Understanding Employee Engagement

Zinta S. Byrne is Professor Emerita of Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Colorado State University. She is a SIOP Fellow, APS Fellow, and former Senior Consultant for PDI.

The second edition of Understanding Employee Engagement is a gem. It is timely, up to date, and packed with research and practical examples. This book is an urgent guide for scholars and practitioners alike. – Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive, and to Sell is Human.In too many workplaces, employee engagement isn’t much more than a buzzword. As a leading expert on the science and practice of engagement, Zinta Byrne is here to change that. Her book includes the latest research on measuring and increasing engagement, rejuvenating it coming out of a pandemic, and managing it across cultures. – Adam Grant, Ph.D., Wharton organizational psychologist, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THINK AGAIN, and host of the TED podcast WorkLife"Understanding Employee Engagement" second edition is an absolute must-read. A masterful translation of the science into rich and meaningful evidence-based practice. It is timely, up-to-date, and incredibly complete. A game-changer for those in the work or employee engagement arena. – Steven G. Rogelberg, Ph.D., President, Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (2021); Chancellor’s Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte.Zinta Byrne provides a comprehensive and thorough review of the science and practice of employee engagement. She combines and integrates employee engagement research with real-world examples from employees and organizations. The result is a perfect blend of employee engagement research and practice that will be a valuable resource for academics, practitioners, and students. – Alan M. Saks, Ph.D., Professor of Organizational Behaviour and HR Management, University of Toronto ScarboroughThis book is an absolute pleasure to read. Dr. Byrne does a masterful job of synthesizing theory, research, and practice in ways that make clear the importance and practicality of the concept of engagement at work. She makes a compelling argument for taking engagement seriously, as a cornerstone of organizational behavior. Dr. Byrne ought to be proud of this book: it does justice to the complexity and importance of engagement theory. – William A. Kahn, Ph.D., Professor of Organizational Behavior, Boston UniversityProfessor Byrne's updated edition provides vital current and timely information on employee engagement. The breadth of topics included in this second edition, such as aging workforces and new studies on cross-cultural applications of engagement, is well-chosen and demonstrates the scientific and practitioner importance of employee engagement. The material is timely as leaders grapple with reconstituting their workforces after the pandemic, while also increasing inclusivity. Leaders, HR professionals, managers, and organizational scientists need to know and implement the updated content in this volume, and they have Professor Byrne to thank for making the material available and accessible in one volume. – Theodore L. Hayes, Ph.D., Personnel Psychologist, U.S. Department of Defense

• Chapter 1. The Story of EngagementPART I: ENGAGEMENT UNDER THE MICROSCOPEChapter 2. What Is Employee Engagement?Chapter 3. What Makes Employee Engagement Different From Other Concepts?PART II: SECURING AN ENGAGED WORKFORCEChapter 4. How Do We Get Employee Engagement? Chapter 5. What Prevents Employee Engagement?Chapter 6. How Do We Assess Employee Engagement and Choose a Good Measure?PART III: COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGEChapter 7. How Do We Improve Engagement for Competitive Advantage?Chapter 8. How Do We Use Engagement to Create a Healthy-Thriving Organization?PART IV: THE NEW FRONTIERS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Chapter 9. Shining an International Light: Is Engagement the Same Everywhere? Chapter 10. The Paradox of Employee Engagement: Is There a Dark Side?Chapter 11. Summing It All Up: Where Do We Go From Here?