dc.contributor.author	Brown, Marlon Isaac
dc.coverage.spatial	Michigan	en_US
dc.coverage.temporal	2021-2023	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2023-05-15T19:25:14Z
dc.date.available	2023-05-15T19:25:14Z
dc.date.issued	2023-05-04
dc.identifier.other	0c7358f2-1a2a-472a-ab65-46d374044d59	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10428/6671
dc.description.abstract	Workplace inclusion and employee engagement are important issues for all organizations. Employers invest significant resources to improve the work environment, yet a considerable number of employees feel excluded or isolated, and the vast majority are disengaged with their work (Gallup, 2022; Hagel et al., 2017; Twaronite, 2019). Studies continue to demonstrate positive individual and organizational outcomes associated with inclusive workplaces and a fully engaged workforce (Harter et al., 2006; Lavigna, 2013; Macey et al., 2009; Pleasant, 2017; U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, 2008; Vohra et al. 2015). Still, the extent to which workplace inclusion serves as an antecedent of employee engagement is unclear. Based on the analysis of secondary data from six employee engagement surveys conducted among State of Michigan (SOM) employees between 2012 and 2020, this research sought to ascertain whether a positive relationship exists between workplace inclusion and employee engagement. The results indicated a weak relationship (positive and negative) between the two variables with varying levels of statistical significance. These findings failed to provide support that increasing sentiments on the inclusivity of the work environment will lead to higher individual or collective rates of employee engagement. Nevertheless, this research added context to the extant literature on workplace inclusion and employee engagement while offering practical analysis and recommendations concerning public sector efforts to enhance the employee experience and foster an inclusive environment where all employees can thrive. Keywords: workplace inclusion, employee engagement, employee survey, public sector, Michigan	en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents	Chapter I Introduction 1 -- Importance of the Topic 5 -- Contribution 8 -- Problem Statement and Research Questions 9 -- Chapter II Review of Literature 12 -- Workplace Inclusion 12 -- Employee Engagement 16 -- Prior Research on the Topic 21 -- Theoretical Basis for the Research 22 -- Literature Review Summary 26 -- Chapter III Methodology 27 -- Study Site Background 28 -- Data 29 -- Survey Population and Participation Rates 32 -- Dependent Variable 36 -- Independent Variable 37 -- Analytic Strategy 38 -- Limitations 40 -- Contributions to Knowledge 41 -- IRB Exemption, Data Access, and Storage 41 -- Methodology Summary 42 -- Chapter IV Results 43 -- Survey Results and Descriptive Statistics 43 -- Dependent Variable: Employee Engagement 43 -- Independent Variable: Workplace Inclusion 52 -- Correlation Analysis: Survey Questions 60 -- Cronbach’s alpha 62 -- Principal Components Analysis 63 -- Correlation Analyses: Factor Scores 66 -- Hypothesis 1. 66 -- Hypothesis 2. 67 -- Results Summary 69 -- Chapter V Discussion 71 -- Data Analysis 72 -- Research Question and Hypotheses 72 -- Interpretation of the Findings 73 -- Theoretical Implications 74 -- Methodological Implications 76 -- Longitudinal Findings and Practical Implications 79 -- Assumptions and Limitations of the Study 87 -- Assumptions 87 -- Limitations 88 -- Recommendations 90 -- Recommendations for Public Sector Practitioners 91 -- Recommendations for Future Academic Research 92 -- Key Takeaways 95 -- Conclusion 97 -- Afterword 99 -- References 100	en_US
dc.format.extent	1 electronic document and derivatives, 157 pages.	en_US
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.rights	This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.	en_US
dc.subject	Dissertations, Academic--United States	en_US
dc.subject	Public administration	en_US
dc.subject	Michigan	en_US
dc.subject	Social integration	en_US
dc.title	An Assessment of the Relationship Between Workplace Inclusion and Employee Engagement Among State of Michigan Employees	en_US
dc.type	Dissertation	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Department of Political Science of the College of Humanities & Social Sciences	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Lee, Keith E.
dc.description.committee	LaPlant, James T.
dc.description.committee	Banerjee, Neena
dc.description.degree	D.P.A.	en_US
dc.description.major	Public Administration	en_US