WORKFORCE ON THE FRONTLINE: DECODING ENGAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE IN ORGANISED RETAIL IN INDIA

DOI: https://doie.org/10.65985/APER.2026397721

Authors:

Mrs. Silpa Mulumudi, Dr. Suja S Nair

Keywords:

Employee Engagement, Organised Retail, Job Characteristics, Leadership, Organisational Support, Work Environment, Employee Performance, Frontline Workforce.

Abstract:

This study investigates the influence of key workplace factors job characteristics, leadership, work environment, and organisational support on employee engagement and its subsequent impact on employee performance within India’s organised retail sector. The primary objective was to develop and validate a structural model that explores both direct and mediated effects of these factors through the lens of the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) and Social Exchange Theory (SET). A structured questionnaire was administered to a sample of 512 frontline retail employees across major urban centres in India using stratified random sampling. Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with ADANCO and R programming. The findings reveal that job characteristics (β = 0.275), leadership (β = 0.298), and organisational support (β = 0.323) significantly influence employee engagement. Employee engagement, in turn, exhibits a strong effect on employee performance (β = 0.428), confirming its mediating role. However, the work environment showed a weaker association (β = 0.056) with engagement. These results indicate that internal motivational resources and relational leadership practices are more impactful than physical environmental aspects in fostering engagement. The study’s theoretical contribution lies in contextualising and extending engagement models within the Indian retail ecosystem. In practice, the study provides the manager of retail stores with evidence-based guidelines to enhance the engagement and performance of employees by redesigning jobs, adopting leadership practices and organisational policies. It also offers a policy level of analysis on how better sustainability in the workforce may be achieved towards better skill development in retail. This paper is because engaged employees are core to performance-based, customer satisfaction and long term organisational success in the dynamic Indian retail market.

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