UNIVERSITAS TEKNOLOGI NUSANTARA

TERAKREDITASI ASLI BAN-PT No. 3243/SK/BAN-

PT/Akred/PT/IX/2017
Jl Raya Pemda Pangkalan II No. 66 Kedung Halang Kec. Bogor Utara
Kab. Bogor Telp. 0251-7502137 Kode Pos : 16710 Bogor Jawa Barat

UJIAN AKHIR SEMESTER

Pengantar Psikologi

NAMA : Ichsan Ahmad Rosyid

KELAS : 01 PSIKA smt 1
DOSEN : Ade Zoraya Fitri, M.Psi
Judul Jurnal : Employee Engagement as Human Motivation
Link Jurnal : https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-022-09737-w

Discussed Review Result

Author J. David Pincus
Published Integrative Psychological and
Behavioral Science - 2023
Introduction The journal "Employee Engagement as
Human Motivation: Implications for
Theory, Methods, and Practice,"
published in the *Integrative
Psychological and Behavioral
Science* journal in 2023, offers a
comprehensive analysis of the concept
of employee engagement. The author,
J. David Pincus, from the Employee
Benefit Research Institute and Leading
Indicator Systems, delves into the
theoretical underpinnings,
methodological challenges, and
practical implications of employee
engagement, framing it within the
broader context of human motivation.
It’s no coincidence that the major
definitions of the employee
engagement construct, despite their
widely ranging theoretical origins,
happen to fall perfectly in line with the
definition of motivation, given by
Pincus (2004) as an individual-level,
unobservable state of emotion or
desire operating on the will and, as a
psychological mediator, causing it to
act. We contend that this is because the
concept of engagement is identical to
the concept of motivation, albeit
applied to a particular area of applica-
tion, i.e., one’s work. The goal of this
journal is to suggest that a conceptual
model already exists that can
accommodate all of these concepts,
and that splitting hairs over which
aspects of which concepts are
antecedents, mediators, or
consequences, is much like trying to
parse out which are cognitions,
emotions, or behavioral inclina- tions.
From a motivational perspective, these
 concepts each have facets in all of
these readout channels, i.e., a single
motivational construct, say the need
for belonging, can be fostered by
certain conditions, can become a
salient need, is experienced both
affectively and cognitively, and can be
behaviorally expressed.
Purpose of Review This review aims to provide a detailed
examination of the journal's theoretical
framework, methodology, strengths,
weaknesses, and overall conclusions.
By dissecting these core components,
this review will assess the journal's
contribution to the field of human
resource management and its practical
implications for organizations aiming
to enhance employee engagement.
Grand Theory In social science research, it is always
good practice to try to distinguish
causes and effects in theoretical
models, resulting in testable
propositions. Much of the theoretical
work of both academics and
practitioners1 in the domain of
employee engagement has
unfortunately neglected this
fundamental step, instead adopting a
list generation approach, enumerating
all the exogenous and endogenous
variables that could, should, or might
be expected to co-occur with
engagement. This approach has
returned long lists of items with little
regard for separating causes from
effects, psychological variables from
organizational variables, states from
traits, and the cog- nitive from the
emotional from the behavioral. In a
literature review, Kular et al., (2008)
concluded that despite the “great deal
of interest in engagement, there is also
a good deal of confusion. At present,
there is no consistency in definition,
with engagement having been
operationalized and measured in many
disparate ways.” Nearly a decade later
in a subsequent literature review,
Dewing & McCormack (2015)
observe that “it is a challenge to find
much substance or a clear definition
for the concept of engagement...
Further, it is unclear how the construct
relates to other existing similar
concepts...”. As suggested by these,
and indeed virtually all authors on this
subject, the term employee
engagement has remained stubbornly
muddled, conflated, and confused, a
victim of entangled, conflated pseudo-
definitions that overlap heav- ily with
related but distinct concepts such as
job engagement, work engagement,
organizational engagement,
intellectual-social-affective
engagement, and collective
organizational engagement. In this
way, the academic and practitioner
literatures have been subjected to a
kind of “snowballing effect” as authors
apply different theoretical models
bringing with them a host of new
constructs, while also applying ever
more synonyms for existing
constructs.
The central thesis of the journal is that
employee engagement should be
grounded in the extensive
psychological literature on human
motivation. The author argues that the
diverse operational definitions of
employee engagement employed by
academics and practitioners can be
understood as attempts to approximate
key motivational concepts. He
proposes a comprehensive model of
twelve human motivations that can
unify the various constructs of
engagement found in the literature.
The journal critiques the existing
theoretical approaches to employee
engagement, which often fail to
separate causes from effects,
 psychological variables from
organizational variables, and internal
from external mechanisms. By rooting
the concept of engagement in
motivational theory, the author aims to
provide a clearer, more coherent
framework for understanding and
measuring engagement.
Strenghtness 1. Theoretical Integration: The journal
successfully integrates the vast
literature on human motivation with
the concept of employee engagement.
This approach offers a robust
theoretical foundation that addresses
the conceptual confusion prevalent in
the current literature.
2. Comprehensive Model: The
proposed model of twelve human
motivations provides a structured
taxonomy that can encompass the
various definitions and measures of
engagement. This model is both
comprehensive and parsimonious,
addressing the issue of construct
proliferation.
3. Clear Operational Definitions: By
grounding engagement concepts in
established motivational constructs,
the journal offers clear and operational
definitions that can improve both
theory and practice. This clarity is
 crucial for developing valid and
reliable measures of engagement.
4. Practical Implications: The journal
provides actionable insights for
practitioners, emphasizing the
importance of aligning engagement
interventions with the deep currents of
cultural context. This approach can
help organizations develop more
effective and contextually appropriate
strategies for enhancing engagement.
Weakness 1. Complexity of the Model: While the
comprehensive model of twelve
human motivations is a significant
strength, its complexity might pose
challenges for practical application.
Practitioners may find it difficult to
operationalize and measure all twelve
motivations in a coherent manner.
2. Empirical Validation: The
journal primarily focuses on
theoretical development and offers
limited empirical validation of the
proposed model. Future research
should aim to empirically test the
model to establish its validity and
reliability.
3. Overemphasis on
Motivation: While grounding
engagement in motivational theory is a
valuable approach, it may overlook
 other important factors that contribute
to engagement, such as organizational
culture, leadership, and job design. A
more holistic approach that considers
these factors alongside motivation
could provide a more comprehensive
understanding of engagement.
4. Generalizability: The journal's
theoretical model may not be easily
generalizable across different
organizational contexts and industries.
Future research should explore how
the model can be adapted to various
settings and whether certain
motivations are more salient in specific
contexts.
Conclusions The journal "Employee Engagement as
Human Motivation: Implications for
Theory, Methods, and Practice" offers
valuable insights into the complex
nature of employee engagement. By
grounding the concept in motivational
theory, the author provides a clearer
and more coherent framework that can
guide both research and practice.
Despite its limitations, the journal's
robust theoretical foundation,
comprehensive model, and practical
implications make it a valuable
contribution to the field of human
resource management. By building on
this research, future studies can further
elucidate the pathways to fostering
optimal employee engagement and
performance.