Final answer:
Employee engagement is an individual's emotional and cognitive motivation towards work-related goals. It is a strong predictor of employee performance and is influenced by various factors.
Step-by-step explanation:
a) Employee engagement.
Employee engagement goes beyond mere satisfaction or performance; it involves a deep connection and commitment to the organization's mission and goals. It reflects the extent to which employees invest themselves in their work, feel a sense of belonging, and are motivated to contribute actively to the organization's success. Engaged employees are emotionally committed, exert discretionary effort, and are driven by a genuine interest in achieving both personal and organizational goals. This concept aligns with the idea of goal-directed behavior (option c) as engaged employees exhibit purposeful efforts directed toward specific work-related objectives. Contrastingly, employee satisfaction (option b) might indicate contentment with one's job but doesn't necessarily capture the proactive, goal-oriented nature inherent in employee engagement. Additionally, employee performance (option d) is a broader term that encompasses various aspects of work output but may not fully capture the intrinsic motivation and passion associated with engagement. The mention of the "Hierarchy of employee needs" (option e) is likely a reference to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, a psychological theory explaining human motivation, but it is not directly applicable to the question of individual effort and engagement in the workplace.