Business: Theory and Practice

ISSN 1648-0627 / eISSN 1822-4202

2023 Volume 24 Issue 1: 109–122
https://doi.org/10.3846/btp.2023.17241

THE ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ON

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Pakize BILALLI ABDURAIMI 1, Mahije MUSTAFI 2*, Xhavit ISLAMI 3

1Faculty of Economics, “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” University in Skopje, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
2Facultyof Customs and Freight Forwarding, “Pjeter Budi” College in Pristina, St. “Gazmend Zajmi”,
no. 33 (Aktash-I), Prishtinë, Republic of Kosova
3Department of Management, Faculty of Economics, “AAB” College in Pristina, Republic of Kosova

Received 30 June 2022; accepted 20 January 2023

Abstract. Despite the recognized importance of organizational culture (OC) for favorable organizational effects, empirical-
ly is relatively little known about its impact on employee engagement (EE), in Balkan countries, especially in the Republic
of North Macedonia. To address this gap the purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between OC components
and three dimensions of EE (vigor, dedication and absorption). To conduct this study a survey of 152 public secondary
education employees who operate in the Republic of North Macedonia was done. The gathered data was analyzed using
SPSS program. Results indicated that several components of the OC are significantly related to EE dimensions, such as
employee vigor, dedication, and absorption. As a result, the study concludes that OC has a significant positive effect on EE
dimensions both in and out of school. The outcomes of this study significantly contribute to a better understanding of the
OC-EE relationship in the non-profit organizations.
Keywords: organizational culture, employee engagement, employee vigor, employee dedication, employee absorption.
JEL Classification: M14, O15, E24, J21, M51.

Introduction performance. The importance of EE is evidenced by sev-

eral authors (Avey et al., 2008; Bakker & Schaufeli, 2008;
There is a wide range of literature that strongly supports Luthans & Avolio, 2009; Luthans & Youssef, 2007; Selig-
the idea that employees have a positive influence on the man et al., 2005), who in their studies indicate that the
function and sustainability of the organization (Perrin- focus of organizations in EE is more important than the
ISR, 2006). In order for an organization to thrive, its focus on following the strategy of competitors. Therefore,
employees must develop their confidence, dignity, self- scholars are focused on defining factors which may in-
esteem, and prosper (Batool & Batool, 2012). Employees crease the EE in an organization (e.g., see Al-dalahmeh
who feel they belong to the organization will try their best et al., 2018; Narayanamma et al., 2022; Saks & Gruman,
to show excellent performance for its benefit. Therefore, is 2014; Sun & Bunchapattanasakda, 2019). EE is defined as
essential for an organization to create an OC to maintain a positive mentality and attitude towards work, which is
its position in the market. Where a flexible OC provides characterized by high levels of vigor, dedication and ab-
employees with such a work environment in which they sorption (Schaufeli et al., 2002).
can work easily and independently without feeling any On the other side, OC has become more important
burden (Mac-Ozigbo & Daniel, 2021). because human capital, compared to the material, is the
The literature provides enough evidence that there is a main source of value in an organization (Islami & Mulolli,
close linkage between EE and organizational performance 2021). Where, maximizing employees’ intellectual wealth
(e.g., see Akanpaadgi & Binpimbu, 2021; Kazimoto, 2016; involves creating a culture that fosters their participa-
Motyka, 2018; Truss et al., 2013), where EE may influ- tion in intellectual activities, facilitates individual and/or
ence significanty the performance. Accordong to Schaufeli organizational learning, generates new knowledge, and
et al. (2002) three EE dimensions, vigor, absorption, and shares it with others. According to Demerouti et al. (2012)
dedication contributes significantly to organizational organizations with the best cultures and communication

*Corresponding author. E-mail: mahijemustafi@hotmail.com

Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Vilnius Gediminas Technical University

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unre-
stricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
110 P. Bilalli Abduraimi et al. The role of organizational culture on employee engagement

practices engage their workers more, as do organizations By realizing its objective, the current study provides
with strategies that allow employees to voice their con- useful theoretical and practical implications regarding the
cerns and find opportunities to grow and develop. There- concept of OC, as well as its impact on EE. The literature
fore, the interrelationship between motivation, organiza- review is presented in the following section, following by
tional culture, and engagement can be explained psycho- a synthesis of the theoretical-conceptual models. Then the
logically and economically (Laniado, 2017). According to verification of research hypotheses was done, examining
him, the psychological reasons include work individu- the links between existing variables. It continues with the
alization, increasing interest in positive psychology, and discussion of the results, the main conclusions, the limita-
the role of human resources, perceived as a key resource tions of the study, and the possible directions for future
in enhancing business competitive advantage. While, the research.
economic reason is “engagement deficit” resulting from
low employee engagement rates in organizations. The cost 1. Theoretical framework
of unengaged and uncommitted employees is high for cor-
porations around the world (Laniado, 2017). In this vein, This section briefly explains the definitions of OC and EE,
to gain a competitive edge in today’s global marketplace, their importance, and their relationship. The primary goal
organizations must concentrate on attracting, engaging, of the study is to examine the impact of organizational
developing, and building loyalty among their employees, culture on the involvement of employees in the public sec-
based on their OC. In light of this, the importance of test- tor of education by drawing on contemporary literature,
ing the relationship between OC and EE is indisputable. interpreting it, and applying it to the realities of a develop-
Although the effect of various aspects of the OC on ing nation. Because the concept of employee engagement
performance is evidenced in several studies (e.g., see has received limited attention in academic literature and
Alvesson, 2012; Janićijević, 2020; Nikpour, 2017) yet there because a measurement model of this kind would be use-
is a lack of evidence that illuminates how high competi- ful for the practices of human resources departments, this
tiveness and the wish to succeed drive organizations to study is essential for the education sector. The education
pay close attention to OC with the aim to improve their industry is the target audience for the study’s conclusions
EE. Despite so much research and study, there are contra- and suggestions. This report supports efforts made by
dictions about the impact of OC on EE. Since there are schools to improve employee engagement. There are vari-
many contradictions in results, the question is whether or ous definitions of OC being proposed by various research-
not OC increases EE or not. Therefore, this study analyzes ers over the years, but as a matter of fact, there is not any
the extent to which employees are engaged in the organi- commonly accepted definition (Øgaard et al., 2005). OC is
zational process and examines the influential role that OC the core, which keeps the organization united and encour-
components have on EE dimensions. Especially, examines ages employees to be committed and increase performance
whether there is a statistical relationship between OC in (Wilderom & Van den Berg, 1999). According to him the
predicting the EE, who work in public high schools in the culture in an organization is represented by the special
republic of North Macedonia. The fact that education gen- ways that the organization uses during its normal course,
erally has many advantages is the primary driving force in the realization of the main functions, the ways which
behind this study. Education is seen as a key factor in a change and develop over time. These methods of perform-
nation’s socioeconomic development because of its role in ing functions reflect the shared knowledge and compe-
improving human capital. In this vein, the purpose of this tencies of an organization (Wilderom & Van den Berg,
study is to highlight the significance of employee engage- 1999). Most employees of the organization are perceived
ment for both productivity and academic achievement. as more representative of the culture, what is emphasized
Employees freely express themselves physically, cogni- and promoted in the organization (Macey, 2009). This is
tively, and emotionally while working at the school. achieved through the orientation of employees’ efforts to-
To recapitulate, the objective of this study is that rely- wards certain elements, tasks or philosophies related to
ing on contemporary literature, and analyzing and adapt- work. Studies on OC have used multiple dimensions in
ing the extant research, to conduct observe the impact of their assessments of the organization. It is important that
OC on the EE in the public education sector, in the fol- dimensions cover the wide range of the cultural construct,
lowing way. First, it defines the elements of the OC (such and should refer to the dynamics of the working groups.
as, autonomy, external orientation, cooperation between Measurements and elaboration related to OC were real-
departments, human resource orientation and orientation ized based on the escalation and dimensions proposed by
to improvement) and EE dimensions (vigor, dedication Wilderom and Van den Berg (1999) and developed with
and absorption). Second, explores the relationship be- the model of Van den Berg and Wilderom (2004). The
tween OC and employee vigor, dedication and absorption. model has been adapted taking into account the local con-
Third, specifically it answers in the following questions: text. Operationalization is realized through the respective
What is the nature of the relationship between OC and dimensions.
vigor? What is the nature of the relationship between OC The first dimension, autonomy, is task related. It per-
and dedication? and What is the nature of the relationship tains to the degree to which employees have decision lati-
between OC and absorption? tude at the job level (Wilderom & Van den Berg, 1999).
Business: Theory and Practice, 2023, 24(1): 109–122 111

The second dimension, external orientation, is included effort in one’s work, and persistence also in the face of
because all organizational units operate in an external en- difficulties (Schaufeli et al., 2002). Dedication is charac-
vironment (Wilderom & Van den Berg, 1999). The open- terized by a sense of significance, enthusiasm, inspiration,
systems theory and many publications on culture empha- pride, and challenge. Vigor and dedication are the direct
sise that a group’s external orientation is very much a part positive opposites of exhaustion and cynicism, respective-
of its internal functioning (Hofstede, 2002). Third, we in- ly (Schaufeli et al., 2002). Absorption is characterized by
clude perceptions of interdepartmental coordination since being fully concentrated and happily engrossed in one’s
horizontal differentiation may raise barriers to productive work, whereby time passes quickly and one has difficul-
inter-group communication. Fourth, in many articles, one ties with detaching oneself from work. Being fully ab-
finds human resource content as an explicit part of the or- sorbed in one’s work comes close to what has been called
ganizational culture construct (see, for example, Gordon, “flow”, a state of optimal experience that is characterized
1990; Gordon & DiTomaso, 1992; Marcoulides & Heck, by focused attention, clear mind, mind and body union,
1993). Finally, Rousseau (1990) argued that the degree of effortless concentration, complete control, loss of self-
improvement orientation among personnel reflects an or- consciousness, distortion of time, and intrinsic enjoyment
ganization’s ambition level, and that at least a positive in- (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).
clination towards organizational improvement is required. Employee engagement and success are closely related;
These fifth dimensions were chosen in order to include the engaged employees are better able to assist their organiza-
degree of proactivity that is intended to achieve ever better tions in overcoming both immediate and long-term obsta-
organizational results. cles. The level of service will be impacted by their devel-
On the other side, EE represents the involvement of opment of an emotional bond with their specific schools.
workers in their job roles (Kahn, 1990). Scholars, such as, They will contribute fresh accomplishments to the quality
Robinson (2004) and Wellins (2005) define EE from the of their school by growing passion and commitment and
psychological dimension. Where, Wellins (2005) describe working in sync with the plans and goals of the institu-
EE as an illusory force that motivates employees to high- tion. In a competitive atmosphere, employees will dem-
er levels of performance, while Robinson (2004) defines onstrate greater faith in their institution and be motivated
engagement as a positive attitude held by the employee by a sense of loyalty. Success will rise if the school has a
towards the organization and its values. An engaged em- favorable atmosphere and enthusiastic staff members.
ployee is aware of the business context, works with col-
leagues to improve performance within his work for the 1.1. Relationship between OC and EE dimensions
benefit of the organization. and research hypotheses
The evidence regarding the antecedents and conse-
quences of EE can be organized in an overall model of Studies on OC have used multiple dimensions in their
work engagement. In building this model, we draw on two assessments of the organization. It is important that the
assumptions. The first assumption is that job resources, dimensions cover the wide range of the cultural construct,
such as, social support from colleagues and supervisors, and should refer to the dynamics of the working groups.
performance feedback, skill variety, and autonomy, start Measurements and elaboration related to OC were real-
a motivational process that leads to work engagement, ized based on the escalation and dimensions proposed by
and consequently to higher performance. The second as- Wilderom and Van den Berg (1999) and developed with
sumption is that job resources become more salient and the model of Van den Berg and Wilderom (2004).
gain their motivational potential when employees are con- Familiarity of employees with the culture of the or-
fronted with high job demands (e.g., workload, emotional ganization is an important factor in the relationship that
demands, and mental demands). will be born and will develop in future periods. Macey
Bakker et al. (2005) showed work overload, emotion- (2009) reminds that it is important to be aware of the fact
al job demands, physical job demands, and work-home that the image of the organization begins to be ingrained
conflict are all risk factors for job burnout (particularly very early on in new employees. May (2004) argues that
exhaustion and cynicism), but that the undesirable im- workplace culture determines employees’ attitudes about
pact of job demands on burnout can be alleviated by job the level of commitment to the organization. According
resources, such as, job autonomy, social support, quality to Ramarajan (2006) an organization which treats its em-
of the relationship with the supervisor, and performance ployees with dignity and respect, creates a work culture
feedback. Since then, the model has been applied in thou- that fosters loyalty and commitment. Such organizations
sands of organizations, and inspired hundreds of empiri- are often associated with proactive practices and very high
cal studies (e.g., see Bakker et al., 2014; Crawford et al., results, through integration into culture, efforts to retain
2010; Nahrgang et al., 2011). We define engagement as a and engage employees. The more the culture promotes the
positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is char- appreciation of people through trust, justice, work, proce-
acterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption (Schaufeli dures, the greater the opportunities for employee engage-
et al., 2002). ment (Macey, 2009).
Vigor is characterized by high levels of energy and An aspect that greatly depends on the particular char-
mental resilience while working, the willingness to invest acteristics that make up the culture as a whole is how the
112 P. Bilalli Abduraimi et al. The role of organizational culture on employee engagement

organizational culture is expressed in relation to the advantage in the market (Janićijević, 2020). According
commitment of the employees’ loyalty to the company. to a review of field research to date, this impact exists,
Due to this, it is important to consider how each di- but the intensity is lower than first thought. Also, since
mension affects the quality of the relationship between OC and engagement are in themselves very complex,
employees and organizations as it relates to various fac- multidimensional variables, therefore their relationship
ets of culture when determining this connection (Sa- is multilayered, multidimensional, and complex which
rangi, 2010). The amount of employee engagement can needs to be to be further explored.
be influenced by organizational culture by involving The findings of the research indicated that suggest-
people and the organization in a system where shared ed model had appropriate fit and OC beyond its direct
interests emerge. According to May (2004), an organi- impact exerted indirect impact on organizational per-
zation’s workplace culture affects how committed its formance through the mediation of employee’s organiza-
employees are to it. tional commitment that the extent of indirect impact was
A company that treats its employees with respect significantly higher than direct impact (Nikpour, 2017).
and dignity fosters a work environment that encour- Engelen et al. (2014) asserted that OC and EE have a
ages commitment and loyalty, claims Ramarajan (2006). strong link, whereas organizations with negative OC face
Through the integration and interweaving of efforts to a lack of EE. Despite so much research and study, there
engage and retain people in their culture, such firms are are contradictions about the impact of OC on EE. Since
frequently linked to proactive practices and very high there are many contradictions in results, the question is
results. According to Macey (2009), engagement happens whether or not OC increases EE or not. So there is a
when individuals feel empowered to act independently. further need for research to fill this gap, mainly research
The prospects for employee involvement are increased in has been conducted in developing countries.
direct proportion to how much the culture values peo- Based on the above discussion, this study proposes
ple through trust, fairness, work, and procedures (Macey, these hypotheses:
2009). When a culture is comprehensible, consistent, and H1: OC has a positive influence on the vigor of em-
unambiguous, it succeeds. Organizational culture is too ployees.
crucial to leave to chance. Organizations must complete- H2: OC has a positive influence on the dedication of
ly implement strategies and foster innovation by utilizing employees.
their culture (Chatman & Cha, 2003). H3: OC has a positive influence on the absorption of
OC needs to be developed to provide support to an employees.
organization and to bring about continuous improve-
ment. The culture of an organization is very important
1.2. The conceptual model of the study
for the progress of an organization because it affects the
EE and their retention as well (Mac-Ozigbo & Daniel, The organization is influenced by several internal factors,
2021). Agwu (2017) noted that OC has a tremendous but this research considers only two components (see
effect on EE and firm performance. If the employees Figure 1): (a) OC and (b) EE, which have shown great
of the organization have more understanding with the influence on organizational success (Gold et al., 2001).
OC, they will have more job satisfaction. Organiza- The conceptual model of this paper is adopted by authors
tional environment and the employee’s personal char- and it is based on the models used by Van den Berg and
acteristics can affect his job satisfaction Auernhammer Wilderom (2004) and Schaufeli et al. (2002). Where, ac-
and Hall (2014). The theoretical basis that OC influ- cording to Schaufeli et al. (2002) EE consists of three di-
ences EE is found in the fact that the OC of a company mensions: energy, dedication and absorption. The image
as part of its intellectual capital determines its ability below shows the impact that observed variables of OC
to build core competence and thus gain a competitive have on EE.

Autonomy Vigor
H1
External orientation

Cooperation between departments H2

Dedication EE
Human resource orientation H3

Orientation towards improvement

Absorption
Organizational Culture

Figure 1. Conceptual model

Business: Theory and Practice, 2023, 24(1): 109–122 113

2. Research methodology necessary information. The questionnaire was measured

using the five-point Likert scale (1 to 5). The public high
This study uses a quantitative method where statistical school staff who participated in the survey were from
procedures and research instruments are used as tools to different genders, from different schools, from different
measure the level of the relationship between culture and ages, teachers of different subjects and in different job po-
engagement. Thus, conclusions are drawn from a complete sitions, making the sample as representative as possible
analysis of data collected through questionnaires, statistics (see Table 1).
and graphs. The questionnaires used in this study were
designed to collect the primary data that enable the iden- Table 1. Key characteristics of the respondents (n = 152)
tification of key findings and the provision of management (source: first author)
proposals. It is worth mentioning that the quantitative
study was preceded by a long study (several years) and Characteristics Number %
observational analysis of public high schools, where the Gender
attention was paid to the study of human resource prac- Male 107 70.39
tices if the concept of EE appeared as part of them and if Female 45 29.61
it occupied a special place in the OC.
Age
To obtain the opinion of the directors, administration
and teachers regarding the engagement and the culture To 30 years 19 12.50
in their organizations, a combination of field and online 31–40 years 57 37.50
questionnaires was conducted in the public high schools 41–50 years 53 34.87
that operate in the republic of North Macedonia. The sam- More than 51 years 23 15.13
pling method was chosen to provide comprehensive data. Job position
The study was conducted in the cities of Skopje, Tetovo Director 5 3.28
and Gostivar, with the employees of these public schools.
Teacher 130 85.53
Data for sample calculation are based on SurveyMonkey:
N = 271; z = 1.96 (with 95% certainty); p = 0.5 (5%); sim- Administration employee 17 11.19
ple size = 160. Work experience
To 10 years 49 32.24
2.1. Questionnaires design 11–20 years 77 50.66
The preparation of the questionnaire is based on the theo- 21–30 24 15.79
retical model of the study. Based on the model of Van den More than 31 years 2 1.32
Berg and Wilderom (2004) the section on OC questions Education level
was structured based on their tested model. The section of Higher education 105 69.08
EE questions was prepared based on the theoretical model Master 39 25.66
of Schaufeli et al. (2002), which served as the basis for PhD 8 5.26
compiling the research questions (see Appendix 1).

2.2. Characteristics of the sample 3. Findings of this study

Why this country? The education in the Republic of 3.1. Internal analysis of OC and EE dimensions
Northern Macedonia, over the last years has faced many To make the internal analysis of the research variables was
problems in different areas, such as, conditions, financial used Mauchly’s Test of Sphericity. Firstly, in Table 2a is
resources, teachers’ skills and lack of proper management. evidenced that the range between the averages of the low-
Where, the report for the academic year 2016/2017 of the est and highest rated dimension is 0.55. The dimensions
State Education Inspectorate conducted examining 162 of autonomy and human resources orientation are slightly
public high schools stated that the quality of the educa- lower compared to the other three dimensions. However,
tional process is not developed appropriately. Specifying at this stage is important to answer whether the stated
that there are many reasons why schools do not function differences are sufficiently pronounced to be treated as
well. Starting from the learning equipment, continuing to- lawful, or are they random. Therefore, in Table 2b is con-
wards the realization of the curricula or the qualifications ducted Mauchly’s Test of Sphericity (a test of the statistical
of the teaching staff, the supervisors, up to the level of significance of the indicated differences in the evaluation
knowledge and the level of student awareness, the public of the five dimensions of the OC).
high schools resulted to be weak. Therefore, if the OC is As it is shown in Table 2c the calculated ANOVA for
directed to the improvement of EE in non-profit organiza- repeated measures, with applied Huinh-Feldt correction
tions, some of these problems can be solved. shows a statistically significant difference (F = 47.884,
The questionnaire surveyed over 160 respondents, df = 3.672, p < 0.000, Partial Eta = 0.490) between the five
but the final database contains the answers to only 152 dimensions of the OC. The calculated Partial Eta index
of them, because the rest did not provide us with the (0.490) is quite high, which suggests high effect strength
114 P. Bilalli Abduraimi et al. The role of organizational culture on employee engagement

(Leech et al., 2005). Also, this result confirms that the repeated measures. In terms of a statistically significant
indicated differences in the evaluation of the five di- test of sphericity, it is considered that one of the start-
mensions of OC in this sample are not the result of ing assumptions for calculating this type of ANOVA is
chance. For clarification, the indicated Huin-Felt cor- impaired, and since the value of the Epsilon index is
rection was selected in conditions of problematic sphe- higher than 0.75, it is recommended in the literature to
ricity of the data, ascertained through a purpose test, take the Huin-Felt correction for the most authoritative
given by default in the SPSS protocol at ANOVA for approximation (Leech et al., 2005).

Table 2. A statistical analysis of the dimensions of OC (source: first author)

a) Descriptive statistics of OC dimensions

Аutonomy 3.2721 .68090 152
External orientation 3.8315 .65754 152
Cooperation between departments 3.7122 .82729 152
Human resource orientation 3.3246 .85575 152
Orientation towards improvement 3.7681 .74145 152
b) Mauchly’s Test of Sphericitya for OC

Within Subjects Epsilon

Mauchly’s W Approx. Chi-Square Df Sig.
Effect Greenhouse-Geisser Huynh-Feldt Lower-bound
OC .780 37.205 9 .000** .894 .918 .250
c) ANOVA for repeated measures: significance of the differences between the five dimensions of the OC
Type III Sum Partial Eta
df Mean Square F Sig. Partial Eta
of Squares Squared
Sphericity Assumed 41.970 4 10.492 47.884 .000** .241 .490
Greenhouse-Geisser 41.970 3.575 11.741 47.884 .000** .241 .490
Huynh-Feldt 41.970 3.672 11.429 47.884 .000** .241 .490
Lower-bound 41.970 1.000 41.970 47.884 .000** .241 .490
d) ANOVA for repeated measures: OC in the school – post-hoc test (Pairwise Comparisons)
Mean Difference 95% Confidence Interval
(I) оrg_culture (J) org_culture (I-J) Std. Error Sig.b Lower Bound Upper Bound
2 –.559* .061 .000** –.680 –.439
3 –.440* .061 .000** –.561 –.320
1
4 –.053 .057 .357 –.165 .060
5 –.496* .050 .000** –.595 –.397
1 .559* .061 .000** .439 .680
3 .119* .049 .016* .023 .216
2
4 .507* .058 .000** .392 .622
5 .063 .046 .171 –.028 .154
1 .440* .061 .000** .320 .561
2 –.119* .049 .016* –.216 –.023
3
4 .388* .058 .000** .274 .501
5 –.056 .047 .240 –.150 .038
1 .053 .057 .357 –.060 .165
2 –.507* .058 .000** –.622 –.392
4
3 –.388* .058 .000** –.501 –.274
5 –.443* .047 .000** –.536 –.351
1 .496* .050 .000** .397 .595
2 –.063 .046 .171 –.154 .028
5
3 .056 .047 .240 –.038 .150
4 .443* .047 .000** .351 .536
Business: Theory and Practice, 2023, 24(1): 109–122 115

The calculated post-hoc test, presented in the Table 2d, questionnaire show relatively uniform opinions and as-
accurately locates the degree of statistical significance be- sessments regarding the different dimensions of EE in the
tween each individual pair of averages, in all possible com- organization (the difference between the averages of the
binations between the five dimensions of OC. What can lowest and highest valued dimension is only 0.21).
be seen from this tabular overview mainly confirms the According to the established order, the testing of the
things that are visible at the primary inspection, namely statistical significance of the indicated differences in the
that: (a) Autonomy is valued lower than all other dimen- evaluation of these three dimensions of EE in the or-
sions of OC, except compared to the Human Resources ganization follows (see Tables 3b and 3c). The calculated
Orientation; (b) Human Resource Orientation is valued ANOVA for repeated measures shows a statistically signif-
lower than all other dimensions of OC except Autono- icant difference (F = 13.229, df = 2, p < 0.000, Partial Eta =
my; (c) Improvement Orientation is valued higher than 0.090) between the three levels of the independent vari-
Autonomy and Human Resource Orientation. The data, able, i.e., among the average indicators of the evaluation
however, also reveal things that are not so certain at first of the three dimensions of EE in the non-profit organiza-
glance, and which are not easy to detect without such ad- tions (schools). The calculated Partial Eta index (0.090)
ditional calculations. One such observation is that (d) Ex- for this calculation, however, is very low, suggesting low
ternal Orientation, in addition to Autonomy and Human effect strength (Leech et al., 2005). The low strength of the
Resource Orientation, is more valued than Inter-Depart- effect, of course, does not call into question the statisti-
mental Cooperation. cal significance between the differences in the evaluation
Secondly, Table 3a shows the analysis that follows of the three dimensions of EE in this sample, but it does
the internal structure of the measuring instrument used, problematize the magnitude of the tested difference, i.e.,
i.e., the questionnaire. The presented graphic presen- its potential for generalization at the population level (Ba-
tation shows that the respondents, in general, on this low, 2017). The arithmetic means and standard deviations

Table 3. A statistical analysis of the dimensions of EE (source: first author)

a) Descriptive statistics of EE dimensions

Mean Std. Deviation N
Vigor 4.0105 .66543 152
Dedication 4.1987 .72551 152
Absorption 3.9878 .73800 152
b) Mauchly’s Test of Sphericitya for EE
Approx. Epsilon
Within
Subjects Effect Chi-Square Greenhouse-
Mauchly’s W df Sig. Huynh-Feldt Lower-bound
Geisser
EE .979 3.250 2 .197 .979 .992 .500
c) ANOVA for repeated measures: significance of the differences between the five dimensions of the EE
Type III Sum Partial Eta
Df Mean Square F Sig. Partial Eta
of Squares Squared
Sphericity
4.074 2 2.037 13.229 .000** .081 .090
Assumed
Greenhouse-
4.074 1.958 2.081 13.229 .000** .081 .090
Geisser
Huynh-Feldt 4.074 1.983 2.054 13.229 .000** .081 .090
Lower-bound 4.074 1.000 4.074 13.229 .000** .081 .090
d) ANOVA for repeated measures: ENGAGEMENT at school – post-hoc test (Pairwise Comparisons)

Mean Difference 95% Confidence Interval

(I) Engagement (J) Engagement Std. Error Sig.b
(I-J) Lower Bound Upper Bound
1 2 –.188** .042 .000** –.272 –.105
3 .023 .048 .636 –.072 .117
2 1 .188** .042 .000** .105 .272
3 .211** .045 .000** .123 .299
3 1 –.023 .048 .636 –.117 .072
2 –.211** .045 .000** –.299 –.123
116 P. Bilalli Abduraimi et al. The role of organizational culture on employee engagement

for the three dimensions (subscales) of Engagement are will change by 27.3%, when the other variables remain
given in Table 3a. The calculated post-hoc test, presented the same. As well independent variable “external orienta-
in the following Table 3d, accurately locates the statistical- tion” is positively related with dependent variable “vigor”
ly significant difference between the dimension of Com- by predicting it for 19.3% (b = .193 & p = .058), which
mitment on the one hand, and the other two dimensions, means that for each 1% change in application of the fo-
ie. Vigor and Dedication, on the other hand. An overview cus strategy the firm performance will change by 19.3%.
of the descriptive data (Table 3a) shows that Dedication is Whereas, three other OC dimensions resulted to be non-
a higher valued dimension of Engagement in the organiza- significant on this model. If it is analyzed closely Table 4
tion (school), compared to the other two. can be concluded that independent variable “autonomy”
It is worth clarifying that following is a statistical cal- has a higher impact in increasing employees’ vigor com-
culation of the relationship between (a) OC (taken as a pare to four other OC dimensions. With these results, we
collective independent variable, with simultaneous inclu- can confirm that the first hypothesis is partially supported.
sion of all five of its autonomous dimensions) and (b) each To test the second hypothesis, to measure the impact
of the three individual dimensions of EE. of independent variables in dependent variable “dedica-
tion” multivariate regression analysis has been used. Ac-
3.2. Testing hypotheses cording to regression analysis independent variables that
enter in analysis explain 27.6% of dependent variable
To test the first hypothesis, to measure the impact of in- “vigor”. F value is 12.491 (sig. 0.000) which means that
dependent variables in dependent variable “vigor” mul- the model is important statistically with the significance
tivariate regression analysis has been used. According to level α = 0.05. Three OC dimensions were statistically sig-
regression analysis independent variables that enter in nificant at level 0.05. Where, autonomy is positively con-
analysis explain 32.4% of dependent variable “vigor”. F nected with dependent variable “dedication” by predicting
value is 15.495 (sig. 0.000) which means that the model it for 23.5% (b = .235 & p = .013), external orientation is
is important statistically with the significance level α = positively connected with dependent variable “dedication”
0.05. Two OC dimensions were statistically significant at by predicting it for 24.1% (b = .241 & p = .022), and coop-
level 0.01 and 0.10. Where, autonomy is positively con- eration between departments is positively connected with
nected with dependent variable “vigor” by predicting it for dependent variable “dedication” by predicting it for 22.8%
27.3% (b = .273 & p = .003), which means that for each 1% (b = .228 & p = .045). Whereas, two other OC dimen-
change in pursuing of the autonomy the employee vigor sions resulted to be non-significant on this model. If it is

Table 4. Regression analysis of dependent variable “Vigor”, n = 152

Model I R2 ΔR² β b S. E F T p VIF

.347 .324 15.495
(constant) 1.594 .297 5.368 .000
Autonomy .273 .267 .089 3.010 .003 1.836
External orientation .193 .195 .102 1.912 .058 2.270
Cooperation between departments .107 .086 .088 .980 .329 2.652
Human resource orientation –.007 –.006 .083 –.067 .946 2.566
Orientation towards improvement .147 .132 .112 1.172 .243 3.510
Note: b = Un-standardized Coefficients, S. E = standard error of variables, β = standardized coefficients, t = t-statistic, p = significance
level. R2 = square, ΔR2 = adjusted R square.

Table 5. Regression analysis of dependent variable “Dedication”, n = 152

Model II R2 ΔR² β b S. E F T p VIF

.300 .276 12.491
(constant) 1.739 .335 5.187 .000
Autonomy .235 .250 .100 2.502 .013 1.836
External orientation .241 .266 .115 2.309 .022 2.270
Cooperation between departments .228 .200 .099 2.025 .045 2.652
Human resource orientation –.185 –.157 .094 –1.669 .097 2.566
Orientation towards improvement .109 .106 .127 .838 .404 3.510
Note: b = Un-standardized Coefficients, S. E = standard error of variables, β = standardized coefficients, t = t-statistic, p = significance
level. R2 = square, ΔR2 = adjusted R square.
Business: Theory and Practice, 2023, 24(1): 109–122 117

Table 6. Regression analysis of dependent variable “Absorption”, n = 152

Model III R2 ΔR² β b S. E F t p VIF

.225 .198 8.473
(constant) 2.007 .359 5.595 .000
Autonomy .309 .335 .107 3.131 .002 1.836
External orientation .112 .126 .123 1.024 .308 2.270
Cooperation between departments .302 .269 .106 2.546 .012 2.652
Human resource orientation –.177 –.152 .101 –1.513 .133 2.566
Orientation towards improvement –.025 –.025 .136 –.181 .857 3.510
Note: b = Un-standardized Coefficients, S.E = standard error of variables, β = standardized coefficients, t = t-statistic, p = significance
level. R2 = square, ΔR2 = adjusted R square.

analyzed closely Table 5 can be concluded that independ- et al., 2007; Salanova & Schaufeli, 2008). Structured quali-
ent variable “external orientation” has a higher impact in tative interviews with a group of Dutch employees from
increasing employees’ dedication compare to four other various occupations who scored high on the Utrecht Work
OC dimensions. With these results, we can confirm that Engagement Scale (Schaufeli et al., 2002) revealed that EE
the second hypothesis is partially supported. have a lot of energy and believe in themselves (Schaufeli
To test the third hypothesis, to measure the impact of et al., 2002). This enables them to exert control over events
independent variables in dependent variable “absorption” that affect their lives. Because of their positive attitude and
multivariate regression analysis has been used. According activity level, EE, for example, generate their own posi-
to regression analysis independent variables that enter in tive feedback in the form of appreciation, recognition, and
analysis explain 19.8% of dependent variable “vigor”. F success. Many interviewees stated that their enthusiasm
value is 8.473 (sig. 0.000) which means that the model is and energy can be found outside of work, for example,
important statistically with the significance level α = 0.05. in sports, creative hobbies, and volunteer work. Organiza-
Two OC dimensions were statistically significant at level tions with achievement-oriented cultures or collaborative
0.05. Where, autonomy is positively connected with de- cultures, according to Al Shehri et al. (2017), do not al-
pendent variable “absorption” by predicting it for 30.9% low rules and regulations to impede work execution. As
(b = .309 & p = .002), which means that for each 1% a result, employees in such organizations are free to use
change in pursuing of the autonomy the employee vigor their discretion while working. According to Saavedra and
will change by 30.9%, when the other variables remain the Kwun (2000), employees who are given the freedom to
same. As well independent variable “cooperation between use their discretion in the workplace have higher levels of
departments” is positively related with dependent variable enthusiasm, which is a sign of an engaged employee, and
“absorption” by predicting it for 30.2% (b = .302 & p = lower levels of fatigue.
.012), which means that for each 1% change in application According to the findings of this study, giving employ-
of the focus strategy the firm performance will change by ees more autonomy can increase their engagement. The
30.2%. Whereas, three other OC dimensions resulted to study emphasizes that there is a positive correlation be-
be non-significant on this model. If it is analyzed closely tween OC and EE dimensions for all secondary education
Table 6 can be concluded that independent variable “au- employees. So, the key finding of this study is that several
tonomy” has a higher impact in increasing employees’ OC components have a statistically significant impact on
vigor compare to four other OC dimensions. With these EE dimensions in non-profit organizations.
results, we can confirm that the third hypothesis is par- Employee engagement at work is influenced by organi-
tially supported. zational culture. This suggestion speaks to the necessity of
emphasizing company culture if we wish to raise employee
Discussion and conclusions engagement. As a crucial component of organizational
culture, the level of autonomy in the company needs to
The effects of OC on EE in public high schools in the Re- be raised. In terms of organizational culture characteris-
public of Northern Macedonia were empirically measured tics, autonomy is represented by an average, which is the
and analyzed in this study. According to results, there is least important one. The “Autonomy” dimension revealed
a positive relationship between several OC components that staff did not feel independent about their work, al-
and three dimensions of EE: vigor, dedication, and ab- beit it should be noted that this was not directly related to
sorption. As a result, the study concludes that OC has a independence, and that this was clearly uncharacteristic
significant positive effect on EE dimensions both in and of the organizational culture as described by high school
out of school. staff. to employees in decision-making, but given that they
While study findings differ slightly, the majority of frequently feel “pressured” at work and have few opportu-
studies reach the same conclusion: EE are an important nities to exercise their own initiative, managers can make
source of an organization’s competitive advantage (Teng important decisions without consulting their staff.
118 P. Bilalli Abduraimi et al. The role of organizational culture on employee engagement

Employees also claim that managers continually exert programs, enabling and development environment for
control over them and that they constantly feel under con- undertaking initiatives/ creative, innovative, project, ad-
trol, which they claim inhibits their freedom and involve- ditional activities/sections, etc.
ment at work. For the aforementioned reasons, school This study contributes significantly to the scientific
administrators/principals should concentrate on raising and academic value (Skenderi et al., 2016; Mustafa et al.,
the level of autonomy, for instance: through increased 2022, Islami, 2021, 2022) of the effect of OC components
exercises, choice of lecture delivery methods, autonomy in EE dimensions in North Macedonia, in the region, and
in the manner/methodology of assessment, freedom in beyond.
creating schedules, choice of additional training/retrain-
ing programs, creation of an enabling and development Research implications
environment for undertaking initiatives/creative, innova-
tive, project, additional activities/sections, etc. The world economy is going through times of radical
To improve autonomy, proper policies and procedures changes. Since competence has become the key element
should be created, such as allowing teachers to utilize ma- that is valued in a knowledge-based economy, the study
terial or books they feel are more suitable. Some textbooks of EE is of particular importance for macro-level policy-
are out-of-date and contain preconceptions, prejudices, making, as well as for companies seeking talent. Over the
and stigmatizations that lack components of respect for last decade there has been a special focus, although lim-
variety, coexistence, integration, and multiculturalism. ited in research, regarding the OC and EE. Therefore, the
The demoralizing regulation on textbook processing and results of this study may help practitioners and academics
revision makes matters much worse. The creation and in several ways.
adding of new content to school textbooks is a laborious Managers should pave the way to an employee-centric
and labor-intensive process that falls short of the needs of ethical culture. They should understand their employees’
the teaching staff in terms of the most recent information physical and mental needs and what motivates and de-
in some areas, which adds to a dated educational process. motivates them. They must build trust and serve as role
Allowing teachers to change any of the work methods. models for their employees, which improves employee
During the teaching process, the teacher has the freedom value-driven behaviors (Huhtala & Feldt, 2016). Manag-
and right to change and modify work techniques. ers who can meet these challenges will benefit from a loyal
School principals should attain the appropriate profes- and engaged workforce who will go the extra mile. This
sional level for this position, which has a positive impact mission is challenging and can be long-term (Kotter &
on high school staff engagement; each principal must be Haskett, 1992) but can also preserve their organization for
fully equipped with professional and support services. generations (Collins & Porras, 1995). This study pushes to
The study showed that the dimension of autonomy has design plans for studies and later orientations, this paper
a relatively lower value of the index compared to other paves the way for more in-depth studies on the impact of
dimensions. The concepts of freedom of action outside OC and organizational communication on EE at work and
the rules of the organization, freedom of self-planning of their impact on organizational performance.
work, freedom of decision-making, are dimensions that This study contributes to the literature in several ways.
affect the shaping of the levels of OC. The autonomy di- First, it opens up a long perspective about the study and
mension, which proved to be visibly uncharacteristic of academic analysis of EE in different country’s high schools.
the OC perceived by high school staff, showed that staff Second, it synthetically presents the most up-to-date
did not feel independent about work, and it should be literature on the subject. Careful analysis of this literature
noted that this was not directly related to independence. comes as one of the first contributions in the field of EE
This is not directly related to employee’s decision-making, study.
but to the fact that employees often feel “pressured” and Third, public schools can use the study as a measur-
work gives them little or no opportunity to use personal ing instrument for internal issues related to the effective
initiative, and sometimes managers make decisions that management of human resources, identification of inter-
affects them without asking for their opinion. In addition, nal problems, analysis by model, and solutions referring
employee’s state that they are under constant control by to practice or suggestions in the literature.
managers and that they constantly feel as if they are con- Fourth, the sample size and diversification of the
trolled, and according to them this affects their freedom survey evidence makes the study essential. This gives re-
and engagement in work. searchers a lot of opportunities to analyze many implica-
According to research results, managers should focus tions regarding the elements of the model, performance
on increasing the level of autonomy, for example: through with job growth and the impact on EE, and so on. Empiri-
increased independence in the way of conceptualizing cal strength increases the importance of the study because
lectures/exercises, selection of methods for conducting it makes the study more in-depth in relation to all the fac-
lectures/exercises, autonomy in the manner/methodol- tors that have been taken into analysis and that affect EE.
ogy for conducting the assessment, freedom in compiling Fifth, the study, in addition to the global character
the schedules, selection of additional training/retraining of the literature, measures all the elements related to the
Business: Theory and Practice, 2023, 24(1): 109–122 119

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APPENDIX 1. CFA RESULTS OF CONSTRUCTS

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Please express your opinion on the following expressions using a scale of 1 to 5 according to their importance: 1 – I absolutely
disagree to 5 – I completely agree.
Cultural Organization
Autonomy (a = 0.715)
There is freedom for employees to act outside the rules .511
There is freedom for employees to implement decisions from their point of view .738
Employees have significant decision-making influence at work .727
Employees have the freedom to plan their own work .639
Employees are given the opportunity to present their views before decisions are made .715
Employees monitor in their own way the work they have to perform .487
External orientation (a = 0.583)
Job evaluation is taken seriously .760
Employees look for opportunities to improve the organization .708
The school also cooperates with other schools in the city .746
Cooperation between departments (a = 0.872)
There is fruitful cooperation between departments / units .891
There is an exchange of information between departments .860
Departments support each other in problem solving .862
There is mutual communication between the director and the deputy director .784
122 P. Bilalli Abduraimi et al. The role of organizational culture on employee engagement

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Human resource orientation (a = 0.637)
There are treatments and procedures dedicated to young workers .859
Work on staff training .835
The selection of new employees is done very carefully .601
Orientation towards improvement (a = 0.742)
Attention is paid to identifying the wants and needs of workers .656
Work is being done to improve the condition of the school .836
Employees have the right and necessary information about the functions they perform .820
Employees look for opportunities to improve the organization .694
Work Engagement
Vigor (a = 0.850)
In my work I feel overwhelmed with energy .850
In my work I feel strong and energetic .796
When I wake up in the morning, I go to work with desire .784
I can continue to work for long periods of time during the work day .733
In my work I am very fresh, mentally, I recover quickly .811
Dedication (a = 0.936)
In my work I am very persistent even when things do not go well .762
The work I do seems to me to have clear and meaningful objectives .910
I’m enthusiastic about the work that I do .919
The work I do inspires me .912
I’m proud of the work I do .894
The work I do is challenging for me .840
Absorption (a = 0.878)
When I work time flies .782
When I work, I forget about everything else around me .845
I feel happy when I work harder .849
I feel immersed in my work .785
When I work, work totally takes me .762
I find it difficult to separate myself from work .712
Note: a – reliability.