Employee communication for engaging workplaces

Purpose Employee engagement is crucial for competitiveness. Managers should implement employee communication that contributes to shape inclusive employee relations, in order to create engaging workplaces. Approach Two field surveys were conducted to assess which are the most relevant leverages that contribute to create engaging (or disengaging) workplaces in Italy: the first one on a statistical sample of large companies, the second one on a snowball sample of employees. Findings Italian companies often miss the opportunity to create engaging workplaces and to exploit the potential of employee communication to foster employee engagement. Research implications Further research could focus on a survey on a sample of managers and employees belonging to the same company. Practical implications Companies should pursue an inclusive relational approach, using employee communication appropriately. Originality/value The study develops and tests a model showing the linkages among managerial approaches and engaging workplace contexts and examines the role of employee communication to foster employee engagement.