Understanding the experience of job engagement within everyday working life: a mixed methods study across six organisational settings

Engagement has emerged as an important psychological state that may optimise the wellbeing and performance of employees (Truss, Delbridge et al, 2013). Utilising Kahn's (1990) theorising on engagement, this PhD thesis aimed to examine, in close detail, how employees experience engagement in everyday working life. A mixed methods study (Creswell and Plano-Clarke, 2011), incorporating quantitative work diaries and semi-structured interviews, was conducted across six matched paired small and medium sized organisations (SMEs) representing manufacturing, professional services and public sectors. 124 employees participated in both the interviews and the six-day work diary. At each organisation, managers with people management responsibilities were interviewed and a small number of employee observations were undertaken. The study, as a whole, sought to address two research questions.