Employee Engagement in Retail Sector

Thematic analysis

Introduction

The chapter deals with the identification of the themes relevant to the topic associated with the impact of sustaining flexibility on employee engagement within the retail sector of the UK. The chapter also covers the various aspects of flexibility, the concept of employee engagement within the retail sector as well as the impact of both within the retail sector. Analysis of the themes has provided a ground for relating the literature studied with the main research made.

Thematic Analysis

Thematic analysis refers to a qualitative method to identify, analyse, and report patterns within the available set of data corpus. The thematic analysis method, as stated by Braun and Clarke is an iterative process that consists of six steps: (1) becoming familiar with the data, (2) generating coding categories, (3) generating themes, (4) reviewing themes, (5) defining and naming themes, and (6) locating exemplars (Scharp and Sanders, 2019).

Theme 1: Critically evaluating the necessity of employee engagement within the retail sectors of the UK

It is usually noted that employees who are engaged, have a higher level of commitment and motivation and are thus interested in sustaining their involvement with the organization while performing activities which are beyond their assigned and regular duties(Ghlichlee and Bayat, 2020). Theis motivation helps in serving multiple aspects of an organisational growth

Increase customer satisfaction

Siddiqi (2015) cited in Borah and Barua, (2018) pointed out that customer satisfaction and loyalty are direct outcomes of employee engagement, thus establishing a strong positive relationship between employee engagement and customer satisfaction and loyalty. The high engagement among the employees ensures their job satisfaction, and their scope to make free decisions within an organisation. For example, in the case of Unilever, the company considers the people bringing their personal purpose to the workplace which makes them feel engaged and affirmative regarding their overall well-being as well as development in Unilever. This provides a scope for the employees to be more innovative in their approach thus improving the services they provide.  Engaged  employees  are  genuinely enthusiastic  and  passionate  about  the

organisations they work for and their services, and mission allowing them to take pride in representing the company. This creates a scope for the engaged employees to be more invested and strongly willing to take their time with customers and personalize their experience. This ultimately leads to increased customer loyalty and retention. For example, Unilever has 37 in-house People Data Centres that analyse data collected from social media platforms, their Consumer Carelines as well as digital marketing allowing the company to provide spontaneous responses to customer feedback. In 2021, Unilever executed over 4 million interactions through Consumer Careline calls social media, letters, webchats and email (Unilever, 2022).

Enhance brand image

Engaged employees tend to spread a positive message regarding organisations. Currently, word of mouth exerts ample influence. If organisations do not follow their promises towards their employees, people shall eventually find out (Quist, 2021). With a gross value added (GVA) of almost 92 billion British pounds in 2019, the UK economy is largely dominated by retail sectors. Evidently, the customers have multiple choices in order to choose a suitable brand. The plus point of the retail sector that aids in putting one firm above the other is the way the employees are performing to portray the best value of a brand.

Thus, it can be stated that employee engagement is extremely necessary to ensure the enhanced organisational outcome

Theme 2: Analysing the impact of low flexibility on employee engagement within the retail sectors of the UK

Implementing flexibility in the workplace can be regarded as the strategy of a company undertaken with an aim of maintaining the members of the organisation, in a way that the balance between their personal and professional life is well maintained (Capnary et al. 2018). The lack of this flexibility adversely affects employees and results in an overall degradation of organisational productivity

Lack of motivation

A flexible workplace allows employees to switch between full time and part-time working facilities, depending on the situation. The lack of this flexibility often dissolves the scope of employees to enjoy their family time or to indulge in their leisure activities. Lack of a flexible work environment also forces the employees to get involved in rush hour disapproving remote working that further creates monotony as well as frustration among the employees, reducing their

motivation to work. In the case of retail firms, employees turn out to be the face of the organisation they work for, as they interact with the customers predominantly. The lack of motivation results in decreased job satisfaction, making the retail employees less loyal to their responsibility, leading to customer dissatisfaction in the long run.

High employee turnover

Especially during the pandemic, the retail sector faced a high turnover rate as many retail firms were not aware of the workplace strategies that can ensure effective working procedures keeping in mind the necessity of remote working. As most the retail sector employees are required to come into direct contact with customers, a flexible work pattern becomes mandatory, such that the entire duty is segregated into multiple shifts, allowing employees to interact with only a limited number of customers. Additionally, most of the retail outlets are usually located in urban areas, forcing the employees to commute long distances to reach their workplaces. Such lack of concern has often made the retail employees leave their job, showing abortion towards retail firms as employers.

The theme thus concludes that low flexibility reduces employee engagement, and the situation is further worsened due to the recent pandemic outbreak, that has made the working section more vulnerable. The research question regarding the role of flexibility in retaining employee engagement is thus answered expressing how the lack of this aspect can lead to organisational degradation.

Theme 3: Examining the role of transformational leadership in ensuring flexibility within the retail sectors of the UK in the post-pandemic world

Menges (2011) as cited in Winasis (2020) explains that transformational leaders who pay individual attention to the employees, support them and respect them reciprocally shall satisfy the employees by creating emotional attachment. Consequently, a transformational leadership climate shall provide impetus to any impending change within an organisation. During the pandemic health crisis, almost all organisations were forced to bring about changes to the workplace practices like implementing work from home (WFH) policies, adopting social distancing, daily noting the body temperature of the employees and reporting cross border travel accounts (Lee, 2021). Certain retail companies grabbed the scope of change implementation within the organisational functioning, by taking up the transformational leadership approach. For instance, Tesco recently announced a flexible working trial in collaboration with the office

service provider IWG. The initiative further strengthens the notion of transforming the traditional office set-ups since the pandemic and incorporating a hybrid workplace. It was announced by IWG that the trial with Tesco was to satisfy the strong demand of the employees to acquire suburban alternatives that can be close to home, rather than commuting to far off urban sites (McFarlane, 2022).

Another instance of transformational leadership ensuring employee benefit is the initiative taken by Unilever. During the pandemic, it was observed that a record number of employees, belonging to the late 50s opted for early retirement. Such early withdrawal from the workforce, if continued, might contribute to a huge brain drain, thus adversely affecting the economy. Unilever thus introduced U-Work, in order to enable people to gradually progress towards their retirement without the company losing their stock of knowledge, experience and networks (Wittenberg-Cox, 2021). U-work has transformed the concept of people having a fixed job role. Instead, their assignment varies, allowing them the do other activities of their choice. However, these workers have been ensured a monthly retainer and particularly tailored benefits even if they are not working. The employees are even allowed to choose their own working pattern, be it a few days in a week or a few months, irrespective of the fact whether they execute concentrated bursts of full-time work or with intermittent breaks (Unilever, 2022).

The discussion of the theme thus provides an idea regarding how leadership can lead organisations to be more inclined towards employee benefit and workplace flexibility, thus ensuring employee engagement. The research question is answered from the perspective that employee engagement as a result of flexibility can be ensured only if an effective transformational leadership style is followed by the organisations.

Theme 4: Critically analyze the challenges experienced by the employees working during the pandemic in the context of the Uk retail sector

Following the above-stated discussion, it has been identified that the pandemic has disrupted the lives of professionals of a large number of individuals. It has also impacted the business sectors by reducing its sales and the performance of the employees. The retail sector has experienced the heat of the pandemic in the form of disruption of logistics, declining customers demand products, shortage of cash holds and labour problems (Sahu, 2020). Accordingly, it has been identified that the Front Line Employees and the BaseLine Employees are quite conflicted and the most they are experiencing is a threatened amount of stress (Voorhees et al. 2020). The inability of coping with the stress experienced during the crisis has shown a significant impact on the performance of the retail sector. As the sector has to bear challenges it has also reduced the motivation of the employees in giving their best. Significantly, the outbreak of the pandemic has also enabled the government to foster restrictions and regulations on the operations of the retail sector and the mobility of products. The retail sector of the UK was highly impacted by the imposition of the government restrictions including social distancing and lockdown (Khaliq, 2021). Due to the imposed restrictions, the organisations within the retail sector were bound to reduce the number of employees working in the firm and divide their work into shifts. Shifting duties or limited numbers of workers has increased the work pressure on the employees that have led them to experience threatening stress. Approximately 7.5 million jobs (24 per cent of the UK population) were at high risk due to the covid-19 crisis (Mckinsey.com, 2020).

Figure 5: Employment status of the UK (Source: Mckinsey.com, 2020)

Following Figure 5, it can be analysed that 25% per cent of the UK workforce has experienced sickness, isolation and unemployment during the covid pandemic. Significantly, the fear of the pandemic or disease and unemployment has enabled the employees to face extreme stress. The hinges in the approach of business operations have also changed the employee’s behaviour towards their work or performance. Significantly, identifying consumers’ needs and demands and appropriate collaboration with the workforce can effectively help the retail sector to overcome the challenges and enable them to enhance their performance for better results (Pantano et al. 2020). Considering the research question, it can be stated that sustaining employee engagement is highly required to sustain the retail organisations’ performance in the global competitive market.

Theme 5: Critically evaluating the challenges regarding sustaining employee flexibility during the crisis

The world of working in the retail sector is rapidly changing after the pandemic. In accordance with the above-stated discussion, it can be effectively examined that the workforce within the Uk retail sector has experienced an adverse impact from the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic. It has enabled the employees to face challenges regarding threatening stress, excessive work pressure, and fear of unemployment. However, the organisations have also experienced severe challenges in sustaining employee engagement and flexibility during the crisis. Workplace flexibility is highly required among the employees of the retail firms as it can help them to enhance their ability to adapt to changes. Flexibility among the employees enables them to increase their motivation and performance in the firm. Employee flexibility is highly effective for business firms as it helps to retain the employees and enhance their loyalty, engagement and productivity. The crisis of covid-19 has enabled a large number of employees to re-evaluate their working patterns and explore the scope of flexibility in their jobs. However, during the pandemic and post-pandemic, the retail sector has to go through a lot of challenges in maintaining employee flexibility. As it has been identified from the above-stated discussion that the imposed government restrictions such as lockdowns, social distancing and isolation as ade vast changes in the retail industry due to which the employees have to experience workplace stress, workload and many more. Accordingly, making the employees adapt to the changes was also difficult for the management. As the retail industry has also faced the loss of financial growth and employees, it was quite difficult for the sector to provide proper support and facilities to the

employees during the pandemic in order to retain them in the firms. It can be considered that individuals work better when they feel supported and valued and are provided with the flexibility to work (Forbes et al. 2020). Accordingly, it has been identified that the human resource management of the retail industries has also faced problems in managing the employed in coping with the new working environment (Carnevale and 2020). Before the pandemic, the employees used to spend their whole day working inside the organisation’s physical environment, but after the outbreak of covid, they shifted to work in shifts or from home (Carnevale and Hatak, 2020). However, working in a homely environment was also difficult for the employees and managing them to work properly was a difficult task for the management. Therefore, it can be stated that the pandemic has adversely disrupted the working pattern of the retail sector and raised challenges for the management in providing working flexibility to the workforce.

Theme 6: examining the strategies and initiatives to be taken to address the challenges According to the above-stated discussion, it can be effectively examined that the retail sector and the employees within it have experienced severe challenges in managing their performance and working patterns. Most of the stores were shut down throughout the world except for medical stores and other essential stores (Khaled et al. 2020). The employees have experienced changes in their working shifts, working pressure and pattern. However, the management has experienced challenges in providing appropriate support and facilities to the employees in order to maintain employee retention and organisational performance. Significantly, it is highly required to address the challenges and develop appropriate strategies and initiatives and enable the firms within the particular industry to recover from the losses. In order to address the stated challenges and with proper strategies, the retail sector can effectively consider the following initiatives and strategies: Flexible time and compressed work weeks

Flexible timing for working hours can help the employees to have their own freedom to choose and structure their working time. It has been identified that facilitating employees with flexible working time effectively helps to balance work-life and enhance organisational performance (Austin-Egole et al. 2020). Accordingly, the retail industry can also consider compressing work weeks, as it will help them to provide employees with a short working week with working hours.

Sharing jobs

As, it has been identified that during the pandemic the employees have to experience tremendous work pressure and related stress due to limited workforce and government restrictions for maintaining social distancing. Thus, job sharing will lead the firm to divide the work pressure among the employees equally which will effectively help to maintain employee motivation and retention. It can be also contemplated that job sharing for employees also helps to increase workplace diversity and enable the employees to make use of the part-time working time for better development of ideas and decisions such as innovation (Rover, 2018). Job sharing will help the employees to reduce their working pressure and stress and focus on other important aspects in enhancing their performance.

Remote working

Following the challenges experienced by the employees and the management of the retail sector, it has been identified that enabling all the workers to work at the firms was quite difficult during the pandemic as the government has imposed restrictions on social gatherings. Thus, facilitating the employees with remote working can help them to work from home and any other location. It will be beneficial for both the employees and the firms as it will enable the employees to continue their work according to their requirements and provide appropriate performance and service for the betterment of the firms. It has been examined that remote working facilitates work life balance and work life integrity that helps to maintain the motivation of employees and the performance of the firms (Popovici and Popovici, 2020).

Therefore, contemplating the research question it can be stated that considering the above-stated initiatives and strategies to address the challenges can help the retail industry to influence the growth of business performance during or after the covid-19 crisis.

Theme 7: Critically investigating the effectiveness of employee engagement for organisational performance

In accordance with the previous discussion, it can be argued that the retail sector of the UK can consider imposing flexible timing and compressed workweek, job sharing, and remote working to address the challenges associated with managing and sustaining employee flexibility. Based on the above-stated discussion it has been examined that managing employees is one of the key factors that helps a firm to enhance its effectiveness in the competitive environment. Employee engagement is defined as a positive, fulfilling, work associated state of mind that is characterised by dedication, absorption and vigour (Adekoya et al. 2019). Management of employees helps to

manage the operations with proper decision making and planning for future growth with involvement and engagement of the employees. Significantly employee engagement also helps an organisation or industry to develop an organisational environment that influences and encourages appropriate communication and interaction between the employees, managers and other staff. Proper management of employees helps to develop a positive relationship among the workers and managers that further impacts the overall performance of the firm. It has been examined that employees’ behaviour and their engagement in organisational operations are highly related to the success and goal of the firms (Johnson et al. 2018). Hence it can be contemplated that engagement of employees is significantly required to make them achieve the success and goal of the organisation. However, meeting the needs and requirements of the employees can also be a part of organisations’ way of managing employees. Meeting their goals and requirements can make them motivated to meet the goals of the firm and sustain them in the competitive market environment. Therefore, considering the research question it can be contemplated that maintaining employee engagement is highly required to sustain the organisational performance. Employee engagement can be efficiently managed by sustaining employee flexibility and providing them with proper financial and non-financial requirements.

Theme 8: Analysing employee flexibility with the theoretical framework

Following the above-stated discussion, it can be analyzed that employee engagement and management are highly required in the organization of the UK retail industry. Accordingly, it has been also examined that employee engagement is highly related to the organization’s performance and success. Significantly, the effectiveness of employee flexibility can be e\analyzed with the theoretical framework of Kahn’s employee engagement theory. The theoretical framework explains that employee engagement can be defined as the exploitation of organization members and employees to their work (Kular et al. 2018). Following this, it can be contemplated that employees can be involved and engaged in organizational operations by supporting, challenging, and inspiring them. It can have a significant impact on increasing saf\tisfaction and enhancing the output of the staff. However, Khan’s employee engagement theory has three dimensions that include physical, cognitive and emotional. The theory argues that employees’ performance can be enhanced and they can be engaged by fulfilling their physical, cognitive and emotional needs (Al Ahad and Khan, 2020). Accordingly, considering the pandemic situation, employees were highly intent to get appropriate physical and emotional

support from the organizations they were working for. In order to sustain employee engagement in the organization, it is also required to provide the employees with flexible working hours, financial incentives to meet their physical needs and a supportive environment that can make them feel valued to meet their emotional needs. Therefore, it can be stated that employee flexibility is also an important element for an organization that helps it sustain employee engagement and competitiveness within the industry. Employee engagement and flexibility is also required to be sustained in order to sustain the success of the firms.

Theme 9: Impact of work flexibility on the motivation of the employees

COVID-19 has been harrowing for people all over the world. The countrywide lockdowns and shifting of office work to remote working including their stress regarding the health of their own and family members had taken a major toll on the employees’ mental health and wellbeing. It had been a difficult period for the employers and managers where they had immense difficulty in engaging the employees. However, motivation is one of the major factors which plays a crucial role in engaging employees. The employees would feel more engaged if they are provided with their basic needs and are taken care of by the organization. Organizations such as Unilever had made complete sick leave payments to their employees and stood by them, in the face of adversity. The employees being supported by the organization helps them trust and stay loyal to the organization that they are working for. Employee engagement refers to a fulfilling and positive work-related state which is characterized by dedication, vigor, and absorption. Employee engagement is fuelled by intrinsic motivation where the employees on their own accord put effort into getting the work done and goes out of their way to fulfill organizational expectations. Employee engagement is when the employees feel satisfaction and inherent pleasure from participation in the organizational task or activity. Intrinsic motivation leads to employee engagement, increased employee productivity, and employee creativity, all of which result in increased organizational productivity (Ghosh et al. 2020). Flexible working is taken to provide several benefits to the employees however it might also pose significant difficulties to the employers. Researchers have concluded that employee motivation acts as a mediation between flexible hours of working and employee engagement. Employees through flexible hours can also be motivated because the employees can maintain a work-life balance for the same (Setiyaniet al. 2019). Sustained flexible work timing would enhance engagement to a significant extent because the employees can maintain a work-life balance which helps them be more

motivated. Sustained flexibility of work timing helps the employees to maintain their personal and professional engagements successfully, which enables them to have a healthy work attitude. The concept of the well-being of employees is embedded in the social exchange theory which emphasizes the role that supervisors or managers play in ensuring the health and mental well-being of the employees. The satisfaction of the employees with their managers and organizations fosters a sense of trust, loyalty, and empathy towards them and intrinsically motivates the employees to work towards both personal and professional development (Haider et al. 2018). Sustained flexible timing helps the employees to maintain their personal and professional lives however, flexible work timings can also pose challenges so the arrangement must be mutual and to both parties’ advantages. Work-life balance allows the organizations to enhance the employees’ performance because a flexible and supportive work environment affects the employee’s psychological well-being positively. Moreover, the capabilities of organizations such as Unilever to minimize and mitigate conflicts in maintaining work-life balance is crucial in maintaining employee engagement even in times of COVID-19 remote working culture.

Theme 10: Analyzing the impact on employee engagement of sustaining work flexibility through Maslow’s need hierarchy

The affective events theory is one of the most effective theories which can be used to explain the mediating role played by flexible working in ensuring the psychological wellbeing of the employees. Human emotions can have several consequences related to their personal and work life. Internal as well as external forces are responsible for evoking positive emotions, one of which is work-life balance. A direct response to positive emotions is psychological well-being. Positive emotions evoked from work life balance can enhance the individual employee’s psychological well-being which engages the employees better and improves their performance at their jobs. In the retail industry, where salespersons and retailers have to continually deal with customers and their changing preferences, in a stressful work environment, flexible work timing is a welcome change because the employees would be able to focus on both their personal and professional lives (Haider et al. 2018). Maslow’s needs hierarchy theory has been used since it is the most impactful theory which provides an insight into the different dimensions of human needs and its impact on the work life of the individuals. Following the affective events theory, Maslow’s need theory can be applied to study employee engagement and motivation through

sustained flexible work timing in the retail industry. Maslow’s need hierarchy focuses on five aspects that pertain to physiological needs referring to air, water, clothing, and the basic needs which any individual requires to sustain and live a physically healthy life. The second is safety needs which refer to security, employment, financial resources, and a healthy body. The second stage of the needs is fulfilled by timely payment by the organizations to their employees. The third stage is love and belonging where the employee looks for romantic relationships, forge close friendships with colleagues, has a supportive work environment, and wants to feel loved. The fourth stage is esteem where individuals want to feel respected, gain status, and be given autonomy. The last stage is self-actualization where the employees self-actualize, that is to be the best versions of themselves.

Relating flexible work timings to Maslow’s need hierarchy provides a significant insight into the role played by flexible work timings in ensuring the psychological well-being of the employees. As mentioned earlier, the retail sector is extremely stressed which had increased due to the pandemic and the rapid economic decline all over that took place due to the pandemic. Flexible work timings allow the employees to fulfill their caregiving duties, focus on their engagements and feel loved by spending time with their loved ones. The employees can invest time into building personal bonds and relationships which motivate them to focus on their professional lives as well where they want to feel powerful, have autonomy, and self-actualize. Self-actualization leads to organizational commitment where the employees are emotionally involved with the organization and showcase organizational citizenship behavior (Gopinath, 2021). Flexible work timings allow the employees to focus on social engagements, indulge in recreation, and do things that they want to. Imposition of work at odd timings and burdening employees with additional work demotivates them because they are unable to fulfill their psychological needs. Maslow highlights three categories of needs which are psychological, emotional, and professional and are inextricably linked to each other. Psychological and emotional well-being is extremely important for employees to attain their professional goals. Isolating any one category of needs while ignoring the others would anyway affect the individual’s mental health.

Theme 11: Impact of sustaining work flexibility on organizational culture

Organizational culture is inextricably linked to work performance and organizational culture. Work engagement is perceived to be an extremely important quality of the employees in a workplace. Work engagement leads to personal, professional, and organizational well-being. Engagement is the culmination of the efforts given by organizational management in providing their employees with the required help. Leaders play a crucial role in increasing as well as reducing work for the employees. An organizational culture where the employees are given considerable autonomy, respect, and given creative space enhances work engagement (Robin et al. 2020). However, flexible work timing reflects the fact that the management respects employees’ time and provides them with the work-life balance that they need. Work-Life balance is important because the employees can focus on their personal lives as well. Working individuals, both men, and women face ample challenges in integrating care and work and it is often claimed by media and research that flexible working arrangements are one of the most critical resources that help parents manage their caregiving responsibilities, thus facilitating effective management of competitive demands across the different domains and aspects of their lives (Fuller and Hirsh, 2019). Work is crucial for earning a livelihood and as posited by Maslow’s need hierarchy, the other needs to require to be fulfilled for psychological well-being. This consideration by the employers leads to the creation of a healthy organizational culture. This culture helps employees respect the organizational management and put effort into their work, thus enhancing productivity. Organizational culture refers to the shared values and the vision that the managers portray of the organization and allows the employees to connect with it. The organizational culture is crucial to maintaining the healthy participation of the employees where they are engaged and motivated (Paais and Pattiruhu, 2020). The social exchange theory posits that individuals weigh the expense of a social interaction against the reward or punishment levied on it. According to the social exchange theory, as long as the employees are rewarded and helped to meet their own needs, the employees contribute positively to the employer.

Taking the example of Unilever, the organization has implemented a flexible work arrangement for its employees which has led to an increase in their employee engagement, because the organization supports and provides the employees with the required training and flexibility that they need to maintain a work-life balance. Motivation underlines the support of the organization to their employees and the managers paying attention to the employees’ individual needs and helping them meet them. It is fundamental to increasing the competence of the employees as well

as relational relationships. The employees who are motivated are more oriented to develop opportunities that could benefit them. However, the managers must make regulations that cover the employees’ needs for flexible working arrangements. Healthy organizational culture is underpinned by employee engagement, mutual respect, motivated employees, and supportive leadership.

Theme 12: Strategies that can be provided for engaging employees during the COVID-19 pandemic

Employees who have been working amidst the pandemic have been extremely tough for them, primarily because the employees have been burdened with the security of their health as well as their family members. Moreover, during the pandemic, several organizations have had to slash employee wages as well as to conduct mass job cuts because of the economic disruption brought about by the pandemic. The employees have been burdened with the increasing pressure about the security of their jobs and are unable to focus on their work because of the stressful situations, especially in retail sectors where the salespeople had to be physically present in warehouses, employees who had to be there in the offices to make sure the goods were delivered online amongst others have been burdened with the increasing pressure of contracting the virus and of their health as well as their caregiving responsibilities. However, employees who have been working remotely have had to face ample challenges as well. The managers too faced challenges in engaging the employees because they have been under immense pressure due to the pandemic. The managers, as well as the employees, have had difficulties in coping with the stress, communication issues, and the change from in-office to remote working. The ways through which the managers can engage employees are by allowing them to work flexibly under certain regulations and rules. The imposition of additional work would hinder the work-life balance of the employees so distributing work in a manner where every employee can maintain their work-life balance is important. Implementing a rewards facility where their employees are rewarded for the work that they do and are compensated for any additional efforts and hours that they put in. Paid sick leave is important in employee engagement because if employees fall sick they would be unable to work and they would get a pay cut, which could demotivate them. Hence providing the employees with paid sick leaves and helping them cope with their situations are essential for the managers to engage the employees at work (Gopinath, 2021). Another major

factor that impacts employee engagement is intrinsic motivation. The managers must collaborate and maintain communication with the employees. Provision of counseling and mental health help is crucial for understanding where the employees require help and how the organization can provide that to them. Providing the employees with technological assistance and helping them through the entire adjustment procedure to remote working and later sustaining the work flexibility so the employees can be engaged as well as retained. Identification of employees who take the flexible arrangement for granted and terminating them to maintain the rigidity of rules for flexible working to maintain organizational integrity and establish autonomy as well as employee engagement.

4.3  Summary

The thematic analysis has explored the different themes that have been identified within the research which provide significant insight into the research problem and inform the research questions. The analysis has covered the importance of work flexibility in organizations and its impact on employee engagement. The challenges faced by managers in engaging employees have also been explored. The importance of employee engagement and its impact on organizational performance has also been evaluated along with the importance and role of transformational leadership in handling employee engagement in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The strategies through which the challenges can be mitigated have been mentioned. The concepts of motivation and its link to flexible work arrangement have been explored through theories and the concept of organizational culture underpinning every facet of employee engagement and work culture has been explored.

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