HARNESSING PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL TO AUGMENT EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN THE MICRO-FINANCE SME SECTOR

Abstract

The study sought to establish the effect of psychological capital on employee engagement on small to medium scale micro finance institutions. Secondary objectives were developed using psychological capital constructs namely hope, self-efficacy and resilience. The study adopted a quantitative approach backed by positivist philosophy. A sample of 350 respondents was determined using the Yamane’s model. Stratified random sampling was adopted and data was collected using a structured questionnaire. The results of the study indicate that psychological capital has a significant effect on employee engagement. The study recommends that employee behavioral workshops, mentorship, ethical leadership and coaching programmes directed at developing psychological capital in SMEs.

Keywords

• psychological capital, employee engagement, sme, hope, self-efficacy and resilience