Motivational factors that lead to employee engagement in Majlis Perbandaran Sungai Petani (MPSPK), Kedah / Nurul Fathinah Abdull Razak and Lyana Aryani Mohd Ali

Employee engagement can be defined as the emotional commitment that employees feel towards their organizations and the actions they take to ensure the organization's success. Engaged employees means work with passion and feel an emotional connection to their company. They drive innovation and move the organization forward. They are characterised as being loyal, committed, and productive and deliver results (Allen, 2014). Employees who are engaged in their work and committed to their organizations give companies crucial competitive advantages including higher productivity and lower employee turnover. Thus, it is not surprising that organizations of all sizes and types have invested substantially in policies and practices that foster engagement and commitment in their workforces (J.Vance, 2006). In addition, employee engagement can help to improve organizational performance and create a competitive advantage hence many organizations are struggling to actually engage their people (Bridger, 2015). Towers Perrin (2007) found that organisations with the highest percentage of engaged employees increased their operating income by 19 per cent and their earnings per share by 28 per cent year-to-year (Robertson-Smith & Markwick, 2009). Other than that,
engaged employee also describes how employee is aware of business context and works with colleagues to improve performance within the job for the benefit of the organizations (Patro, 2013).