Investigating the relationship between salutogenesis and organisation engagement in a manufacturing corporation

Abstract

This research aimed at the impact that salutogenesis (Antonovsky 1979) has on an individual’s level of engagement (Kahn 1990) in manufacturing corporations in an emerging economy. While managers were becoming more aware of the importance of a positively engaged workforce, Breed, Cilliers and Visser (2006) have suggested that the understanding of what constitutes an engaged work force is lacking among managers in the emerging economies. In order to effectively investigate the relationship between these two positive psychological concepts, the focus has been to include the relationship between salutogenesis (Antonovsky 1979) as the parent concept and the salutogenesic constructs Sense of Coherence (SOC), Locus of Control (LOC), Learned Resourcefulness (LR) and Hardiness. The impact that salutogenesis, (Antonovsky 1979) has on Organisational Engagement (OE) (Kahn 1990) and its facets Absorption, Dedication, Identification and Vigour (Schaufeli et al 2002) was revealed using a quantitative analytical technique and descriptive analysis (Zikmund 2003). Using saturation sampling and an adapted Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) (Schaufeli and Bakker 2003), 422 employees working at the head office of a manufacturing corporation were surveyed. The outcome of the research presented a strong case that there is a very high correlation between salutogenesis and engagement.