Nova Southeastern University Nova Southeastern University NSUWorks NSUWorks Theses and Dissertations Abraham S. Fischler College of Education 2019 Measuring Employee Job Satisfaction During Workplace Measuring Employee Job Satisfaction During Workplace Downsizing Downsizing Trina Sanders Nova Southeastern University, [email protected]Follow this and additional works at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd Part of the Education Commons Share Feedback About This Item NSUWorks Citation NSUWorks Citation Trina Sanders. 2019. Measuring Employee Job Satisfaction During Workplace Downsizing. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. (253) https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/253. This Dissertation is brought to you by the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education at NSUWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of NSUWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected].
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Nova Southeastern University Nova Southeastern University
NSUWorks NSUWorks
Theses and Dissertations Abraham S. Fischler College of Education
2019
Measuring Employee Job Satisfaction During Workplace Measuring Employee Job Satisfaction During Workplace
Follow this and additional works at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd
Part of the Education Commons
Share Feedback About This Item
NSUWorks Citation NSUWorks Citation Trina Sanders. 2019. Measuring Employee Job Satisfaction During Workplace Downsizing. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. (253) https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/253.
This Dissertation is brought to you by the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education at NSUWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of NSUWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected].
Measuring Employee Job Satisfaction During Workplace Downsizing
by Trina Sanders
Applied Dissertation Submitted to the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice in Partial
Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education
Nova Southeastern University 2019
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Approval Page This applied dissertation was submitted by Trina Sanders under the direction of the persons listed below. It was submitted to the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Nova Southeastern University. Gloria J. Kieley, EdD Committee Chair Cathern Wildey, EdD Committee Member Kimberly Durham, PsyD Dean
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Statement of Original Work
I declare the following: I have read the Code of Student Conduct and Academic Responsibility as described in the Student Handbook of Nova Southeastern University. This applied dissertation represents my original work, except where I have acknowledged the ideas, words, or material of other authors. Where another author’s ideas have been presented in this applied dissertation, I have acknowledged the author’s ideas by citing them in the required style. Where another author’s words have been presented in this applied dissertation, I have acknowledged the author’s words by using appropriate quotation devices and citations in the required style. I have obtained permission from the author or publisher—in accordance with the required guidelines—to include any copyrighted material (e.g., tables, figures, survey instruments, large portions of text) in this applied dissertation manuscript. Trina Sanders Name September 16, 2019 Date
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Acknowledgments
This journey has been extremely long, overflowing with stress, tears, depleted
funding, and love and support from friends and family. My friends and family have given
me unconditional support that has made this journey bearable. I would like to send thanks
all the way to heaven to my great-grandmother, Norma Wilson, and my grandmother,
Irene Trollinger, for all of their love, support, encouragement, and money! I’m not sure
how far I would be without the both of them. I am truly grateful to my mom, Debbie
Sanders, and pops and mentor, Dr. Harold McCullough, for being my sounding board and
for being 100% entrenched in every graduate class, every paper, and every step of this
dissertation process. I want to thank them both for their prayers, love, and support and for
bragging about me to all of their friends over the years. I would like to thank my loving
wife, Nikisha Dawson Sanders, for being my biggest cheerleader and fan and for loving
and supporting all of my endeavors unconditionally now and in the future. Thank you for
believing I could do this, even when I wanted to give up! I also would like to thank all of
my supportive peers in my cohort and other dissertation candidates I have met along the
way. Your words of encouragement have been invaluable.
I would like to thank the members of New St. John Baptist church in Cincinnati,
Ohio, for their prayers, love tokens, care packages, and support over the years. You were
all my long distance village of angels, and for that I am forever grateful.
Thank you to my committee members, especially my dissertation chair, Dr. Gloria
Kieley, for her support, feedback, and guidance over the years and for hanging in there
with me. This dissertation is a product made with love from all of your support, and I am
grateful to you all.
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Abstract Measuring Employee Job Satisfaction During Workplace Downsizing. Trina Sanders, 2019: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: job satisfaction, downsizing, employee gender, employee age This applied dissertation was designed to examine the effects of workplace downsizing on employee job satisfaction among men and women and employees of different age groups. Results from an employee survey conducted annually by the organizational site indicated that employees had high stress levels, low employee satisfaction and morale, negative attitudes, and a lack of trust of leadership following employee downsizing at the company. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effects of workplace downsizing on employee job satisfaction to determine any differences by gender or age group. The study utilized a quantitative, descriptive, comparative methodology using Likert-style items from the Spector Job Satisfaction Survey. An online survey was completed by 128 participants, including demographic questions. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance and descriptive statistics to test perceptions of job satisfaction, comparing male and female participants as well as participants by age group. The results showed 26.6% of participants were either dissatisfied or slightly dissatisfied with the workplace. In addition, the study found no significant differences in job satisfaction by gender. There was no significant interaction between gender and age groups related to job satisfaction.
Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................... 1Setting of the Study ................................................................................................... 3Researcher’s Role ...................................................................................................... 3Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................. 3Definition of Terms ................................................................................................... 4
Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................. 6
Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................. 6Gender Differences in Job Satisfaction and Workplace Downsizing ....................... 6Effects of Downsizing on Survivors ......................................................................... 8Job-Related Stress ..................................................................................................... 9Employee Satisfaction and Morale ......................................................................... 10Leadership and Employee Satisfaction ................................................................... 11Research Questions ................................................................................................. 17
Overview of the Dissertation ................................................................................... 42Discussion of Results .............................................................................................. 43Interpretation of Findings ........................................................................................ 44Context of Findings ................................................................................................. 47Implications of Findings .......................................................................................... 48Limitations of the Study .......................................................................................... 49Future Research Directions ..................................................................................... 50
1 Research Questions, Variables of Interest, and Scales of Measurement ....... 252 Employment Status ........................................................................................ 283 Current or Most Recent Occupation .............................................................. 294 Factors of Job Satisfaction Ranked by Order of Importance ......................... 305 Skewness and Kurtosis Coefficients for Variable of Job Satisfaction .......... 32
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6 Perceptions of Job Satisfaction in the Workplace ......................................... 367 Job Satisfaction by Gender and Age Group .................................................. 378 Analysis of Variance Summary Table for Job Satisfaction by Gender and
Age Group ..................................................................................................... 379 Summary of Results ....................................................................................... 41
Figures
1 Required Sample Size and Statistical Power ................................................. 262 Factors of Job Satisfaction Ranked by Order of Importance ......................... 313 Histogram of Job Satisfaction ........................................................................ 334 Box and Whisker Plot for Job Satisfaction .................................................... 344 Perception of Job Satisfaction by Gender and Age Group ............................ 395 Perception of Job Satisfaction by Age Group and Gender ............................ 40
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Chapter 1: Introduction
Statement of the Problem
The topic. The topic of this study is the effects of workforce downsizing on
employee job satisfaction, which is impacted by stress, employee attitudes, and
leadership behaviors during times of change management within large corporations.
Employees are important to any organization, so leaders should plan to reduce stress in
the workplace environment through any change process (George, 2015). Downsizing
creates increased levels of stress for the surviving employees by increasing their
workloads, often causing longer work days with a decrease in work–life balance
(Robbins, DeCenzo, & Wolter, 2019).
The research problem. The company’s brand and the employees are the
foundation for any organization to remain successful, profitable, and competitive in a
global marketplace (George, 2015). Results from an employee survey conducted annually
by the organizational site indicated employees at the research site were having high stress
levels, low employee satisfaction and morale, negative attitudes, and a lack of trust of
leadership because many employees had been downsized from the company. The
employee survey reported an 11% decrease in employee engagement, 14% decrease in
trusting the leadership team, and 15% decrease in company loyalty. Change remains
constant within any flourishing organization; however, the needs of the employees must
be met to protect the performance levels of the organization (George, 2015). Employees
who are dissatisfied and have high levels of stress or depression will not produce the
same quality of work as employees who have lower levels of stress (George, 2015; Saari
& Judge, 2004).
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Background and justification. The act of corporate downsizing has been an
ongoing phenomenon since the late 1980s with the expected outcome of cost reduction
along with increased productivity, thus improving bottom line profits (Gandolfi, 2013).
However, the effects of corporate downsizing create high levels of stress for the
employees and a decrease in trust of the employer (De Meuse & Dai, 2013). Therefore,
during these times of change, organizational leaders should understand the need to make
their employees feel appreciated and satisfied within the work environment. The
employees at the research site reported feeling high levels of stress, low morale, and an
overall decrease in job satisfaction, as a result of the organization’s recent job elimination
efforts.
Deficiencies in the evidence. The research has indicated many debates about the
reasons for employee attitudes and job satisfaction. The gaps remaining in the research
are (a) cause of employee attitudes, (b) results of job satisfaction or dissatisfaction, and
(c) how to measure or influence the attitudes of employees (Saari & Judge, 2004). In
addition, only a small amount of research has measured employee attitudes and
satisfaction based on culture or the country of residence (Saari & Judge, 2004). Human
resource leaders should scrutinize how an employee’s culture or other demographic
factors could factor into attitudes and level of satisfaction (Saari & Judge, 2004).
Research has shown conflicting results on impact of work environment on employees by
gender, suggesting the need for further study (Hwang & Ramadoss, 2017). Further, the
effects of downsizing on employees of different genders may differ across cultures and
communication, (g) promotional opportunities, (h) operational procedures, and (i)
coworkers (Spector, 1985). The survey is scored using a 6-point Likert rating scale
ranging from 1 (disagree very much) to 6 (agree very much).
Validity and reliability. The Job Satisfaction Survey instrument is a well-
established tool that has been used to measure nine dimensions of job satisfaction related
to employees. The instrument has been investigated for reliability and validity based on a
sample of 3,067 individuals (Spector, 1985). An overall average of .70 for internal
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consistency was obtained from the sample. Equally important, the reliability was tested
for 43 workers over an 18-month period, yielding internal consistency statistics of .37 to
0.74 (Spector, 1985).
Procedures
Research design and conceptual framework. The quantitative study utilized a
nonexperimental descriptive survey approach with a cross-sectional design. In
nonexperimental research, the researcher has limited control over the independent
variables in the study, other than through statistical procedures, such as surveys
(Edmonds & Kennedy, 2013). Through the use of the survey methods, the researcher
interacted with the participants by collecting information surveys. This descriptive study
investigated participants through analyzing at least one variable (Edmonds & Kennedy,
2017). The cross-sectional design is very common, because it allows the researcher to
collect data from a specific time (Edmonds & Kennedy, 2013). The purpose of
quantitative research is to quantify extent of variation within a phenomenon or problem
(Kumar, 2014). A quantitative study was conducted using a survey format sent to each
participant’s personal e-mail.
The specific types of research designs are not always mutually exclusive. The
study is quantitative, for instance. One research question is descriptive and the remaining
four research questions are comparative. Demographic characteristics were compared
relative to the dependent variable of job satisfaction, and as such, the independent
variables were preexisting. No random assignment of participants was utilized in the
study. Therefore, the study design can be described as descriptive and comparative. The
independent and dependent variables should be clearly defined to conduct a quantitative
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analysis. The research gauged the participants’ job satisfaction at a company following
downsizing.
Independent variable. Downsizing is the desire to have an immediate reduction in
operations and a reduction in human resourcing in order to increase profits (Gandolfi,
2013). This research focused on the effects of downsizing on employee job satisfaction,
which can be impacted by variables of stress, employee attitudes, and leadership
behaviors during times of change management.
Dependent variable. The dependent variable was employee satisfaction.
Employee satisfaction describes when an employee is motivated, productive, punctual,
having great physical and mental health, and overall satisfied with life (Mujkić et al.,
2014).
Data collection. Surveys are the most used data collection method among
researchers. Survey research consist of seeking out information consisting of facts,
opinions, and behaviors of the research participants (Dane, 2018). Data were collected by
the use of a confidential survey distributed to the participants through their personal
e-mails. The researcher’s survey participants completed a confidential survey generated
through SurveyMonkey. The participants were asked to complete confidential
demographic information consisting of their gender and age.
The e-mail distributed to the participants included the online link to
SurveyMonkey. Fowler (2009) affirmed that sending an e-mail is the most common
method of getting participants to complete an Internet-based survey. This allowed the
researcher to expand the sample size by seeking participants who were outside of the
geographic location of the researcher and residing throughout the southwestern United
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States. The demographic questionnaire was given to all participants via e-mail.
Participants were encouraged to participate in this voluntary survey and ensured that
responses would remain confidential.
Data analysis. The data gathered for this research from the sample of participants
were checked for accuracy and coded for analysis. The following hypotheses were tested
to measure employee job satisfaction and morale during workplace downsizing.
R1: What are the perceptions of job satisfaction in the workplace?
R2: To what extent is there a difference between male employees’ perceptions of
job satisfaction and female employees’ perceptions of job satisfaction?
H10: There is no significant difference between male employees’ perceptions of
job satisfaction and female employees’ perceptions of job satisfaction.
H1A: There is a significant difference between male employees’ perceptions of
job satisfaction and female employees’ perceptions of job satisfaction.
R3: To what extent is there a difference in employee perceptions of job
satisfaction relative to age groups?
H20: There is no significant difference in employee perceptions of job satisfaction
relative to age groups.
H2A: There is a significant difference in employee perceptions of job satisfaction
relative to age groups.
R4: To what extent is there an interaction between gender and age relative to job
satisfaction?
H30: There is no significant interaction between gender and age relative to job
satisfaction.
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H3A: There is a significant interaction between gender and age relative to job
satisfaction.
Statistical tests. The first research question was answered with descriptive
statistics. A composite score for job satisfaction, as measured by the Job Satisfaction
Survey (Spector, 1985, 1994), was computed using a 6-item Likert rating scale ranging
from 1 (disagree very much) to 6 (agree very much). Nineteen of the 36 items were
reverse scored. For instance, Item 1, “I feel I am being paid a fair amount for the work I
do,” was scored regularly. Item 2, “There is really too little chance for promotion on my
job,” would be scored in reverse, as agreement would indicate less job satisfaction. The
mean and standard deviation for job satisfaction were computed and reported, and a new
categorical variable was computed. The categories corresponded to the Likert categories
on the Job Satisfaction Survey. Strongly disagree became strongly dissatisfied, agree
became satisfied, and so on. Computed values were rounded to the nearest whole number
and categorized accordingly for descriptive purposes (Teddlie & Tashakkori, 2009). For
instance, values ranging from 1–1.49 were rounded to 1 and labeled strongly dissatisfied.
Similarly, values ranging from 1.50–2.49 were rounded to 2 and labeled dissatisfied. This
facilitated the reporting of job satisfaction in the workplace with the use of a frequency
distribution. Descriptive research questions require no hypotheses.
Research Questions 2–4 and related Hypotheses 1–3 were tested with one two-
way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The ANOVA is the appropriate statistical test to use
when trying to determine whether significant differences exist between two or more
groups based on a dependent variable that is on an interval scale of measurement or
higher (Teddlie & Tashakkori, 2009). For Research Question 2 and Hypothesis 1, the
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independent variable was gender (male, female). The dependent variable was job
satisfaction as measured by the Job Satisfaction Survey. The ANOVA tested for a main
effect of gender. For Research Question 3, Hypothesis 2 tested with the same two-way
ANOVA. The independent variable was age group. Age was grouped into categories
depending on the distribution of the data. The ANOVA also tested for a main effect of
age. For Research Question 4, Hypothesis 3 tested the interaction between gender and
age group to determine whether job satisfaction depended on different age groups and
gender. See Table 1.
Table 1
Research Questions, Variables of Interest, and Scales of Measurement
Research question
Independent variable/scale
of measurement
Dependent variable/scale
of measurement
Statistical test
1. What are the perceptions of job satisfaction in the workplace?
N/A N/A Descriptive Statistics
2. To what extent is there a difference between male employees’ perceptions of job satisfaction and female employees’ perceptions of job satisfaction?
Gender/ nominal
Job satisfaction/ interval
Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)
3. To what extent is there a difference in employee perceptions of job satisfaction relative to age groups?
Age group/ nominal
Job satisfaction/ interval
Two-way ANOVA
4. To what extent is there an interaction between gender and age relative to job satisfaction?
Gender/nominal Age group/ nominal
Job satisfaction/ interval
Two-way ANOVA
Alpha level. The alpha level in a study is the value at which the null hypothesis
will be rejected, assuming that the alternate hypothesis is true. In social sciences, the
alpha level is typically p < .05 (Brace, Kemp, & Snelgar, 2013).
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Power analysis. An a-priori power analysis was conducted with G*Power 3.1
(Faul, Erdfelder, Lang, & Buchner, 2007). For a two-way ANOVA with a medium effect
size (f = .25), an alpha level of .05, and a power level of .80, a sample size of 128 was
required. Statistical power increases as the sample size increases, as illustrated in Figure
1.
Figure 1. Required sample size and statistical power. F tests – ANOVA: fixed effects, special, main effects, and interactions. Numerator df = 1, number of groups = 4, alpha error probability = .05, effect size f = .25.
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Chapter 4: Results
The purpose of this quantitative descriptive, comparative study was to examine
the effects of workplace downsizing on employee job satisfaction by (a) gender and (b)
age group. The act of corporate downsizing has been an ongoing phenomenon since the
late 1980s with the expected outcome of cost reduction along with increased productivity,
thus improving bottom line profits (Gandolfi, 2013). Corporate downsizing creates high
levels of stress for employees and a decrease in trust in the employer (De Meuse & Dai,
2013). This study was expected to help organizational leaders understand factors in the
effects of downsizing on employee job satisfaction.
The population for this study was extracted from a large financial Fortune 500
company in the southwestern United States. This organization has over 70,000 employees
and services millions of customers each year. Due to the high demands of the customers
and the attrition rates, this organization had employees with increased stress levels and a
decrease in job satisfaction.
Data were collected using an anonymous survey distributed to the participants’
personal e-mails. The researcher’s survey participants completed an anonymous survey
generated through SurveyMonkey. The participants were asked to provide confidential
demographic information, which included their age range, gender, employment status,
and most recent occupation. The survey instrument utilized during this study was the Job
Satisfaction Survey, which includes a 6-item Likert rating scale ranging from strongly
disagree to strongly agree (Spector, 1985, 1994). The Job Satisfaction Survey includes
36 items that evaluate nine factors of job satisfaction: (a) satisfaction with pay, (b) fringe
status, most participants (84.4%, n = 108) were employed full time, 7% (n = 9) were self-
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employed, and 3.9% (n = 5) were employed part-time. Employment status is provided in
Table 2.
Respondents were asked, “Which of the following describes your current or most
recent occupation?” As shown in Table 3, most participants (59.4%, n = 76) selected
education, training, and library occupations, followed by management occupations (7.8%,
n = 10).
Table 3
Current or Most Recent Occupation
Occupation n % Education, training, & library occupations 76 59.4 Management 10 7.8 Business & financial operations 8 6.3 Health care support 5 3.9 Health care practitioners & technical 4 3.1 Computer and mathematical 4 3.1 Office & administrative support 4 3.1 Sales & related 3 2.3 Life, physical, & social science 2 1.6 Architecture & engineering 1 0.8 Arts, design, entertainment, sports, media 1 0.8 Community & social service 1 0.8 Farming, fishing, & forestry 1 0.8 Other
Compliance manager 1 0.8 Corporate wellness program manager 1 0.8 Customer service 1 0.8 Education in health care profession 1 0.8 Instructional design 1 0.8 R&D scientist 1 0.8 Telecommunications 1 0.8 Vocational consultant (insurance) 1 0.8
Note. N = 128.
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Ten respondents were employed in health care in some regard (combining health
care practitioners and technical occupations, health care support, and health care
education). Eight (6.3%) reported business and financial operations occupations. Less
frequent occupations are listed in Table 3. Eight participants opined that the list given did
not accurately describe their current or most recent occupations and added their
occupation under the “Other” category, as shown in Table 3.
Participants were asked to rank the nine factors of job satisfaction measured by
the survey: (a) satisfaction with pay, (b) fringe benefits, (c) contingent rewards, (d)