Antecedents and outcomes of employee engagement in sport for development

Abstract

Employee engagement has an extensive history of application in the broader management and human resource development literature yet its application in sport contexts has been minimal. This study helps to fill that gap through a structural model of employee engagement in a set of North American sport for development (SFD) agencies. The direct outcome of this work includes field sensitive conceptual clarity of the engagement construct for sport management researchers and the utility of employee engagement in the context of the SFD workforce. Results indicate significant relationships between employee engagement and turnover intentions, psychological wellbeing, organizational performance, and innovative work behavior. Furthermore, mission attachment, intrinsic motivation, and identified regulation motivation were significant preconditions of employee engagement. The findings indicate that employee engagement provides a meaningful framework for understanding employee experiences in SFD agencies. Implications from this study include the integration of compassionate leader behaviors, specific communication strategies highlighting mission attachment, and opportunities for recognition that drive value orientation.

Developing flourishing among employees in the college sport workplace

“…The present study further advances the understanding of intercollegiate athletics employees' well-being and flourishing by expanding on previous studies in the sport management discipline (e.g. Kim et al , 2019, 2017; Oja et al , 2019; Svensson et al , 2021). While previous studies have focused on the psychological well-being of sport employees, the current study examined intercollegiate athletics employees flourishing, which is a distinctive form of well-being.…”

“…Shuck and Wollard (2010) used the HRD paradigm to argue that “the outcomes of employee engagement are advocated to be exactly what most organizations are seeking: employees who are more productive, profitable, safer, healthier, less likely to turnover, less likely to be absent, and more willing to engage in discretionary efforts” (p. 90). Notably, these outcomes have been empirically confirmed within the sport setting (Svensson et al , 2021). Furthermore, employees who engage in their work develop the ability to adapt in order to focus on a certain outcome and exceed expectations (Shuck and Wollard, 2010).…”

“…HRD practices can positively influence employee engagement, employee flourishing, a manager's drive to learn, managerial leadership, and social capital growth (Khan et al , 2012; Kuchinke, 2012; Sheehan et al , 2014; Shuck and Wollard, 2010; Svensson and Woods, 2017). Employee engagement is a critical element within HRD (Shuck and Wollard, 2010; Svensson et al , 2021), and is described as one attaining a positive, fulfilled state of mind that is characterized by fervor, enthusiasm, and immersion in the workplace (Saks and Gruman, 2014). Flourishing is also related to HRD in that it represents a broader conceptualization of psychological well-being and human development and is characterized as employees functioning effectively (Diener et al , 2009).…”

“…Even as scholars have examined well-being, pride, and engagement in the domain of the sport workplace (e.g. Kim et al , 2019; Neil et al , 2016; Oja et al , 2019; Svensson et al , 2021; Swanson and Kent, 2017a), there remains a limited understanding regarding the process of developing intercollegiate athletics employees' flourishing. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to apply the HRD paradigm to advance the literature pertaining to intercollegiate athletics department employees' well-being, which is advantageous as flourishing employees are likely to improve their work performances (Bakker and Sanz-Vergel, 2013).…”

“…The current study focuses instead on intercollegiate athletics employee job engagement, which is centered on engagement in one's work role (Rich et al , 2010) and the identification and pleasure one experiences from their occupation (Shantz et al , 2013). Job engagement within sport organizations has previously been explored within an HRD framework (Svensson et al , 2021). The study found that job engagement, when used within an HRD framework, has a positive effect on sport for development employees' turnover intentions, well-being, innovative work behaviors, and perceptions of performance.…”