The Engagement Equation: Leadership Strategies for an Inspired Workforce, by Christopher Rice, Fraser Marlow, and Mary Ann Masarech. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2012. ISBN: 978‐1‐118‐30835‐6 (hardcover); 306 pages; $27.95.

• Author: Lisa‐Anne Ferris
• Published date: 01 September 2013
• Date: 01 September 2013
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21166

The Engagement Equation: Leadership Strategies for an Inspired Workforce,

by Christopher Rice, Fraser Marlow, and Mary Ann Masarech. Hoboken, NJ:

Wiley, 2012. ISBN: 978-1-118-30835-6 (hardcover); 306 pages; $27.95.

The purpose of The Engagement Equation: Leadership Strategies for an Inspired

Workforce is to explain, in detail, the foundation of employee engagement

through a blended employee/organizational perspective, personal accounts,

and global business and industry case studies and examples. The authors, all

of whom have integral roles in the global consulting firm BlessingWhite

(Christopher Rice, CEO; Frasier Marlow, VP of Marketing and Research; and

Mary Ann Masarech, Employee Engagement Practice Leader), believe, through

their own research, experience, and practice, that employee engagement can

be explained through an equation that balances the roles and responsibilities

of both individual employees at all levels of the organization, and the organi-

zation itself. Rice and his coauthors explain that the engagement equation is a

balance between the maximum contribution of the organization and the maxi-

mum satisfaction of the employee. It is through this equation that engagement

can reach its highest potential. When an employee is fully engaged and bal-

anced within this equation, it is a win–win scenario for both the individual

and organization regarding goal achievement and organizational outcomes,

among other effects.

Although the primary audience for this book is organizational leaders,

mainly at the executive level of organizations, the secondary audience is

all members of an organization who can benefi t from reading this book just as

much as the focal audience. As a central theme of the book, engagement

should be strong in all sectors of an organization, and alignment between

individuals and the organization is crucial. The starting point for an engaged

workforce, whether one is at the executive level or on the front line, is gauging

one’s own level of engagement and having knowledge of the organization’s

mission and values. Employee engagement means satisfaction and contribu-

tion, according to the authors of this book, and it is a constant process that

needs attention every day.

The Engagement Equation discusses important topics surrounding

employee engagement and how to create the environment to produce engaged

workers and increase organizational productivity. Three major themes were

consistent throughout this book and created the basis for the content

described. The fi rst theme was the engagement equation that set the tone for

the book and is featured on the cover art. According to Rice and his coau-

thors, engagement equals maximum satisfaction plus maximum contribution

MEDIA REVIEW

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY, vol. 24, no. 3, Fall 2013 © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) • DOI: 10.1002/hrdq.21166 413