Authors: Abdullahi Abdulkadir, Dr. Subhash Kumar Verma
Abstract: Employee engagement has emerged as a central construct in organizational behaviour research, yet empirical evidence linking its dimensions—vigor, dedication, and absorption—to concrete performance outcomes in the Indian retail context remains limited. This study addresses that gap through a quantitative, correlational design applied to a sample of 200 full-time employees at a mid-sized retail chain in Noida, India. Data were collected via the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17) supplemented by an adapted organizational performance perception scale and an engagement-drivers inventory. Structural analyses employing Pearson correlation, multiple regression, one-way ANOVA, and Cronbach's alpha reliability tests were executed in SPSS 26. Results reveal a strong positive association between overall engagement and perceived organizational performance (r = 0.72, p < 0.01; R² = 0.58). Dedication emerged as the most potent predictor (β = 0.45, p < .001), surpassing vigor (β = 0.29) and absorption (β = 0.16). Recognition (M = 4.21) and career growth (M = 4.15) ranked as the leading engagement drivers. One-way ANOVA confirmed statistically significant inter-departmental variation (F = 4.56, p = 0.003), with IT and HR recording the highest engagement. Engaged employees demonstrated a 34% lower turnover intention. These findings carry substantive implications for retail HR strategy: targeted investment in purpose-driven work design and visible recognition programmes yields measurable dividends in productivity, retention, and customer satisfaction.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19812417
