BUSINESS PROJECT SUMMARIES
SPRING 2027
Kyoungyong Kim
Management and Operations
Villanova School of Business
Employee engagement is widely regarded as an important predictor of employee effectiveness. Highly engaged employees are generally expected to invest greater energy and effort in their work, remain more persistent in pursuing their goals, and ultimately perform their jobs more effectively. Despite these theoretical arguments, however, empirical evidence regarding the relationship between employee engagement and employee performance remains fragmented. While prior research has examined the relationship between employee engagement and various forms of individual performance, the findings have been mixed, with some studies reporting positive relationships and others finding weak, nonsignificant, or inconsistent effects across different performance outcomes and organizational contexts. As a result, it remains difficult to develop a clear and comprehensive understanding of the extent to which employee engagement contributes to employee performance.
This issue is theoretically important because employee engagement is often viewed as a central motivational state that encourages employees to devote their physical, cognitive, and emotional resources to their work. Yet, the accumulated evidence has not provided a sufficiently integrated understanding of whether such resource investment consistently translates into better performance. Accordingly, this study seeks to address this gap by providing a more comprehensive examination of the relationship between employee engagement and employee performance.
The MATCH student research assistant will work closely with me and provide support across multiple stages of the research process. Key responsibilities will include reviewing academic literature, assisting with the development and refinement of surveys and questionnaires, entering and managing data, and supporting basic statistical analyses.
Strong attention to detail and an interest in research methods will be important, particularly when assisting with the development of effective research instruments. The student will also help collect, organize, and maintain research data to ensure that it is accurate, well documented, and easily accessible. Depending on the needs of the project, the position may involve conducting statistical analyses using relevant software. Prior experience with statistical analysis is not required, as training and guidance will be provided.
This position offers students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the research process and contribute to ongoing academic projects. It may be particularly valuable for students interested in careers in research or analytics, other professional paths requiring strong critical thinking, communication, and data literacy skills, or graduate school.
Students will have the opportunity to develop a broad range of skills through their involvement in this project. In particular, they will strengthen their critical thinking and conceptual reasoning abilities while gaining practical experience with the research process. Depending on their prior statistical knowledge, students may also further develop their statistical and data analysis skills. These competencies are broadly applicable and provide a valuable foundation for success in both academic and professional settings.