Employee engagement 147 Analytical definitions Perhaps the most illuminating and helpful approach to definition is to ana- lyse the concept specifically in terms of both job and organizational engage- ment. A good example of this is the explanation of the antecedents, types and consequences of engagement shown in Table 9.1 produced by Balain and Sparrow (2009: 17) and based on the work of Saks (2006). Engagement defined On the basis of the Balain and Sparrow analysis, engagement can be defined as follows. Engagement happens when people are committed to their work and the organization and motivated to achieve high levels of performance. It has two interrelated aspects: (1) job engagement, which takes place when employees exercise discretionary effort because they find their jobs interest- ing, challenging and rewarding; and (2) organizational engagement when they identify with the values and purpose of their organization and believe that it is a great place in which to work and to continue to work. The theory of engagement