This paper builds on existing theoretical and empirical research on employee engagement and proposes a theoretical model of the antecedents and outcomes of the construct. Using Dubin's (1978) theory-building methodology, it identifies job design and characteristics, supervisor and co-worker relationships, workplace environment, and individual characteristics as the major antecedents to employee engagement. The paper also proposes that job demands and employee perceptions of HRD practices serve as important moderators to the relationships between job design and characteristics, supervisor and co-worker relationships, workplace environment, and employee engagement. Employee engagement, in return, plays a salient role in enhancing employees' job performance and organizational citizenship behaviors as well as in reducing turnover intention. A theoretical model, laws of interaction, research propositions, and implications for research and practice are discussed.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine a set of practices that can help promote self-directed learning (SDL) in congruence with the goals of developing and maintaining a learning organization.
Design/methodology/approach
Findings from this study were derived from an extensive review of the SDL and the learning organization literature, as well as the body of research that examines the connections between the two constructs.
Findings
This paper identifies the following set of practices as integral to promoting SDL in a learning organization: building and communicating a shared vision to employees at all levels; fostering collaboration, interaction and teamwork; empowering employees through participatory work practices; encouraging and providing opportunities for continuous learning; and using relevant technologies in the workplace.
Originality/value
This paper addresses the paucity of research that investigates the connections between SDL and the learning organization and that specifically examines important practices vis-à-vis the two concepts.
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