Impact of COVID-19 on Employee Engagement at Dialogue Axiata PLC

This report explores the critical role of employee engagement in companies undergoing restructuring, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It delves into the concept of employee engagement, its various dimensions, and its impact on organizational outcomes. Using Dialogue Axiata PL...Read More

Introduction
Companies are restructuring in response to COVID-19. Human resource managers are continually
thinking of new methods to motivate their employees to take better care of their health. Employee
engagement aims to boost morale and involvement in company initiatives. Employees that care about
their jobs are committed to give 110% every single day. Workers that are invested in their work are
more likely to succeed. The outcome will be a rise in both sales and revenue, as more happy
customers spread the word. Businesses know this to be true, which is why they value employee
opinions so highly.
It is difficult to have a meaningful debate about employee engagement since there is no agreed-upon
definition of "engagement" in the scholarly literature. This is the meat of the problem. Kahn found in
his study conducted in 1990 that employees showed more dedication to their professions when they
were physically present. What keeps people returning to work every day is having work that matters,
being paid fairly, and having a chance to make an effect. There is growing evidence that playing a
role can help with stress relief on several levels (mental, emotional, and physical). The leadership and
employee perspectives, as well as the physical and social features of the workplace, fall under the
mental aspect. Workers' opinions of their superiors are at the heart of the emotional dimension. A
job's "physical aspect" describes how strenuous it is to do. May, Gilson, and Harter (2004) tested
Kahn's theory and found that involvement improves subjective well-being, safety, and purpose. The
phrase "job engagement" was developed in 2002 by scholars Schaufeli, Martinez, Pinto, Salanova,
and Bakker. A "job engagement" typified by diligence, inspiration, and focus is the optimum mental
state to have on the job.
Company Background
Dialogue Axiata PLC is a Sri Lankan telecommunications company. Services provided include those
linked to media and communications infrastructure, such as mobile and Internet connectivity,
international gateway, data and backbone, fixed wireless, and transmission. Dialogue Global, which
maintains a portfolio of international telecommunication services, and Dialogue TV, a direct-to-home
satellite television service, are both part of the company's offering of multi-sensory connection
services. In addition to providing television broadcasting services, the firm also provides
telecommunications infrastructure services, including as transmission and co-location facilities, as
well as broadband Internet, fixed-telephony, data networks, and converging solutions. The corporation
formally changed its name in July 2010 from Dialogue Telekom PLC to Dialogue Axiata PLC.
Colombo, Sri Lanka is home to Dialogue Axiata PLC, which was founded in 1993. To put it simply,
Axiata Investments (Labuan) Limited owns Dialogue Axiata PLC.
Literature Review

For the sake of this research, "employee engagement" was defined as "the degree to which an
individual is invested, enthusiastic, and committed to their work" (Harter, Schmidt, & Hayes, 2002).
Employee involvement has been shown to improve a variety of workplace outcomes (May et al.,
2004), including productivity, job satisfaction, and health. Happiness on the job and a sense of pride
in one's organisation are the two components that make up employee engagement (Saks, 2006). Those
that care deeply about the success of their organisation are more likely to go above and beyond. The
term "employee engagement" is commonly used in the business world to describe a worker's level of
commitment to their job, happiness with their responsibilities, and enthusiasm for the company's
success.
Workers who have a vested interest in the company's success are more likely to go the additional
mile. Workplace engagement may be improved in a number of ways, including through alterations to
job design, recruitment, selection, remuneration, training, and performance management (Vance,
2006). A company's resilience in the face of market volatility is bolstered by investments in people, in
strategic management, and in clear, timely communication (Robison, 2009). A company's
commitment to its employees is unshakeable. Being involved shouldn't be something you do once and
then forget about. Instead, certain routes must be followed to make it official. Employee engagement
has been connected to factors such as income, benefits, work environment, opportunities for
professional and personal growth, and recognition (Patro, 2013). When workers feel like they belong
at work, are respected for their contributions, know their knowledge is appreciated, can advance in
their career, and perceive prospects for advancement, they are more likely to engage personal energy
and enthusiasm in their jobs. An employee's dedication to the company's success is directly
proportional to his or her perception of his or her own worth. Employees are more willing to put in
overtime if they enjoy their employment. Customers that are happy with a company tend to buy more
from that company. It's critical to encourage open communication between employees and
management. Cooperation between an organisation and its staff has been shown to be win-win for
both sides (Sarangi & Nayak, 2016). Trust, reliability, loyalty, and open communication are the
cornerstones of a productive workplace. It is possible for firms to increase employee engagement
through measures like as transparency, streamlined decision-making processes, and executive loyalty.
According to studies (Chandani, Mehta, Mall, & Khokhar, 2016), "employee engagement" indicates
how invested a person is in their work. Employees who like what they do are more likely to go above
and beyond in their employment.
Wuhan, Hubei, China is ground zero for a new and worrying lung disease known as COVID-19
Impasse. According to epidemiological research (Fan et al., 2020), the outbreak may have begun in a
seafood market in Wuhan, China. According to the World Health Organisation, the COVID-19
pandemic has caused 5,934,936 confirmed cases and 367,166 deaths as of May 31, 2020. Over

180,085 deaths have been linked to the 2,142,547 verified cases in Europe. There have been
2,743,793 cases and deaths documented throughout the Americas. There have been 505,001 instances
of the illness in the Eastern Mediterranean region, resulting in 12,353 deaths. In the Western Pacific,
the confirmed mortality toll is 7,028, with 181,665 instances of illness. There have been 7,431 deaths
and 260,579 confirmed cases over all of Southeast Asia. There were 100,610 confirmed cases across
all of Africa, resulting in 2,554 fatalities. The World Health Organisation has declared a global health
emergency due to the widespread scope of the COVID-19 epidemic. COVID-19 poses an elevated
risk of death for those with chronic diseases (World Health Organisation, 2020b).
The World Health Organisation is a remarkable organisation with a global reach. According to the
World Health Organisation (WHO), those infected with COVID-19 often suffer only mild to severe
respiratory disease and recover without further treatment. Chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular
illness, diabetes, cancer, and lung disease disproportionately impact the poor. The risk of contracting
the COVID-19 virus can be reduced by practising good hand hygiene, such as frequent hand washing
and alcohol-based hand massages, as advised by the World Health Organisation. Coughing, sneezing,
and the sharing of saliva and mucus might all contribute to the spread of COVID-19. The results of
the study were made public in 2020c by the World Health Organisation. The paper states that there is
presently no therapy or vaccination for COVID-19 that has been approved by regulators. Those who
test positive with COVID-19 are generally not allowed to leave their country. Many countries have
instituted travel bans in an effort to halt the spread of the disease.
The government uses lockdowns, social isolation, and the employment of masks to maintain order.
Due to the gravity of the issue, nearly all companies should have a WFH policy. During the lockout,
some companies have allowed employees to work remotely. Most people who work from home find it
difficult to concentrate due to numerous interruptions from family members. They also don't have the
equipment they need. In reaction to the worldwide increase in instances of COVID-19, anxiety levels
among the working population have increased. uncertainties regarding one's future income and
employment prospects. These problems sidetracked workers. Employee involvement is essential. The
well-being and satisfaction of the staff are of paramount importance to the company. When employees
are invested in their job, they tend to produce better results. The company's management is
accountable for building a sense of mission in its workers by encouraging seminars and lectures,
boosting morale, and establishing an atmosphere where issues may be voiced without fear of
punishment. The use of multimedia in speeches might aid leaders in getting their thoughts across. If
employees know exactly what they should be doing, they will complete their tasks efficiently and
quietly.
Robison (2009), in a summary, underlined the importance of leadership in maintaining morale
throughout transitional periods. The author recommends setting clear goals with employees, providing

them with the resources they need to succeed, letting them focus on their areas of strength, celebrating
their successes, expressing gratitude, and encouraging their growth as professionals. CEOs who
engage in their managers' professional growth and publicly recognise and recognise their successes
may increase morale and productivity over the long run (Basquille, 2013). This boosts morale
throughout the company. According to Patro (2013), everyone wins when employers actively push
workers to find ways to make their occupations more pleasurable. Companies value employees who
are eager to learn and take on more duties, according to a recent survey. Today's businesses have a
responsibility to meet the high standards set by their employees.
In 2014, Bedarkar and Pandita examined the topic of engaged workers. According to the results of the
survey, stable leadership, open lines of communication, and a reasonable work-life balance are the
three most critical variables in maintaining employee enthusiasm. Because of its widespread
availability, user-friendliness, and familiarity, Facebook groups have been shown to increase
employee engagement (Abd Latib, Bolong, and Ghazali, 2014). According to Jalal (2016), allowing
workers a voice in the company's future increases their loyalty to the organisation. Customer retention
was shown to be proportional to employee commitment. Employee engagement is proportional to
employee loyalty. Lee et al. (2016) found that HR professionals struggle to maintain employee
motivation. Dissatisfaction with or reluctance to leave present employment may account for the low
levels of employee engagement. Making people happier in their professions may be the easiest way to
boost productivity. There is a link between the two factors, as discovered by Garg, Dar, and Mishra
(2017). Yet another study has shown that a dedicated staff is directly responsible for happy customers.
Workers who don't give a hoot about what they do prefer to stick together. Employees that are
enthusiastic about their jobs had lower rates of stress and absence, according to the survey. They've
noticed improvements in their emotional and physical health. When workers enjoy what they do, the
company benefits monetarily and productively (Saks, 2017).
An individual's propensity to go above and beyond in their job is higher if they feel invested in their
work (Jena, Pradhan, & Panigrahy, 2018). Employee engagement may be increased, according to
Tiwari and Lenka (2019), by providing monetary and intangible benefits. When workers can talk
freely and with respect, they are more invested in their work. Human resource management and
human capital investment have both been shown to boost earnings (Tensay & Singh, 2020). People
are more invested in a project's outcome when they have some stake in its outcome themselves
(Barreiro & Treglown, 2020). Top performers are more likely to remain with a firm if they feel
invested in their work. A company's success depends on its capacity to maximise the potential of
every employee. Employees that lack motivation are often fired and replaced quickly.
Most countries have gone under lockdown due to concerns around COVID-19. Due to the state of the
economy, more and more businesses are granting their workers the option to work remotely. It would

be a huge mistake for companies and employees to try to execute a remote work strategy at the
moment. Increasing employee participation may be accomplished in many different ways. The
intention of this post is to stimulate discussion regarding additional strategies for boosting the morale
and productivity of remote workers.
Education
A number of other works expand on these kind of philosophical discussions. By bringing together
data from a wide range of sources, conceptual papers shed fresh light on a topic. The supplementary
materials provided here were written by a diverse group of scholars. The question of workers'
participation in the COVID-19 probe has been covered widely by the media. The research conducted
by the WHO provided the data for COVID-19. What motivates workers has been the subject of a lot
of research. The practise of doing an integrated literature review is a novel method of research
(Torraco, 2005). The goal of a literature review is to provide a synthesis of relevant research
(Chermack & Passmore, 2005). To combat the current COVID-19 pandemic, businesses of all sizes
will need the help of their employees. Even in the midst of lockdowns and other times of crisis, high
morale, involvement, and happiness are maintained via the use of engagement strategies.
Motivate them to keep going in spite of setbacks.
The American Management Association suggests that with caution and sound discretion, businesses
may increase employee engagement even in trying times. Despite ongoing difficulties, this is true.
When workers take pride in their work, businesses reap the rewards financially. Employee
engagement increases when a firm cares about its workers, when the workplace is attractive, and
when workers feel like they belong there (Vickers, 2019). Numerous studies have shown that when
employees are invested in their work, they perform better. When things are rough, businesses should
put more money into their workers. As a result, employee morale rises (Robertson, 2012). Formato
(2014) thinks that leaders need to be more transparent and honest at times of crises. Leaders can't sit
back and expect their teams to work hard to achieve their objectives; they must set an example. No
matter how lofty one's ambitions, everyone may benefit from a methodically crafted approach to
sharing knowledge. According to the blog, improved leadership and communication may boost
employee engagement.
Singh (2020b) highlighted the issues that modern workers confront. Companies, according to this
article, should think about the stress their employees are under. More problems will be reported if
employees feel safe raising them. Competitions, hackathons, and other forms of workplace fun are
commonplace. Finding a better work-life balance is a goal for many people, and research into what
motivates workers continues. Companies nowadays frequently fund their workers' further education
and professional growth. Companies are increasingly turning to online live events like webinars to

provide their staff with access to training and assistance from subject-matter experts. They won't be
going outdoors since it's not safe to do so. Anand predicts that by 2020, the effects of the shutdown
would be felt all over the world. The article provided four options for keeping workers productive
during lockouts. Effective internal corporate communication tools include email, chat software, and
video conferencing. It's especially crucial to value and appreciate staff in times of hardship. Workers
necessitate time off in order to do things like go food shopping, cook, and clean their homes. It's
important to hold regular virtual meetings with staff.
Conclusion
Communication among the COVID-19 team is essential. During a lockdown, you'll need your team's
help to make it to the top of the company. In today's competitive corporate environment, loyal
employees are crucial. Companies need to plan for the continuation of operations notwithstanding the
epidemic. If a company is serious about expanding, it must adopt technology-enabled engagement
metrics immediately. Online activities such as webinars from experts, webinars for mental poise and
relaxation, online alignment sessions once a week, and online team meetings are novel ways for
companies to involve their employees. The effects of a coronavirus outbreak might be mitigated by
adopting these measures, which enhance morale and devotion.

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