Journal of African Development

Digital commerce creates customer-centred opportunities for competitive advantage. Because of its centrality to customer interactions, employee engagement is recognized as a differentiating factor for successful customer-centred digital strategies. This study focuses on the relationship between employee engagement and customer experience in the context of digital commerce. The study is founded on Employee Engagement Theory, Social Exchange Theory, and the Service-Profit Chain. A quantitative cross-sectional research design is employed in this study. Primary data is collected with a self-administered online survey targeting employees of selected digital commerce organizations. Non-probability convenience sampling yielded 312 responses. Descriptive analysis, reliability analysis, and regression analysis were performed on the data with SPSS. Respondents perceive employee engagement as having a positive impact on customer experience. Employees who are highly engaged are more responsive to customers and provide better service. This study provides employee engagement and customer experience scholarship in the context of digital commerce that is largely unexamined. The results shed light on how managers can better their practices through detailing the role of engaged employees in conjunction with supportive leadership, intentional employee development, and empowerment. Additionally, the results demonstrate how strong and flexible organizational practices can improve customer experiences, create, and sustain competitive advantages in digitally supported marketplaces......