Introduction

The need to enhance employee engagement is growing across all sectors and more so in the IT industry, owing to the low levels of employee engagement worldwide (Gallup Inc and Pendell, 2022a, b). As per the latest report, only 21% of employees are engaged in the workplace, meaning most of the workforce worldwide needs to be more engaged.

The consequences of disengaged employees can be very costly for the organization if this problem is unattended. Even a few disengaged employees can cause disruption and dissatisfaction in the company; as a result, there will be low employee morale, which, in turn, leads to high attrition levels, which is another cause of concern among the management of all the sectors, especially in the IT sector. Employee Engagement and productivity have a direct relationship, and there will be increased costs and reduced returns. This effect does not limit only to the corporates but also to the world economy (Gallup Inc & Pendell, 2022a). State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report states that the working population who are not engaged costs the world $7.8 trillion in lost productivity, equal to 11% of the world’s GDP. This phenomenon must be addressed to combat its effect on the economy (Gallup Inc & Pendell, 2022b).

An alarming 44% of the employees said they were stressed at work. Four Out of 10 employees said they experienced worry during the lot of the day the previous day. Unfortunately, these emotions do not show in the reports of an organization. The companies do not have any matrices to measure and take corrective actions in this context. The problem is that most companies view well-being as purely physical well-being, but beyond that; they need to include other essential dimensions of holistic well-being, such as social, financial, career, and community well-being.

Considering the ill effects of low employee engagement levels, corporations allocate considerable budgets to enhance employee engagement. However, there is a need to analyze whether the initiatives taken by these companies are effective or not. Past research suggests that strengthening the holistic well-being of employees can improve employee engagement (Bureau, 2022). In response to the significant changes in the workplace following COVID-19, organizations are now focusing on holistic employee wellness, according to a report from Advantage Club, a global provider of employee benefits. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the need for well-being has become indispensable. The holistic well-being dimensions include physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Hence the call for evaluating existing employee engagement practices, especially in Bangalore's process-driven IT sector, is a must.

This study aims at investigating various holistic well-being initiatives undertaken by IT and ITES companies in Bangalore city, as a strategy to enhance Employee Engagement, identifying relevant gaps and suggesting suitable interferences to improve employee engagement.

Literature Review & Research Gap

Holistic Well-being

"Health is a condition of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not only the absence of disease or disability," according to the World Health Organization's (WHO) constitution (Constitution of the WHO, 1946). It is apparent from WHO’s definition that health and well-being are holistic. It is just not physical aspects of wellbeing. (National Wellness Institute & Hetler, 2020) Dr. Bill Hettler has created six dimensions of wellness: occupational, physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional well-being (Davis, 2019). Emotional, physical, social, workplace, and social well-being are the five main categories of well-being. To have holistic well-being, one must ensure that all of these types are functioning to an extent (Bevington et al., 2021). As per Deloitte’s report, the dimensions include Spiritual well-being, Social well-being, Physical well-being, Financial well-being, Occupational well-being, Emotional wellbeing. There are various models/ Dimensions of holistic well-being (Darren, 2021). The benefits of the holistic approach to employee wellbeing include enhanced employee engagement, high organizational performance, lesser absence costs, high service quality, and gives a good return on investment.

Employee Engagement

In recent times, the prime concern of several business leaders is nothing but the bottom line, double bottom line, triple bottom line, and most important of all, ‘Employee Engagement.’ It is simply because an efficient employee engagement program ensures sufficient profits with best business practices, encouraging innovation at every step of business. The term ‘ Employee Engagement’ was first used by Mr. William Kahn, a renowned professor of the famous Questrom School of Business at Boston University. It is since then that the word has gained the limelight (Sinclair, 2020). Kahn has identified three main dimensions of employee engagement—Physical engagement—where employees disburse their physical and mental efforts to fulfill the job requirements. Cognitive engagement—where employees are expected to know the importance of vision and strategies and use their knowledge, skill, creativity, and capabilities to enhance their performance and contribute to the growth of an organization. Emotional engagement: When there is an emotional connection between an employee and their employer, it fosters solid interpersonal ties, healthy group dynamics, and effective leadership that gives employees a sense of security and trust. The employees are classified into three main groups based on their engagement levels. First and foremost, "engaged employees" are strongly invested in and excited about their work and workplace; they perform well and contribute to the company's success. Secondly, 'not engaged employees are not attached psychologically to their job and organization, they spend time at work, but they do not showcase passion in their work. Lastly, 'actively disengaged employees are the ones who are just unhappy at work; they are indignant that the company does not fulfill their needs (Gallup, 2020).

Employee satisfaction and engagement are the two constructs used interchangeably, but they operate in different contexts. Employee satisfaction is where the employees enjoy their work and are not concerned much about the organization contributing their efforts to the extent of compensation received. While employee engagement is much beyond that, they are committed to helping the company achieve its goal (Reynolds, 2016). Employees that are happy with their jobs may perform well, but they might never go above and beyond what is required of them. However, engaged staff members are not only content with their positions but are continuously thinking of ways to advance the company.

Studies on Employee Engagement and Various Factors Impacting Employee Engagement Including Dimensions of Holistic Wellbeing

(Grace, 2021) American psychological Association undertook a study in 2016 which showcased 89 percent of employees mentioned their company culture was in place and 91 percent said they were motivated to work better because the company undertook workplace wellness programs.

Employers must encourage positive mental wellbeing because it has a substantial impact on employee wellbeing and affects one in four people at some time in their lives. (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) UK, 2021). A survey of 2009 employees in the UK revealed that 56 percent of employees had experienced mental health or wellbeing issues, and 80 percent of people said their work was impacted. About 67 percent admitted that they did not inform their employer about their mental health problems. Twenty-three percent said they were too embarrassed, and 24 percent feared it would affect their career (Maggie Baska, & CIPD- UK, 2019). Employee engagement was examined in the study by (Shuck & Reio, 2014) to determine whether it moderated the relationships between psychological workplace climate and personal accomplishment, depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and psychological wellbeing. Their findings showed that employees with higher engagement displayed personal accomplishment and higher psychological wellbeing, while employees with lower engagement displayed depersonalization. According to (Osam et al., 2020), psychological climate, engagement, and well-being are all positively correlated, and employee engagement acts as a mediating factor in the link between wellbeing and psychological climate (Shuck & Reio, 2014). Despite the obvious potential connections between psychological office atmosphere, employee engagement, and wellbeing, these connections still need to be documented (Soh et al., 2016). According to their study's findings, psychological stability and perceived organisational support were found to be important determinants of wellbeing (Gupta & Shaheen, 2018). The results show that Psychological Capital positively impacts employee engagement levels to General wellbeing and Control at work. The results provide support for the broaden-and-build idea by demonstrating how workplace optimism can help motivated employees increase their control and well-being. Employee engagement and workplace happiness are greatly impacted by employees' perceptions of total incentives, according to a survey of 201 employees done by (Gulyani & Sharma, 2018). Job happiness was positively correlated with employee engagement, which also served as a mediator between work happiness and perceptions of overall rewards.

The results of (Jaharuddin & Zainol, 2019) study show a connection between work-life issues, job engagement, and intention to leave. Additionally, it showed a strong link between employee engagement and intention to leave. However, there was no evidence of a mediator impact of employee engagement between work-life balance and desire to leave (Joo & Lee, 2017). Employees exhibited high levels of engagement, job happiness, and overall wellbeing when they had higher Perceived Organizational Support and Psychological Capital. The link between psychological capital and job happiness was moderated by employee involvement. Through professional satisfaction, perceived organisational support had a secondary impact on subjective well-being. Career satisfaction relationships among the three outcome variables proved to fully moderate the link between work engagement and subjective wellbeing (Ongore, 2014). In there study they have attempted to establish association between personality traits and employee engagement. There are some studies on wellbeing initiatives and employee engagement (Dowling, 2015). The researcher has found out that in the Irish Private Sector employers are undertaking health and wellbeing initiatives, and it has an impact on Employee Engagement, especially on Generation Y Employees. "Employee engagement is increasingly becoming a focus for many organisations in the post-pandemic period as it has proven to favourably influence productivity and the entire employee experience at the workplace," it stated (Kämäräinen, 2019). Even while physical activity has drawbacks, it has a good effect on workers' wellbeing. An employee's physical, psychological, and social wellness are all impacted by an active lifestyle, with the psychological impact standing out. Depending on a person's tastes and qualities, physical exercise and a company's health programmes might have different effects. Health initiatives positively affect employee engagement even if different employees have varying perspectives toward wellness programmes (Grace, 2021). The impact of holistic wellbeing initiatives can have on the organization are it increases productivity, increases employee engagement, reduces absenteeism, reduces stress, and improves employee morale. Renee Baptiste (2008) has discovered through a survey that the HRM methods used in public sector organisations have a considerable impact on employee welfare at work. The goals of holistic development and welfare should be the health of the body, mind, and spirit. Psychological wellbeing ensures both positive thinking and mental health.

Research Gap

The literature review has identified specific research gaps concerning employee engagement. There has been a sufficient study on various independent variables such as emotional intelligence, salary, rewards, transformational leadership, organizational image, job clarity, and well-being in the sense of only mental well-being. A dearth of studies indicates a linkage or relationship between employees’ holistic well-being and employee engagement. Holistic well-being is when an employee is active at the physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual levels (Shuck & Reio, 2014). Limited studies have measured the linkages between khan’s employee engagement and well-being in the context of organizational studies. None examined the various employee engagement initiatives of Information Technology (IT) companies in Bangalore city from the point of view of holistic well-being and its impact on employee engagement.

Purpose of the Study

This qualitative research aims at investigating various employee engagement initiatives undertaken by the IT companies of Bangalore city concerning holistic wellness and understanding its impact on employee engagement. Through this thematic analysis, the study intends to examine the gaps and suggest efficient strategies that are important to overall employees’ wellbeing, eventually leading to efficient employee engagement.

Methodology

Research Design

The influence of Bangalore IT businesses' holistic well-being initiatives on employee engagement has been studied through a qualitative study. Qualitative research is a way to investigate and comprehend the significance that people or groups assign to a social issue or human concern (Creswell, 2014). Thematic Analysis is one of the several qualitative research methodologies employed in this study (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Thematic analysis (TA) is a methodological approach for locating, examining, and summarising themes or patterns within data. It meticulously arranges and summarises the data set. But it also analyses several facets of the research issue (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Thematic analysis is a versatile method because, unlike other qualitative methodologies, it is not constrained by a certain epistemological or theoretical perspective (Maguire & Delahunt, 2017).

Semi structured In-depth interview was conducted to gather the information. In social qualitative interviews semi standardised interviews are widely used (Flick et al., 2004).

Sample Recruitment

The data were collected from ten IT employees working at the senior level having a minimum of 5 years of work experience in the same organization, which according to (Creswell, 2014) suggestion of 5–25 individuals. Thirteen employees were contacted out of that ten employees agreed to be interviewed (Chamberlaain, 2013). More interviews does not denote a rigorous study, very little data can provide rich insight (Vasileiou et al., 2018). According to the pragmatic guiding concept of "information power," the smaller the sample size, the more information the sample delivers. Participants willing to give detailed descriptions of their lived experiences about holistic well-being and employee engagement were selected. The participants were recruited through referrals from the personal and professional network of the researcher (Table 1).

Table 1 Profile of the respondents
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Locale of the Study

This study was focussed on IT employees in Bangalore city. The city known as the IT hub in the country has also secured its place in global statistics. (Deccan Herald, 2022) Research from Dealroom.co for London & Partners reveals that Bangalore is ranked 5th worldwide for tech venture capital investment in 2022.

Data Collection

Interviews of participants were conducted over a call on an agreed date and time. The participants were asked open-ended questions to understand and gather their opinion about employee engagement practices and holistic well-being in their organizations. The questions based on holistic well-being dimensions, such as physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing initiatives and employee engagement practices, were recorded with the participant’s consent assuring anonymity. The recorded interviews were transcribed and documented using the Microsoft Office suite for further analysis.

Data Analysis

Computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) was used for data analysis. In academia, it holds a good reputation for qualitative data analysis (Baugh, 2010). Unlike statistical software, CAQDAS does not actually perform analysis; it only helps manage the data, codes them, and performs specific functions such as word frequency calculation, auto codes, etc., which aids research. There are multiple soft wares; for this study, NVIVO was used. It is an internationally famous tool that can be applied to text and media data; it provides a range of visual analytic representations (Saldana, 2020).

For data analysis (Braun & Clarke's, 2006) six phase steps were adopted (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1
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illustrates the procedures of data analysis

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Phase 1: Familiarising Yourself with your Data

First, the interview of all the participants was transcribed. Active and repeated reading of transcripts helped to immerse into the length and breadth of the data corpus. This step was essential before coding, as identification of patterns was possible.

Phase 2: Generating Initial Codes

In this phase the data was organised in a systematic way (Jansen, 2020). A label that describes the content is known as a code, and qualitative data coding is used to create and allocate codes to classify data extracts. By coding, the data was reduced to small meaningful chunks (Creswell, 2014). Hybrid coding was used; the study began with a deductive approach keeping employee engagement and the five dimensions of Holistic well-being (Physical, psychological, social, financial, and spiritual) as a framework which was derived from the literature review and working through the data new codes were added in an inductive approach. A combination of Inductive and deductive coding is known as a hybrid approach (Jansen, 2020). To generate initial codes line by line coding was followed in order to add more details to the code.

Phase 3: Searching for Themes

A theme is a pattern that encapsulates what is significant or intriguing about the data. A total of 164 initial codes were generated, and during this phase, the analysis was concentrated on themes at a more general level. A few codes were combined, improved, and split up, or they were eliminated.

Phase 4: Reviewing Themes

During this phase, the preliminary themes were reviewed and modified. The themes generated were Employee Engagement, Physical well-being, Psychological well-being (Mental and emotional were combined under this theme), Social Well-being, Financial Well-being, and Spiritual well-being.

Phase 5: Defining and Naming Themes

The goal was to "…identify and further refine the themes that you will provide for your study, then analyse the data within them." This was the last stage of theme development (Braun & Clarke, 2006). At this phase it was easy to describe each theme clearly.

Phase 6: Producing the Report

The last stage in thematic analysis is writing the report. Keeping all the essentials of report writing, this research paper was drafted.

Trustworthiness and Authenticity

Unlike quantitative research, elements of reliability and validity cannot be checked in qualitative research; hence, researchers have suggested alternative criteria of trustworthiness and authenticity for evaluating qualitative research (Bryman & Bell, 2011). Substantial steps were followed to fulfil this study's trustworthiness and authenticity criteria. Accord of all the participants was taken for the interview, the privacy and anonymity were guaranteed. The identifying information concerning the participants was not included in the report, and permission was sought for the details included in the report. The participants had the freedom to withdraw from the interview at any given point in time (Bryman & Bell, 2011). Individual respondent’s approval over their respective interview transcripts were received to ensure credibility of the findings after the analysis. This was essential for incorporating trust and authenticity in this research. Without using false statements, incorrect interpretations, or dishonest analysis, the data were examined.

Results and Discussion

Data gathered from the participants are analysed and presented with the following interpretation and discussion: -

Holistic Wellbeing & Employee Engagement

From the available literature review, it is evident that there is no standard definition of holistic well-being. Multiple views about holistic well-being dimensions vary from author to author. Therefore, through common consensus drawn from various studies, the five dimensions chosen for the study are, Physical, Psychological (Mental & Emotional), Social, Financial, and Spiritual. The codes generated from the transcripts were deductively assigned to these overarching themes for holistic well-being and employee engagement. Employees' emotional commitment toward their organization and their actions to ensure its success is employee engagement; When employees are engaged, they demonstrate care, dedication, enthusiasm, and accountability (Allen, 2014). Employee engagement is a complex fix; to drive and sustain it, every leader inside the firm must devote time, energy, and dedication. A staff survey tool, a change in the current procedure, a motivating training course, or an HR initiative can achieve it (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2
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Dimensions of holistic wellbeing

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The interviews elicit participants' views about the concept of holistic well-being, the considered dimensions, and its effect on employee engagement. It is subjective, as individual answers are based on exposure and experience. A few needed to be made aware of the actual meaning of holistic well-being and employee engagement, while most could express their views. Physical, mental, and emotional dimensions are commonly considered part of well-being. Only one respondent considered spiritual well-being important. Employees were aware of the activities conducted in their respective organizations regarding employee engagement and its importance.

Thematic Statements on Employee Engagement

Four times a year, we conduct an employee engagement survey. We have a measurement scale designed, which we send to the employees to fill up. We take measures to improve employee engagement based on the results, and our company has very effective employee engagement practices.

I firmly believe that holistic well-being is imperative, and it has an impact on employee engagement.

The things that I consider to stay back in the organization primarily will be the monetary benefits; of course, anybody would look forward to the compensation they are getting, such as variable pay and the incentives the company gives away. But also, the equally important, if not more for me, will be the human-related aspects, like how the people's culture is, Employee Engagement in the company, is employee wellbeing is taken care of, etc.,

Thematic Statements on Holistic wellbeing

I believe holistic well-being covers all aspects of life. Our organization has had activities where we focus on mind, body, heart, and soul.

In my view, when you feel satisfied with your life and company, you concentrate on yourself, your health, and especially your mental Wellness is essential, and that is what contributes to holistic wellbeing.

Holistic itself means complete. You know, things that matter the most, right? So holistic is overall well-being in terms of emotional, mental, and physical well-being.

It is holistic, including everything your mental, physical, spiritual, and personal. So you consider everything here.

Honestly, all the dimensions of well-being are essential because you cannot show up to work if you are not physically strong. If you're not mentally strong and physically present, you cannot give your 100%. So I guess physical, and mental goes hand in hand.

Physical Wellbeing and its Impact on Employee Engagement

The bodily aspect of health is referred to as physical wellbeing. It recognizes the need for regular physical activity and healthy eating habits. If physical health is not maintained well, other forms of health will also be impacted (Harris, 2019). As per the study 90% of employees with poor physical wellness showcase poor mental wellness (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3
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Themes on physical wellbeing

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Thematic Statements on Physical wellbeing Initiatives

From the last two years, it has been virtual work; otherwise, before that, the employees could go to the area which is for recreation and play with hula hoop and skipping rope, etc.,

Our organization also has a tie-up with a fitness center, and employees were offered a free subscription for the online classes; when working from the office, we had a proper gym to work out.

We have online yoga sessions and Zumba organized by our company, and it is very effective, especially during a pandemic.

There are regular sessions by experts like nutritionists, doctors, etc., who talk about taking care of our health. We also have health check-ups.

We have medical insurance, including life insurance and an accidental health care policy, which is covered. Our organization contributes a particular sum, and the rest is born by the employee. It is not only for an employee but also for immediate dependents.

They conduct sports activities every quarter. So we have cricket, football, basketball, and tennis there. My organization organized a 10 K marathon run; I took part in it was great.

Psychological Wellbeing and Employee Engagement

Psychological wellbeing (PWB) means positive mental states, such as happiness or satisfaction. Positive emotions and feelings of happiness are the two facets of psychological wellbeing (dbdadmin, 2018). Considering that mental and emotional well-being are very closely related terms and only a thin line of difference exists, in this study, we have analyzed these two dimensions under the broader term psychological wellbeing (Fig. 4).

Fig. 4
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Themes on psychological wellbeing

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Thematic Statements on Psychological Wellbeing

We have newsletters and town halls and celebrate special occasions like women's day. We send out some gifts, and because it is work from home, we send some gifts to their family at their residential location. Another thing we have in our organization is announcing the promotion through the family member. When an individual is promoted, the supervisor will call the Person's family; of course, we have the database, call them, and announce the promotion. The employee will get to know about it from their family members, and they feel extraordinary.

We send out mailers wishing them on their birthday service anniversaries. Or when they join our Team as well.

We had arranged mental well-being sessions where the employees were asked to write letters to their loved ones.

The pandemic has not only impacted people physically, but it also had a significant impact on mental well-being. So, my organization has introduced something called counseling services, And there are several—apps that are free of cost. So we can chat with them or call them and discuss what is going on, and we can always seek help whether You are feeling low or happy. It would be best if you had somebody to talk to, and that will be kept confidential.

My company emphasizes employees and not just the business or expense side, especially during the pandemic. During the previous two years, it has been trying to support us in all possible ways; while many companies have suffered losses for one or more terms, my company has stepped up to makesure that their employees, and their families, were taken care of.

They ensured that all of the medical supplies were provided to people in need—arranging vaccination camps and ensuring that all the employees were safe.

Thematic Statements on Psychological Wellbeing

And I believe the last two years are when the company's actual value is realized. It has uplifted people now more than before. We feel emotionally connected and have a sense of belonging company.

A couple of times a month, comedy shows are organized virtually, and we sit with our family and enjoy; thanks to this initiative, we spend quality time as a family in the evenings and get away with all stress and tensions.

There is a childcare facility at work; in between work, I take breaks to attend to my child, and my Team is very supportive. Knowing your child is in the same building and taken care of is such emotional support; hence I can concentrate on my work.

Firstly, I prioritize work-life balance, and my company takes care of it very well; that's why I have been working with the current organisation for more than ten years. Secondly, my colleagues are good, and I have encouraging managers.

Social Wellbeing and Employee Engagement

A key component of holistic well-being is social well-being, which is particularly important at the workplace. It is defined as a sense of inclusion and belonging, alignment with corporate values, regular social engagement, and close relationships with coworkers (Peoplevalue, 2021) (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5
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Themes on social wellbeing

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Thematic Statements on Social Wellbeing

When we were working from the office, we used to gather for team lunch and team building activities. Then during the pandemic situation, now you know, we ensure that we are on a video call, and sometimes we catch up on a coffee or get our food, and then we have it together.

Apart from that, we played tombola and had activities like guessing and winning. Since cricket is famous in India, they must Predict who will be the man of the match or the winner of the match, and then they get awarded; we provide them with the Amazon voucher.

If people are not good, your morale is impacted; you will not be as productive as you can. If people are reasonable, you feel motivated to deliver more. So, people play a huge role.

We have regular get-togethers, each team celebrates a Family Day, they can get their family to the office, and you get to know your team members' families. The parents would be interested to see your workspace; they feel happy. This social event brings happiness to my colleagues and their family members.

There is a great cafeteria, take time off as a team and socialize, and there are indoor games, which helps us bond well with our colleagues. There are team outings; we often go to a resort or a short trip, maybe a couple of times a year.

Financial Wellbeing and Employee Engagement

Financial wellbeing is defined as the capacity of an individual to satisfy current and future financial obligations, feel confident about their financial future, and be able to make decisions that allow them to live life to the fullest (TWOWP, 2020). As per the financial wellness report of (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2020). According to 58% of workers, financial issues are the main source of stress and distraction at work (Fig. 6).

Fig. 6
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Themes on financial wellbeing

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Thematic Statements on Financial Wellbeing

So there are a lot of rewards and recognition categories that come in hand. You know those rewards and recognitions are put forth, and how these ceremonies are conducted is inspiring and encouraging. Also, there are a lot of encouraging words that we get to hear from our higher-ups and from our onshore people with who we are working very closely with who are based out of another country, so everybody comes together, posting the words of encouragement for whatever hard work that we have put in, we feel recognized for that. But in the end, of course, the monetary benefits or the rewards that we get are equally important along with, you know, the other things that keep happening and my company makes sure that they pay salaries on par with the competitors.

We conduct several activities. To start with, we have several award programs that we give away to recognize the employees for their hard work and ensure that we give recognition in a timely fashion. So, when I talk about recognition or awards, it includes appreciation; several awards also have points, and people can shop online with them. And the appreciation gets marked to the entire team, so of course, it improves the employees' morale when they are recognized.

Spiritual Wellbeing

The spiritual dimension identifies our pursuit of meaning and purpose in human life (Totade, 2022). The spiritual dimension of well-being is more to do with an individual personality. It means to connect deeply with yourself and with the world around you. It is not short-term happiness that material things bring into one's life. It is long-term happiness, which includes doing good for society, bringing in positivity, and appreciating it with gratitude. Spiritual wellbeing may or may not include religious views, as religion is one's personal choice.

The themes for spiritual wellbeing are CSR activities, Meditation sessions, following ethics, and giving back to society.

Thematic Statements on Spiritual Wellbeing

We have meditation calls set up in the morning and evening. People are from different shifts; they can be part of the calls that suit their timings and be part of the meditation process.

And then, we also have a CSR activity; we initiated this year: we decided to sponsor a girl child's education for two years and pooled funds for it.

There are many CSR activities where we paint the public schools and clean rivers, create awareness of not using plastic bags and not only create awareness but also stitch cloth bags and provide to the needy people.

Validation of the Themes Through Auto Coded Word Cloud

The transcripts were coded manually, and themes were generated, reviewed, and reported. One of the ways of validating themes is through the word cloud generated in NVIVO through the auto code function. The size of the words depends upon the frequency of the word usage in the transcripts. The auto-coded themes were compared with the manual codes, and significant words were similar except for a few generic words. Below is the auto-coded word cloud:

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Discussions

Research on Employee Engagement and holistic well-being has received considerable attention in management. Past research suggests that there are multiple drivers of employee engagement. Anitha (2014) that have empirically tested and found a few valid determinants: work environment, leadership, team and co-worker, training and career development compensation, organizational policies, and workplace wellbeing. There are multiple studies on all the determinants except the well-being aspect where minimum studies are done; hence in this study, the focus is only on holistic wellbeing as a determinant of employee engagement. Holistic wellbeing is a broad concept covering many other determinants within itself.

Analysis of the result presents a need for more knowledge and understanding about holistic well-being and employee engagement. Most respondents understood holistic well-being as physical and mental well-being; in general, the other dimensions are ignored. But they are critical to the overall well-being of a person.

Our research findings establish that the companies are aware of the importance of physical well-being, and they have many initiatives to enhance this dimension of well-being, such as gyms, Yoga, Zumba, sports, and sessions on diet and nutrition. They also organize marathons and cyclothons; it keeps them fit and helps them enjoy the entire event. The insurance coverage gives them peace of mind about their medical expenses. Only a few companies offer free full-body health checkups. Diagnosing illness at an early stage is essential so that any disease can be reversed. The suggestion is that health checkups should be accessible to employees.

From the study analysis, it is clear that many themes have evolved from the questions elicited from the psychological dimension of wellbeing; this signifies that companies now have started giving importance to mental and emotional wellbeing. This dimension is very subjective; cannot improve only from the initiatives; certain things, such as love, care, trust, a sense of belongingness, etc., can be achieved through behavioral traits of leaders, managers, and people working in the company. Organizational culture plays a significant role here. The company, however, has specific initiatives such as providing work-life balance, having counselors and therapists on board, mental wellbeing sessions, childcare facilities, recognizing their hard work and awarding them on a timely basis, etc.; these initiatives directly or indirectly result in enhanced psychological wellbeing.

Companies usually set aside a budget for conducting social events to enhance social well-being. Team outings, lunches, dinners, ethnic days, festivals, and family fun days are very common in the IT companies of Bangalore city. The cafeteria, indoor games, and team-building activities unite the employees and strengthen their relationships. There is a belief that employees leave an organization not because of the company but because of people's problems, such as conflicts and differences among the people in the company. The organizations can work around and introduce more programs that alter employees' personality traits so that they are close to each other and support one another in achieving organizational objectives. The virtual work environment has posed a significant challenge to conducting these; thanks to technology, IT companies quickly adapted to the change to give their best to the employees.

There was hesitation from a few employees to speak about their financial well-being; however, with the discussion, it was evident that most of them were happy about their financial position. The companies in the IT sector keep their remuneration structure to the market standards and are pretty competitive to avoid attrition problems; this is one of the employee retention policies. Salaries, perks, rewards and recognition, incentives, etc., are planned well to keep employees happy. Still, a few employees expressed dissatisfaction and said it could have been better. Though not openly spoken, it was clear that apart from all the initiatives of employee engagement, monetary benefits play a significant role in retaining employees. Only a few authors have included the financial aspect as a part of Holistic well-being. During the course of the discussion, the researcher felt a need to include this as a dimension of holistic well-being.

A significant study finding is that corporates ignore the spiritual well-being aspect. Though past research suggests that spiritual well-being is critical in one's life and, more importantly, in the workplace, companies have yet to have any specific initiatives to uplift this crucial dimension of holistic well-being. The word spiritual is often misinterpreted; it is usually associated with religious beliefs, while it is beyond that; it is to do with one's own life, such as their meaning and purpose of life, caring towards society, etc. Some initiatives, such as corporate social responsibility, yoga, meditation, etc., enhance spiritual intelligence. Since the work pattern has changed, from working for physical office spaces to completing online to hybrid, the companies need to devise well-thought-out strategies to implement initiatives suitable for changing work patterns.

Theoretical Contributions

This research contributes to the existing theoretical knowledge base in the field of Holistic well-being and employee engagement. There have been varied views on the dimensions of holistic well-being, and there is no agreeable definition of the term. In this study, there has been an attempt to bring consensus from the available literature and the data collected from the participants through in-depth interviews. (WHO) World Health Organisation's definition of health includes Physical, Mental, and social wellbeing. In this research, we have included Physical, Psychological (mental and emotional), and Social, Financial and Spiritual wellbeing. This framework can be considered for measuring holistic well-being. There are studies concerning employee engagement and its drivers such as remuneration, work environment, leadership, rewards, recognition, etc. There is dearth of studies on the impact of wellbeing on employee engagement and very minimum studies on holistic wellbeing with all the dimensions and employee engagement. This qualitative research can be used as a foundation to develop empirical or quantitative research to strengthen the validity and reliability of any study in this area of research.

Managerial Implications

In the world of work, there have been complex changes due to environmental pressures; employers now need to think carefully and frame their health and wellbeing strategies.

This study provides an overview of holistic wellbeing initiatives undertaken by the IT companies in Bangalore city. The companies focus on Physical, psychological and social wellbeing, there is a need to include spiritual wellbeing also as a part of their wellbeing strategies. There is a need to look at the wellbeing initiatives from a holistic approach, including physical and psychological aspects (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), 2021). Wellbeing is a significant responsibility of the organization towards its employees; if the employees are healthy, they impact the organization positively. Health, happiness, and prosperity constitute wellbeing (Bevington et al., 2021).

Many companies approve that employee well-being is a primary component of their employee experience. Still, there is often a feeling that prioritizing well-being means leaders should decide between well-being and other business necessities, now it is high time that the companies start to have well planned wellbeing initiatives (Miller, 2021).

The other is also true, poor employee engagement will lead to decrease in productivity and employee engagement. The Moderation model of (Shuck & Reio, 2014) is a testimonial for that (Bureau, 2022). Sourabh Deorah, Co-Founder & CEO, said that all the industries are witnessing a lot of change in the work environment, in such situation investing in employee wellness and employee engagement programs can help attracting and retaining talent.

Societal Implications

This study emphasizes on impact of holistic wellbeing on employee engagement. If all the companies devise effective wellbeing initiatives, it will help a significant portion of the world population to be healthy. According to International Labour Organisation (ILO) report, there is more than 630 million workforce. This initiative can help our society achieve the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG); Ensure Healthy Lives and promote wellbeing for all ages (Martin & United Nations- SDG, 2016).

Conclusion

This qualitative research contributes conceptually and theoretically to the field of holistic wellbeing and employee engagement. The results of this thematic analysis can be used not only by the management of IT companies but across sectors to develop holistic wellbeing initiatives as a tool to enhance employee engagement. The holistic wellbeing of employees ensures a high level of job satisfaction and employee engagement. Along with managerial implications, this study also contributes to society by giving a way to address the health and wellbeing aspect.

This study has a few limitations; the data was collected only from ten employees, and the insights gathered may not represent the whole population. There is an element of subjectivity in qualitative data, which limits reliability and validity. However, there have been measures taken to overcome this. The geographical limitation is that it was restricted only to Bangalore city. Only five dimensions were considered: physical, psychological, social, financial, and Spiritual wellbeing. The data was collected from employees of large IT firms with tenure of more than five years; this experience could be different in start-ups and fresher in the field.

Future studies can include other dimensions such as occupational well-being, Societal well-being, etc. Future researchers can include other sectors to investigate holistic well-being initiatives and employee engagement. They can also consider additional variables such as job satisfaction and intent to Quit (ITQ). A quantitative study on the same topic can be more valid and reliable.