Flexible Work Schedule and its Impact on Private Company Employee Performance in Saudi Arabia - Research Proposal Example

Flexible Work Schedule and its Impact on Private Company Employee Performance in Saudi Arabia A Synoptic PhD Research Proposal of University Background In most nations, employees work according to standard weekly schedules of 8 hours a day for five days in a week (Griffin & Moorhead, 2011 p142). This is supported by the fact that most government and private companies have the need to get most workers to work at different points in time to ensure that the company meets the required objectives. This is often because most businesses find themselves in a network of other stakeholders that provide essential services at certain vital points in the day. This therefore requires most workers to be at work at the peak hours of between 8am and 5pm. In the 21st Century though, there is the need for some kind of departure from the normal 8-hour working day in a five working day need for several reasons. Bohlander & Snell (2009 p173) identifies that the departure from the normal schedule might be necessary to keep the organizational productivity high and enhance the morale of workers by giving them control over their work schedule. This is because people now have a wide array of needs and desires at different times of their lives. The typical expectations of a worker might be the need to attend to family commitments, need for leisure and pleasure to enjoy earnings and the need for social commitments like maintaining religious and extended family ties (Segev, 2005 p78). Additionally, deviation from the normal 8 to 5 work schedule allows businesses to maintain the stature of an attractive employer. This enables a business to attract the best employees on the open market. Collectively, the recruitment and selection of the best employees allows a business to attain long-term benefits for the business. Bohlander & Snell (2009 p174) identifies the concept of flexible work schedule as an attempt by a business to maintain high productivity levels whilst deviating from the traditional working-hour requirements of their employees. In other words, flexible work schedule (FWS) allows a business to set up a system which enables employees to continue working and meeting high levels of results without necessarily having to work from 8am to 5pm for five days in a week. Bohlander & Snell (2009 p174) identify four main types of flexible work schedule. They include: 1. Compressed Workweek: This entails reducing the number of days in the workweek by lengthening the hours of work each week. Thus for example, a person might be required to work for ten hours a day and for four days in a week instead of eight hours a day for five days a week. The 4/10 work week will enable the worker to take a day off to attend to other things. 2. Flexitime: This is a system where the worker will be allowed to choose daily starting and quitting hours. Typically, the flexitime system might give the employee a range of possibilities which are negotiable, leaving peak hours or crucial hours as non-negotiable times (Liff, 2007 p74). Thus a worker can choose to start work at 6am and close at 2pm or start at 10am and close at 6pm, with each covering an 8-hour period. 3. Job sharing: This is where two part-time employees take one full time job. In this case, each of the employee might have to work for three days a week and from the synergistic efforts of the combined employees, the business would stand to gain more in terms of productivity. 4. Telecommuting: With telecommuting, an employee might be allowed to work from home. This can be attained by the use of modern real-time equipment and gadgets like computers, Internet and telephones. Through telecommuting, an employee can avoid the traffic of traditional commuting, save time and get to handle other social activities effectively. The human ecology theory of motivation suggests that individuals are affected by the external environment they operate within and this enables them to shape their inner thoughts and emotions to attain various results (Bubolz & Sontag, 1993 p2). This indicates that there are numerous activities like flexible work schedules can contribute positively to the performance of employees and also contribute positively to the productivity of businesses that use them. Saudi Arabia is an Islamic state. The ruling government is a theocracy and the king inherits the title of “Custodian of the Two Holiest Mosques [Sites of Worship]” (Ramady, 2009 p3). This therefore means that the state is ran predominantly by Islamic laws and it is reputed internationally as a model state for Muslim communities around the world (Ramady, 2009 p3). Saudi Arabia operates a 5 working day week spanning from Saturday to Wednesday (IBP USA, 2009 p139). Government offices are closed on Thursday and Friday to allow for the Islamic rest period and holy day which falls each Friday. By law, employees have to work for a maximum of 8 hours a day and not more than 48 hours in a week (Prospects UK, 2010). In Ramadan, the month in which Muslims are obligated to desist from food and other pleasures between sunrise and sunset, it is forbidden for employees to work for over six hours (IBP USA, 2009 p139). Typically, employees are required to break for major prayer times which often span between 11:30am and 12:30pm. It is also not legal to hold an employee and make the employee work during obligatory prayer hours (Ramady, 2009 p9). Although these rules are often interpreted strictly, there is a wide range of possibilities that employers can utilize in managing their human resource base, as long as they do not conflict with the basic components of these rules. There is therefore room for flexible working hours to ensure that businesses make the best from their labor force and also give their employees a better quality of life that will enable them to remain productive. Additionally, with reforms announced recently by the King of Saudi Arabia to ensure that more women participate in the work environment and the influx of foreign workers who might be exempt from the strict rulings of these laws, there is a range of possibilities for businesses. Already, private companies like Accenture is using various forms of flexible work schedule to ensure that their employees remain productive (Accenture Saudi Arabia, 2011). This research will therefore seek to identify the effectiveness of flexible work schedules in the private sector of Saudi Arabia. The findings, will be used as basis for the promotion of effective techniques in FWS not only in the private sector but also in the Saudi public sector which is very traditional in nature. Finally, the research will be handed in as partial fulfillment of my Doctorate of Philosophy requirements. Research Questions The following research questions will be examined by the research: 1. What are the main components of Flexible Work Schedules that are often used in private companies in Saudi Arabia and why? 2. What is the short-term contribution of Flexible Work Schedules in the performance of employees in private companies of Saudi Arabia? 3. What long-term contribution does Flexible Work Schedule make to private businesses in Saudi Arabia and how does this affect the strategic plans of these businesses? 4. How can effective Flexible Work Schedule programs be promoted in Saudi Arabia? Research Design The research will be an empirical research that will seek to address the various components of the research question identified above. Phase 1: Survey of various FWS programs used by various companies and motivation for using them. Phase 2: Test samples to identify the main contributions that the various FWS programs make to the productivity of the businesses for which they are used Phase 3: Survey the longer-term consequences of the various companies that uses them and identify how they affect they affect the various components of the business and a wide array of stakeholders of the businesses that have used FWS programs. Phase 4: Recommendations on how Flexible Work Schedule programs can be enhanced in Saudi businesses and public organizations. Methodology & Interpretation Phase 1: This will be done by identifying a sample of businesses in Saudi Arabia that have used Flexible Work Schedule. Samples would be taken from the Petrochemical industry, Banking Sector and Logistic companies. The selected businesses will be sent questionnaires about the various FWS programs they have used in the past and qualitative information about the modelling, operation and results will be collected through the questionnaires. The questionnaires will be answered either by Human Resource Managers or other top-level management staff charged with employees. This will identify the popular FWS programs and the reasons why they succeed. Further interviews will be conducted as follow up where necessary. Phase 2: Phase 2 will be futuristic in nature. It will involve a structured test of FWS programs instituted by some selected businesses. This test will entail the observation of the set-up of the FWS program and the monitoring of the program for a given period of time, preferably 1 year. After the period, the performance of the department or business in which the FWS was instituted will be examined and compared with previous performances. The reasons for the trends will be examined. Phase 3: This phase will build on Phase 1. It will entail a survey that will be a follow up to the interviews of Phase 1. It will try to identify the longer term implications of the various FWS programs that were employed by the companies. It will seek to identify the effect of the programs on various components of the business – both internal and external. This survey will be conducted by inquiring from the top-level management or strategic level management for information. Phase 4: From the three phases, there will be a model of how FWS can be applied to various business types in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Analysis & Interpretation Data will be analyzed using SPSS and statistical packages that will aid in inferential analysis. This will be grouped to give a fair understanding of the predominant features and also make room for further analysis where the need arises. Conclusion The research will seek to identify the effectiveness of flexible work schedules in Saudi Arabia. It will examine the popular programs as well as long term and short term contributions of flexible work schedule programs in private Saudi businesses. The ultimate end of the research will be to draw up a model for the choice and implementation of FWS systems for private and public businesses in Saudi Arabia. References Accenture Saudi Arabia (2011) Flexi-work Arrangements Available online at: http://www.accenture.com/us-en/company/people/diversity/Pages/flexibility-programs.aspx Accessed: 23rd October, 2011 Bohlander G. & Snell S. (2009) Managing Human Resources Mason, OH: Cengage Bubolz, M. M., & Sontag, M. S. (1993). Human Ecology Theory. Indiana State University Press. Griffin, R. & Moorhead G. (2011) Organizational Behavior Mason, OH: Cengage IBP USA (2009) Saudi Arabia Investment & Business Guide New York: International Business Publication. Liff, S. (2007) Managing Government Employees. New York: AMACOM Prospects UK (2010) Saudi Arabia Job Markets. Available online at: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/saudi_arabia_job_market.htm Accessed: 23rd October, 2011. Ramady M. (2009) Saudi Arabian Government and Reforms London: SAGE Publications Segev D. (2005) Human Resource Management in a Labour Relations Context London: Faber & Faber Publications. Read More