Raising the Standard of Employee Satisfaction - Research Paper Example

Methodology and Data Collection Selection of the Research Methodology The design of the study was an action research and the scope was restricted to the company. That meant that only people with a relationship with the company in terms of employment were viable. The research methodology included both primary and secondary data collection methods. There was the preparation of questionnaires that had closed and open-ended questions. A summarized version of the questionnaires was used for the face-to-face and telephone interviews conducted with the staff members and it was mostly the collection of qualitative data with a streak of quantitative data. The purpose of the scope of the research on the ABCD Company was to raise the standard of employee satisfaction within all the eight fields of the company. It was also done to ensure that the company seized a majority of the market for natural gas (amidst the competition) because of the rising demand of natural gas and the increased discovery of oil reserves[Tra16]. The accomplishments were meant to ensure that the company does not succumb to the threats the drop in natural gas prices. It was meant to ensure that the company maintained and even better, increased the annual profits. The design of the research methodology was done with the help of the supply chain manager because it is he that was available for the discussion at the time. The manager also helped with the official consultations with the entire board of managers. He also helped to inform the employees about the upcoming research and urged for their active participation. The considerations were made because of the implications that follow the lack of ethical considerations before a research. The possible consequences include the possibility of sanctions as a result of the breach of protocol[Ala16]. The tools used during the research included questionnaires and interviews. The research chose the random sampling method in the selection of a sample of employees in the project quality and Control Department. Sixty employees were randomly picked from the employee list provided by the company that had 600 employees. There was also the collection of data during a meeting with the six managers of the company. Similarly structured questionnaires were sent to each of the sixty employees through emails. Three days were set apart for the interviews with some of the employees and the managers. There was the deliberate structuring of short questionnaires to avoid cases of unanswered questionnaires and hastily answered questionnaires. Organizational Characteristics The study adopted organizational characteristics such as the size of the company and all the branches associated with the company, the type of the industry, and the ownership of the company. There was also the measure of the degree of innovation in the company and the company culture. The type of information flow in the company was considered with the issue of employee involvement in decision-making in mind. The ABCD Company was the subordinate company of the AD Company. It was also ranked as the subordinate company with the highest production of oil and gas within the AD Company with a total of 60% of the total production. Data Collection Questionnaires The questionnaires were sent out to the company members two months before the scheduled meeting for the face-to-face interviews. The reason they were sent so early despite the fact that they were short questionnaires was to ensure the timely return of the questionnaires without putting any pressure on the respondents. The emails were sent out on the 5th, 14th, and 24th of the month of February. I arrived on those dates because they are the dates when the employees of the ABS Company take their monthly days off in batches. During those days, the employees going for the day off always send a report to their supervisors and in turn receive emails from the supervisors. It was, therefore, guaranteed that the employees would read the emails on at least one of the three days in the month of February. The samples were random and we were not sure which employees. Sending the emails thrice also served as a reminder for those that had yet to send back the surveys. The dates targeted the days when the employees took the day off. It was, therefore, almost guaranteed that they had the time to answer the questionnaire. The timing of sending the emails was important because of the likelihood of maximum participation with timely response rates and quality responses, especially for the open-ended questions. Some of the important factors of good timing ensures that all the people are in a position to read the emails and remember to respond to them[Che13]. According to research, it is best to launch the email invites on Friday evenings, or the evenings of the beginning of their free days. That is because the employees wind up their work and check their emails and social sites messages to see what they missed out at that time. It is at that same time that they remember to respond to such messages and questionnaires because they have some free time during the weekends[Flu15]. Interviews The interviews for the employees were conducted in groups. The employees formed focus groups where the researcher led the thirty-minute session by asking questions analyzed from the questions in the questionnaire and recording the detailed information. The questions asked during the interview, however, were more general and meant for the quantitative collection of data. However, there were qualitative aspects whereby the employees would enquire from each other and agree on the common issues and the best possible way to address them. Notes were recorded during the discussions of the managers among the employees. It was an indication of the relationship between the employees and the management. Meeting for the Managers The meeting was one organized by the managers to address the company-related issues. They allowed members of the research team to join the meeting and take the relevant notes. The members of the research team were also allowed to ask a few questions after the end of the meeting for enquiry and clarification. The reason I chose the meeting setting was to get answers from the perspective of the managers. The selected methodology was preferred because of the need to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The use of questionnaires for the employees, for example, helped in ensuring the complete and most probably honest responses. That is because the questionnaires provided a sense of privacy and since they were anonymous, the employees had no reason to fear for the termination of their jobs because of their responses. The sample size seemed like a reasonably generous representative of the company which had 600 employees. It was a 10% representative of the entire population. Research The research consisted of a 96% confidence level. There was cooperation by 99% of the respondents with only one case of a spoiled response whereby the PDF file was infected with a virus. The respondent was informed about the situation but they never replied to the request to re-send another response of the emailed questionnaire. Content of the Questionnaires 1) Describe your generic category of production The response was that the services category consisted of 60% and that of the processed material consisted of 25%. 2) What is your position within the company and what duties are associated with your job description? A majority of employees within the same fields of duty gave similar descriptions of their job titles but different duties of their jobs. Only 24% described their duties as outlined in the official job description provided by the manager. The other 76% gave varied descriptions with several similarities amongst the different descriptions. 3) Do you know about areas of the organizational operations that are already computerized? Operational functions A 90% knew the areas that were computerized in the operational functions whereas 10 % were unsure of which specific areas of the operational functions were computerized. A 100 % knew the administrative functions that were computerized in adherence to the ISO 9000 standards. 4) Describe your educational background and the subsequent feelings of qualification for the responsibilities associated with your job. According to the responses, 60% of the employees that worked in the Assets Management department had a secondary school education and 40% had a college degree and they felt qualified for the job. The TPI contractors, however, felt unskilled for the duties (51%), especially since the ABCD and undergone numerous changes that involved the use of new machines for the work. They felt left behind by the technological advancement and the subsequent feeling of neglect because of the lack of consideration for training by the management 5) What is the extent of the application of the quality related practices and software? a) Excellent 22% b) Average 46% d) Not sure 32% 6) Do you think you get all you need in terms of personal skills to perform your duties with the changes brought by the incorporation of ISO9000? There was the question about the sense of contentment with their skills for the roles of their jobs and whether the management did anything to improve skills only 47% felt content with their skills, 26 % expressed discontent with their skills and 27% were unsure of their competence. The question on the contentment with personal skills for the positions were specially designed for the TPI contractors whereas the other employees were required to answer on whether they think the TPI contractors are capable of their duties. 7) Do you think the management is committed to the overall implementation of the ISO900 standards to ensure quality management? A 27 % said the managers were very committed, 46% said they were partially committed whereas 27% skipped the question. 8) Does the management communicate to everyone within the organization before the launch of new actions in the implementation if the ISO9000 requirements? A 60% said that such projects are launched by surprise and all the management does in advance is tell them that change is on the way without any specifications. 40% felt informed, but most of them were those in leadership positions. The Meeting with the Managers The objectives of the meeting focused on the discussion of the threats that faced the company with the onset of dropping oil prices and the strict government regulations. Some of the regulations are those that control the emission of carbon by the gas and oil industries. The discussion continued to discuss the importance of the purchase of new equipment and the adoption of new technologies to ensure that the company is at per with the government. The questions presented to the managers required their response on behalf of the organization. Questions 1) List the factors that influence the organization in its ISO 9000 certification They attributed 16 % to the self-declared conformance, 23 % to the customer requirement as mandated, 26 to the market structures, and 4.2 % other factors. 2) What is the current use of the ISO9000 by the company? A 76 % was attributed to certified users among third parties, 13 % to non-certified users, 6 % to users that were previously certified, and 5 % to non-users at the time. 3) Describe the current relevance of the application of the ISO9000 standards to the operations of the company. The question required the raising of hands whereby 64 % agreed that it was okay but in need of enhancements, 27 % said it was fine as it was, and 9 % did not give comments on the issue. Content of the Interviews The face-to-face interviews covered the general aspects of the questionnaires such as the satisfaction with the level of interactions with the management and the success of the organization in customer satisfaction. Most of the respondents said that there was lack of proper communication within the organization during the making of plans to launch new projects. As a result, many of the improvement strategies directed towards the implementation of the ISO9000 requirements were met with confusion and uncertainty. The confusion had even further implications when it involved the introduction of new operational procedures before the prior training of the staff. In such cases, the output would be incomplete and unsatisfactory, especially to the shareholders. One such case is the introduction of new accounting procedures which caused problems even with the auditors because of the lack of consistency and the inability of the accountants to explain some of the figures on the balance sheets. Data Analysis (Employees) Question Ability/Yes Inability/No Unsure Understanding of duties 24% 0 76% Ability and accuracy of job description 82% 0 18% Knowledge of the geeneric production categories 100% 0 0 Communication about the introduction of new technologies into the company from the managers 40% 60% 0 Feelings of qualification for the job (TPI) 40% 51% 1% Knowledge of the of the extent of computerization of the operational and management functions 90% 0 10% Views on the commitment of the managers 27% 46% 27% Project Report The barriers that face the effective implementation of the ISO9000 include inefficiencies in communications within the organization. The other barrier is the existence of insufficient training for the new tasks that are introduced in response to the ISO9000 requirements. There is also the problem of insufficient planning before the launch of the changes which cause confusion within the management upon their launch. According to the data collected in the research, there was a difference in the feelings of employees with regard to the commitment of the management to the implementation of the ISO9000 standards. However, there is an average knowledge of the actions of the organization towards the implementation of the ISO9000. The uncertainties expressed with regard to answers concerning the management show an element of fear of the management. The conclusion that comes from that is the lack of free official interaction between the managers and the other employees. Leadership is much more than giving instructions but more about the influence of the entire workforce to voluntarily work together to achieve the set goals[Rap13]. Rather, it is about the development of trust within the work place to ensure that problems are addressed accordingly and that. An average of 26.6 % of the responses that touched on issues of management were those of uncertainty. They included the responses on the questions that required information on the contentment of the managers, the commitment of the managers, and others such as the involvement of the employees in the decision-making processes of the company. There were other personal issues addresses which showed that there was the lack of contentment of the employees in their areas of work. Another major issue was on the inconvenience in communication that caused malfunctions of the systems upon the introduction of new systems of operation in response to the ISO9000 operation requirements. Many problems needed to be addressed yet from the information gathered at the meeting of the managers, there was no discussion on the issue the sensitization of the rest of the staff for uniform operations throughout the management. There was the overall agreement on the positive effect of the implementation of the ISO9000 requirements whereby there was the enhancement of customer satisfaction. The problems that faced the smoothness of operations in such implementations were such issues as the lack of prior-training in the case of the introduction of new technologies. There company also lacked in proper communications related to the launch of changes and as a result, a lot of time gets wasted during the adjustment process. The adjustment process is also characterized by mistakes and malfunctions which cost the company in the opinion of the customers, the creditors, and other shareholders According to the literature review, the adherence to ISO9000 standards ensures that there is total quality management in all areas of the organization. It focuses on the employees, the management, the customers, and the efficiency of conducting business for maximum profits at the best practices[Lee16]. The fear of the threat of competition can be eliminated by the careful observance of TQM and ISO9000 requirements. Some of the other threats are related to the decrease in profitability and the increase of the overall interest rates. Government regulations in the UAE have also set standards that require the additional investment of oil companies on the ISO9000[Ess12]. Total Quality Management succeeds if there is the company management is committed to the company. There is also need for subsequent customer satisfaction. According to the research, the company has limitations in the management system whereby the commitment of the management to the employees is negligible. Negligence kills motivation and the overall operation of such a company deteriorates. However, the systems that were installed were beneficial for the efficient operation of the company and the easy implementation of the ISO9000 requirements. According to the research results, the management is more focused on the achievement of quality management. The data recorded from the meeting with managers showed that the managers are more focused on the achievement of the requirements of the product and services specifications and the government standards[Pra16]. However, TQM and ISO9000 are not fulfilled as required for the effective application of the appropriate corrective action, process control, quality system, management responsibility, document and data control and statistical techniques. Adherence to the TQM and ISO9000 gives a company the credibility to receive government loans even in times of crisis. It comes with an increase in profitability and market share and efficiency and effectiveness within the organization[ICL16]. Recommendations There is need for the re-invention of the organizational culture with the incorporation of several changes for the enhancement of the flow of information. There seems to be a communication barrier between the organization employees and the management whereby it is difficult for the employees to communicate concerns and problems to the management. The organizational culture determines the behavior of people within the same company[Amy13]. A relaxed organizational culture leads to successful businesses because of the free flow of information and sharing of ideas[Ras12]. There is excess focus on the improvement of the operations of the company with even considerations of the introduction of new technologies according to the information collected during the research. The management, however, does not discuss the integration of such new technologies, policies, and equipment into the organization. That is a great setback which dooms the project to fail or to take long before the company experiences the effect. That is because the introduction of new technologies comes with training for the employees to ensure that they are ready for such operations[Per]. There is need for the incorporation of regular training programs within the company to ensure customer satisfaction with the output. One of the main complaints in the TPI department is the feeling of inefficiency and the lack of adequate skills. Such inefficiencies translate to larger inefficiencies. The employees work without the proper comprehension of the requirements causing inconveniences in the extraction and manufacture of products. ISO9000 focuses on the need of the production with accuracy as per the specifications of the customers. The feelings of inadequacy also affect customer service. The end result is the delivery of products that do not the standards and specifications of the customers and the policy makers. That causes a decrease in the popularity of such a company. One of the threats is the existing competition, and high loan interest rates. Such inconveniencies cause a loss of trust in the organization by the banks and the customers. A decrease in the number of customers causes a decrease in the profits. A decrease in the profits and popularity causes other companies to surpass the ABCD Company in the oil business. There are also resultant sanctions for the lack of keen adherence to the set principles. Such result in more losses and worse performance of the organization. The company also needs to incorporate the speedy change of the organizational structure to allow for the horizontal flow of information. The free flow of information between the employees and the managers shows a new level of commitment to the employees and the company. Such levels of commitment make the employees feel valued and a part of the company. With such horizontal flow of information is the possibility of employee involvement in the decision-making processes of the organization. There is need for the organization of meetings that take the opinions of the employees into consideration. For instance, had the managers included the employees in the meeting used for the data collection, issues of training and introduction of the employees to the new equipment were inevitable. There is the element of participation in the decision-making processes that makes the employees gain a sense of ownership in the company. Managers with leadership skills are essential for the need of staff motivation and the successful achievement of business objectives[Ros12]. Therefore, the implementation of tasks is smoother and the necessary enquiries are made with regard to the same. There is the prevention of errors and the resultant satisfaction of the customers and other shareholders. Such trustworthiness improves the reputation of such a company with the banks and it becomes easier to access loans even during crises. However, the generation of high profits reduces the need for huge loans, thus, the resultant reduction in the overall expenses of the company. Asset management also requires improvement for the sustainability of the company in the long run. There is need for change in the supply chain management and production. There is poor management in assets management which leaves the company vulnerable to miscalculations and losses that are unaccounted for. Conclusion The objectives of the research were met whereby the causes of the weaknesses were discovered. Some include the lack of effective management as a result of the lack of the free flow of information through the organization. The data collected during the interviews concurred with the data collected in the questionnaires with slight differences in the extent of personal expression in each case. The participation of the respondents was great and it made the data collection process and the analysis much easier. It is evident that despite the possession of the ISO9000 certification, the ABCD Company lacks in the complete implementation of the processes described in the guidelines. However, the few strategies put in place are highly effective despite the initial confusion experienced upon their launch. The performance of the company, therefore, faces even more threat, especially with the onset of the interest rates and rising competition. The recommendations follow the QMS and ISO9000 requirements that lead to the success of a business despite the increase in competition and changing policies. References Tra16: , (Tradingeconomics, 2016), Ala16: , (Bryman, 2016), Che13: , (Nair, 2013), Flu15: , (Fluid Surveys Team, 2015), Rap13: , (Rapidboost, 2013), Lee16: , (Froschheiser, 2016), Ess12: , (Ali, 2012), Pra16: , (Practicallaw, 2016), ICL16: , (ICLG, 2016), Amy13: , (Anderson, 2013), Ras12: , (Al-Jalahma, 2012), Per: , (PJR, 2016), Ros12: , (Schmidt, 2012), Read More