More than ever before, managers would agree that employees make a critical difference when it comes
to innovation, organizational performance, competitiveness, and thus ultimately business success.
What can organizations do to attract and keep creative, dedicated, and thriving employees who make
organizations flourish? Which working conditions inspire employees to be engaged, give their best, go
the extra mile, and persist in the face of difficulties? Instead of traditional organizational structures that
heavily rely on management control and economic principles of cost reduction, efficiency, and cash
flow, the focus in modern organizations is on the management of human capital. Currently,
organizations expect their employees to be proactive and show initiative, collaborate smoothly with
others, take responsibility for their own professional development, and to be committed to high quality
performance standards. Thus employees are needed who feel energetic and dedicated, and who are
absorbed by their work. In other words, organizations need engaged workers.
This is illustrated by Ulrich (1997), who writes in his seminal book ‘‘Human Resources
Champions’’: ‘‘Employee contribution becomes a critical business issue because in trying to produce