Behind the Ennui: Reconceptualizing employee disengagement, its drivers and internal communication management strategies in a global context of practice

This study investigates employee disengagement, aiming to understand its conceptualization, antecedents, and internal communication management strategies. We employed a qualitative approach by conducting semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 12 senior public relations/communication executives working in the United Arab Emirates, a highly diverse, global context of practice. Such an approach offered us the opportunity to co-construct data and subsequent meanings by becoming fully immersed within the participants’ lived experiences. Findings highlighted that disengagement exists on a continuum, and how it necessarily might not always be a cause for concern. In addition, leadership, toxic work culture, and poor internal communication can drive employee disengagement, which could be mitigated through personalized, employee-centric employee communication. This is one of the first empirical studies in public relations research to examine the dimensions, antecedents, and internal communication strategies of employee disengagement in a global context of practice.