Toxic Workplace Environment and Employee Engagement

Abstract

The aim of this research paper is to understand how organizations can eradiate the toxicity from their work environment to enhance employee engagement by exploring the toxic work environment causes, consequences and possible solutions. This research aim is achieved by qualitatively exploring the findings proposed by previous studies to generate the desired knowledge. Review of previous findings reveals that toxic work environment is caused by multiple reasons, such as-poor leadership, ineffective management, poor communication, a culture of fear and consistent stress with lack of concern towards employees’ psychological well-being. When unaddressed, toxic work environment leads towards disengaged workforce with affected physical and psychological health. The overall conclusion drawn from the reported findings is that: toxic work environment can be a serious threat for the employees as well as organizations. If employees will persistently work in toxic environment, they will be disengaged, and de-motivated to give their best efforts for accomplishment of organizational goals. The feelings that emerge from the workplace toxicity can negatively influence the physical and psychological health of employees, which can affect the organizations by reducing productivity and increasing turnover costs.