Does perceived social sustainability influence job engagement of Gen Y?

Abstract

Sustainable development is one of the predominant issues of our time. Providing a liveable and prosperous environment for all generations is becoming one of the main concerns of humankind. Research findings point out that social sustainability, the social dimension of this objective, requires more attention and prioritisation. To date, economic considerations appear to be the predominant driver for decision-making and percipience. Research reflects that the emphasis on ethical aspects is not effectual. Existing studies indicate that social sustainability is a viable tool to improve job engagement of employees. Job engagement is a significant lever to improve business KPIs such as productivity, customer satisfaction, turnover, and financial success. Furthermore, data shows that employees in general and Generation Y in particular include social considerations into their career choices. Thus, corporate social sustainability can benefit companies on multiple levels. This dissertation utilised a quantitative approach to examine if the level of perception of social sustainability influences job engagement of Generation Y. An online survey with 233 participants was conducted to investigate the impact of corporate social actions on the behaviour of employees on an individual level. Participants were Germans between 20 and 40 years. Internal communication was included in the questionnaire as well to identify its significance for perceived social sustainability and job engagement. To enrich the quantitative data and allow a real-life perspective, an exploratory interview with the CEO of a German company was held to gain practical insights of a socially committed company and its ethical efforts in a competitive market. The collected data shows that there is a strong correlation between job engagement and perceived social sustainability. Data implies that if employees perceive ethical efforts of their company, they tend to be more engaged. Internal communication is also correlated positively. This means that social sustainability holds enormous potential for companies as it can enable a more engaged workforce and therefore a more profitable business. This dissertation holds evidence for the strategic advantages of investing in social sustainability to improve profitability and succeed in the emerging war for talent.

Date of Award	16 Jun 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	João Simão (Supervisor)