eThesis - Kauppakorkeakoulun sähköiset gradut

Objective of the Study The objective of the study was to identify the impact of different factors on employee engagement. The factors were organizational factors, such as internal communication or leadership, together with psychological factors, such as psychological meaningfulness and safety. The case organization of the study was Supercell Oy, a young and successful Finnish start-up company of the gaming industry. The study explored the perceptions of Supercell's employees to find out about their engagement level and the factors influencing their engagement.

Methodology and the Theoretical Framework The data consisted of a qualitative single case study that was conducted through six semi-structured interviews, along with a survey that was answered by five of the interviewees. The interviews were conducted with employees from the Helsinki main office, in addition to one employee from the San Francisco office and one from the Tokyo office. The theoretical framework was constructed on the base of literature on employee engagement, on psychological factors that influence employee engagement, organizational factors that might influence employee engagement, and on internal communication.

Findings and Conclusions The main findings of this study were three-fold: employee engagement was positively influenced the most by (1) the trust that the company showed in its employees, (2) the open and easy internal communication, and (3) the relationship with the co-workers, including the leads and managements. The four main conclusions of the study were therefore that, first, showing trust in employees, giving them freedom and responsibilities, and including them in decision taking reflects in employees feeling enthusiastic, happy and energetic about their work. Second, if the internal communication of a company is such that employees feel comfortable to speak up, it does not only eliminate doubt and uncertainty, but it also contributes to employees psychological safety. Third, having a relationship with co-workers and leads also outside of work helps to achieve better professional corporation, and again gives employees psychological safety. Fourth, even though employees enjoyed good compensation and benefits, it was not mentioned as a main engaging factor, such as trust and freedom, and interpersonal relationships at work. This shows that a good compensation and benefits can attract employees to a company, and it might even prevent employees from leaving the company, but it will not keep employees engaged if other factors fail.