BEYOND THE PING-PONG TABLE: BUILDING AUTHENTIC EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Authors

Bangun Budi Raharjanti , Ramon Zamora , Lukmanul Hakim

DOI:

10.54443/morfai.v6i1.4610

Published:

2025-12-06

Downloads

Abstract

Based on an analysis of qualitative employee interview data, this study investigates the primary drivers of authentic workplace engagement beyond material compensation. The objective was to identify the non-transactional factors that foster sustained commitment and discretionary effort. The results revealed four interconnected themes: the primacy of meaningful work over perks; the critical role of managerial support in building psychological safety; the necessity of clear career trajectories for growth; and the profound impact of personalized, authentic recognition. The discussion indicates that perks and pay are merely foundational, while true engagement is cultivated through purpose, safety, growth, and feeling valued as a whole person. The conclusion underscores that engagement is a reciprocal relationship, where employees invest fully in organizations that demonstrably invest in their employees’ professional and personal value.

Keywords:

psychological safety, purposeful work, career growth, authentic recognition, employee engagement

References

Abdul Hamed, S., Mohd Hussain, Mohd. R., Md Jani, H. H., Shah Sabri, S. S., & Rusli, N. (2025). The Impact of Office Innovation in the Physical Workplace on Employee and Organizational Outcomes. Semarak Advanced Research in Organizational Behaviour, 4(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.37934/sarob.4.1.112

Alexandersson, A., & Kalonaityte, V. (2018). Playing to Dissent: The Aesthetics and Politics of Playful Office Design. Organization Studies, 39(2–3), 297–317. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840617717545

Armitage, L. A., & Amar, J. H. N. (2021a). Person-Environment Fit Theory. In A Handbook of Theories on Designing Alignment between People and the Office Environment (pp. 14–26). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003128830-2

Armitage, L. A., & Amar, J. H. N. (2021b). Person-Environment Fit Theory. In A Handbook of Theories on Designing Alignment between People and the Office Environment (pp. 14–26). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003128830-2

Bawan, S. B. D., Setyanto, A., & Kurniawan, M. P. (2022). Pengaruh Kualitas Sistem, Kualitas Informasi dan Kualitas Layanan Terhadap Kepuasan Pengguna Sistem Informasi Akademik Sekolah Tinggi Agama Kristen Protestan Negeri (STAKPN) Sentani. Buletin Poltanesa, 23(2). https://doi.org/10.51967/tanesa.v23i2.1857

Botting, S. (2022). The great workplace reset : Pivoting to the human experience in the war for talent. Corporate Real Estate Journal, 11(2), 133. https://doi.org/10.69554/NQMK2550

De Paoli, D., Sauer, E., & Ropo, A. (2019). The spatial context of organizations: A critique of ‘creative workspaces.’ Journal of Management & Organization, 25(02), 331–352. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2017.46

Dilakshini, V. L., & Kumar, S. M. (2019). Fun Culture in the Work Place: A Systematic Review. Journal of Economics, Management and Trade, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.9734/jemt/2019/v23i630148

Eshehri, A., & Alsoaery, A. (2023). The Orgnisation Performance and the Culture of Fun: Review in Changing World. Archives of Business Research, 8(8), 358–362. https://doi.org/10.14738/abr.88.15323

Georganta, K., & Montgomery, A. (2019). Workplace fun: a matter of context and not content. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, 14(3), 317–336. https://doi.org/10.1108/QROM-06-2017-1541

Khazanchi, S., Sprinkle, T. A., Masterson, S. S., & Tong, N. (2018). A Spatial Model of Work Relationships: The Relationship-Building and Relationship-Straining Effects of Workspace Design. Academy of Management Review, 43(4), 590–609. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2016.0240

Maślikowska, M., & Gibbert, M. (2019). The relationship between working spaces and organizational cultures. Facilities, 37(13/14), 1153–1165. https://doi.org/10.1108/F-06-2018-0072

Petelczyc, C. A., Capezio, A., Wang, L., Restubog, S. L. D., & Aquino, K. (2018). Play at Work: An Integrative Review and Agenda for Future Research. Journal of Management, 44(1), 161–190. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206317731519

Plester, B., & Lloyd, R. (2024). New frontiers of fun: sharing and supporting workplace fun in hybrid work. Employee Relations: The International Journal, 46(4), 934–954. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-07-2023-0366

Suryavanshi, S., & Mandal, T. K. (2024). UNCONVENTIONAL OFFICES, WORKPLACE DESIGN AFFECTING MILLENNIALS & GEN-Z INVOLVEMENT IN OFFICE. ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts, 5(6). https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v5.i6.2024.5534

Yunus, E. N., & Ernawati, E. (2018). Productivity paradox? The impact of office redesign on employee productivity. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 67(9), 1918–1939. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-12-2017-0350

Zaharee, M., Lipkie, T., Mehlman, , Stewart K., & Neylon, S. K. (2018). Recruitment and Retention of Early-Career Technical Talent. Research-Technology Management, 61(5), 51–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2018.1495966

Author Biographies

Bangun Budi Raharjanti, Universitas Riau Kepulauan

Ramon Zamora, Universitas Riau Kepulauan

Lukmanul Hakim, Universitas Riau Kepulauan

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

How to Cite

Bangun Budi Raharjanti, Ramon Zamora, & Lukmanul Hakim. (2025). BEYOND THE PING-PONG TABLE: BUILDING AUTHENTIC EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT. Multidiciplinary Output Research For Actual and International Issue (MORFAI), 6(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.54443/morfai.v6i1.4610

Similar Articles

<< < 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 3 > >>