Mentoring Elements That Influence Employee Engagement Lee Thornton Fountain Walden University
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Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2018 Mentoring Elements that Influence Employee Engagement Lee Thornton Fountain Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis Commons, and the Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Management and Technology This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Lee T. Fountain has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Donna Brown, Committee Chairperson, Management Faculty Dr. Raghu Korrapati, Committee Member, Management Faculty Dr. Nikunja Swain, University Reviewer, Management Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2018 Abstract Mentoring Elements that Influence Employee Engagement by Lee T. Fountain MA, Davenport University, 2006 BS, Davenport University, 2003 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University November 2018 Abstract Employee disengagement is a significant issue for leaders and managers in many organizations. The general problem is the workforce in many American organizations includes disengaged employees. In 2016, only 33% of the workforce in the United States was engaged. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the independent variables of mentoring, which include role modeling, acceptance and confirmation, and mentoring friendship functions with a dependent variable of employee engagement. The moderating variable of perceived organizational support was measured to test the strength or weakness of the effects that mentoring has on employee engagement. The theoretical foundation for this study was social exchange theory. The researcher recruited a convenience sample of 307 technicians and technologists representing 7 industries. The participants completed surveys and questionnaires to provide their views of mentoring, perceived organizational support, and work engagement. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential analysis, including Pearson's correlations, linear, and stepwise regression analysis. The results of the inferential analyses indicated that each part of the mentoring variables (career support, psychosocial support, and role modeling) had an independent impact on work engagement. The interaction between psychosocial support and organizational support was also significant after accounting for the effects of mentoring and organizational support. The findings indicate that managers can achieve positive social change and improve employee well-bring within their organizations by being dutifully involved in their employees’ work lives. Managers should also be available to apply resources such as mentoring for technicians and technologist when needed. Mentoring Elements that Influence Employee Engagement by Lee T. Fountain MA, Davenport University, 2006 BS, Davenport University, 2003 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University November 2018 Dedication I would like to dedicate this paper to my wife Twanette and my mother Louise Fresh. You have been very supportive and very patient with me during this journey. Acknowledgments I would like to dedicate this paper to those engineering technicians and technologists who have worked tirelessly throughout their careers without a mentor or someone to guide you. I am confident that mentoring would have made a significant difference in your careers. The engineering field is difficult to work in without some support. Sandra Forris, you have been an inspiration for me when I was not sure what path I would take. I owe you much gratitude. I would like to give a special thanks to my mother, Louise Fresh: you gave me support at an early age, and I will be forever grateful to you. To my sister Wanda and my brothers Milton and Eric: thank you for supporting me and encouraging me when times were tough. To my wife, Twanette: I could not have made this journey without you being there. I appreciate your patience and tolerance for the times we could not spend together. I would like to give thanks to God. You heard my prayers, and you answered when I was losing faith. I never dreamed I would get this far in life, and you saw something in me that I could not see. Thank you for making all this possible. I am also very grateful to have a supportive committee who has provided excellent support and guidance. To Dr. Donna Brown and Dr. Dean Frost: thank you very much. Last, I would like to thank Mrs. Terri Scandura, Mr. Robert Eisenberger, and Mr. Wilmar Schaufeli for permitting me to use your copyrighted materials in my study. Your prior work has allowed me to be successful in my research. Table of Contents List of Tables .......................................................................................................................v List of Figures .................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Background ....................................................................................................................3 Problem Statement .......................................................................................................11 Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................................11 Research Questions and Hypotheses ...........................................................................12 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................15 Social Exchange Theory ....................................................................................... 15 Perceived Organizational Support ........................................................................ 17 Nature of the Study ......................................................................................................23 Definitions....................................................................................................................25 Assumptions .................................................................................................................27 Scope and Delimitations ..............................................................................................28 Limitations ...................................................................................................................31 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................32 Significance to Practice......................................................................................... 33 Significance to Social Change .............................................................................. 36 Summary and Transition ..............................................................................................37 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................39 Literature Search Strategy............................................................................................46 Theoretical Foundation ................................................................................................47 Employee Engagement and Disengagement ................................................................50 Engagement........................................................................................................... 50 i Disengagement ...................................................................................................... 64 Benefits of Mentoring ..................................................................................................73 Mentoring Functions ............................................................................................. 81 Psychosocial Functions ......................................................................................... 83 Social Exchange Theory ..............................................................................................91 Perceived Organizational Support ...............................................................................96 Leadership ........................................................................................................... 105 Leadership Role Models ..................................................................................... 107 Leadership and Culture ....................................................................................... 108 Leadership and Organizational Support .............................................................. 110 Leadership Characteristics