Research shows focusing on Workplace Engagement could help the NHS save money and save lives
Written by Dr. Mark Slaski – Organisational Psychologist
Read - 7 minutes
Its long understood that a culture of high workplace engagement leads to greater wellbeing happiness, and performance amongst employees. We can now add to this is a growing evidence of the impact of engagement on a wider community of stakeholders, customers and even patients.
Often the focus of workplace engagement is on the individual - highly engaged people think and feel positively about the jobs they do, the people they work with, and the companies they work for - as a consequence they behave in a more positive way and that has an impact on the overall performance of on an organisation.
Taking it a step further, what we need to consider is that organisations with cultures of high engagement inevitably have a significant impact on the wider stakeholders whether they be customers, or in the case of the NHS, patients.
Esther Moores, a senior NHS manager and MSc Researcher and Dr. Mark Slaski set out to explore a possible link between workplace engagement and patients experience and recovery.
Research shows that patient outcomes vary on a number of factors; medical leadership being important amongst them. When medical departments are directed by Consultants who display ‘civic virtues’* patient outcomes such as mortality and infection rates improve significantly, and staff report less stress**. Civic virtues are embodied in Consultants who:
· are proactive and strive to improve performance and service
· are prepared to voice their ideas, challenge and exercise influence
· seek and communicate information
· are committed advocates of the organisation
The question is what are the psychological mechanisms that drive civic virtue behaviours in the Consultants?
Whilst individual differences and personality play a part in behaviour, the research predicts workplace engagement will also account for a proportion of the variance. The significance of this cannot be understated – it simply means that focusing on organisational and management practises to increase workplace engagement will raise the incidence of civic virtue behaviours which in turn will impact patient experience and recovery.
The research study worked with 124 Medical Consultants and measured both their organisational commitment, their civic virtue behaviours and their workplace engagement using the WorkplaceBuzz Engagement assessment designed by Dr. Mark Slaski. Founded on scientific research, the assessment measures seven critical psychosocial factors that underpin our psychological engagement and wellbeing at work: Voice, Togetherness, Challenge, Freedom, Clarity, Recognition and Growth.
Findings show that high workplace engagement comes from a culture in which Consultants have a voice and genuine trust, where there is clear purpose and direction, regular challenge and success, and where they are empowered and feel valued and appreciated.
The results of the research were amazing and clearly demonstrated the strong relationship between the 7-factors of Workplace Engagement and Consultant’s scores on commitment and civic virtue scales. Consultants who experience higher engagement are more likely to emotionally commit to their job and more likely to display civic virtue behaviours. As a consequence, their staff are less stressed and their patients are likely to have better outcomes, recover faster and to a greater degree. The implication of this is that investment in building Workplace Engagement could help the NHS save lives and money.
The WorkplaceBuzz assessment offers organisations a tool to scientifically explore their workplace engagement. As this study demonstrates, the impact of engagement can have an effect far beyond the individual employee.
* Graham and Van Dyne, 2006** West & Dawson, 2012Written by Dr. Mark Slaski - C.Psychol, AFBPsS
If you wish to discuss our work further or to comment on the article please contact mark@workplacebuzz.co.uk