CHAPTER ONE

1.0

INTRODUCTION

OVERVIEW

This chapter is about the background of the study, statement of the problem, research
objectives, research questions and hypothesis that explains the relationships between
dependent variable and independent variable. This study is about the contributing factors
toward employee engagement among the employees at Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah
Jempol dan Jelebu. The factors that affect the employee engagement are employee
commitment, employee performance and workplace environment.
1.1

Background of the Study

Studies have shown that internal communication is the driver to be addresses for

getting the best result.

It was important to find the correlation of the internal

communication with employee engagement.

Employee engagement is fairly a new

phenomenon that continues to gather the attention of and implementation into

organizations.

Research has purported that a key driver of engagement is internal

communication (Baumruk, Gorman, & Gorman, 2006; Hoover, 2005; Woodruffe 2006;
Yates 2006) and organizations that effectively communicate with employees experience

higher levels of engagement (Baumruk et al., 2006; Debussy, Ewing, & Pitt, 2003; Yates,
2006).
Internal communication is operationally defined as an exchange of information both
informal and formal between management and employees within the organization.
Communication are operationally defined as technology and systems used for sending
and receiving messages. Communication may includes newsletter, circulation materials,
surveys, meetings, in-house television, face-to-face interactions, emails, hotlines,
suggestion boxes, intranet, internet, telephone calls, video conference, memos, letters,
notice boards, formal presentations, reports, open forums, blogs and wikis (Argenti,
1998; Asif &Sargeant, 2000; Baumruk et al., 2006; Debussy et al., 2003; Goodman &
Truss,2004; Hunt &Ebeling, 1983; Yates, 2006).

In addition, Baumruk et al., (2006) found these general behaviors in engaged employees;
advocates organization with co-workers and customers; desire to be part of the
organization despite other opportunities; exerts extra time, effort, initiative to contribute
to the success of the organization. Engagement is good for the company, for shareholders
and for employees. Therefore, there is the reason to expect employee engagement is
related to individuals attitudes, intentions and behaviors. Although neither Kahn (1990)
included outcomes in their studies, Kahn (1992) proposed that high levels of engagement
lead to both positive outcomes for individual, as well as positive organizational-level
outcomes. Employees who are not engaged do not commit the attention and effort
required to perform at their best. Two employees, one engaged and one disengaged, with
similar competencies and experience will typically contribute to their organization at very

different levels. The engaged employee will invest discretionary effort in the work to do
the best job possible, while the disengaged employee will do the minimum (Marrelli,
2011).

1.2

Problem Statement

Employee engagement is crucial to organization especially as its affect the

employees motivation and company reputation. This is supported by Shuck, Rocco and
Albornoz (2010) that stated the overall experience of work can related by the
relationships and connections the participants developed at the place of work which is
critically important. In addition, Kahn (1990, as cited by Shuck et al, 2010) described a
model which in order to produce engaged employees, they need to interact among them.
Thus, in order to improve employee engagement within the organization,
commitment is one of the factors that should be included by the employees themselves.
A study by Black (2004) found the employee who were acted to hide their affiliation with
their employer and not committed to the firms will result in a negative reputation.
Besides, the workplace environment could influence employee engagement and
communication. Welch (2011) found that corporate communicator is a significant issue
for the nature of engagement since they were responsible to influence workplace attitudes
and stimulate employee motivation.
In additional, when an employee has complete good achievement in performance,
it is good result for the organization, whereby the organization also could gain profits.
Refer to Britt (2003) who examined the engagement of U.S Army rangers and explored
those who are more engaged with work is th
e most work significant values are the most crucial element and the most discouraged
when they were faced constraint to high performance.
The reason this research conducts because there have no others researcher that can
prove employee performance and workplace environment closely related with employee

engagement.

Many researchers only prefer to the research about how employee

engagement affect employee commitment. As the survey make by Nursyafiqa (2014),

most of the article are only related with the internal communication elements such as
face-to-face communication, trust, meaningful of work and job satisfaction. However,
there only a few article that concerned with other employee such as employee attributes.
The research about employee commitment, employee performance and the workplace
environment were only conduct several article but in Malaysia so far only one researcher
have conducted workplace environment that influence to the employee engagement
factors.

Those 2 attributes such as if the employee commitment does not have in

employee, they cannot feel the engagement between themselves and organization. They
also might be will not giving effort when they are not felt engage with their organization.
Second, employee performance; if the employee not perform well in their workplace, the
employee will get feeling engage in their works.

1.3

Research Objectives

This study has an objective and goals to the researcher should be consider in order
developing successful research.

1.3.1

To identify the level of employee engagement among the employees at Pejabat

Pendidikan Daerah Jempol dan Jelebu.

1.3.2

To identify which factor (employee commitment, employee performance,

workplace environment) explain the most toward employee engagement at
Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah Jempol dan Jelebu.

1.3.3

To investigate the relationship between factors contributing (employee

commitment, employee performance, workplace environment) and employee
engagement at Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah Jempol dan Jelebu.

1.4

Research Questions

This study has a questions to the researcher should be consider in order developing
successful research.

1.4.1

What is the level of employee engagement among the employees at Pejabat

Pendidikan Daerah Jempol dan Jelebu?

1.4.2

Which factor (employee commitment, employee performance, workplace

environment) explain the most toward employee engagement at Pejabat
Pendidikan Daerah Jempol dan Jelebu?

1/4/3 Is there relationship between factors contributing (employee commitment,

employee performance, workplace environment) and employee engagement at
Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah Jempol dan Jelebu?

1.5

Research Hypotheses

There are hypotheses proposed by researcher to be tested in this study to identify whether
the hypothesis are accepted or rejected:
H0: There is no relationship between employee commitment and employee engagement
H1: There is a relationship between employee commitment and employee engagement

H0: There is no relationship between employee performance and employee engagement

H2: There is a relationship between employee performance and employee engagement

H0: There is no relationship between workplace environment and employee engagement

H3: There is a relationship between workplace environment and employee engagement

1.6

Significant of the Study

This study contributes to indicate the contributing factors that supporting

employee engagement in organization which is Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah Jempol dan
Jelebu. This will help identify whether employee commitment, employee performance
and workplace environment are really effective to establish employee engagement. Also,
this is important to help the organization to recognize how employee behavior will
influence employee engagement. This can be use for the future research as the reference
which can help the organization more understanding about employee engagement. The
organization whether public or private sector could use our finding in their company for
enhances their employees engagement.

1.7

Limitation of the Study

This study has several limitations that are:

i.

The scope of respondents for this study is limited only for employees in Pejabat
Pendidikan Daerah Jempol dan Jelebu.

ii.

The research is just conducted at only one place which is Pejabat Pendidikan
Daerah Jempol dan Jelebu.

1.8

Definition of Terms

Employee Engagement
The term employee engagement means different things to different things to
different organizations. Some equate it with job satisfaction which unfortunately can
reflect a transactional relationship that is only as good as organizations last round of
perks and bonuses.

Others measure engagement by gauging employees emotional

commitment to their organization. Although commitment is an important ingredient, it is

only a piece of the engagement equation (Monika, 2012)
Employee Commitment
Refer to Nancy (2007), emotional commitment to the job, organization, team and
manager has been found to determine stronger performance than rational commitment
(the extent to which an employee feels that someone or something within the company
provides developmental, financial or professional rewards in employees best interest).

Employee Performance
A positive attitude held by the employee towards the organization and its values.
An engaged employee is aware of business context and works with colleagues to improve
performance within the job for the benefit of the organization. The organization must
work to develop and nurture engagement which requires a twoway relationship between
employer and employee (Robinson, 2004).
Workplace Environment
Shuck, Rocco and Albornoz (2010), consisting of colleagues and supervisors,
organizational policies and procedures, physical resources, and intangible elements such

as supportive work climate and perceived levels of safety, the work environments is
integral to having engaged employees.

CHAPTER SUMMARY
Overall in this study it can conclude that in chapter one are about background of
the study, the problem, research objective, research question, significant of the study,
limitation of the study and definition of term.

The study conducted is about the

contributing factors toward employee engagement at Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah Jempol

dan Jelebu. There are three factors that effect the employee engagement which are
employee commitment, employee performance and workplace environment.

The

researcher faced limitation of the study whereby the respondent only limited to the
employees in Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah Jempol dan Jelebu.