Satisfaction with HR Practices and Employee Engagement: A Social Exchange Perspective

The phenomenon of employee engagement is a major concern in the management circles across the globe. The concept is gaining increasing significance among managers and academic circles in India. In spite of its apparent importance, little research has been hitherto undertaken for identifying the antecedents of employee engagement. On the basis of existing literature, this conceptual paper attempts to define an ‘engaged employee’ as the one who is optimistic, highly focused on his work, enthusiastic and willing to go an extra mile to contribute to sustainable organizational success on a long term basis. The article proposes a relationship between employees’ satisfaction with human resource practices and their level of engagement in the organization. This relationship is explained based on social exchange theory. The article also discusses the importance of employee engagement and its declining levels across the globe. Finally, the present study also notices a dearth of research literature in this domain of human resource management, in Indian context and beyond, and hence it exhorts researchers to carry out relevant studies in this field.