Employee satisfaction and productivity term paper

Employee Satisfaction

And Productivity

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employee satisfaction and productivity

ASTRACT

Employee satisfaction directly links to organizational excellence and/or productivity. Maybeâ€¦ Maybe notâ€¦ Researchers regularly debate exactly what components contributing to employee satisfaction and the company’s and/or organization’s productivity. Similarly, employers and employees do not typically agree on the reason/s an employee stays committed to a company or what factors contribute to an employee’s satisfaction with the company. During the mixed-method case study, the researcher focuses on employee satisfaction and productivity as well as investigates whether a correlation exists between employee satisfaction and productivity/output. The study also examines factors that contribute to employee satisfaction, both on and off the job, and considers if “satisfaction” can be measured. If “yes,” the researcher discusses how one can measure employee satisfaction; if “no,” the researcher explains the reason/s for the incapability.

The hypothesis for the study asserts: A positive correlation exists between employee satisfaction and productivity/output. To further investigate the validity of the study’s hypothesis confirming that a correlation exists between employee satisfaction and productivity/output, the researcher created a survey which a number of participants completed anonymously. The researcher also recounts interviews with a several colleagues of ASDA.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Links to Question

Area of Study

Rationale for Study

Significance of Study

Organization of Study

Hypothesis & Research Questions

Study Aim and Objectives

Conclusion

CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

For Success or Satisfaction

Employee satisfaction

Employer/Employee Perceptions of Employee Satisfaction

Factors Contributing To Employee Satisfaction

ASDA Reports

Measuring Employee Satisfaction and Productivity

ASDA Interviews

Conclusion

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

Findings from Measuring Data 36

Likert Type Format Scales

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

Findings from Measuring Data

Factors Contributing to Employee Satisfaction

ASDA Reports

Measuring Employee Satisfaction and Productivity

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

Hypothesis Validity Confirmed

42 Recount of Study Aim/Objectives

Study Review

44 Employer/Employee Perceptions of Employee Satisfaction

Factors Contributing to Employee Satisfaction

ASDA Reports

Measuring Employee Satisfaction and Productivity

ASDA Interviews

Conclusion

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDIX A

ASDA Employee Satisfaction Questionnaire

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: ASDA’s Central Office in Canberra

Figure 2: Factors Driving Employee Satisfaction

Figure 3: Eight Key Components for Satisfied Employees

Figure 4: ASDA Staff Survey Satisfaction Ratings

Figure 5: Three Simple Questions to Address Employee Satisfaction

Figure 6: Metrics Confirming Organization’s Performance

Table 1: Types of Evidence

Table 2: Considerations for Creating Survey

Table 3: Employee Satisfaction Perceptions

Table 4: Employee Satisfaction Survey Considerations

ABBREVIATIONS

ASDA: initially Associated Dairies & Farm Stores Limited (ASDA 2005).

CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility (ASDA 2008).

ESI: Employee Satisfaction Index (Howell 2006, p. xiii).

OWL: Quality of Work Life (Howell 2006, p. 8).

RBT: Resource-Based Theory (Yang 2009, Â¶ 1).

SHRM: Society for Human Resource Management (Clark 2005, Â¶ 1).

TL: Transformational Leaders (Yang, 2009, Theoretical Backgroundâ€¦ Section Â¶ 2).

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

“Employee satisfaction doesn’t mean that work is easy or that employees are always happy.

Instead, satisfaction means committed employees who are willing to give their ‘discretionary energy’ to their work”

(Lavigna, 2010, What Drivesâ€¦ Section, Â¶ 2).

Links to Question

Employee satisfaction directly links to organizational excellence and/or productivity. Perhaps, satisfied employees do in fact “create value in the services provided to customers, which in turn, has the potential to lead to customer satisfaction and subsequent loyalty,” as well as productivity, as some researchers, like Andrew Robson, David Yarrow, and Jane Owen (2005) all with Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University Tyne, UK, argue. Or perhaps, employee satisfaction does not directly link to the organization’s productivity. Perhaps, the employee’s productivity and/or quality of the organization’s products/services influence his satisfaction. In the study, “Does quality drive the employee satisfaction in the UK learning sector?,” as Robson, Yarrow, and Owen examine the link between organizational performance and employee satisfaction, they, as various other researchers, find a number of contentions contribute to employee satisfaction.

Just as researchers do not all agree regarding components contributing to employee satisfaction and the organization’s productivity, employers and employees do not typically agree on the reason/s an employee stays committed to a company or what factors contribute to an employee’s satisfaction with the company. Perceptions of both the company and the employee may be subject to change as circumstances for both vary at times. During the mixed-method, qualitative case study, the researcher focuses on employee satisfaction and productivity as well as investigates whether a correlation exists between employee satisfaction and productivity/output as well as examines factors that contribute to employee satisfaction, both on and off the job. The study also considers if “satisfaction” can be measured. If “yes,” the researcher discusses how one can measure employee satisfaction; if “no,” the researcher explains the reason/s for the incapability.

Area of Study

The location for the present study encompasses areas throughout the world as employees and productivity comprise global contemporary concerns and interests. The researcher, albeit, particularly focuses on ASDA, located in the UK. On July 26, 1999, Wal-Mart, a company founded in the United States (U.S.), purchased ASDA, initially founded in 1965 as Associated Dairies & Farm Stores Limited. During 2003, ASDA reportedly claimed the title of being the best company to work for in the UK. At one point during ASDA’s history, however, colleagues described the company as the worst of all UK employers (ASDA, 2005).

No matter the location of the company or the organization, Bob Lavigna (2010), vice president of research for the Partnership for Public Service, asserts that when an organization has high levels of engagement, customer satisfaction as well as performance and productivity naturally follows. In the journal article, “Driving performance by building employee satisfaction and engagement: Good government requires good people, which is why the key to meeting our current challenges is talent-committed and engaged talent,” Lavigna stresses that for a company or organization to obtain the maximum results from their investments, they should focus on employee engagement, which universally leads to employee satisfaction and links to the organization’s productivity.

Rationale for Study

The primary reason/s for choosing to focus on employee satisfaction and productivity evolves from the interest in employee satisfaction as it links to the researcher’s professional pursuit of a future in managing an organization and perhaps ultimately owning and operating a business. The researcher asserts that a better understanding of employee satisfaction and whether or not it directly links to organizational excellence and/or productivity will not only help the researcher professionally, but will also help readers as it relates contemporary considerations to ultimately contribute to the organization’s success. As most individuals work as an employee or hold a position of leadership supervising employees at one point in their lives, employee, employee satisfaction affects the majority of individuals.

Significance of the Study

Increasing global competition mandates that contemporary companies and organizations maximize their productivity and quality to succeed. In the journal article, “Work attitude, loyalty, and employee turnover,” Joel Tan, a research assistant, Vicky Tan, Professor, with the faculty of arts and social sciences, National University of Singapore and Tan Ngoh Tiong (2007), Professor of social work at Augsburg College, Minnesota, explain that employees with higher job satisfaction contribute to higher productivity. This study proves significant as it challenges readers to consider employee satisfaction and productivity as well as whether a correlation exists between employee satisfaction and productivity/output and what factors contribute to employee satisfaction, both on and off the job.

Organization of Study

The organization of the thesis includes the following sections:

1. Introduction

2. Review of Literature

3. Methodology

4. Analysis

5. Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations

Hypothesis and Research Questions

During the study’s quest to determine whether a correlation exists between employee satisfaction and productivity/output as well as examining factors that contribute to employee satisfaction, both on and off the job, the researcher seeks to determine the validity of the dissertation’s hypothesis. The hypothesis for the study asserts: A positive correlation exists between employee satisfaction and productivity/output. To help determine the validity of the hypothesis, he researcher addresses the following three sub-questions?

1. What factors contribute to employee satisfaction, both on and off the job?

2. Can employee “satisfaction” be measured?

3. If employee “satisfaction” can be measured, how can this be done? If employee

“satisfaction” cannot be measured, what reasons may contribute to the incapability? The researcher also asserts that a correlation does exist between employee satisfaction and productivity/output and that “yes,” satisfaction can be “measured.”

To further investigate the validity of the study’s hypothesis confirming that a correlation exists between employee satisfaction and productivity/output, the researcher created a survey (Appendix A) which ***number of participants completed anonymously. The researcher also assesses a number of interviews with several colleagues of ASDA.

Study Aim and Objectives

Study Aim

During the study, the researcher’s primary aim constitutes analyzing relevant literature as well as results of the researcher’s survey and interviews to determine whether a correlation exists between employee satisfaction and productivity/output. During the survey of participants, the researcher investigates:

Employee satisfaction;

Employer/Employee perceptions of employee satisfaction;

Factors contributing to employee satisfaction;

ASDA reports;

Measuring employee satisfaction and productivity;

ASDA Interviews.

Study Objectives

Objective 1

Conduct a thorough review of literature relating to employee satisfaction and productivity/output; seeking specific information related to ASDA; including information applicable to employee satisfaction and productivity throughout the world.

Objective 2

Develop, implement and assess results evolving from a survey of ASDA employees and managers.

Objective 3

Analyze information retrieved through the literature review.

Analyze data retrieved through the implementation of the survey.

Analyze data/information the interviews reveal.

Present compilation of findings from the literature review as well as from the survey and the interviews during the analysis chapter of the dissertation.

Objective 4

Discuss study, offer conclusions and recommendations regarding the study and information the study reveals.

Conclusion

During the next section of the thesis, the review of literature, the researcher examines and presents information from the “family” of literature relating to employee satisfaction and productivity and whether a correlation exists between employee satisfaction and productivity/output with consideration of factors contributing to employee satisfaction, both on and off the job. The researcher also presents information investigating if employee “satisfaction” can be measured. As noted at the start of the study, employee satisfaction, as the satisfaction the researcher expects to gain from completing the study, does not mean that work is easy or that the worker will always be happy with every aspect of the responsibility or assignment. Instead, satisfaction for an employee as well as for the student seeking to secure an advanced degree, means the employee or student remains committed; determined to invest his best “discretionary energy” to his work or study.

CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

Firms “with high levels of employee engagement produced dramatically better bottom-line results than t

he companies with low levels of engagement”

(Lavigna 2010,Â¶ 2).

For Success or Satisfaction

For a satisfactory literature review for the study examining employee satisfaction and productivity and whether a correlation exists between employee satisfaction and productivity/output with consideration of factors contributing to employee satisfaction, both on and off the job, like any literature review that succeeds, begins with the researcher’s idea and investigation; relating to a specific problem or issue. In the book, The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success, Lawrence A. Machi and Brenda T. McEvoy (2008) explain that writing the literature review includes searching and assessing current, relevant literature to address the research questions and ultimately determine the validity of the study’s hypothesis.

Karen Smith, Malcolm Todd, and Julia Waldman (2009) recommend in the book, Doing Your Social Science Dissertation: A Practical Guide for Undergraduates, that the researcher chooses one of the following three common approaches to develop his literature review.

1. A chronologically organized review;

2. A thematically organized literature review;

3. The methodologically organized review.

For the current study focusing on components contributing to employee satisfaction and productivity, the researcher utilizes the thematically organized literature review. During the literature review, the researcher organizes the literature to help frame and focus the study’s research questions, simultaneously systematically addressing the focused study questions.

In addition, the literature review presents the necessary background the reader needs to understand the research. As it would be impossible for the researcher to include every published study in the area of the study’s focus, the researcher carefully chooses the most significant, relevant sources. The researcher also attempts to include studies which may not concur with the researcher’s intent (Literature Review N.d.). No single of information source has a complete advantage over other resources, Winston Tellis (1997) states. Instead, various sources can complement each other when used together. Ideally, a study should use as many sources as prove relevant to the study. Table 1 depicts a number of strengths and weaknesses the researcher may find inherent in each type of “evidence.”

Table 1: Types of Evidence (Yin, quoted in Tellis 1997, Recommended Proceedures Section).

Source of Evidence

Strengths

Weaknesses

Documentation

stable – repeated review unobtrusive – exist prior to case study exact – names etc.

broad coverage – extended time span retrievability – difficult biased selectivity reporting bias – reflects author bias access – may be blocked

Archival Records

Same as above precise and quantitative

Same as above privacy might inhibit access

Interviews

targeted – focuses on case study topic insightful – provides perceived causal inferences bias due to poor questions response bias incomplete recollection reflexivity – interviewee expresses what interviewer wants to hear

The Direct Observation

reality – covers events in real time contextual – covers event context time-consuming selectivity – might miss facts reflexivity – observer’s presence might cause change cost – observers need time

Participant Observation

Same as above insightful into interpersonal behavior

Same as above bias due to investigator’s actions

Physical Artifacts

insightful into cultural features insightful into technical operations selectivity availability

During the study, as the researcher investigates whether a correlation exists between employee satisfaction and productivity/output, the researcher examines credible contemporary literature relating to, but not limited to the following the six themes. These themes depict the literature review’s subsections which evolved from the study’s research questions as they simultaneously serve as the foundation for exploring and understanding the phenomena:

Employee satisfaction;

Employer/Employee perceptions of employee satisfaction;

Factors contributing to employee satisfaction;

ASDA reports;

Measuring employee satisfaction and productivity.

ASDA Interviews

Employee Satisfaction

For a company to be considered one of the best employers with employees experiencing satisfaction, it would do well to note and implement the top four drivers of employee satisfaction:

1. Effective leadership,

2. employee skills and mission match,

3. work/life balance, and

4. training and development (Lavigna 2010, What Drivesâ€¦ Section, Â¶ 1).

Organizations and managers that make a point to regularly focus on these four factors experience the best chance as well as improve their potential to improve employee satisfaction; consequently improving organizational performance and productivity (Lavigna 2010).

Researchers regularly define employee satisfaction as an employee’s affective reactions to the company or organization, Yi-Feng Yang (2009), Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Business and Administration, Shu-Te University, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan, asserts in the journal report, “An investigation of group interaction functioning stimulated by transformational leadership on employee intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction: An extension of the resource-based theory perspective.” Yang also reports that employee satisfaction serves as a common indicator of organizational leadership effectiveness. This appears logical as satisfied employees contribute “greater work reliability, responsiveness, and quality to an organization” (Yang, Theoretical Backgroundâ€¦Section, Â¶ 1). Results of employee satisfaction also typically reflect reduced internal process expenses for the company or organization.

During the past decade, the employees’ views of the organizations in which they work have begun to change, with traditional employee-organization bonds weakening. Ronald W. Perry, Professor of public affairs at Arizona State University and Lawrence D. Mankin (2007), Professor Emeritus of Public Affairs at Arizona State University, assert in the journal article, “Organizational trust, trust in the chief executive and work satisfaction,” that “downsizing, privatizing and contracting out practices generated by economic pressures have eroded what is usually seen as a strong identification of employees” (Â¶ 1). The negative response not only contributes to the employees trusting the organizations they work for less but also extends to them being less satisfied with their work.

Organizational trust, trust in the top executive, and work satisfaction do not necessarily correlate with one another, Perry and Mankin (2007) assert. These variables function “independently and must be interpreted in the context of a particular organization. Thus, high levels of trust in the top executive are probably associated with higher levels of organizational trust and work satisfaction, producing a positive correlation among the three” (Perry & Mankin Data collection Section, Â¶ 1). In the same way, employees’ low levels of trust in the top executive likely correlated with low levels of organizational trust, but not inevitably with work satisfaction. To examine these particular disputations, Perry and Mankin examined two organizations, based on informant interviews to identify one with high levels of trust and one with lower levels of trust: A fire department (with high levels of trust) and a private manufacturing firm (with low levels of trust) (Data collection Section, Â¶ 1).

For their study, Perry and Mankin (2007) included a probability sample of 100 production (non-supervisory) employees to answer a questionnaire used for the fire services (government employees) organization. The employees from the two organizations drastically differed in their levels of organizational trust as well as in trust relating to the chief executive and work satisfaction. According to findings Perry and Mankin report: “Government employeesâ€¦ believed that organizations worthy of trust are those that have a life beyond the life of employees ’embodying a tradition of service.’ & #8230;.Private sector employees tended to question whether it was reasonable or possible to ‘trust’ an organization” (Conclusion Section, Â¶ 2). The employee’s trust in the chief executive in both the private and governmental sectors, however, can be independent of the employee’s trust in the organization.

Initially, Perry and Mankin (2007) expected that work satisfaction would not relate to the employee’s trust in the CEO and trust in the organization. Findings indicate that an employee may be satisfied in his job when managerial trust is low, however, only when managerial trust itself is high intuitively can the employee experience work satisfaction in the highest levels. Organizational trust positively relates to work satisfaction, Perry and Mankin found, albeit, in the organization with high levels of organizational trust, employee work satisfaction rated higher than in the lower trust organization. Ultimately, contrary to the hypothesis Perry and Mankin initially proposed, organizational trust, trust in the top executive, and work satisfaction do relate; with each component contributing consequences for the others.

Employer/Employee Perceptions of Employee Satisfaction

Research reveals subtle and obvious differences foreseen between the employee and Human Resource (HR) professionals and show extreme differences in the reality of the satisfaction of the employees toward the company. A number of disconnects exist between employers’ perceptions of employee job satisfaction factors and why employees stay or leave a job. Some HR officials believe the turnover rates to be due to an excellent job market instead of the underlying cause of employee dissatisfaction. In one study, HR managers calculate the cost of training new employees to replace the ones that are leaving as 30% of the salary of the top employees leaving. For approximately 15% of this increased cost, an employee that is leaving can be persuaded to remain with the company instead of leaving. This will like keep the desired employees and cut down on turnover, training costs, and lost production time while training (Employee Perceptionsâ€¦ 2006).

According to the 2005/2006 Employee Satisfaction and Retention Survey presented in the article “Employer perceptions about job satisfaction factors do not match employee realityâ€¦” (2006), HR Professionals perceive the top three factors for employee’s satisfaction as:

1. Decent benefits,

2. co-worker attitude, and

3. adequate wages

Employees, however, state their three factors as:

1. Co-worker attitudes,

2. quality management, and

3. commute distance. (Employee Perceptionsâ€¦ 2006)

Margaret M. Clark (2005), Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM’S) manager of workplace law content, concurs with other researchers like Robson, Yarrow, and Owen (2005) in the journal article, “Employees, HR differ on satisfaction factors,” that although employees and HR professionals may sometimes agree on what employees consider “important” on the job, they also significantly differ on what employees deem as “very important.” A survey report on job satisfaction the SHRM conducted found that approximately eight out of 10 surveyed participants reported experiencing overall satisfaction with their jobs; roughly the same proportion that HR perceived. HR, albeit, predicted only 18% employees were very satisfied with their jobs; underestimating the proportion of employees, 39%, who were actually “very satisfied” with their jobs.

Employees dissatisfied with their employers or jobs may choose to leave that company for a variety of reasons. Many times, CEOs and human resource employees will have to fill open positions under pressures which could have been avoided if they had focused more on keeping their current employees satisfied. Christopher Lee (2007), President and CEO of the Los Angeles-based CEL & Associates Inc., asserts in the journal article, “Should I stay or should I go? Uncover the eight cornerstones of an effective employee recruitment and retention program,” that employees may choose to leave a company if the employer does not inform the employee of possible promotions within the company. If, when hiring a new employee, CEOs and human resource personnel would inform the employee of a career planning process, employees would likely remain with a company. Statistics reveal that employees are more satisfied with their jobs if they are given career choices when hired.

CEOs and human resource personnel could benefit from noting the following eight factors contributing to employee satisfaction:

1. Training

2. Continuing Education

3. Certification

4. Professional Organizational Involvement

5. Internal Leadership and Volunteer Opportunities

6. Advancement Standards

7. Benchmarks of Success

8. Mentorship (Lee 2007, Career Roadmapsâ€¦ Section, Â¶ 1-6).

The survey for the 2005/2006 Employee Satisfaction and Retention Survey consisted of two groups of companies. The first group included businesses with more than 200 employees. The second group consisted of businesses with less than 200 employees; resulting in 143 small businesses and 230 large businesses with 373 HR personnel and 13,592 employees participating in the survey. The findings from the study indicate that employee satisfaction would increase with ” a 10% to 12% raiseâ€¦ would make up for certain workplace shortcomings such as a poor benefits plan, bad working conditions, discrimination and lack of advancement” (Employer perceptionsâ€¦ 2006, Desirable Commute Section, Â¶ 3). Paying a valued employee more money would cost less than it would for the company to replace a dissatisfied employee and train a new one, who may or may not ultimately be satisfied with his job. Factors Contributing to Employee Satisfaction

Respect contributes to enhancing employee satisfaction. Respect, noted as a core value within organizational theory, depicts paying attention to as well as seriously considering another person. When one ignores, neglects, disregards, or lightly or thoughtlessly dismisses another, this indicates disrespect, which can contribute to the employee’s dissatisfaction. When employees experience a lack of trust and respect in their work environment, they may also become distrustful of their company or organization and “less likely to contribute to organizational goals and activities to the same degree as those who experience high levels of trust in their organization” (Spence & Finegan 2005, p. 6). When a company or an organization empowers the employee to complete his responsibilities in a meaningful way, and treats the employee fairly and with respect, he will more likely to trust management to represent his best interest; contributing to job satisfaction and organization trust.

Investing efforts to improve employees’ perceptions of empowerment contribute to the employee’s job satisfaction and their organizational commitment. Heather K. Spence Laschinger and Joan Finegan (2005) stress in the study, “Using empowerment to build trust and respect in the workplace: A strategy for addressing the nursing shortage,” that a number of intermediate processes mediate the relationship between the presence of empowering work structures in nursing environments and esteemed organizational outcomes like organizational commitment and job satisfaction. In the nursing field, as in other work environment, respect proves fundamental to employees’ trust of others in the organization.

Organizational trust includes the perception that an employer will communicate and act in straightforward manners as well as follow through on commitments. When a company or organization nurtures open communication and shares of critical information as well as greater worker decisional involvement, this fosters trust in the company or organization and increases the employee’s satisfaction and productivity. When the work environment engenders trust, this proves empowering to the employees and when they “perceive a climate of justice, respect, and trust, it is reasonable to expect that they would experience greater job satisfaction and commitment to the organization” (Spence & Finegan 2005, p. 7). Organizational trust not only links to job satisfaction, organizational commitment, role clarity, but also enhances in-role performance.

Employees with high organizational commitment, attachments to the organization, will more likely to counter challenges concerns create. Individuals with higher levels of commitment evidence more resistance to job strain and burnout. This suggests that commitment may help empower employees to withstand the negative effects of downsizing and/or other common, contemporary workplace challenges (Spence & Finegan 2005).

The work environment in an office or corporation often depends on the behavior and actions of not only the employees but their leaders as well. Mark A. Hyde (2010), Master of Arts, explains in the journal article, “Warping of work space: Forget about formal employee satisfaction surveys,” many organizations spend a lot of time and money on trying new ways to change the environment of an office or corporation, and the behaviors of their employees and leaders. “A warped work environment is all about conflict, or simply put, unwanted employee behaviors. Unwanted behaviors include: ignoring, staring, walking away, slamming objects down, ‘fine, do it your way,’ remarks, subtle sabotage, lying, cliques, gossip to name a few” (Hyde, 2010, Â¶ 2). Hyde asserts that findings from the myriad of surveys companies or corporations administer to measure the satisfaction of their employees confirm that many employees dissatisfied with their work felt the leaders were not always fair regarding their co-workers behaviors and performance.

Some employees report feeling leaders in the corporation or company do not regularly hear or address their complaints and/or suggestions. Hyde (2010) recommends that for one to know the true pulse of an organization, he merely has to ask “front line leaders in each unit about what they think is happening with their workers” (Â¶ 5). In a healthy organization, leaders routinely offer to work with their employees directly. This enables the leaders to see firsthand what issues the employees are experiencing to more effectively address relevant concerns.

To improve employee satisfaction, the organization needs to first survey employees and identify strengths and weaknesses. After establishing a baseline, the company needs to then act on the survey. Results from the survey of the top-ranked agencies by Best Places regarding build higher levels of employee satisfaction include:

Adopting and expanding flexible work schedules, including telework and flextime.

Creating an emerging leaders program to develop the next generation of leaders.

Expanding training, but emphasizing online education to stretch tight budgets.

Creating career coaching and mentoring programs.

Developing a program to provide “spot” staff to help units facing temporary work overloads.

Actively involving employee groups, including unions, in meeting regularly with senior leaders.

Expanding supervisory training to focus on targeted competencies driven by employee survey results.

Bringing together managers and supervisors from across the organization to discuss common challenges — and solutions.

Providing performance management training to improve communication with employees about performance expectations.

Expanding student intern programs to offer challenging assignments to college students, with the goal of hiring the best into permanent jobs. (Lavigna 2010, Building employee satisfaction Section, Â¶ 2).

According to Newton Emerson (2006), in the news article, “Older staff ASDA be good,” ASDA no longer requires applicants to report their age or any other age-related information like school attendance. ASDA is also the first employer in its area “to exceed new equality laws on age discrimination” (Emerson, Â¶ 1). When B&Q, one retail chain, hired more older workers, the company staff turnover fell by 600%. Hiring older workers reportedly contributes to improving both employee satisfaction and customer service.

ASDA Reports

ASDA, as the researcher notes in the introduction for the study, reportedly claimed the title of being the best company to work for in the UK during 2003. Later, however, numerous ASDA colleagues and employees attacked ASDA; claiming they had been subjected to underhanded and draconian treatment in work environments across the UK. Employees had become dissatisfied with ASDA after the company dropped the 20% Christmas staff discount. Even though ASDA later revered this decision, some the damage could not be undone; leading to only 40% of ASDA’s staff actually shopping in-store. At one point, colleagues described the company as the worst of all UK employers (ASDA, 2005).

During 2005, ASDA regularly received negative reviews and reportedly had four bosses within a previous five-year span. This in turn negatively impacted the company’s staff morale. The earlier announcement regarding the forthcoming loss of 200 head office jobs and 1,200 junior managerial in-store positions contributed to staff morale reaching its lowest point.

David Smith, director, reported that staff morale dramatically improved later when the Sunday Times named ASDA as the second best big company to work for in 2005. ASDA’s internal staff surveys reported morale scores to be at a two-year high.

In the early 1990s, ASDA’s senior executives left the company en masse. Smith asserted that the 2005 scenario did not compare to some of those years when ASDA struggled through financial challenges. Even though ASDA desires to improve morale, management frequently invests its resources in areas that do not impact the company as strongly.

According to the Web publication, “People (2005),” ASDA aims it people management practices at increasing its workforce’s performance and capability. “Professional and personal development of staff remained integral to the achievement of ASDA’s business objectives” (People…, Â¶ 2). ASDA reports that its employment terms and conditions as well as its workplace environment have helped attract, train and retain its staff to be experts as it encourages their and commitment.

ASDA located its central office with permanent staff in Canberra. ASDA also has offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide as well as casual employees-based throughout Australia. Figure 1 shows ASDA’s central office.

Figure 1: ASDA’s Central Office in Canberra (People 2005).

ASDA relies on a range of initiatives to enhance the performance of both the organisation and individuals. ASDA’s Growth Factor program ensures that each staff member has an individual performance agreement that links directly to the Agency’s Operational and Strategic Plans. These agreements specify agreed outcomes for each individual and highlight learning and development activities that will be undertaken during the year. (People 2005, Performance management Section, Â¶ 1)

ASDA supports a number of performance initiatives for its staff. They include:

Agency bonus

Individual bonus

Peer recognition

Learning and development (People 2005).

The article, “Case study: Work-life balance helps to motivate Asda employees” (2007), explains that to motivate employees and help them feel valued and part of the company, ASDA needs to offer benefits. “To enable staff to join in the overall success of Asda, it offers a share save plan which permits both full-time and part-time employees to buy monthly shares in parent company Wal-Mart at a 20% discount” (Case study…, Â¶ 2). ASDA also offers childcare vouchers and flexible working arrangements as significant motivators to its predominantly female store-based staff. These options help the organization’s employees more easily balance their home and work commitments.

During 2007, ASDA achieved some of its parent company’s (Wal-mart’s) highest sales volumes, according to the article, “ASDA beats sales and profits targets” (2008). “Mike Duke, Wal-Mart vice chairman, said: ‘During the year, ASDA was a winner in the UK, being the fastest growing of the big four retailers” (ASDA beatsâ€¦, Â¶ 5). ASDA reports earnings exceeded above-market average growth each month during 2007 and the first of 2008; adding approximately two million customers and 50 basis points of market share since the beginning of 2006.

Measuring Employee Satisfaction and Productivity

If one cannot manage what he cannot measure, as Lavigna (2010) argues, it follows that to mange employee satisfaction one must be able to measure it. Jens J. Dahlgaard and Ghopal Kai Kristensen (2005) stress that employee satisfaction can be measured and that the organization may use the ensuing measurements as a tool to facilitate ongoing improvements. In the book, Fundamentals of total quality management: Process analysis and improvement,

Lavigna (2010) reports that one study of 50 global companies confirms the firms with high levels of employee engagement produced significantly better bottom-line results than those companies evidencing low levels of engagement. Three key metrics: 1) Income, 2) income growth, and 3) earnings per share confirmed that the high-engagement organizations performed up to 43% better than the other companies practicing low levels of engagement. Some of the most committed and productive employees work “in highly demanding work environments” (Lavigna, What Drivesâ€¦ Section, Â¶ 2). Satisfied employees do not simply punch the clock but commit to their organizations and to the responsibilities in completing their jobs. Customer satisfaction affects the well-being of an organization.

Understanding the facets or elements of employee satisfaction could enable firms to allocate resources in an optimal manner and maximize employee satisfaction. Scott K. Metlen (2007), Associate Professor of production operations management at the University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, purports in the journal article, “Relationships among facets of employee satisfaction: Why managers should care,” that empirical studies support the perception that employee well-being (employee satisfaction) does affect employee outcomes (employee effectiveness). In turn, particularly in high contact service industries, employee effectiveness affects customer satisfaction, which ultimately contributes to the success or failure of the organization.

Polaris Marketing Research, a marketing research company, asserts that it offers premier survey programs to ascertain a number of business concerns, including employee satisfaction. Market research and marketing research differ as market research depicts data and information that typically portrays demographics and similar data to define a particular market. Marketing research comprises original or custom data and information a company collects to clarify and inform the marketing process. One aspect of the marketing process direct relates to employee satisfaction. Polaris recommends: “All survey questionnaires should follow a fairly standard format – Introduction of survey topic/reason/incentive, thanks for participating, screen for correct respondent, primary survey questions, demographic questions, thank you and wrap-up” (Employee Satisfaction Questionnaire, 2009, Â¶ 5). An organization aiming to measure employee satisfaction could benefit from utilizing questions like the following for an employee satisfaction questionnaire with answers reported with scale selection including:

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Somewhat Agree

Agree

Strongly Agree

Not Applicable

Sample question for an employee satisfaction questionnaire:

Regarding the statement, “I am aware of Company ABC’s overall strategy,” would you say you & #8230;

Regarding the statement, “I understand what Company ABC, as a company, is trying to achieve,” would you say you & #8230;

I feel my department gets support and teamwork from other areas within the Company.

Overall I am very satisfied with my job at Company ABC.

My manager clearly defines my job responsibilities.

My manager/supervisor encourages high achievement by reducing the fear of failure.

My manager/supervisor takes responsibility for shaping the attitudes and relationships within our department.

My manager/supervisor clearly communicates what is expected of me.

My manager/supervisor provides me with continuous feedback to help me achieve.

My manager/supervisor demonstrates professionalism. (Employee Satisfaction Questionnaire, 2009, Â¶ 5).

Leaders in companies and corporations not only need to focus on employee satisfaction, routinely assess employee satisfaction but employee commitment and productivity as well. Many CEO’s of major corporations assert that building strong bonds and relationships with their employees often leads to that employee’s commitment to the company or corporation. The stronger the bond and commitment to the corporation, the more likely the employee with have higher productivity. Tan, Tan Tiong (2007) explain that “it is thus vital to enhance commitment in the workplace by reducing stress and increasing job satisfaction” (Factors associatedâ€¦ Section, Â¶ 9). When leaders of a corporation or company concentrate on building valuable relationships with their employees, they are also increasing their participation in the company’s values and goals.

ASDA Interviews

The following depicts excerpts from an interview

with Neil Nugent, ASDA head development chef:

Interviewer: What was your first ever job?

Neil Nugent: Washing up in a restaurant part time from the age of 14/15. I always wanted to be a chef and this was a good way to get into it.

Interviewer: Give us a quick rundown on your career

Neil Nugent: I studied at the Catering City and Guilds at Rochdale Technical College, progressing to some of the best restaurants in London and France, including Michelin-starred establishments, Roger Verge’s Le Moulin de Mougins in Cannes and Boulestin in Covent Garden. I spent some time as a head chef on a private charter yacht cooking for the rich and famous. After coming home, I went to Brassede Forty 4 and Pool Court in at 42 Leeds. I then worked in food development with Hazlewood Foods as group development chef, working on Gary Rhodes and developed his ready meal range the Fresh Creations range for Sainsbury’s and then went on to ASDA.

Interviewer: Has your career followed a logical path?

Neil Nugent: Not totally — I started as a chef in restaurants and still have my own restaurant and then took a twist into the retail world.

Interviewer: What part has luck played in your career?

Neil Nugent: I believe that you create your own luck by, in the words of Woody Allen, “being there.” By working hard and putting yourself in the right place you create situations for yourself that could be deemed as lucky.

Interviewer: Who do you most admire in the grocery industry?

Neil Nugent: I admire some of the European retailers such as Picard that have great frozen food. The quality and execution of shops is fantastic.

Interviewer: Do you have a mentor?

Neil Nugent: Delia Smith is someone I really admire. She has changed the UK’s palate over the years — she’s a legend. Steve Raichlen, the BBQ master, is always really inspiring, too.

Interviewer: If you could change one thing in the industry what would it be?

Neil Nugent: The industry should be more environmentally friendly. There should be less packaging and we are working on this with suppliers. We also need to localise our supply of food.

Interviewer: What is the most rewording part of your job?

Neil Nugent: The most rewarding part of the job is seeing people buying things that I have created.

Interviewer: What is the least rewarding part?

Neil Nugent: It is sometimes frustrating when you create fantastic recipes which cannot be replicated on the shelves. (adapted from Climbing the ladderâ€¦ 2008)

The following depicts an online post manipulated into depict an interview with a former anonymous ASDA employee.

Interviewer: What advantages over other companies do you perceive ASDA offered to its employees

Anonymous ASDA Employee: For me personally? None. Some people might find the discount card useful.

Interviewer: What are some of the disadvantages you perceive for employees of ASDA?

Anonymous ASDA Employee: Every aspect of the job.

Interviewer: Will you please discuss your personal experience as an ASDA employee?

Anonymous ASDA Employee: After being made redundant from my previous job I turned to ASDA for employment. I picked up an application form from my local “Wal-Mart Supercentre,” filled it out and returned it that evening. I was contacted a few days later about a night vacancy for “general colleagues” and invited to a group interview called “ASDA Magic.”

Interviewer: How did your first days with ASDA progress?

Anonymous ASDA Employee: At first ASDA seemed to be a very promising place to work. Everyone in the interview was very friendly, even the managers taking notes for the session made an effort to keep everyone at ease and happy, making jokes and joining in with our discussions. Despite being an obvious “company yes man” the people manager leading the session was pleasant, kind and friendly. As a result I left the session feeling happy and hoping I would get the job. The second interview went ok too, this time it was a one on one interview with a night section manager.

Interviewer: What happened after the one on one interview?

Anonymous ASDA Employee: However after this things changed for the worse. I received a call telling me that I had got the job, and that I should attend an initial training session with the people manager.

Interviewer: What happened during the next stage of your employment with ASDA?

Anonymous ASDA Employee: Brainwashing. This next session was mostly admin stuff to begin with, but as the day went on it became clear that the point of this session was clearly to brain wash us into the ASDA way of thinking. Positive opinions of ASDA were presented as fact instead of opinion, with the people manager making statements such as “ASDA smart price IS quality food at an affordable price” whenever he had the opportunity, and particular emphasis was put on the “ASDA value” that states “We care for our colleagues every day.” We were repeatedly told the company DOES care for its workers, at least 15 times throughout the 8-hour training day. We had the “benefits” that ASDA provides to its staff drummed into us repeatedly, but in reality these benefits either don’t exist in the same form as was explained to us, don’t exist at all, are actually legal requirements that the company has to adhere to by law, or have so many conditions attached to them that they aren’t worth the paper their written on. The only real benefit is the discount card, but you don’t receive it until you have worked there for 12 weeks and it doesn’t include a discount on petrol or cigarettes (amongst other things). They don’t tell you any of that during the training, of course. Although this applies only to me, as somebody who doesn’t actually shop in ASDA the card is really no use to me at all.

Interviewer: What else occurred during your training?

Anonymous ASDA Employee: We had to complete a large amount of “quizzes,” all of which contained positive writings about the merits of working at ASDA, and explained in very subliminal and indirect terms that you are expected to treat the job as the most important aspect of your life, and be understanding if ASDA asks you to do a lot more than originally planned. This sounds made up, but trust me, if you stay switched on and try to not let it get into your head you can actually see it working on some of the people around you.

They instruct instead of explain, you have to raise your hand like children in a primary school if you want to make a point or answer a question, and any question on the quiz that could produce a negative answer just happens to be multiple choice (all the answers are positive).

It’s also worth noting that any “sensitive subjects” such as disabilities and workers rights are covered by videos, making it impossible to answer back whilst you are being instructed about the subject. Any questions or negative points you bring up after the videos are instantly turned into a positive without giving you any real answer, or ignored completely.

Interviewer: How do you think ASDA considers the employee and its customers?

Anonymous ASDA Employee: One thing they do explain in no uncertain terms is that you are absolutely powerless against the customer. No matter how rude, aggressive or threatening they become, you ARE NOT allowed to answer or argue back. Instead you have to allow yourself to be degraded and embarrassed in an attempt to hold on to as many customers as possible.

You are “reminded” about the ineffectiveness of unions, and how bad they are for the company. New staff are given a very one sided argument against unions, and if you show any interest in joining one a brainwashed member of staff will inform a manager, who will promptly bully you out of doing it. The reasons ASDA don’t want you to join a union will become obvious as you read on.

This carries on over the first two days. At the end you are issued with your uniform and a couple of name tags and told to “wear you nametag with pride.” Right.

Interviewer: How did you perceive the work environment at ASDA?

Anonymous ASDA Employee: In most cases when you get onto the shop floor you’ll be in for a shock. I’ve worked in retail before, but I’ve never experienced a store run the way ASDA do it. I have no problem with working nights or long hours, but the amount of work you are expected to fit into your shift, even as a brand new staff member is impossible. I was put on to chilled food after applying for the MVG (movies videos and games) or home ware sections without any warning of the change. You’re supposed to have a training buddy, but mine cleared off after the first day and nobody has stepped up to replace him. I have only been working there for 2 weeks, but since the second night I have been working completely on my own, with no company, taking care of the entire salads, fillers, UHT and yogurt sections. I’ve had to work out how things work entirely on my own because everyone else is always too busy to give me any help, and whenever I do something even slightly wrong I get shouted at by my manager. We take 4 deliveries each night, and I have to organise and put out 2 or 3 cages for each one. If you don’t finish your tasks in time you are expected to stay longer, with no breaks. On my second night I was there until 8:45 AM, when I should have finished at 7. My usual shift hours are 11pm to 7am, but after 6am I change to day rate and get paid less for the final hour and any longer that I stay for (depsite spending nearly the whole night at work). As a new employee I’m on less than everyone else, despite the fact I do just as much work. You are encouraged to miss your 15 minute break to get more work done, which violates the working time directive laws. You can choose to take it, but the managers won’t be happy.

Interviewer: Do you feel ASDA respects employees and treats them fairly?

Anonymous ASDA Employee: Don’t believe what they say about recognising achievement. Any genuine hard work will not be congratulated unless you are a favourite amongst the managers, or unless you receive a 100% mystery shopper score. If this happens you won’t get to go out to a nice restaurant, instead you’ll be “treated” to a meal in Pizza Hut. Whoopee. Just to make this treat extra special it’s held during the day, family aren’t invited, and if you work nights you’ll probably be sleeping when it happens.

Interviewer: How would you describe your interactions with other ASDF staff?

Anonymous ASDA Employee: The staff I work with seem incredibly rude, and even asking to borrow a kick stool is apparently a cardinal sin. If you ask to borrow a pump truck to move pallets boy are you in for a mouth-full! I would find my own, but this multi-billion pound company apparently doesn’t have the funds to buy more, unless you want to take it out of your bonus. The staff generally stay in their cliques and won’t include you in any social activity if you’re a new staff member.

If you ask anyone to help you they talk to you as if you are stupid, and appear to lord it over you that their more experienced in stacking shelves. Just like on the shop floor, lunch in the canteen is often a lonely affair. The time is spent watching terrible late night TV, eating cheap but sub-standard food, with nobody to talk too. Trying to start a conversation is hopeless and usually ends up as a few sentences followed by an awkward silence.

Interviewer: What kind of bonus program/s do ASDA employees participate in?

Anonymous ASDA Employee: The company will try to find any excuse to reduce your bonus. It’s basically set up so that you never get the actual amount they state in the interview and induction. On my first night the fire alarm went off 5 times due to a fault. The fire brigade were automatically called twice, and we were told the callout fee would be deducted from our bonus fund. I confronted my GSM directly about the issue, and explained how I thought it was unfair that we should pay the fees without having anything to do with the fire alarm system. His response was “Life’s not always fair.” If I didn’t need the money so much I would have resigned on the spot.

Interviewer: What part of your work with ASDA concerned you the most?

Anonymous ASDA Employee: Possibly the most disturbing aspect of working for ASDA is the way that every single standard put in place to protect workers and stock is neglected at night. There is a standard called “challenge 20” which basically means that any chilled products can’t be out of chiller for more than 20 minutes. I regularly walk past cages of chilled products that have been sitting on the warm shop floor for more than 5 hours (including milk and raw meats). The products are still put on the shelves, and whenever you try to bring it up with a manager they say that this rule reduces productivity, and that the cages are fine as long as they are “near a chiller.” This is why I no longer shop in ASDA.

Interviewer: How did your work affect your life away from work with ASDA?

Anonymous ASDA Employee: I finish every shift feeling depressed, downtrodden and undervalued. I think it’s understandable considering I’ve only seen a single section of the shop all night, haven’t had a proper conversation with anyone for 8 hours, and now have to spend my day sleeping so I’m ready for the night once again.

Interviewer: Will you please summarize your final perception of ASDA?

Anonymous ASDA Employee: It’s as close to knowing what a battery hen feels like that a human can “legally” get. (adapted from ASDA Stores 2010)

The next excerpt evolved from an interview with Andrew Ball, ASDA store manager, as quoted in the article, “Thank God for a great store: Store manager Andrew Ball has taken service at ASDA’s Frome branch in Somerset to a new level. Shoppers have access to affordable top-quality products and even an in-store chaplain,” by Alex Beckett (2997).:

Interviewer: Does your store still have a resident chaplain?

Andrew Ball: Yes, our in-store chaplain is there to chat to colleagues and customers. It’s a voluntary programme, which allows the church to get involved with the local community. The chaplain initially wandered around the store on an adhoc basis, but he proved so popular that we are now trialling a fixed surgery-style format. It’s an interesting store feature.

Conclusion

Companies that focus on building relationships with their employees have higher job satisfaction and loyalty to the company, which leads to higher productivity. Employers, who focus on supporting a work-life balance, especially for married employees with children, may lead to an employee’s increased productivity. The journal article, “Work attitude, loyalty, and employee turnover,” by Joel Tan, a research assistant, and Dr. Vicky Tan are with the faculty of arts and social sciences, National University of Singapore and Dr. Tan Ngoh Tiong (2007), professor of social work at Augsburg College, Minnesota explain that employers who also offer programs to help employees deal with stress in the workplace or at home may also enhance work satisfaction and loyalty to the company.

Companies committed to focusing on three major factors, job satisfaction, work attitudes and work stress influence an employee’s loyalty and commitment to the company and in turn leads to higher productivity. Tan, Tan Tiong (2007) explain that “it is thus vital to enhance commitment in the workplace by reducing stress and increasing job satisfaction” (Factors associatedâ€¦ Section, Â¶ 9). When employers focus on building valuable relationships with their employees, they are increasing that employee’s participation in the company as well as more contribution to the company’s goals. It is also critical for employers to involve their staff in the company’s organizational process as it may assist in the employee feeling empowered.

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

The “release of a movie by a prominent U.S. Hollywood producer

â€¦ parodies the companies [ASDA’s] claims that it is an employee friendly company, ethically minded and works for and not against local communities”

(ASDA 2005).

Methodology Components

For the study’s methodology, a mixed-method case study, the researcher conducts a thorough review of literature, conducts a survey of ASDA employees and examines a number of ASDA interviews (adapted from researched literature). When managers communicate important decisions, they would be wise to address concerns employees express regarding the implications of these decisions. In the book, Actionable performance measurement: A key to success, Marvin T. Howell (2006) examines components regarding metrics. “A good metric will tell you how things are going. If the indicators showing better performance and the performance actually is better and vice versa” (Howell, p. 1). Hall explains that one defines the term metric as “an indicator that drives meaningful action” (p. 1).

A metric is a measurement, taken over time, that communicates vital information about the processor or activity. The major requirement for being a metric vs. An indicator is that a metric must drive appropriate action. In other words if you are often target, the metric shows you that and enables you to start action to get back on target. It is nothing more than a meaningful measure. Performance indicators and metrics are basically the same and are often used interchangeably. Indicators can be counts (such as number of widgets produce) and may not be either a metric or performance indicator. Metrics are normally process measures. (Howell 2006, p. 2)

Metrics prove vital, Howell (2006) asserts, as without them, an organization will not know how its employees are performing; how well employees are doing their job; how will the organization is achieving its mission. Metrics:

Offer the organization access to early warning of problems or bottlenecks.

Enable the organization to manage its processes, jobs, and organization.

Provide basic information for the organization to continually improve.

Enable and assist communications throughout the organization.

Maintain score on significant items like goal attainment (Howell 2006).

Metrics or indicators may be categorized as business, organizational, outcome, process, strategic, supplier, or tactical. Every organization, Howell (2006) asserts, possesses a minimum of three types of indicators: Job; organizational; process. Effectiveness indicators, also known as outcome measures, reveal how well the organization achieves its goals/targets. These include, but may not be limited to cost, profit/productivity, customer and/or employee satisfaction, customer and/or employee retention, schedule achievement, quality, and safety.

The most significant attribute of a metric is that it proves to be meaningful; that it determines its purpose as well as drives the right action. “The metric must have a good if operational definition (an internal definitions soâ€¦ [each person] knows exactly what is included in the data)” (Howell 2006, p. 5). The metric proves useful as it reveals a trend so that the company may as appropriate, compare results to standards; targets; control limits. Data or information needs to be timely so the organization and, if necessary, but a quick action.

Likert Type Format Scales

Likert type format scales, typically used to measure metrics, can range from 5 to 7. The absolute minimum designated scale needs to be “5,” as when the researcher uses any number under five scale, the survey loses significant reliability. “The 7 scale has a little more reliability than 5.” The following relate examples of potential Likert scales that can be used in surveys assessing employee satisfaction.

To extend scale

Not at all

To a very little extent

To a little extent

To a moderate extent

To a fairly large extent

To a great extent

To a very great extent

Frequency scale

Never

Sometimes

Usually

Almost always

Always

Agreement scale

Strongly disagree

Moderately disagree

Slightly disagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Slightly agree

Moderately agree

Strongly agree

Satisfaction scale

Extremely dissatisfied

Moderately dissatisfied

Slightly dissatisfied

Neutral

Slightly satisfied

Moderately satisfied

Extremely satisfied

Reverse answers

Very satisfied

Moderately satisfied

Slightly satisfied

Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

Slightly dissatisfied

Moderately dissatisfied

Very dissatisfied

A different twist

Very poor

Poor

Neutral

Good

Very good

In this version, a six scale may sometimes be added, like not observed, non-applicable, outstanding, etc.. These type scales prove particularly beneficial for feedback on attributes if like competency; courtesy; timeliness; etc. (Howell 2006, p. 173).

An example of the importance scale:

Importance scale

Not important

Somewhat important

Important

Very important

Although this version loses some reliability, it may actually be early bit more clear than extending the choices to five as it would appear as the following.

Importance scale (example 2)

Very unimportant

Unimportant

Half and half

Important

Very important

Organizations frequently use scales like the following are to measure importance performance.

Extremely important

(Howell 2006, p. 174).

The researcher used the above examples to create the survey used for the dissertation

(Appendix A). As Polaris recommends, the study survey follows a fairly standard format.

Table 2 depicts considerations for the researcher when creating a survey such as the one the researcher created for the study.

Table 2: Considerations for Creating Survey (adapted from Howell, 2006).

Eight Attributes Metrics for this Survey

Methods to Measure for this Survey

Suggestions for Creating Questions for this Survey

Measurable

Estimating

Keeps a question clear, concise, and unambiguous

Simple and understandable

Conducting a survey using a Likert scale (enables a participant to choose particular degrees of performance or satisfaction)

Refrains from using double negatives in the question

Meaningful; Sends the right message; drives appropriate action

Ranking

Limits the content of the question to a single thought

Timely, believable, and acceptable

Using an index

Well-defined and shows a trend

Using a finite measure for available data

Cost-effective

Repeatable, auditable, and sensitive

Customer-oriented, or employee — oriented

CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS

“Almost anything can be measured”

(Howell, 2006, p. 8).

Findings from Measuring Data

During the analysis, the researcher relates a number of findings discovered from “measuring” data from the survey the researcher conducted as well as findings from the review of literature and the ASDA interviews. The researcher presents the findings relating them to the following six sub-headings.

Employee satisfaction;

Employer/Employee perceptions of employee satisfaction;

Factors contributing to employee satisfaction;

ASDA reports;

Measuring employee satisfaction and productivity.

ASDA Interviews

Employee Satisfaction

Lavigna (2010) explains that the top four drivers of employee satisfaction are depicted in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2: Factors Driving Employee Satisfaction (adapted from Lavigna, 2010, What Drivesâ€¦ Section, Â¶ 1).

Employer/Employee Perceptions of Employee Satisfaction

Table 3 compares HR professionals’ perceptions of employee satisfaction compared to employee’s perceptions.

Table 3: Employee Satisfaction Perceptions (Employee Perceptionsâ€¦ 2006)

HR Professional Perceptions

Employee Perceptions

Decent benefits

Co-worker attitudes

Co-worker attitude

Quality management

Adequate wages

Commute distance perceive the top three factors for employee’s satisfaction

Factors Contributing to Employee Satisfaction

Figure 3 depicts eight key components potentially contributing to employee satisfaction.

Figure 3: Eight Key Components for Satisfied Employees (adapted from Lee, 2007, Career Roadmapsâ€¦ Section, Â¶ 1-6).

ASDA Reports

To help foster employee satisfaction, ASDA surveys its permanent employees each year regarding staff satisfaction. During 2004 — 05, the survey revealed a satisfaction rating of 67% percent. This totaled 8% lower than ASDA’s targeted 75%, however this figure proved consistent with surveys ASDA conducted in previous years (People 2005).. Figure 4 shows ASDA staff survey satisfaction ratings from 1998 to 2004.

Figure 4: ASDA Staff Survey Satisfaction Ratings (adapted from People 2005).

Issues identified in the ASDA survey included but were not limited to the office environment, wages and company benefits (People. 2005).

Measuring Employee Satisfaction and Productivity

To more effectively assess problems or issues that need to be addressed, Hyde (2010) suggests leaders should ask employees three simple questions. Figure 5 depicts those three simple, yet probing practical potent questions.

Figure 5: Three Simple Questions to Address Employee Satisfaction (Hyde, 2010, Â¶ 5).

Table 4: Employee Satisfaction Survey Considerations (adapted from Dahlgaard & Kristensen, 2005).

Author(s) and Date

Questions to Measure Employee Satisfaction

Steps to Enhance the Survey Process

Jens J. Dahlgaard and Ghopal Kai Kristensen; 2005

I can plan and decide by myself how my job is done.

Organize employee focus groups to establish relevant topics.

My job demands that I do several activities so that I have to use all my creative abilities.

During the design of the questionnaire, include questions relating to both the evaluation and significance of each topic.

I’m well trained before new work pressures or new systems are introduced.

Collect presentation material for all departments.

The workflow between the different functions of the organization is simple.

Present the gathered material in each of the departments.

The co-operation and co-ordination between the departments

Conduct the survey.

Report findings retrieved at both total and departmental levels.

Create improvement teams.

Host an employee conference.

ASDA Interviews

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

“When an organization has high levels of engagement, customer satisfaction-and

performance-will follow’

(Lavigna, 2010, Â¶ 1).

Hypothesis Validity Confirmed

Employees satisfied with their work may not always be content with every aspect of their work environment. Because they are basically satisfied, however, they will more likely be willing to invest their discretionary energy to their work, which in turn will typically increase their productivity. Although different opinions regarding components contributing to employee satisfaction and the organization’s productivity abound, the researcher asserts that the study confirms employee satisfaction does in fact link to the organization’s productivity.

The researcher also affirms the study proves to be significant as it offers readers the opportunity to better understand ways employee satisfaction links to productivity and a number of the contributing components. This understanding proves critical in the increasingly competitive global market.

As noted at the start of the study, the hypothesis for the study asserts: A positive correlation exists between employee satisfaction and productivity/output. The researcher contends that the information/data the researcher retrieved and examined confirms the validity of the hypothesis. Through the course of the study, the researcher addressed each of the following three sub-questions to support the study’s hypothesis.

4. What factors contribute to employee satisfaction, both on and off the job?

5. Can employee “satisfaction” be measured?

6. If employee “satisfaction” can be measured, how can this be done? If employee

“satisfaction” cannot be measured, what reasons may contribute to the incapability? The researcher also affirms that as the study indicates a correlation exists between employee satisfaction and productivity. Results from the literature reviewed as well as data from the survey the researcher conducted also indicate that: “Yes,” satisfaction can be “measured.”

Recount of Study Aim/Objectives

During the study, the researcher’s primary aim comprised of analyzing relevant literature with results of the researcher’s survey and interviews; determining if a correlation exists between employee satisfaction and productivity/output. The researcher fulfilled each of the following study objectives:

Objective 1

The researcher conducted a thorough review of literature relating to employee satisfaction and productivity/output; securing specific information related to ASDA; including information applicable to employee satisfaction and productivity throughout the world.

Objective 2

The researcher developed, implemented and assessed results evolving from a survey of ASDA employees and managers.

Objective 3

Analyzed information retrieved through the literature review.

Analyzed data retrieved through the implementation of the survey.

Analyzed data/information the interviews reveal.

Presents a compilation of findings from the literature review as well as from the survey and the interviews during the analysis chapter of the dissertation.

Objective 4

The researcher discusses the study, offer sconclusions and recommendations regarding the study and information the study reveals.

Study Review

During the study, as the researcher investigated employee satisfaction; employer/employee perceptions of employee satisfaction; factors contributing to employee satisfaction; ASDA reports; measuring employee satisfaction and productivity; ASDA interviews, the researcher found the following information.

Employee Satisfaction

The research reveals that employee satisfaction typically indicates the effectiveness of the organization’s leadership. Effective leadership as well as “employee skills and mission match,

work/life balance, and training and development” (Lavigna 2010, What Drivesâ€¦ Section, Â¶ 1) depict four primary components that contribute to nurturing employee satisfaction.

Employer/Employee Perceptions of Employee Satisfaction

The research indicates that the organization as well as employees’ views of the organizations will likely continue to change as companies routinely downsize, privatize and contract/outsource work. In turn, traditional employee-organization bonds will likely weaken unless organizations proactively nurture factors that enhance employee satisfaction.

Factors Contributing to Employee Satisfaction

Respect, a core value within organizational theory, contributes to enhancing employee satisfaction. A lack of respect can contribute to a decrease in the employee’s distrustful of organization; potentially contributing the employee not fully buying into the organizational goals and activities.

When the organization treats the employee fairly and with respect, this empowers him to complete his responsibilities in a meaningful way. In turn, the employee will more likely believe management represents his best interest, be more satisfied with his job, and as a result likely become more productive.

ASDA Reports

As ASDA reportedly worked to improve employee satisfaction, it has also increased its productivity; transitioning from one of the best to become one of the best employers in the UK. Performance initiatives ASDA promotes for its staff include agency bonuses, individual bonuses, peer recognition, and learning and development. ASDA also reportedly strives to help employees achieve work-life balance as well as helps them feel like a valued and part of the company.

Measuring Employee Satisfaction and Productivity

For an employee to mange employee satisfaction, it has to be capable of measuring it. The organization can use results it measures regarding employee satisfaction to assist it in making ongoing improvements.

ASDA Interviews

Customer needs to complete this section from Interviews in Literature Review Chapter and/or from interviewers personally completed for the study.

Conclusion

The subtle and obvious differences between perceptions of the employee and HR professionals regarding employee satisfaction need to be reconciled. Not doing so will contribute to the numerous, negative existing disconnects in the work environment. Organizations could benefit from respecting its employees as respect contributes to the employee’s trust of the organization. Ultimately, as the organization ensures its employee receive fair treatment and respect, the organization as well as the employee profits.

ASDA reportedly reflects strategies an organization can implement to enhance employee satisfaction and in turn improve its productivity. One particularly effective tactic, the researcher notes, involves helping the employee balance his home and work commitments.

Measuring employee satisfaction can help a company, like ASDA, mange employee satisfaction. ASDA appears to not only have measured results it measured regarding employee satisfaction, it invested that knowledge to make continuing improvements in employee satisfaction which appear to have ultimately contributed to its productivity.

Recommendations

The primary “take away” the researcher gained from the study involves preparations regarding the implementation of the survey for ASDA employees and management. The researcher recommends that prior to planning to include a survey in a study, the researcher ensures the organization being considered will help facilitate the survey process. The researcher encounteredâ€¦ Customer needs to explain the rest and from the survey results, determine recommendations for future researchers.

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APPENDIX A

ASDA EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION QUESTIONNAIRE

PART I: Demographics

1. Age

18-21 yrs old

22 — 35 yrs old

36 — 49 yrs old

50+ yrs old

2. Gender

Male

Female

3. Marital Status

Single

Married

Divorced

4. Income

10,000 — 14,999

15,000 — 24,999

25,000 — 34,999

35,000 — 44,999

45,000+

5. Department

Grocery

Clothing

Household/Electronics

Automotive

PART II: Rating Scales

Please respond to the following statements with a number from 1 to 5 in each Section; Please answer as applicable in both Importance and in Satisfaction Sections

[1 being “Extremely Important” and 5 being “Not Important at All.”] for Importance;

[1 being “Extremely Satisfied” and 5 being “Not Satisfied at All.”] for Satisfaction.

Importance

Satisfaction

1. I can plan and decide by myself how my job is done.

1 2-3 4-5-1-2 3-4 5

2. My job demands that I do several activities so that I have to use all my creative abilities.

1 2-3 4-5-1-2 3-4 5

3. I’m well trained before new work pressures or new systems are introduced.

1 2-3 4-5-1-2 3-4 5

4. The workflow between the different functions of the organization is simple.

1 2-3 4-5-1-2 3-4 5

5. The co-operation and co-ordination between

the departments

1 2-3 4-5-1-2 3-4 5

(Dahlgaard & Kristensen 2005, p. 156)

PART III: Choices

1. In a typical “week,” how many problems/concerns do you experience at work?

0 — 1

2-4

5-8

9-12

13+

2. How many times per week do you meet with team members?

0-1

2-4

3. Where do you typically discuss work concerns with other employees?

On Phone from Home

In Department

In Designated Conference Space

Other

4. What is your primary reason for working at ASDA?

Receive a Regular Paycheck

Career Opportunities

Only Job Could Obtain

Other

5. What type of work do you usually do?

Customer Service

Stock Shelves

Clerical

Maintenance

Supervision

Other

6. Do you feel you have been properly trained to fulfill your responsibilities at ASDA?

Yes

7. Do you know feel you have authority to make necessary decisions in your work?

Yes

8. How many years have you worked with ASDA?

+-1

2-4

5-9

10-19

20+

9. Do you consider yourself to be a productive employee?

Yes

10. Which of the following issues/concerns do you consider most problematic?

Hours of Work

Pay

Training/Supervision

Co-worker Attitudes

Benefits

Work Environment/Responsibilities

Opportunities for Advancement

Other

11. Do you frequently experience stress in your work environment during work hours?

Yes

12. Have you ever addressed problems/concerns with supervisors/team leaders?

Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

To Customer:

Interviewer and Neil Nugent added.

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