Abstract
This exploratory case study examined the concept of employee engagement among health science faculty in order to develop an understanding of what organizational factors influence engagement within a private health science university. The researcher collected data via 20 interviews with full-time faculty members, formal and informal observations, and university documents. The researcher then coded and analyzed data using a bottomup approach and stored data in a case study database. Findings from the data indicated that faculty member engagement is affected by (a) the characteristics and demands of their job, (b) their relationships with their supervisor and the university’s leadership, (c) their ability to receive timely and transparent communication and provide input, (d) their ability to be motivated and encouraged to develop and advance, and (e) the technical, professional, and personal support they received from the organization. Five recommendations were outlined to help the university under study develop and implement meaningful strategies to improve faculty engagement. These recommendations focused on (a) balancing faculty workloads and aligning their work with their training and skills, (b) creating systems to develop, advance, reward, and recognize faculty, (c) enhancing communication and collaboration, (d) fostering supportive leaders, and (e) cultivating a supportive culture. The study provided evidence that the organizational factors that influence engagement within a university are highly contextual and are dependent on cultural, structural, and operational elements within the institution. Leaders from other health science institutions could use these findings as a foundation to make organizational changes to enhance the engagement of their faculty.|Keywords: engagement, burnout, health science faculty, organizational factors