Study of engagement and related aspects among sales forces in Pharmaceutical Industry

Abstract

Employee engagement was first referred and defined in Kahn’s literature (Kahn, A professor of Organisational Behaviour in Boston University’s Questrom School of Business) in 1990. Kahn’s research paper entitled, Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement and Disengagement’, demonstrated for the first time that the fundamental problem is ‘how employees felt’ and is not ‘are they right fit’ or ‘are financial rewards lacking’. According to Kahn, the concept of engagement was based on the premise that,” individuals can make real choices about how much of their real, personal selves they would reveal and express in their work.” This premise was in complete contradiction with the operating premises in 1990. After Kahn, the extent of research effort directed on employee engagement was minimal. However, only until last ten years, employee engagement became so popular in management science. There are two major reasons for this exponential popularity of the subject. First, claims are made by researchers about positive correlation of employee engagement with employee outcomes, financial performance and organisational success (Bates, 2004; Baumruk, 2004; Harter et al., 2002; Richman, 2006). And second, reports have stated that the ‘engagement gap’ i.e. workforce which is either disengaged or not fully engaged has increased, and this engagement gap is costing businesses in the form of lost productivity. (Bates, 2004; Johnson, 2004; Kowalski, 2003) Research literature on engagement can be categorised into five major areas. First, the exploration of meaning of employee engagement. Second, understanding business-unit level relationship of employee satisfaction with employee engagement, and business outcomes, also referred to as meta-analysis. Third, antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. Fourth, engaging an employee for success i.e. enhancing performance of an employee through employee engagement. And last, the challenge of regaining employee engagement and reducing cynicism.