The Impact of Employee Participation for Transparency - Research Paper Example

The employee selection process is one of the critical components towards the success of a business (Eve, 2007). If a company values employees as an asset and considers them as an asset to the organization as well as the factor that offers the company with an edge over the competitors, the selection process of the employees is vital (Anderson, Grude & Haug, 2009). The selection process needs to be ethical, legal, documented, transparent and should involve the current or existing employees of the firm (Larson & Gray, 2006). The participatory approach is also crucial towards the implementation of team working activities. According to renowned scholars, whenever a company is thinking of bringing a new employee in the organization, their potential collaboration with the coworkers and fit in the system is important. As a result of that when an employee itself is a part of the recruitment process they become more committed in making the new joining employee to get accustomed to the situation and succeed in their professional life. Hence, it is evident that employee participation in the process of employee recruitment is a beneficial factor for the firm (Love & Bullen, 2009). This research paper will however concentrate on the hiring and recruitment process of the public agencies and to what extent participation of the employees would ensure transparency in the recruitment process. B. Background of the study a. Summary of the literature Selecting and retaining the valuable and efficient employees is a key to business success. Employees who seek continuous skill development as well as add value to the organization are the most vital resources of the organization. Thus, it is extremely important to value the employees as well as put more efforts in selecting the right candidates. The principal element of any recruitment plan is to enhance the quality of staffing and developing the overall productivity of the organization. However, only selecting the right candidate is not the only thing required from the part of the company, a company also needs to maintain high levels of transparency into their recruitment process. The promotion of the existing employees and hiring the new employees is an area of business where the company is expected to maintain high levels of transparency, lucidity and responsibility. Although, the same is evident in many companies whereas some companies often fails in maintain transparency in the recruitment process and are alleged of getting involved in biasness or deceptive activities. According to Mumford (2011) one of the most useful ways to maintain transparency in the recruitment process is to involve the existing employees in the recruitment process. The same concept is applicable to the public agencies as well. Since the principal aim of these organizations is to make welfare of the general public and profit making intention are on the second list, high levels of honesty and veracity in the recruitment process is expected from them. A number of research studies have shown that the recruitment process of the organizations differs in various aspects. For example, some companies have lengthy screening process whereas some have unique evaluation system. Nevertheless, what is important is to maintain greater level of lucidity. Various research studies have been carried out to unearth the viability of involving existing employees in the recruitment process of new employees. Majority of the studies have indicated that higher level of employee engagement leads to greater transparency. Furthermore, the approach of involving the existing employees in the recruitment or any other decision making process leads to greater satisfaction levels among the employees which in turn can positively impact in the overall productivity of an organization. In this regards, few scholars deem that poor governance leads to low employee morale. There are numerous ways through which employees can be engaged in the recruitment process of the organizations. For example, the employees can be treated as recruitment agent, as an evaluator, or can even act as a peer mentor. However, it depends upon the requirements of the firm. According to Smith, Munn & Shapiro (2002), making the employees engage in the recruitment of a public agency drastically affects the other decision making process of the agency. Echoing the same concept, authors such as Afuah (1998) & Aswathappa (2010) stated that there is a direct relationship between the employee level participation and the outcome of the organization. Studies have shown that usually employees who are at the upper level of the organizational hierarchy are more susceptible to misuse their power and might involve in deceptive activities (Paley, 2002). Therefore, apart from bringing fresh ideas into the recruitment process it also act as a deterrent measure in ensuring transparency in recruitment process. Hence, the comprehensive review of literature confirms that employee participation in the employee recruitment process is a beneficial activity for the firm. In addition, it can be also affirmed that this approach will strengthen the retention efforts of the firm. It will also foster a communal sense by the process of inclusion and can be really effective in strengthening and maintaining transparency in the recruitment process. The most useful finding of the study is that employee engagement in recruitment process of public agencies is equally effective. b. Gaps and/or deficiencies in prior research Although the comprehensive review of literature reveals that various researches have been carried out about the significance of employee participation in the recruitment process, but there are hardly any studies that have considered the level to which of the employees agrees to be a part of the recruitment process (Blaxter, Hughes & Tight, 2006). In addition, the level to which transparency increases after involving the candidates is yet to be evaluated. Furthermore, some of the other advantages of employee participation in the recruitment process also need deeper insights (Christensen & Raynor, 2003). Hence, these factors can be cited as a gap or deficiencies of the researches carried out previously. This research paper will aim to fill up those gaps and will also present new insights about the subject of study. c. Importance of present study i. Why the study should be pursued Any study is carried out with the aim of fulfilling certain objectives and this study is also aimed at accomplishing certain objectives (Coombs & Hull, 1998). One of the objectives of this study is to fulfill the gaps identified in previous researches. This study is also important because of its wide scope. For example, the study has the ability to evaluate the other advantages of employee participation in vital decision-making processes of the company. ii. For whom is it important? The study is important for a wide range of users. Some of the key stakeholders of this study are the business houses, employees, potential candidates and also the society on a whole (Bryman, 2008). This study has the ability to showcase the benefits of employee engagement in employee recruitment process and hence can act as a guide to the employers regarding the way they can manage transparency in their recruitment process. The applicants will also remain assured of the fact that there will be no biasness in the recruitment process and can take part in the selection process with more zeal (Dalal, 2007). C. Problem statement In-depth analysis of the subject divulges that despite various attempts to bring in transparency in the recruitment process of the organizations, it has been found that organizations are still finding difficulties in managing transparency into their recruitment and other decision making process. This situation is more evident in public agencies. There are still doubts in the minds of the applicants about the benchmark or evaluation patterns used by the companies in selecting an employee for joining. This is where the idea of transparency in recruitment comes in handy. In this regards, certain number of scholars have found that engaging employees in the recruitment process can help in surmounting this issue. Because of that, this study seeks to investigate the impact of employee participation in bringing transparency in organization. D. Purpose of the study a. Research design The research design in a research study is the plan on the basis of which the research problem is evaluated (Deming, 1996; Dlabay & Scott, 2010). This study is aimed at unearthing the level to which of the employees agrees to be a part of the recruitment process, advantages of employee participation in the recruitment process and the level to which transparency increases after involving the candidates. There are various types of research design namely narrative, grounded theory, ethnography, case study, and phenomenology. However, in this context, the research will be designed by following the principles of grounded theory i.e. a systematic research process will be selected to develop a process and various actions will be undertaken to fulfill the objectives. In addition, interaction with the potential respondents about the subject of concern will be also carried out. b. Intent The intention of the study is to understand the subject in an in-depth manner and at the same time exploration of the subject will be carried out. Hence, a twofold approach to the subject will be taken. c. Central phenomenon of the study The study revolves around the concept of employee engagement in promoting transparency in the employee recruitment process in the public agencies. Hence, the key concept which is to be evaluated in the study is the effectiveness of employee engagement process in the decision making process of the employees. d. General definition of central phenomenon The central phenomenon is the employee participation in the decision making process of an organization (Fornell & Larcker, 1981). The notion of employee engagement can be described as business management phenomenon where employees are involved in the decision making process of the organization. Hence, an employee who is engaged is highly enthusiastic about the job and has high morale. E. Research question(s) The research question plays imperative roles in guiding and shaping the path of the study. In this context, the research questions are divided into two different aspects namely central question and sub questions. a. Central question(s) The central question is core question of the study i.e. to be evaluated. The central question is as follows: Q) What is the extent to which employee participation can bring in transparency in the recruitment process of the new employees of public agencies? b. Sub questions (where applicable) The sub-questions are the questions associated with the core question and have equal importance. The sub questions for this study are discussed below: - Q1) what is the level to which of the employees agrees to be a part of the recruitment process or any other decision making process of the organization? Q2) what are the advantages and disadvantages of making employees participate in the recruitment process? Q3) what is difference between the techniques adopted by the private and public agencies in managing transparency in the recruitment and promotion process of the company? F. Theoretical or conceptual framework a. Theoretical or conceptual basis and origin Despite the debate over the précised meaning of employee engagement there are three major things that everyone is aware of and the factors are it has a strong correlation with the performance, it is a measurable activity and it generally varies from great to poor (Forrester, 2000). It is often deemed as a ‘workplace approach’ which is designed to make sure employees remain committed towards the goals and values of the organization. Studies have shown that engagement of the employees lead to improved productivity and performance. b. Where and how theory has been applied The theory states that employee engagement is a crucial activity in the process of improving the morale of the employees and bringing transparency in the organization. According to various scholars, employee engagement emerges in two different forms i.e. organizations should work towards engaging the employees and the other one is employees take initiatives on their own to be a part of the vital decision making processes. The concept/theory can be applied to a number of situations in the real life scenarios. For example, the concept of employee engagement is applicable in the decision making process of the organization. Real life examples have shown that the morale of employees have increased greatly when involved or have been consented before bringing any changes. In the similar way, the concept also provides great results when used in promoting transparency. In addition, this leads to greater overall productivity of the organization. c. The major propositions or hypotheses of the theory The hypothesis developed for the study is mentioned below. The hypothesis for the study will be developed for both central question as well as the sub questions. Q: - What is the extent to which employee participation can bring in transparency in the recruitment process of the new employees of public agencies? H0 – Employee participation can bring in high levels transparency in the recruitment process of the new employees of public agencies H1 - employee participation will not increase transparency level of the recruitment process in public agencies. Q. What is the level to which of the employees agrees to be a part of the recruitment process or any other decision making process of the organization? Ho – employees have high level of urge to be a part of the recruitment process or any other decision making process of the organization. H1 – employees have less interest in becoming a part of the recruitment process or any other decision making process of the organization. d. How the theory relates to the present study The theory is greatly relevant with the present study as the concept of employee engagement can be applied with the present theory. The present study deals with the concept of employee engagement in promoting transparency in the employee recruitment process in the public agencies and therefore the theory of employee engagement is applicable for this study. Moreover, the present study seeks to investigate about the benefits of employee engagement in promoting the transparency levels of the organization. G. Nature of the study a. Design i. Paradigm The study will be accomplished with the help of qualitative research. The data collected through primary and secondary research will be deduced so as to derive meaningful information from it. In addition, one of the biggest advantages of this research is in-depth insights into the study is possible. ii. Design As mentioned earlier, the research design in a research study is the plan on the basis of which the research problem is evaluated. In this backdrop, the study will be planned by the principles of grounded theory i.e. a systematic research process will be taken by the researcher in order to develop a process and various actions will be undertaken to fulfill the objectives. iii. Rationale for the design Grounded theory is assessed to be the most suitable research technique for this study. The characteristics of grounded theory are also consistent with the requirements of the study. Some of the other key advantages of grounded theory are as follows: - One of the biggest advantages of grounded theory is its ability to carry out detailed study and address micro issues of the research. Moreover, it also allows researcher to be within a well defined structure. Hence, selection of the grounded theory is justified for this research study (Hage, 1999). b. Methodology The research methodology adopted for a study acts as a pathway to the research (Slater & Narver, 1995; Lewis, 2011). Moreover, the results of the study also depend greatly on the methodology chosen to accomplish the study. Hence, the methodology of the study needs to be devised properly. A detailed methodology to be followed for the study is discussed below. The aspects that will be covered in this study are respondents of study, the role of researchers in the data collection process of a firm, type of sampling, the procedure of data collection and data analysis technique to be put into practice (Somekh & Lewin, 2004). i. Participants The participants of a research study are the individuals who take part in the process of accomplishing the study by sharing their valuable thoughts and ideas about the subject of concern. In general the participants are asked to present their thoughts in a structured form and the structure is being prepared by the researcher. On the basis of the responses coupled with the support of the theories, the researcher comes to a conclusion (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, 2009). This study is aimed at exploring the extent to which employee participation can bring in transparency in the recruitment process of the new employees of public agencies and the interest level of employees in becoming a part of company’s decision making process. Hence it is evident that choosing two separate respondent groups is a necessity for fulfilling this diversified research objectives. The participants of the study are the managers as well as the employees of various organizations. Hence there will be two set of participants in the study from whom data will be collected separately. ii. Site The data collection site for the managers will be in their respective offices. Similarly, for the employees, the data collection will be done from their respective places. The employees will be physically distributed with the questionnaire sheet and will be asked to fill it at their convenient timings but within a specified timeline. The data collected will be kept physically and then digital conversion will be carried out for further analysis. iii. Researcher’s role in data collection procedures Another vital task in the process of completing a research work is data collection. This activity is dubbed as the most vital a critical and is a key to the success of research study. In this context, the study will encompass both collections of primary as well as secondary data. Secondary data refers to data that has been collected previously for some other purposes and primary data is the data that will be collected solely for the accomplishment of the research work. The secondary data will be collected from books, journals and authentic electronic sources. In addition, other sources such as magazines, news papers and other printed sources will be used. On the other hand, the primary data will be collected directly from the respondents, who are the hiring managers and employees of the organization. The role of researcher in this context is extremely vital as the researcher is solely responsible for designing and scheduling the data collection process (Pavitt, 1984; Scharff, 2002). Even at times the researcher is responsible for collecting the data directly from the market (Paul, 2008). iv. Sampling Sampling is an effective technique of selecting a subset of the total population and can be used to represent of the overall population (Mukherji & Albon, 2009). There are various techniques used by the researchers in selecting the sample size of the study (Pannerselvam, 2004). 1. Type of sampling The sampling technique that is to be put into practice in this study is simple random sampling of non probability sampling. This will help in reducing any biasness as well as will offer equal opportunity to every probable respondent. 2. How the sample will be drawn The sample will be drawn on the basis of set of respondents. As mentioned earlier the sampling technique will be simple random sampling hence, the respondents will be divided according to the groups. The two groups will be the managers and the employees and they will be chosen from 5 different public agencies. 3. Sample size The total sample size for this study will be 30. Among the total respondents 25 will be the number of employees whereas the sample size for the managers will be 5. It should be noted that the sample size was chosen on the basis of the overall population size and a certain portion were selected. V. Data collection procedures The data collection instrument will be questionnaire survey and focus group interview. The focus group interview is applicable for the managers. On the other hand, the questionnaire survey will be for the employees (Lillis, 2008). One of the bases behind choosing focus group interview for the managers is that the sample size for the managers is comparatively less than the size of the employees. Moreover, in-depth insights of the managers are necessary for the purpose of effectively drawing a conclusion to this research. In the similar way, the employees will be approached with the help of questionnaire survey; this is because of the large sample size. As a result of that questionnaire survey will reduce the overall cost of data collection and at the same time will reduce the data collect time. Vi. Data analysis and interpretation plan One of the most vital tasks of a research study is data analysis. In this context, the data will be analysis by following a deductive approach i.e. data will be deduced in order to derive it into a meaningful form. Apart from that, specialized software packages will be applied to analyze the data. The interpretation will be on the basis of the results of the analysis. c. Limitations i. methodological weaknesses The methodological weakness is that the study will not be able to carry out quantitative research and will be based upon the deduction of the data. ii. How the weaknesses will be addressed The weakness will be addressed with the help of collection and analyzing the data in in-depth manner and thus useful insights will be achieved. iii. Threats to quality and how they will be potentially addressed in the study The study will use 30 as the total sample size and hence there is a doubt over the extent to which it can be generalized. In addition, the reliability of data is another cause of concern. The same will be surmounted by conducting the analysis repeatedly. d. Ethical concerns i. Procedure for providing informed consent and any ethical concerns The respondents will be provided with a participant information sheet and the ethical concerns such as accurate reporting, participants has the audacity to leave at any point of time etc. will be mentioned in the sheet. H. Significance of the study a. Practical contributions of the study This piece of work is also important because of its huge scope. For instance, the study has the capability to address the other advantages of employee participation in crucial decision making processes of the company b. For whom the study is important The study is significant for a wide range of users. Some of the key stakeholders of this study are the business houses, employees, potential candidates and also the society on a whole c. Implications for social change The study has the ability to bring positive changes in the society by reducing biasness and bringing more transparency into the system of operation. References Afuah, A. 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