Unravelling the nexus between employee relations and employee engagement: the mediating role of decent workplace

Purpose The study aims to explore the mediating effect of decent workplace in the nexus between employee relations and employee engagement. Design/methodology/approach By administering a structured questionnaire, a total of 334 responses were gathered from an Indian power sector undertaking. The proposed research model was validated applying structural equation modeling (AMOS 20). Findings Results revealed that a healthy employee relations (ER) climate is predominant in the public power sector. Moreover, the findings suggest that ER and employee engagement (EE) are positively and significantly related. Additionally, decent workplace (DWP) partially mediated the relationship between ER and EE. Practical implications This research may encourage the practitioners to develop innovative strategies to construct a DWP by establishing harmonious ER in the Indian power sector. Such a workplace would generate competent, contented and engaged employees by creating a vibrant organizational culture. Originality/value The study validated the hypothesized ER–DWP–EE mediated model built on social exchange theory that signifies the mediating effect of decent workplace between employee relations and employee engagement. Moreover, it offers novel theoretical and empirical insights to the existing literature.