| Employee engagement is moving beyond discussion in contemporary literature to establishing legitimacy in scholarly journals (Harter et al., 2002 Maslach & Leiter, 2008, Saks, 2006). Researchers continue to support the relationship between employee engagement and organizational outcomes (Baumruk, 2004 Harter et al., 2002 Macey & Schneider, 2008a Paradise, 2006 Saks, 2006). For years, employees stated that they are more engaged when included in decision-making (Joni, 2004), receive the support of leadership, and are treated with dignity and respect (Thibaut & Kelly, 1959). Only recently have employers focused on developing employee engagement as a strategy to reach organizational goals (Bolman & Deal, 2003 Hauden, 2007). The perceptions of 20 participants from a pharmaceutical company in New York City were explored in the qualitative phenomenological study of employee engagement were the perceptions of 20 participants from a pharmaceutical company in New York City. Participants discussed employee engagement and related constructs like commitment, job satisfaction, and trust. The themes that emerged from the interviews revealed that participants defined employee engagement in different ways. Respect, trust, fairness, growth, and security were themes that surfaced as important elements of keeping employees engaged. Participants described employee engagement as important to organizational performance, perceptions of leadership, and organizational success. |
