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Abstract
Job engagement is about the degree of connection employees have with their work. Engagement theories suggest that employees experience engagement cognitively, emotionally, and physically. If and the extent to which this is the case, specifically within South African municipalities, remains largely indeterminate.
This study therefore investigates the relationship between dimensions of job engagement and perceived organizational performance in South African municipalities. A quantitative research approach was followed, and data was collected through an online survey administered to a non-probability sample of municipal employees.
The study reveals that of the three dimensions of job engagement, emotional and physical engagement demonstrated statistically significant relationships with perceived organizational performance although physical engagement turned out as a stronger predictor. Surprisingly, the relationship between cognitive engagement and perceived organizational performance was not statistically significant.
Consequently, it is imperative for jobs in municipalities to be better designed with a clear intention to foster job engagement.
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