Social Engagement, Gender Diversity and Employee Performance of the Tanzanian Textile Industry

Abstract

Businesses operate in an uncertain environment and their survival depends on employee performance. However, the underperformance of employees in some organizations can be due to several important factors, including social engagement and gender diversity. This study investigated the influence of social engagement on employee performance, considering the mediation effect of gender diversity.  Questionnaires were distributed to a sample size of 618 employees, and the response rate was 89.6%, that is, 554 employees from textile firms in four Tanzanian regions (Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Shinyanga, Simiyu). Participants were sampled using a multistage sampling technique. Descriptive and structural equation model were used for data analysis. The findings revealed that social engagement had a significant positive influence on employees’ adaptive, contextual and task performance, while gender diversity partially mediated the influence of social engagement on contextual and task performance. Among others, the article recommends that managers should encourage employees to show concern and care for one another’s opinions and wellbeing and respect for individual values. The promotion of gender diversity among engaged employees can also potentially boost performance.