1.

BACKGROUND
Bonakude (BNKD), headquartered in Morningside - Durban, has been in business for 12
years, and specializes in Accounting, Consulting, Assurance, and Digital Transformation.
Over the years, BNKD has expanded its national footprint, and now has local presence in
KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Limpopo and Eastern Cape. This national footprint expansion
has resulted in a rapid increase of staff compliment. To date, the total staff compliment is
87 employees, i.e. 68 Permanent and 19 Contractual Employees. However, in the past
year, the company has experienced increasing staff turnover rates, and what is even more
alarming is the new trend of resignations with immediate effect.

It is based on the above backdrop that the Executive Management has requested the
Human Resource Management Department (HRD) to draft a proposal for conducting an
Organisational Climate Survey to measure employee engagement.

2. OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL

The objective this proposal is to provide the Executive management with a proposal that
outlines how this survey could be carried out. The anticipated survey will be done by
empirically examining the organizational climate through conducting an Employee
Engagement Survey.

3. PURPOSE OF THE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY

According to (Anthony, 2018: 32), organizations with employees who are regularly
engaged usually perform much better, and this is evidenced by a number of key variables
such as lower staff turnover rates, lower absenteeism, and increased loyalty among
others.

Employee engagement plays a key role in any organization as it is directly associated with
overall performance and job satisfaction to a large extent (Narayanamma et al., 2022:
3558). In his findings, Clack (2021: 1001) mentions that employee engagement is closely
linked to other factors such as staff retention and productivity, and can be seen as one of
the keys to business success.

To this end, conducting this survey using the key drivers for employee engagement will
help a great deal to measure the current level of employee engagement, ensure that
employees feel heard, engaged and that their opinions are valued, and benchmark the
results on a year-on-year basis.
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4. SURVEY DESIGN AND LOGISTICS

4.1 SURVEY COORDINATION

The HRD will be responsible for planning and coordinating the proposed survey.

4.2 TIMELINE PLANNING

Phase Activity Description Duration

1 Planning for the Employee Engagement Survey 2 Weeks

2 Conducting the Survey 2 Weeks

3 Reviewing and Analysing Survey Results 1 Month

4 Taking Action Ongoing

4.3 SURVEY METHOD AND ADMINISTRATION

Instead of a paper-based survey, we recommend conducting this survey using an online
survey. We prefer the online method of administration as it will minimise costs and
logistical issues of distributing and collecting paper questionnaires. This method is also
convenient for respondents, and the automated data entry enables a quicker review and
analysis process. Moreover, the online survey method will be best method to mitigate the
risk of contracting COVID-19.

The sample population will be all 68 permanent employees from the total population of 87
employees of Bonakude. For employees who operate from our client’s premises which
are located in far flung rural areas where there are connectivity issues, we will explore two
remote survey methods, i.e. phone-based surveys and self-completion surveys over
WhatsApp where respondents may record their responses and send them when
connectivity has been restored.

4.4 DATA PRIVACY AND ETHICS

On the survey questionnaire, we will explicitly mention the anonymity, confidentiality, data
safety and privacy of information obtained from this survey. Moreover, obtaining ethical
approval prior to conducting this online survey will be enforced. While all employees will
be encouraged to participate in the survey, participation will be voluntary. Employees can
decide not to participate at all, not answer any questions they do not want to answer; and
may withdraw from the survey.

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5. QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN

This survey will use a quantitative approach, with the type and source of data in this survey
being primary data collected through an electronic questionnaire which will be
administered to the sample population of 68 permanent employees of Bonakude.
However, the questionnaire will also include a few open-ended questions to solicit
qualitative feedback.

To evaluate the underlying causes for the increased staff turnover rate, we propose the
following key drivers for employee engagement:

 Leadership
 Communication
 Teamwork
 Staff Development
 Rewards and Recognition
 Work-Life Balance

Different rating scales will be utilised for different variables. The respondents will be asked
to check a box on a rating scale ranging from 1 to 5 as outlined below:

1 = Disagree Strongly
2 = Disagree
3 = Neutral
4 = Agree
5 = Agree Strongly

The questionnaire has been designed such that it does not take more than 30 minutes to
complete.

Refer to the next page for the proposed electronic questionnaire for this survey.

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 QUESTIONNAIRE
Employee Engagement Survey

Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Your participation in this survey is
voluntary. We commit to ensuring anonymity, confidentiality, data safety and privacy of
information obtained from this survey.

Please answer questions accurately by ticking the correct answer or filling in the space
provided, and submit no later than Thursday, 30 June 2022 at 16h30.

This questionnaire will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

PART A: DEMOGRAPHIC DATA [For classification Purposes Only]

Role Division

Gender Male Female

Age Group 18-44 35-54 55-64 55+

Monthly Income <R10k R11k – R20k R21k – R30k R31k – R40k

R41k – R50k R51k – R60k >R61k

Continue

NB: Why use the above demographic variables?

These variables will allow us to better understand certain general characteristics of the
respondents. These demographic characteristics will be very useful during the review and
analysis the survey results. We will be able to ascertain, for an example, if the worrying high
staff turnover is connected and influenced by gender and/or age and/or remuneration.

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 PART B: CLOSED-ENDED QUESTIONS

LEADERSHIP
Disagree Agree
Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Strongly
My manager is always
1
appreciative of the work I do
The Executive Management
2
know what they are doing
My manager recognises and
3
values my contributions
Decisions made by the
4 manager are adequate to
achieve company goals
My manager delegates work
5
effectively
My manager possesses
6 adequate authority to get the
job done
My manager has set my
7
performance goals
My manager involves my team
8 in solving problems we face as
a division
My manager always treats all
9
employees the same way
My manager keeps me
10 informed on what impacts my
work in the company

Continue


NB: Why use this variable?

Employee engagement is significantly connected with the leadership variable. Poor leadership
leads to disengaged employees.

5
 COMMUNICATION
Disagree Agree
Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Strongly
I am constantly engaged in
1
decisions affecting my job
Decision making hierarchy is
2
clear in my division
It is clear who takes what
3
decisions
It is clear who will carry a
4
decision once it has been made
The communication
5 relationship with my team is
good
There is good communication
6
between divisions
Management is good at
7 communicating to employees
matters affecting them
Management is open to
8 suggestions made by
employees
I understand our company's
9
organizational structure
Our company's organizational
10
structure works very well

Back Continue

NB: Why use this variable?

The findings of Rao et al. (2021: 9901) has revealed that the ability of a manager to
communicate with employees about changing organizational demands and the adoption of new
policies without ambiguity can lead to long-term employee support.

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 TEAMWORK
Disagree Agree
Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Strongly
My co-workers treat me with
1
respect

2 I feel stimulated for teamwork

My team is involved in
3
deciding how work gets done
My team members always
4
cooperate to achieve tasks
My team and I work effectively
5
to achieve divisional goals
My division works effectively to
6
achieve organization's goals
My team members are
7 committed to doing quality
work all the time
My team members are
8
problem solvers
My team is always searching
9 for new ways to boost
productivity
My team settle conflicts in an
10
open and timely manner

Back Continue

NB: Why use this variable?

Previous studies into employee job satisfaction and its significance in the workplace discovered
that teamwork has become more popular as a means of enhancing organizational flexibility
while also reaping additional benefits such as lower supervision costs, shorter lead times, and
higher employee morale (Ahmad et al., 2021: 39).

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 STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Disagree Agree
Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Strongly
I received the appropriate
1 preliminary training when I
joined the company
I receive regular training I need
2
to do my job well
I am provided with all the
3 necessary tools I need to do
my job well
All the working tools I use to do
4
my job are reliable
My job-related software apps
5
are simple to use
Technology related issues are
6
communicated timeously
Technology related issues are
7
resolved timeously
I am encouraged to explore
8 prospects for advancement
within the company
I feel that there are
9 opportunities for me to
advance in this company
I confident that I could be
10 considered promotion if I
continue doing my job well

Back Continue

NB: Why this use variable?

It is very crucial for any company to have the ability to impact employee performance by
contributing to their growth, learning, and success by providing continuous training and
development of its employees.

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 REWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Disagree Agree
Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Strongly
I am recognized for my work
1
performance in this company
I feel appreciated in this
2
company
I receive adequate feedback
3
about my job performance
I feel that my work contributes
4 significantly to the company's
overall success
I feel that I am compensated
5
fairly
I understand the criteria used
6
to determine my remuneration
The annual salary increments
7
satisfy me
I am satisfied with other
8
benefits
I have been compensated
9 fairly for any changes in new
job responsibilities
Overall, I'm pleased with the
10 rewards and recognition
offered by the company

Back Continue

NB: Why use this variable?

The importance of this key driver for employee engagement cannot be downplayed. According
to the findings, this variable has a favourable impact on employee motivation and engagement
(Siswanto et al., 2021: 31).

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 WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Disagree Agree
Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly Strongly
I often bring work home with
1
me
My work schedule is
2
predictable
My manager shows concern
3 about balance between my
work and personal life
My company encourages a
4
good work-life balance
I am able to devote adequate
5
time to my family

Back Continue

NB: Why this use variable?

Job satisfaction is positively influenced by the quality of the work-life variable. It demonstrates
that if employees view their work-life to be of high quality, job satisfaction will rise (Arief et al.,
2021: 259).

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 PART C: OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS

What does Bonakude do that makes it a desirable place to work?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

What is missing in this company that could help you perform better?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

In your view, what would increase the company’s effectiveness?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

Thank You for Your Participation!

Back Submit

NB: Why include Open-Ended Questions?

This will give your respondents the freedom and chance to answer in as much detail as they
like. Moreover, this will give us the opportunity to discover things we may have missed by using
the closed-ended questions.

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6. REFERENCES

Ahmad, N., Nor, K.M. and Sakarji, S.R., 2021. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
TEAMWORK AND EMPLOYEE JOB SATISFACTION IN AN ORGANISATION. Prof. Dr.
Deddy Mulyana Universitas Padjajaran, Indonesia, pp.93-97. Available:
http://www.myaidconference.com/uploads/6/2/6/7/62670651/ijcomah_-
_june_2021.pdf#page=100 (Accessed 05 May 2022)
__________________________________________________________________________

Antony, M.R., 2018. Paradigm shift in employee engagement – A critical analysis on the
drivers of employee engagement. International Journal of Information, Business and
Management, 10(2), pp.32-46. Available:
https://www.proquest.com/openview/5ef444cae975e8d20475386c9df33df4/1?pq-
origsite=gscholar&cbl=2032142 (Accessed 01 May 2022)
__________________________________________________________________________

Arief, N.R., Purwana, D. and Saptono, A., 2021. Effect of Quality Work of Life (QWL) and
Work-Life Balance on Job Satisfaction through Employee Engagement as Intervening
Variables. The International Journal of Social Sciences World (TIJOSSW), 3(01), pp.259-269.
Available: https://www.growingscholar.org/journal/index.php/TIJOSSW/article/view/120
(Accessed 05 May 2022)
__________________________________________________________________________

Clack, L., 2021. Employee Engagement: Keys to Organizational Success. The Palgrave
Handbook of Workplace Well-Being, pp.1001-1028. Available:
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-030-30025-8_77?noAccess=true
(Accessed 03 May 2022)
__________________________________________________________________________

Narayanamma, P.L., Neelima, S. and Mounika, K., 2022. Employee Engagement and
Organizational Performance: A Literature Review. Journal of Positive School
Psychology, 6(3), pp.3558-3563. Available:
https://journalppw.com/index.php/jpsp/article/view/2144/1316 (Accessed 04 May 2022)
__________________________________________________________________________

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Rao, M.A. and Rao, P.V., 2021. Internal Communication Importance in Sense Making,
Employee Engagement And Organizational Effectiveness. NVEO-NATURAL VOLATILES &
ESSENTIAL OILS Journal| NVEO, pp.9900-9907. Available:
https://www.nveo.org/index.php/journal/article/view/2101/1847 (Accessed 05 May 2022)
__________________________________________________________________________

Siswanto, S., Maulidiyah, Z. and Masyhuri, M., 2021. Employee engagement and motivation
as mediators between the linkage of reward with employee performance. The Journal of
Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 8(2), pp.625-633. Available:
https://www.koreascience.kr/article/JAKO202104142230618.pdf (Accessed 05 May 2022)

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