| dc.description.abstract | Purpose: The purpose of the study is to conduct an exploratory, qualitative study to
investigate Employee Experience from an academic perspective and explore how
employees’ and employer’s expectations align in terms of their employment.
Theory: This study utilised two different theories, Social Exchange Theory (SET) and
Self-Determination Theory (SDT). They were used to analyse our findings in
relation to the concept of Employee Experience . SET is based on the foundation
that every social interaction depends upon a reciprocal response in order to
achieve a balanced relationship. The theory proved valuable in the analysis while
taking a closer look at expectation alignment between employees and
management. SDT highlights the importance of intrinsic motivation, which is
created through a high degree of autonomy, competence and relatedness. This
theory was vital when analysing employees’ motivational inclinations.
Method: The study was conducted by utilizing qualitative research methodology. The
empirical data is based on interviews of management, in-house and off-site
employees who are working as consultants at the case company.
Result: Transparency, managerial support and trust are essential for employees, especially
for off-site workers. Furthermore, we discovered that belongingness is also crucial
to off-site employees since it aids them in building a strong connection with their
employer, which in turn lead to enhanced intrinsic motivation. Also, the company
had no previous knowledge about the concept of Employee Experience . However,
they displayed many of the elements closely related to it. Our results pointed
towards an overall alignment of expectations between employer and employees, in
terms of learning & development, autonomy, and relatedness. Also, misalignment
was identified in terms of unclear career opportunities, a different view on loyalty
and onboarding of new consultants. | sv |
