Using positive deviance to enhance employee engagement: an interpretive structural modelling approach

Abstract

Purpose Organisations today seek high engagement levels from their employees for their superior performance amid the highly competitive environment. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of positive deviance facilitators (PDFs) in enhancing employee engagement at work. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) and Matrice d’Impacts Croisés-Multiplication Appliquée á un Classement (MICMAC) analysis to understand the process of how positive deviance may fuel employee engagement in an organisation. Because of the lack of empirical evidence on the relationship between employee engagement and positive deviance, ISM approach was adopted as it helps in understanding the subjective experience and learnings of experts involved in the field. The MICMAC analysis classifies the relevant factors into four clusters and helps in understanding the dynamics involved. Findings Based on the opinions shared by industry and academia experts, a structural model was developed to understand the hierarchy and interactions among the eight PDFs leading towards employee engagement. Research limitations/implications The study offers both theoretical and practical implications. The model developed in the current study could be used as a base model for future studies concerning employee engagement and deviance. The importance of human resource management practices in fuelling positive deviance and employee engagement is also highlighted. The study discusses various practical implications for human resource managers and top management. Originality/value The literature on positive deviance at work is still at a nascent stage. Empirical studies on deviance largely focus on the destructive/negative side of workplace deviance, and studies on positive outcomes from workplace deviance are rare. This present study provides a unique opportunity to understand how positive deviance can be used to enhance the engagement levels of employees.

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“…Even in the genre of sports, athletes' overconformity to sports ethic can be seen through the lens of PD (Hughes & Coakley, 1991). Among the recent papers, we find PD is used as a lens to understand employee engagement (Sharma, 2021).…”

Do high-commitment work systems engage employees? Mediating role of psychological capital

“…Compared to Kahn’s engagement, Schaufeli et al ’s (2002) concept of work engagement received substantial attention from the scholars’ fraternity and narrowed down from engagement to the organisational setting, and its measures were developed. Since 2002, many authors confirmed that work engagement relates to numerous workplace outcomes such as increased organisational commitment (Teo et al , 2020; Saks, 2006; Demerouti et al , 2001), job satisfaction (Saks, 2006; Schaufeli and Bakker, 2004), individuals’ performance (Alfes et al , 2013), overall well-being and health outcomes (Sharma, 2021; Imran and Shahnawaz, 2020) and decreased intention to turnover (Chen et al , 2018; Shantz et al , 2016).…”

“…In line with SET, implementation of HCWS highlights decision-making involvement, job security, training, clear job description, job security, incentives and rewards could positively lead to higher work engagement and employee well-being (Teo et al , 2020; Murphy et al , 2018). Similarly, the implementation of HCWS was found to relate to work engagement and job satisfaction and high commitment (Sharma, 2021; Teo et al , 2020). A more recent study (Chen et al , 2021; Karatepe et al , 2018) also found high-involvement human resource (HR) practices, a construct related to HCWS, to have significant positive effects on work engagement and job satisfaction.…”

“…Scholars have argued that strategic human resource management (SHRM) fosters work engagement (Chen et al , 2021; Sharma, 2021; Albrecht et al , 2015). In specific, HCWS has a bundle of internally consistent HR practices (e.g.…”

“…This paper contributes to advancing knowledge in service HRM in several ways. Firstly, the study will provide much needed empirical evidence on the impact of HCWS on work engagement in the service industry (see the call by Chen et al , 2021; Sharma, 2021; Tiwari and Lenka, 2020; Sekhar et al , 2018; Albrecht et al , 2015). Past research showed few empirical studies examining the impact of HCWS on service employees’ work engagement (exceptions include Chen et al , 2021; Chen, 2018).…”