The extra mile deconstructed: a critical and discourse perspective on employee engagement and HRD

Abstract

The paper explores the construct of employee engagement (EE) from a critical and discourse perspective. It is argued that the win-win discourse which characterizes much discussion on EE within a traditional management paradigm presents a decontextualized, depoliticized vision of the organization. The paper examines mainstream critiques of the construct of EE and the contribution of HRD, and notes that HRD processes and practices are seen as important contributors to engagement. It introduces a critical perspective on EE and HRD, viewing EE as a social construction. It highlights problematic assumption in mainstream literatures, such as of the accordance of employee and organization interests. The paper examines how the discourse ‘talks employee engagement into being’, how cultural management programmes serve to construct the ‘engaged employee’ and the impact of competing discourses. A discussion on disengagement reflects on the mismatch between Fordist work practices and EE. The paper concludes by arguing that viewing EE through a critical lens can potentially help towards an HRD practice that is focused on employee interests rather than largely on organizational interests.

Keywords:

• employee engagement
• discourses
• critical HRD

Notes

1. Semiotics – Loosely defined as ‘the study of signs’ or ‘the theory of signs’…. A sign is a meaningful unit which is interpreted as ‘standing for’ something other than itself. Signs are found in the physical form of words, images, sounds, acts or objects … Signs have no intrinsic meaning and become signs only when sign-users invest them with meaning with reference to a recognized code (Chandler 2007).