Determinants of Job Satisfaction in the UAE - Assignment Example

Organizational behavior: Article Analysis Authors: Abdulla, J., Djebarni, R. & Mellahi, K. Title: Determinants of job satisfaction in the UAE: A case study of the Dubai police Publication date: Accepted 24 May 2010, Published 2011 Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited Question 1 The article “Determinants of job satisfaction in the UAE: A case study of the Dubai police” is based on a study conducted to identify the factors that affect job satisfaction in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In particular, the study by Abdulla, Djebarni and Mellahi (2011) is aimed at examining the relative effects of demographic and environmental factors on job satisfaction among police employees in Dubai. Although the study is focused on the police department, the introduction section of the paper covers the role that demographic and environmental factors play in determining job satisfaction in the UAE. The authors note that although many studies on the determinants of job satisfaction have been carried out in other parts of the world, little attention has been paid to the Middle East. In addition, Abdulla, Djebarni and Mellahi (2011, p. 126) argue that past studies conducted in Western countries cannot be applied directly to organizations in the Middle East. The introduction is thus pertinent to the management and the advancement of organizational effectiveness in the UAE. For instance, the authors highlight the limitations of existing tools for measuring the determinants and outcomes of job satisfaction (which is related to organizational behavior) and assert that the tools have a strong bias for western culture. To counter this, the researchers developed and validated a job satisfaction questionnaire structured specifically for UAE organizations. The questionnaire touches on factors that are perceived to contribute to job satisfaction in countries with collectivist cultures, such as the perceived social status of the job. This localized structure of the questionnaire can be perceived to enhance the reliability of the results of the study. Question 2 The literature review of the paper is comprehensive as it cites various sources and discusses a wide array of issues related to job satisfaction. For instance, the authors define job satisfaction by basing on the description given by Spector (1997). They also note that job satisfaction is associated with increased productivity and organizational commitment – as discussed by Ellickson and Logson (2001). Abdulla, Djebarni and Mellahi (2011, p. 126) also discuss the positive attributes (such as creativity, effort and skill) and negative attributes (such as turnover and lower commitment) of employees and how they affect organizational productivity. Most of the sources cited in the literature review range between 2001 and 2009, although there are also other dated sources referring to Maslow’s (1954) hierarchy theory, the motivation theory (Herzberg et al, 1959) and Adam’s (1963) equity theory. However, the dated sources are used by the authors in the review of the determinants of job satisfaction – hence the need to review the relevant theories. Also cited are some works done in the 1980s and 1990s. It can be argued however that such sources do not have up-to-date information. According to the review by Abdulla, Djebarni and Mellahi (2011), factors that determine job satisfaction can be widely categorized into two groups. First are demographic factors that focus on individual attributes and characteristics such as sex, job level and age. The second group is environmental factors that pertain to factors that relate to the work itself or work conditions such as salary, promotion, and supervision. These statements are supported by up-to-date sources and are line with the objectives of the study. In sum therefore, the literature review is comprehensive and largely up-to-date. Question 3 Several attributes of the study and the article highlight the strengths of the research that was done by Abdulla, Djebarni and Mellahi (2011). For instance, the study is just one of the few done in specific reference to the UAE. As argued by the authors, past studies have been biased as they have employed tools premised on Western studies. In deed, Moideenkutty, Al-Lamki and Murthy (2011) support the assertion that little research has been done on organizations in the Arab context. Therefore, the article by Abdulla, Djebarni and Mellahi (2011) scores highly in terms of originality. Another key strength of the article is that it was based on a collectivist culture context (which is the feature of countries in the Middle East) as opposed to the individualist perspective of Western countries. Importantly, the research was carried out in Dubai, the capital of UAE, hence having a good representative sample of the UAE organizations. In addition, the authors reviewed many sources, both old and new, thus making a good comparative analysis of facts. In reference to the limitations of the study, the authors agree that more research is needed especially on private organizations to increase the generalizability of the findings. This is true because the study was carried out on a public organization, hence reflecting only the nature of public organizations. But this is a strength because the authors have clearly noted about it. In the methodology, the authors translated the questionnaire from English while ensuring contextual equivalence between the two linguistic versions. In fact, the versions were checked by two native Arabic PhD students (Abdulla, Djebarni & Mellahi, 2011, p. 133). This ensured that participants in the research responded in a language they were most comfortable with, hence increasing the validity of the responses. The obvious weakness of the study is the research design and the methodology. By noting that UAE is a country has a collectivist tendency in the workplace, the authors seem to connote that collectivism indices are equal in all like countries – which is not true according to Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (Hofstede, 2003, p. 32-33). It is obvious that there are differences even in neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Secondly, given that the researchers used a new tool designed to suit the UAE, the results obtained cannot be generalized to all Arab countries. Even in their research, Zeffane, Ibrahim and Al Mehairi (2008, p. 247) noted that their research was exploratory and further studies were necessary to evaluate the applicability of their findings to the general population of the UAE. Yet this research shares many attributes with the study conducted by Abdulla, Djebarni and Mellahi (2011). Another weakness regards the nature of organizations in the UAE. According to Abdulla, Djebarni and Mellahi (2011), most (80 percent) of the workforce in the UAE comprises people from different parts of the world, including Asians, American and Europeans. Emiratis comprise only 20 percent of the workforce. It is therefore likely that the results obtained in the study are not representative of the true nature of the Middle East. Yet the authors had aimed at highlighting the features of organizational behavior in this context as opposed to the common perceptions in the Western countries. Question 4 The article by Abdulla, Djebarni and Mellahi (2011) in deed contributes to the wider body of knowledge area of organizational because of the issues highlighted in the study. The authors focused on the factors that determine job satisfaction. Job satisfaction, employee behavior and organizational productivity are related. In view of this, Cronin (2003) cited by (Slatten, 2008, p. 371) recommends that more empirical studies be done on how emotions influence employee behavior. It is important to note that organizational behavior is a reflection of each employee’s behavior. This behavior is determined by the satisfaction or dissatisfaction that employees encounter in the organization. This was the focus of the work by Abdulla, Djebarni and Mellahi (2011) in evaluating the factors that determine job satisfaction in the UAE. In fact, the study partly contributes to the recommendation made by Cronin (2003). It is a fact the most serious challenges of business organizations revolve around the people (Singh, 2009, p.3). Hence, it is important to understand what the people want as the same people shape the picture of the organization. Singh (2009, p. 3) also notes that if organizations want productivity and the financial rewards that go with that productivity, they must treat their workers as their most important assets. This entails knowing what employees want and what makes them most satisfied in their workplace. This is what the research by Abdulla, Djebarni and Mellahi (2011) has attempted to do. While some findings produced in the article are known, others are not. For instance according to past sources cited in the article, employees in collectivist countries derive more job satisfaction from extrinsic factors such as job perceptions of the job than intrinsic factors such as task variety in the workplace. In contract, the findings presented by Abdulla, Djebarni and Mellahi (2011) show that in a collectivist culture such as the UAE, both extrinsic and intrinsic factors can be a source of job satisfaction or dissatisfaction. In addition, the authors found that job stress is of relatively low importance in determining job satisfaction. However, according to (Singh, 2010, p. 170), job stress is one of the factors that can lead to negative organizational behavior such as turnover and absenteeism. These disparities can be linked to the nature of research design that was used in the study by Abdulla, Djebarni and Mellahi (2011). Question 5 The article is generally easily readable as the sections are well arranged with a clear introduction, methodology, findings, discussion and conclusion. The abstract of the article clearly shows the purpose, design and methodology or approach, findings and originality. In the introduction, the authors clearly show why the research is important as they intend to bring a new tool of evaluating organizational behavior, deviating from the common methods used in Western studies on the same topic. The literature review discusses the issues under the topic in detail, with reference to theories and past studies in related areas. The methodology employed deviates from the methodologies used in past studies done in America and Europe regarding organizational behavior. This presents new knowledge in the academic world, eliciting more research in different environments using different methods. Importantly, even though the authors found some aspects that contradict existing knowledge, they recommend that the results be tested in both private and public organizations in the UAE and Middle East in general to make them generalizable. This presents a new challenge to academicians and practitioners as they revisit the field of organizational behavior in the UAE, the Middle East and the entire world. Some level of difficulty is however experienced in understanding the methodology used in data analysis. The data are analyzed using varimax rotation and the tables presented are a bit difficult to understand if the reader is not a specialist in the area. The authors however have reasons for using the complex methods of analysis (as shown by the references used to justify the application of the methods used) and this increases the reliability of the applications. Raw data are presented in the appendix and this makes it possible for one to link the analysis and the data collected, which helps the reader to discern the data presented. References Abdulla, J., Djebarni, R. & Mellahi, K. 2011, “Determinants of job satisfaction in the UAE: A case study of the Dubai police,” Personnel Review, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 126-146. Hofstede, G. H. 2003, Culture's consequences: comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations (3rd edition), Sage, London. Moideenkutty, U., Al-Lamki, A. & Murthy, Y.S.R. 2011, “HRM practices and organizational performance in Oman,” Personnel Review, Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 239-251. Singh, H, 2010, Organizational Behavior, V.K. (India) Enterprises, New Delhi. Singh, K. 2009, Organizational Behavior: Text and Cases, Pearson Education, London. Slatten, T.2008, “Antecedents and effects of emotional satisfaction on employee-perceived service quality,” Managing Service Quality, Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 370-386. Zeffane, R., Ibrahim, M. E. & Al Mehairi, R. 2008, “Exploring the differential impact of job satisfaction on employee attendance and conduct: The case of a utility company in the United Arab Emirates,” Employee Relations, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 237-250. Read More