Examining how respectful engagement affects task performance and affective organizational commitment. The role of job engagement
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-02-2018-0050 |
| Pages | 644-658 |
| Date | 01 April 2019 |
| Published date | 01 April 2019 |
| Author | Ameer A. Basit |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Global HRM |
Examining how respectful
engagement affects task
performance and affective
organizational commitment
The role of job engagement
Ameer A. Basit
School of Business and Management,
Information Technology University, Lahore, Pakistan
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to advance research on the newly developed construct of respectful
engagement (RE) (Carmeli et al., 2015), which focuses on positive interrelating behaviors characterized by
respect in the organizational context. Further, this study aims to examine whether RE was associated with
task performance and affective organizational commitment, and whether employee job engagement mediated
these relationships.
Design/methodology/approach –Using the self-reported measures and online survey method, data were
collected from 185 employees working in one of the world’s largest hosiery firms located in the eastern part of
Punjab, Pakistan. Structural equation modeling and multiple regressions were used to test the proposed
conceptual model.
Findings –RE had significant positive effects on task performance and affective commitment. The effect of
RE on affective commitment was stronger than it was on task performance. Moreover, job engagement
significantly mediated the effects of RE on task performance and affective commitment.
Research limitations/implications –This study provides empirical evidence that RE enhances job
engagement of employees by improving their levels of effort, enthusiasm and pride and concentration in work
roles. Consequently, the enhanced level of job engagement leads employees to demonstrate better task
performance and increased affective commitment with the organization.
Practical implications –Managers can institutionalize RE by applying strategies suggested by (Dutton,
2003) that focus on conveying presence, being genuine, communicating affirmation, effective listening and
supportive communication. Training programs around these strategies can help managers to achieve this
goal. Furthermore, in their day-to-day performance discussions, managers should follow the above strategies
that could open further avenues for RE at the workplace. Managers can also allocate some weight to
employees’RE as part of their performance appraisals. The use of rewards would encourage employees to
adopt RE as a norm desired by the organization.
Originality/value –This study extends research on the new developed construct of RE by focusing on task
performance and affective commitment as its key outcomes. Furthermore, this study is the first to introduce
job engagement as mediator in the relationship of RE with task performance and affective commitment.
Another important aspect of this study is that its model has been tested on the data collected from Pakistan,
which is an underrepresented geographical region in the management literature.
Keywords Affective commitment, Job engagement, Task performance, Respectful engagement,
Organizational respect
Paper type Research paper
In recent decades, organizational behavior research has witnessed an increased interest in
organizational respect. Although researchers have viewed organizational respect in various
different ways, they have consensus that respect is an important social phenomenon at the
Personnel Review
Vol. 48 No. 3, 2019
pp. 644-658
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0048-3486
DOI 10.1108/PR-02-2018-0050
Received 7 February 2018
Revised 20 July 2018
Accepted 15 October 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0048-3486.htm
The author would like to thank Zafar Saeed for his help in data collection. A previous version of this
paper was presented at the 32nd Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational
Psychology, Orlando, Florida, USA.
644
PR
48,3
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