual and organizational success. The chapter concludes by suggesting five operating practices to establish an employee engagement culture--defining the employee's role in fulfilling the organization's purpose, selecting employees with capability and passion, supporting and valuing the employee, creating sustainable reward systems, and developing feedback and reinforcement mechanisms.