The case for employee engagement

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a brief overview of that development and chronicles the construct historically, offers a structure for cataloguing the field’s growth as well as providing an overview of the multiple facets that make up the present state of employee engagement theory and research. It reviews the breadth of employee engagement research and the new ideas emerging across the globe, including tackling the challenging questions head-on. The book also presents a history of definitions and explains what the research says employee engagement is and what it is not, wading through the building wave of scholarship published. It highlights the expression of employee engagement and speaks to the makeup of engagement from a cognitive, emotional, and behavioral framework. The book considers emerging trends and the future of the field, particularly as it relates to measurement.