Key drivers of employee engagement in the large platinum mines in South Africa

Abstract

The growing importance of managing employee relations and productivity in the platinum mining industry - one of South Africa s most significant employers - has made investigating employee engagement imperative, particularly in light of the 2014 platinum strike, the longest and most expensive in the country s history. As employee engagement is viewed as crucial for business success, this study aimed to ascertain the current levels of employee engagement in the large South African platinum mines, what the key drivers of engagement are, and whether these drivers differ between management and employees. This was a cross-sectional study where a questionnaire was utilised. Data was collected from the two largest platinum companies with operations situated in North West province of South Africa. The questionnaire was based on the literature review, particularly the theoretical employee engagement model of Rana et al., (2014), to determine the drivers of engagement and to measure the degree of employee engagement. The study was based on 301 responses which equated to 75% response rate. The study found that the majority of the respondents were engaged at work. Job design and characteristics, supervision, relationship with co-workers, workplace environment and human resource development (HRD) practices were confirmed as being the key drivers of employee engagement on the platinum mines. The study also revealed that drivers of engagement differ between the levels of employees. Operators and middle managers were found to share a similar view of drivers of engagement compared to supervisors and junior management. Female mineworkers were found to be less engaged than their male counterparts. These findings may benefit companies to better their understanding of employee engagement and consequently strengthening their employee engagement strategies.