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This study examined the factors that impacted work engagement for Gen Z employees. Six factors were identified for analysis and hypothesized to be positively related to employee engagement, including: corporate social responsibility, leadership - transformational and transactional, work-life balance, autonomy, and technology. A survey was sent out through Amazon Mechanical Turk in April 2020. From the responses, Gen Z respondents accounted for 69. This study used a correlation analysis and a multiple regression analysis. Results revealed positive correlations between the variables and employee engagement, with transformational leadership showing the highest correlation and transactional leadership the lowest. Technology, autonomy, and work-life balance fell in between these two extremes. The results of the multiple regression analysis indicated that transformational leadership had the strongest influence on employee engagement, while transactional leadership had no impact. Autonomy and work-life balance were shown to have positive influences on employee engagement; technology and corporate social responsibility were not significant.
Keywords: employee engagement, Gen Z employee, transformational leadership, transactional leadership, corporate social responsibility, work-life balance, autonomy, technology
INTRODUCTION
Employee engagement is more than simply job satisfaction. When employees are engaged, they are emotionally committed to their company, which translates into real economic benefits. For instance, Kruse (2012) reported that companies with an engaged workforce experienced a 6% higher net profit margin than those whose employees were not. Because of the importance to companies of employee engagement, numerous studies have been conducted to identify the factors that may influence it. For instance, Wasay (2013) found that when comparing two workplaces, the organization where employees had strong worklife balance also showed a higher level of employee engagement. Regarding its connection to leadership, a recent study by Gangai and Agrawal (2017) revealed that transformational leaders are more likely to increase employee engagement. Similarly, research by Slemp and coauthors (2018) discovered a leadership style called Leader Autonomy Support (LAS), which supports autonomy in employees, led to higher employee engagement as well as numerous other positive outcomes. It is becoming increasingly important for companies to understand the factors that promote employee engagement, especially as new generations with different values and needs enter the workforce. The next set of people who will be joining the workforce is Generation Z (Gen Z). Gen Z is the youngest, most ethnically...