Engagement 1
BMAL 500 Research Paper
Liberty University
Linette Wilson
May 6, 2019
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Abstract
Member engagement seems to be an organization downfall. Due to factors that includes a
lack of motivation, dissatisfaction, and disengagement. Many organizations need to focus on
ways to better engaged members. If the problem is with a leader that’s in charge, then everyone
needs to create ways to either help the leader or replace the leader. NCNW did just that replace
their president. She lacked leadership skills and wasn’t fit to be the president at the time.
However, the remainder of the organization on the e-board came together and displayed good
team building by communicating, implementing concepts, and theories that later help build the
reputation and growth. Osborne and Hammoud discuss ways that an organization can replenish
their employees to heighten their engagement in the workplace. Related theories that contribute
to employee’s engagement is the, The Herzberg’s Motivator-Hygiene Theory: Two Ways to
Improve Satisfaction and the Maslow’s Need Hierarch Theory: Five Levels of Needs. Using
these theories to implement change in the organization was a success and using the three-step
approach to fix issues.
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Step One
The organization that I was apart of is National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). The
organization was founded in 1935 by Mary Mcleod Bethune who believe in advancing the
opportunities and quality of life for African American women, their families and communities
[ CITATION Mar \l 1033 ]. She was so eager to help her kind, that she operated out of her living
room. She wanted to help harness the power and extend the leadership of African American
women through the organization. She fulfills this by research, advocacy, national, community-
based services, and programs in the US & Africa. There is a total of 28 national affiliate
organization and more than 200 community-base sections [ CITATION Mar \l 1033 ]. NCNW
has reached out to millions of women to help contribute to solutions to problems of human
welfare and rights. The National headquarter is based in Washington D.C located between the
white house and U.S capitol. NCNW have many programs nationally and international. For
instance, a National obesity abatement initiative, the annual black family reunion program
celebration, and Early childhood literacy programs to close the achievement gap. Mary later met
Dorothy heights, who soon join the NCNW. She was a civil rights and women’s rights activist,
who focus on African American women which includes voter’s awareness, unemployment, and
illiteracy. They both join forces to build NCNW into an empowering organization of which it is
today. They came together for a common goal and build on one another engagement and watch
their vision come to life. There engagement in the organization was very effective because the
outcome of the organization leads to having the organization offer undergraduate chapters and
graduate chapter across the U.S. However, decades later the society changes and so do the
generation. Two different generation times fighting for the same purpose, but one had much more
freedom due to past when fight for change. The problem now is the member engagement is low.
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For several reasons, to many people trying to be the president, joining for wrong reasons, and
relationships amongst one another.
During my time of service, a major challenge we face was members engagement.
According to the 3-step approach, the first step to fixing a problem is to define the problem. As
an organization the executive board should of came together to define the problem and went
from there. Instead they stated their opinion and left the issue alone. Their lack of motivation and
engagement resulted in a lot of communication problems. Communication is the exchange of
information between a sender and a receiver, and the inference of meaning between the
individuals involved [ CITATION Ang187 \l 1033 ]. Effective communication would have
eliminated disengagement in an organization. However, the organization is now suffering from
disengagement. Engagement seem to be a huge issue for the organization. Engaged members are
more productive than disengaged members. Some of the members were not engaged or were
actively disengaged. The not engaged members were those that did just enough to get by.
Actively disengaged members were actively working against the organization. For example,
arguing amongst one another and the sole purpose of the organization is to empower women.
How can you empower women and members are at each other throats? How can you recruit for
an organization that’s about building sisterhood and members? They don’t show up to monthly
meetings or planning events but want to show up when a camera is visible. Furthermore,
members show up to different events but expect to not do anything but to take pictures. Low
engagement plagues this organization, decreasing productivity, and makes the environment
uneasy.
The executive board are the main problem but also a solution to the problem. There
attitudes amongst are another is terrible. They held high positions but seems to lack leadership
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skills. Affective commitment, collaboration, continuance commitment, organization
commitment, and motivation are a day to day operation of an effective leader or
leaders[ CITATION Sch17 \l 1033 ]. The executive board must push engagement through them
first then to the rest of the members. For instance, the advisors can sit the executive board down
and allow them to have a heart to heart discussion to why they are acting unprofessional. Once
the issue is solved then they can proceed to increase engagement with them then the members.
The e-board is the most important of the organization. They handle and carry decisions for the
entire organization. If they don’t come together and be professional many challenges can arise.
There will be an absence of direction due to a lack of communication and people differences. It
will be difficult to blend multiple personalities into a unified team, failure to develop behaviors
and competencies, and lack of awareness. The challenges can threaten the organization to lose
members and become invisible on campus. The chapter can be place on suspension due to code
of conduct which nationals will be notified. This will lead to national deciding to suspend the
chapter on campus for how ever long, plus adding to having no trace of NCNW ever existed on
campus.
The president allowed her emotion to play a role in her behavior. She was being more of
a boss than a leader. She was more like a free rider than a team player. She would take everyone
ideas in consideration but only use her ideas for the events. The e-board displayed self-managing
team. A self-managed team are groups of workers who have administrative oversight over their
domains [ CITATION Ang187 \l 1033 ]. However, leadership weren’t shared or shifted on
members. Everyone would sit to the conference table and have ideas, but no one agreed an other
people ideas besides their own. The president vibe also offset the mood in meetings. She would
sometimes show up late to the meeting or don’t show up for events. Keep in mind she only used
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her ideas for events, so no one knew what to do at an event she planned. She just showed no
interest of making the organization any better or growth within herself. Why become a leader
and expected to lead people but can’t live up to the responsibilities and duties?
Additionally, the environment played a tremendous role in their behaviors. Being on a
campus and a full-time student can be stressful. Course work can be stressful for a student
especially if they are behind, if it’s a rigorous course, or issues back home. According to health
surveys, young people from 12 to 25 years old suffer on insufficient level of psychological health
[ CITATION Dal17 \l 1033 ]. Psychological discomfort reflects students in several ways. For
instance, depression, anxiety, stress, and sleeping disorder. My personal perspective is that I can
be a witness of suffering from psychological discomfort. So many assignments are due all at the
same time and factors from back home contribute to the stress, which doesn’t make the situation
any better. A student wouldn’t notify the professor that they can’t focus on the assignment
because of anxiety and depression. You are told as a student to deal with it. Mental health
shouldn’t be looked over but need to be taking in consideration. According to French study
27,18, and 13% of college student suffer from mild to moderate to severe depression
[ CITATION Dal17 \l 1033 ]. Being anxious and feeling overwhelmed is typical of a college
student. However, it’s up the student to how they will deal with their problems. Many factors can
heighten their behavior on the e-board for them to have low level of engagement and motivation.
Step Two
In the article, Effective Employee Engagement in the workplace, Osborne and Hammoud
explains how the content of self-determination theory can relate to natural and intrinsic
tendencies that behave in effective ways. The engagement level of employees affects the
productivity of an organization [ CITATION Sch17 \l 1033 ]. Along with the motivation level of
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an employee is related to job satisfaction. The self-determination theory assumes that three
innate needs influence our behavior and well-being the needs for competence, autonomy, and
relatedness [ CITATION Ang187 \l 1033 ]. Those needs can be intrinsic motivation that will
better enhance task performance. Furthermore, the need to feel qualified, knowledgeable,
freedom, being apart of a group, and connecting with others. For instance, a manager in an
organization can create a work environment that supports and encourage the opportunity to
experience those needs. When the employee is unsure of their task and their role of the
organization, they may feel unqualified, don’t belong, and no longer an asset. This can result in,
employees to be disengaged and a sense of lack of motivation. The downside of having a low
level of motivation can initiate behavior essential for psychological health and well-being of an
individual [ CITATION Sch17 \l 1033 ]. To continue, the self-determination theory can be related
to NCNW organization situation by using the theory, to help them resolve things. Everyone on
the e-board wants to fulfill a need but different needs. For example, the president needs to
communicate with the other members in order to get a task or goal done. Without communicating
with them, the vice president may have no sense of direction on a task which will become a
domino effect. If the vice president is confused about her role and what’s expected of her to
complete a task, then how can the 2nd vice president help reserve rooms or buy materials for the
events. Then this led to the treasure not knowing the estimate cost of an event and so on and so
on. Everyone role is affected by the president actions and behavior. The basic needs of a
satisfaction have been found to directly relate to dedication of employees [ CITATION Ang187 \l
1033 ]. The president is creating confusion not only on the e-board but the other members.
Dedication and motivation should start from the leader of the organization and work its way
down in order to better the organization.
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There are exactly two theories that can be related to the authors perspective of using the
self-determination theory to heighten engagement. The Herzberg’s Motivator-Hygiene Theory:
Two Ways to Improve Satisfaction, can be use for dissatisfaction, job satisfaction, and distinct of
factors associated with each. The motivator-hygiene theory states the job satisfaction and
dissatisfaction arise from two different sets of factors [ CITATION Ang187 \l 1033 ]. Two
different sets of factors are the motivating factors and the hygiene factors. The motivating factors
is what makes the employee satisfied? Osborne and Hammoud suggested that there is an
opportunity for employees’ autonomy when SDT is leveraged [ CITATION Sch17 \l 1033 ]. This
influence transcends to the benefits of intrinsic rewards. People can be satisfied in many ways
like extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. A good example of extrinsic rewards is money or a
promotion. While extrinsic rewards are based on external rewards, intrinsic rewards focus on
positive internal feelings like self-praising or positive emotions. “Job design is an excellent
example of how organizational processes and structures can be used to increase intrinsic
motivation” [ CITATION Mot19 \l 1033 ]. Furthermore, the motivating factors or motivators of
an individual will include, recognition, advancement, achievement, and characteristic of the
work [ CITATION Ang187 \l 1033 ]. The Hygiene factors is what makes the employee
dissatisfied? Hygiene factors includes the salary, interpersonal relationships with supervisors,
and working conditions. For instance, an employee can quit a job because they disagree with the
company polices or simple as the salary.
The insight of the theory will allow managers to dimension both the job content and the
job context for overall job satisfaction. Job content relates to the motivation of an individual. It
can range from jobs offering advancement to achievements. While Job context relates to the
hygiene factors ranging from poor company policies and working conditions. For an organization
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to reduce employee turnover rate, they can up the salary of their employees and recognize loyal
employees. This solves hygiene factors and motivating factors in one solution to satisfy
employees.
Using the Herzberg’s Theory to motivate employees, will help eliminate dissatisfaction
amongst employees by witnessing what satisfies them, building motivators, and communication.
A manager that follows the Herzberg theory will help make positive recognition which can jump
start intrinsic motivation in engaged employees.
The second theory is the Maslow’s Need Hierarch Theory: Five Levels of Needs. The
Need hierarchy theory states that motivation is a function of five basic needs: physiological,
safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization [ CITATION Ang187 \l 1033 ]. The theory is
visualized as a pyramid with self-actualization as the peak of the pyramid due to the desire of
self-fulfillment and physiological at the bottom level of the pyramid as the most basic need.
“Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs speaks of the ultimate motivator being self-actualization”
[ CITATION Mot19 \l 1033 ]. The need to have the most basic needs met is the critical in order
to motivate employees. Every employee needs should not be met as one. Approaching their
needs as one is unlikely to see positive results. Employees needs are all different someone may
need esteem needs while another person may need physiological needs. According to Osborne
and Hammoud, psychological needs form a sense of development of identity by intrinsic
motivation, which results in the outcomes of interest and engagement[ CITATION Sch17 \l
1033 ]. In this process, managers must know how to effectively communicate with employees.
There must be a sender, the message, and a receiver. After the manager communicate effectively
then they can attend to meeting the employees needs. Successfully meeting their needs will result
in a higher level of motivation, engagement, and profitability.
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NCNW lack of engagement started amongst the e-board. The president needs to balance
moral perspectives with interpersonal relationships to create a healthy leadership and member
relationships. Once she improves her leadership skills, she can have direct relationships with the
e-board and other members. According to Osborne and Hammoud, effective leadership provides
vision and direction for employee development [ CITATION Ang187 \l 1033 ]. If she starts with
evaluating herself and looking within, she can make several changes about her behavior.
Engaged people either directly or indirectly project a positive image of their organization
because their commitment portrays an impression of responsibility [ CITATION Man15 \l
1033 ]. Motivation can be created in the organization where trust is an expectation and their
needs are met. “Researchers have examined information relating to how expectations and needs
impact engagement within the organization”[ CITATION Sch16 \l 1033 ]. The members are
holding the e-board to a higher standard where they expect different expectations and meeting
the needs of the organization. Expectation and needs can be easily met using the Herzberg’s
Theory and Maslow’s Need Hierarchy. To successfully use the Herzberg’s Theory, she must use
effective communication in order to discover what will satisfy them and how to improve their
satisfaction. Maslow’s Need Hierarchy, the theory of motivation, guide leaders to ensure
employees’ growth and development needs are met if employee satisfaction is to ensue
[ CITATION Sch16 \l 1033 ]. She can incorporate the theory by listening to each e-board
member and know which needs meet with what member. Furthermore, the self-determination
theory just ties everything together. “The self-determination theory is related to dedicated and
meaningful work, which allows employees to realize how valuable they are within the
organization, which makes them engaged” [ CITATION Sch16 \l 1033 ]. In this stage, their
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motivation will increase along with their engagement in the organization. NCNW can grow and
develop by the environment, interpersonal relationships, relationships, and behavioral influences.
The final step of the three-step Approach in the organization is the recommendation.
After identifying the problem in the organization and its causes, the next process is to plan and
implement recommendations. The recommendations are improving person factors, situation
factors, and processes. Using the organizing framework can help resolve the potential causes of
the organization. From the outside looking in, my personal perspective is the e-board need to
come together with a list of problems in the organization. They need to provide a list of ideas to
solve the problem of member engagement. “The main focus of employee engagement is the
alignment of the employee with the organizational goals and to go beyond what is
expected”[ CITATION Sch17 \l 1033 ]. By the organization reputation has being negative, they
need to create goals to rebuild not only their relationships but the organization reputation. Find a
common ground to fix their issues amongst one another. If they can’t come together and the fix
their attitudes and behaviors, the advisors need to step in. If the advisors see who the main
problem is that’s negatively effecting the organization, then they should allow the e-board to vote
on a new president. Because, having a negative president that promote nothing but negativity
and only consume with themselves needs to step down. After they fill the position with the
pervious vice president, they can move forward with improving their situation factors. Team
building should be their priority once they fixed the main problem. Everybody should have their
own ideas and implementing the three C’s of team players: Committed, Collaborative, and
Competent. Effective team players will utilize the three C’s when trying to accomplish a goal. If
they can implement the three C’s in the organization, the level of engagement will steadily
increase. “The manner in which an individual feel satisfied and enthusiastic in work-related
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activities fosters employee engagement”[ CITATION Sch17 \l 1033 ]. The next step is improving
processes. If everyone needs are met in the meetings or accommodated, they still can continue to
build NCNW reputation and create some events just to build sisterhood.
Conclusion
While member engagement is necessary for NCNW to grow and prosper. We were
presented with obstacles of an organization being at risk of suspension and a lot of ideas started
to rise. Many things cross my mind like why things are unorganized and everyone behavior was
always negative especially their attitudes. I was starting to second guess to why I joined an
organization that’s not about building sisterhood or helping the community. However, in the end
they came together and eliminated the source of the problem and moved forward. The following
year I took a position and we had our ups and downs but we always listening to the other ideas,
concerns, and built long time friendships.
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References
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New York: McGraw Hill Education.
Bethune, M. M. (n.d.). National Council of Negro Women. Retrieved from History:
http://ncnw.org/ncnw/our-mission
Dalia Saleh, N. C. (2017). Predictors of Stress in College Students.
Maniam Kaliannan, S. N. (2015). Effective Employee engagement and organziational success: a
case study . Social Behavioral Science , 161-168.
Motivation in a workplace. (2019). Retrieved from learn liberty:
https://learn.liberty.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-29543782-dt-content-rid-
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Osborne, S. (2016). Employee Engagement and Organizational Profitability. 1-138.
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