Managerial Practices That Helps to Boost Employees Job Satisfaction

1.1. Research Aim

This paper consists of a proposal for research on managerial practices that are helpful in boosting job satisfaction among employees. By utilizing different research tools (explained in methodology), the researcher aims to investigate into effective techniques and strategies used and should be used by managers to tune the organizational dynamics to a level of maximum productivity by satisfying and (thus) motivating their workforce. The study being proposed is specifically directed towards helping a Singaporean company Antasis Pte. Ltd. with their policies towards employees. Antasis is a CRM solution providing company with 150 members in its personnel (Official Website, 2016). The company is struggling with its managerial functions to its workforce. The proposed report will come in as a significant source of learning for the management of the organization.

1.2. Research Question

Keeping in view the research aim discussed above;,the research will revolve around the research question stated below:

How Antasis Pte. Ltd. optimize its managerial functions relating to its employees to enhance their job satisfaction?

1.3. Research Objectives

To investigate into effective managerial functions ensuring a high level of employee job satisfaction.

To study the relationship between managerial functions and employee satisfaction.

To study the impact of effective managerial functions on employee retention.

To study the impact of effective managerial practices on employee motivation.

The proposal is broken down into different sections following a traditional pattern of a research proposal. The initial part provides background information, which is followed by comprehensive research methodology providing an understanding of the tools and techniques intended to be utilized to carry out the proposed research project.

2. Literature Review

Some of the vitally important themes relating to the case of the study being proposed are discussed in this particular section.

2.1. Operative vs. Managerial Functions of HRM

The role of human resource management extends into two broad categories including operative and managerial functionality. Operative functions of HR mainly include recruitment and selection, compensation, training and development, integration, and maintenance. These are the areas that hold fundamental importance in the classical definition of human resource management. On the other hand, managerial functions relate to the concept of organizational dynamics or organizational behavior. All managerial practices relating to planning, organizing, coordinating, directing, and controlling fall in this category of functions (Noe, 2009; Kotey & Slade, 2005). Wright and Nishii (2007), opine that operative functions of human resource management are not potentially effective unless complemented with a proper set of managerial techniques to maximize employee motivation.

2.2. Employee Motivation and Job Satisfaction

Both motivation and satisfaction go hand in hand for employees. If an organization is capable of motivating its workforce through effective policies or strategies directed towards them, it will be a sure way of bringing job satisfaction among them. By the same token, job satisfaction plays a key role in motivating employees to give better input ensuring the increased level of organizational productivity on the whole (Thomson, 2002).

2.3. Employee Satisfaction and Turnover

It is important for organizations to retain talent in the long run, as it saves operational costs (relating to recruitment, selection, and training) and keeps organizational operations in a good flow. Job satisfaction and employee turnover are inversely related to each other. In order to retain employees for considerable period of time, human resource management has to come up with highly well-directed strategies to ensure healthy work environment and promote teamwork along with adopting efficient approach to operative HR practices (Phillips and Connell, 2004)

2.4. Organizational Behavior and Employee Satisfaction

As discussed, managerial functions hold key importance when it comes to managing an organization on whole as they involve the strategies directed towards maintaining good organizational behavior. For this purpose, different considerations are to be taken into account out of which organizational structure holds great importance. It should be appropriate to key objectives of the organization. Today, the team-based structure is helping companies yield comparatively better outcomes. By the same token, it is also crucial to provide the workforce with the optimized working environment, as it can also offset the impact of deficiencies in operative functions (such as low compensation to name only one). Other areas of managerial functionality such as leadership style, employee/employer relationships, freedom of opinion, shared responsibilities, and diversity management also contribute handsomely to employee job satisfaction if managed properly (KOYS, 2001).

3. Methodology

Set of all the strategies, tools, or techniques used to accomplish a research is termed as a research methodology. Given below is the detailed account of all the methods intended to be used by the researcher to undertake the study being proposed:

3.1. Research Approach

Out of two broadly practiced research approaches: inductive and deductive, the underlying research is going to be based on deduction due the fact that it aims to test an existing theory on the basis of information collected and analyzed rather than to generate any new idea (as true for inductive approach) (Fisher, 1970). Selected method also aligns perfectly with the purpose of research, because the indicative approach is usually adopted in research projects conducted at high levels in science and philosophy. It is also important to mention that the research will be based on mixed use of qualitative and quantitative techniques in data collection and analysis in order to create room for critical debate (as in case of qualitative research) as well as to be exact (as true for quantitative approach) (Creswell & Plano, 2007).

3.2. Data Collection

Broadly, there are two sources of data collection including primary and secondary. Primary channels of information are considered comparatively more reliable, as they are firsthand and updated. These include online and offline surveys, interviews, focus group, etc. On the other hand, secondary sources of data collection, as the name implies, comprise second hand mediums such as books, articles, news, case studies, websites, etc. The researcher will use both primary and secondary sources, as he aims to create a synthesis between both types of information to ensure its validity and reliability (explained later) (Kothari, 2004)

For primary data, the researcher will conduct a survey targeting the sample population of 20 employees working at Antasis Pte. Ltd. A fully structured questionnaire consisting mostly of close-ended questions will be processed via Email (preceded by telephone notification) to randomly selected respondents. Most of the questions are close-ended to ensure maximum response and allowing for quantitative representation of data. Apart from this, an interview analysis will be conducted containing 5 questions to collective qualitative primary data. Secondary data, on the other hand, will be collected from books, journals, electronic sources, and any other type of authentic publication.

3.3. Data Analysis

Firstly, the researcher will use a statistical tool to evaluate the data. It will lead to quantifiable facts associated with primary data, which will be followed by a synthesis of quantitative results and existing literature to check the theoretical implication and support for these findings. This will help reach the most reliable conclusions. The researcher will use triangulation to determine the level of agreement between data collected from difference sources.

3.4. Ethical Considerations.

Code of conduct, as devised for the research being proposed, is provided below:

The researcher will obtain consent from the participants before processing the questionnaire to avoid intrusion.

The researcher will not disclose the personal information of the respondents at any stage of the study.

All the information collected from selected participants will be used only for the purpose specified (to avoid its misuse).

All the secondary resources used will duly be cited and referenced by the researcher to ensure no intent of intellectual property theft.

The researchers personal bias (if any) will keep suspended throughout the research project, and data will be collected and analyzed neutrally and presented in its original form.

List of References

(Official Website). Who We Are. Antasis. Available from http://antasis.com/who-we-are/ [Accessed 20th June 2016]

Creswell, J. W., & Plano, C. V. (2007). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Fisher, R. A. (1970). Statistical methods for research workers. Darien, CT: Hafner Pub. Co.Kotey, B., & Slade, P. (2005). Formal Human Resource Management Practices in Small Growing Firms*. Journal of Small Business Management, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 16-40. doi:10.1111/j.1540-627x.2004.00123.

Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research Methodology: Methods & techniques. New Age International (P) Ltd.KOYS, D. J. (2001). The Effects of Employee Satisfaction, Organizational Citizenship Behavior, And Turnover On Organizational Effectiveness: A Unit-Level, Longitudinal Study. Personnel Psychology, vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 101-114. doi:10.1111/j.1744-6570.2001.tb00087.

Noe, R. A. (2009). Fundamentals of human resource management. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Phillips, J. and Connell, A. (2004). Managing Employee Retention. Amsterdam: Elsevier

Thomson, R. (2002). Motivation, job Satisfaction and job design. Managing People, pp. 71-95. doi:10.1016/b978-0-7506-5618-4.50008-6

Wright, P., and Nishii, L. (2007). Strategic HRM and Organizational Behavior: Integrating Multiple Levels of Analysis. CAHRS Working Paper Series. Available from http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1469&context=cahrswp [Accessed 20th June 2016]