LINKING STRATEGIC HR PRACTICES TO EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT THROUGH PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT: A STUDY OF CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN RURAL AREAS OF INDORE AND GWALIOR DISTRICTS OF THE MADHYA PRADESH.

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between Human Resource (HR) Practices and Employee Engagement (EE) in the construction industry, positioning Perceived Organizational Support (POS) as the psychological mechanism that links the two. Centered on rural construction sites in Madhya Pradesh, India, the research addresses a notable contextual gap in engagement literature particularly within informal, labor-intensive work environments where structured HR systems are often limited.

A pilot survey (n=21) was conducted to assess the psychometric strength of five HR domains: Recruitment & Job Design, Training & Development, Performance Management & Rewards, Participation & Empowerment, and Organizational Support & Well-being. These were examined alongside POS and Employee Engagement, measured using the UWES dimensions of Vigor, Dedication, and Absorption.

Reliability analysis reveals strong internal consistency across most HR dimensions (α ≥ 0.88) as well as for overall engagement (α = 0.835). However, the Vigor subscale demonstrates weak reliability (α = 0.209), pointing to possible contextual limitations in measurement. Correlation and regression findings (R² ≈ 0.62) identify Organizational Support & Well-being and Participation & Empowerment as the strongest predictors of engagement. Together, these results offer empirical backing for the proposed mediation framework (HR Practices → POS → EE) and provide direction for refining the measurement instrument before proceeding to large-scale structural model testing.