Employees’ Job Satisfaction

Employees’ Job Satisfaction: The Case of the UAE

Executive Summary

In modern days, the role of employees’ job satisfaction should not be underestimated. In particular, how an individual feels and thinks about the job that he or she performs has a direct impact on productivity and success. The UAE is a country, where much effort and attention are given to the development and economic sustainability. In this regard, a high level of job satisfaction can ensure and support the state’s economic growth. The purpose of this paper is to determine the level of job satisfaction for employees and to find certain development principles that can potentially improve the satisfaction of staff. The research is based on two methodological approaches, such as interviews and questionnaires. The combination of these two approaches allows us to combine data and make a more comprehensive conclusion. In general, the research has demonstrated the general job satisfaction of employees in the public and private sectors. Meanwhile, an important tendency was found - the correlation between managerial style and its impact on job satisfaction. This research can be used for further studies of job satisfaction in the UAE, with special attention on the role of management.

Introduction

The social and economic development of the countries depends on jobs that are provided to their citizens. The degree to which employees are satisfied with their job is a determinant that is directly linked with employment in the public and private sectors (Zidle, n.d.). In general, such factors as the social status of the employee, wages rate, and working conditions have an impact on the working environment (Study.com, n.d.). Meanwhile, in broader terms, the combination of psychological factors and actual working results defines individual satisfaction from the work that an employee is doing and, consequently, impacts his/her productivity (Bisk, n.d.). As a result, a logical conclusion can be made that job satisfaction can have many interpretations and definitions, making it a complex phenomenon.

While evaluating the level of satisfaction, proper factors should be encountered. On the one hand, the absence of any kind of discrimination, intolerance, and injustice is considered to be the core prerequisite for job satisfaction. On the other hand, the actual degree of satisfaction and its practical impact can be traced to employees’ emotional responses. Meanwhile, there should be a clear understanding that any changes in the personal, organizational, or cultural environment can directly influence the well-being of an individual. What is more, such factors as relations with colleagues, supervision, promotion, rewards, and operating procedures that are directly linked with day-to-day work can have a strong effect as well (Hassard, Teoh, & Cox, 2018). In this regard, the critical thing that is worth doing is determining the level of job satisfaction for employees and finding certain development principles that can potentially improve the satisfaction of staff.

Literature Review

Abdulla (2009) analyzes job satisfaction in the public sector. Notably, the scholar studies the determinants of job satisfaction among employees of Dubai police. The main advantage of this work is that it provides an example of a well-developed methodology that can be applied while conducting research.

Alhadhrami (2013) presents the result of comprehensive research on the topic of the UAE work environment. In his paper, the scholar focuses his attention on analyzing different management styles and their impact on the workforce. The research has a grounded methodological foundation. For instance, a six-role model of managerial competencies, the Allen and Meyer Model for organizational commitment, and the Hackman and Oldham questionnaire for job satisfaction were used.

The article “How Important Is Job Satisfaction in Today’s Workplace?” presents the evaluation of the role of job satisfaction in modern society (Bisk, n.d.). In particular, one can find clearly organized critical information on this topic with relevant statistics, the main factors of workplace satisfaction, and four crucial outcomes of high levels of job satisfaction. For instance, the main positive outcomes of satisfied employees are lower turnover of staff, higher productivity, increased profits, and loyalty (Bisk, n.d.).

Zidle (n.d.) provides a well-written and easy to comprehend analysis of job satisfaction. In particular, the author focuses more on tracing the differences between having a job that a person enjoys and simply doing the work because of the need or obligation. The main advantage of this piece is that it not only focuses on identifying the main criteria that a person can use for self-evaluation but also suggests some useful advice on what an employee should feel more satisfied with.

The general overview of job satisfaction, as the variable that is related to the workplace environment, can be found in Hassard et al. (2018) and Study.com (n.d.). Both sources provide general insight into this phenomenon by introducing its definition, causes, and factors, as well as various theories and approaches to its interpretation. For instance, Hassard et al. (2018) connect the origins of job satisfaction to Maslow’s five-level hierarchy of needs that demonstrate people's motivation in their day-to-day lives and work. Meanwhile, the lecture traces the historic origins of job satisfaction that appeared back in time when the first wheel was invented (Study.com, n.d.). All in all, both sources provide a basic understanding of job satisfaction and the elements that are related to it.

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Research Methodology

Notable, the proper assessment of job satisfaction level can be achieved by conducting a survey. The survey method has been practically implemented by collecting data with the help of interviews and questionnaires that represents direct and indirect contacts with the UAE’s employees. The core reason for choosing this methodology is because each country has its cultural difference and standards for defining, judging, and evaluating satisfaction (Hassard et al., 2018). For instance, prioritization between the salary and relations with colleagues in terms of their value for job satisfaction can be different. What is more, the importance and prioritization of data gathered via interviews or questionnaires are directly linked with goals that are set by the research and information that needs to be acquired (Abdulla, 2009). Thus, the survey can provide a clear, relevant, and comprehensive insight into the factors that determine staff’s satisfaction with the work that they perform and productivity.

The interview is a separate research method that provides an effective mechanism to gather relevant information. The main essence of this technique is to select a certain number of individuals, who will participate in the research asking them a set of questions to determine their feeling, way of thinking, and actions in particular circumstances or surroundings. The core tasks of this method within this research are to gather relevant information about the state of job satisfaction in the UAE for understanding the correlation between managerial style and its impact on staff’s job satisfaction. In terms of this particular research, the structured interview is applied, implying asking the same set of questions, following the same order during formally scheduled interviews. The main advantage of this approach is that it allows conducting a face-to-face discussion with the participant while encountering proper emphasis and asking additional questions to clarify answers that are not clear. On the contrary, the core disadvantages of this method are the high cost of money, the general nature of the process that is very time-consuming, and the need to obtain proper skills or maybe before the training of the interviewer (Abdulla, 2009). All in all, the interview is applied as a research technique, while conducting the survey.

The other method that has been used during the research is questionnaires. In general, this approach to data collection is one of the oldest types of methodology and is very popular within the social sciences. The essence of questionnaires lies in answering specific questions that have been formulated before while recording those answers in written form. The main purpose of applying this method in the research is to gather information about individual feelings, wants, beliefs, and knowledge in a certain set of environments. A better understanding of employees’ job satisfaction can be reached by incorporating open-ended and closed questions (Abdulla, 2009). The main advantages of this method are its low cost, the anonymity that boosts frankness, while reducing bias errors, and general convenience because a participant can fill in all required information in the place and time that is more suitable to him/her. Meanwhile, the central drawbacks of this method are possibilities. For instance, participants can provide partial responses, while additional clarifications are not possible (Abdulla, 2009). Hence, questionnaires can be seen as an effective method to gather relevant data about job satisfaction that complements the above-mentioned interview method.

While conducting the research, several specific variables will be used to evaluate the job satisfaction of employees in the UAE. According to the Job Characteristics Model, introduced by Hackman and Oldham, an individual can experience three psychological states when the state of job satisfaction is reached: “meaningfulness (value and importance of the job), responsibility (sense of freedom in the workplace), and knowledge of results (effective job performance feedback)” (Alhadhrami, 2013).

In particular, during the research, the Hackman and Oldham measurement for job satisfaction have been used. Both private and public sector staff who hold the position of manager or employee were asked to rate their satisfaction with the following scale: 1=Strongly dissatisfied, 7=Strongly satisfied. The main determinants that were evaluated during the survey were sob security, salary, growth, supervisory, and social items (Table 1). As a result, the research methodology should be focused on tracing and evaluating these variables.

Interpretation

Originally, 850 questionnaires were distributed to collect the most relevant data. However, only 617 of them were returned and 510 were fully completed. In general, the majority of respondents were UAE nationality male managers and female employees working in the private sector (Table 2). In terms of interviews, 22 meetings were conducted with experienced employees and managers to get better information about managerial styles and their impact on job satisfaction (Alhadhrami, 2013). From this perspective, the main advantage of this research is that a comprehensive insight into job satisfaction in the UAE was gained by equally implying both methods and getting information from different sources. Therefore, the survey presented a significant scope of information that has been used to evaluate the situation in the UAE.

The main finding of this research is that management style directly impacts the job satisfaction of employees. While evaluating the job satisfaction of employees from the private and public sectors no significant difference has been found in terms of factors that are determinant. Participant from both sectors demonstrate their satisfaction with the work that they do but underline the role of managers in creating an appropriate environment and supporting their staff (Alhadhrami, 2013). For instance, information that is gathered by questionnaires demonstrates that the main factors that determine job satisfaction of employees in the UAE are social environment, supervisory characteristics, and growth of an individual within the company (Alhadhrami, 2013, p. 241). Meanwhile, during the interview, participants stated that managers who provide facilitation and are result-oriented in their managerial style positively impact the general work atmosphere, help their subordinates to grow and, logically, be more satisfied with the work that they do (Alhadhrami, 2013). Altogether, a close link between management style and job satisfaction can be traced.

Conclusion

In general, this research has answered its main questions, such as the job satisfaction level of the UAE’s employees and finding ways in which staff satisfaction can be improved. The findings of interviews and questionnaires reveal that the majority of employees in the UAE are satisfied with their job. Meanwhile, managerial-organizational style can be seen as an independent variable in the research, while job satisfaction is a dependent variable. While identifying the development principle that impacts employee satisfaction, the research has demonstrated that proper management can positively impact job satisfaction. All in all, the main advantage of this research is that it helps to trace correlations between managerial-leadership roles and employee satisfaction.

Limitations and Recommendations

The main limitation of this research is that it is solemnly based on the Job Characteristics Model introduced by Hackman and Oldham, while other important variables, approaches, and methodologies are neglected. Hence, more attention to other factors, especially culture, that influence management style and its impact on job satisfaction should be given in future research. In this regard, different managerial styles with their advantages and disadvantages should be discussed in greater depth.

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