Employees Retention in Customer Services Jobs in a Telecommunications Company - Assignment Example

Question 1: What is your research question? (800 words) The proposed research question is: How does both intrinsic and extrinsic reward affect employee’s retention in customer services jobs (front line services face to face and call centre service) in a telecommunications company? The reason for selecting the research question is because globally, including in the Middle East, the world is transforming into a service economy (Moller 2011; McKee et al. 1999; Erdemir & Kessler 2015). This comes about after careful consideration of research-specific literature, including by Masoud and Hmeidan (2013), which emphasises that service economy has become the cornerstone of post-industrial societies. In turn, this has significantly intensified interest in how service brands can be effectively managed, amidst the growing competition. As Shaw (2014) also observes, the frontline employees are today the initial and often the sole representation of the service companies who have significant impact on customer satisfaction. Frontline employees are the face of service firms, and therefore, play a crucial role in enabling overall customer satisfaction. In spite of the well-established significance of effective management of the customer contact point, service companies have continued to lose customers as a result of dissatisfactory interactions between frontline employees and the customers (Kumar et al. 2011; Ongori et al. 2013). Indeed, this is what has been happening at Etisalat, a telecommunications company based in UAE. Within the context of Etisalat therefore, the proposed research question points to the need to investigate how frontline employees at Etisalat can be leveraged to deliver superior service quality (Lawati 2008; Samoglou 2015). This assumption is based on Olsen’s (2013) findings that customer-oriented frontline employees tended to deliver superior service quality, better customer satisfaction, and ultimately generate return customer base. On the other hand, although scholar researches have studied certain antecedents to customer-orientation, numerous research gaps still remain, particularly in the Middle East. To borrow Olsen’s (2013) words empirical researchers on customer-orientation and front-line employees in the service sector are underdeveloped. Therefore, to answer a call for newer insights into such an important issue, the proposed research question seeks to investigate how the leading service firms can improve front-line employees’ customer-orientation. Hence, the fundamental question: How can service firms improve front-line employees’ customer-orientation? Because human behaviour is complex, current studies have failed to give an explanation for the interaction effects between employee motivation and customer motivation, and future researches may even fail to provide the true relationships between the two constructs. Basing on these grounds, there is a need to narrow the research scope. From a review of literature, it is established that front-line employee’s customer-orientation can be improved when they are provided with the right motivation to do so (Masoud & Hmeidan 2013). An additional significant antecedent is self-efficacy, which Masoud and Hmeidan (2013) used to show that confident frontline employees tend to be more customer-oriented. In the case of UAE, it is expected that the impact of proper frontline employee motivation is still uncertain greater compared to past researches that studied Scandinavian countries, particularly since the Arabic cultures highlight the need to develop a service culture (Olsen 2013; Ozutku 2012). At this stage, the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards on employees is adopted to limit the scope of the study, and in return to make the study more feasible, because of the limited time and financial resources to undertake the study. Olsen (2013) suggests that in order to ensure quality services and employee retention at the same time, companies must create a suitable reward system. Currently, there is a heated scholarly debate regarding the most suitable reward system for front-line employees in the service sector, particularly because of their high turnover rates (Ajmal et al 2015; Ozutku 2012). This calls for a need to explore the more contentious issue of intrinsic and extrinsic reward systems. Previous studies have predominantly remained at the conceptual level while exploring the link between reward systems and employee behaviour outcomes (Aktar et al. 2012; Edirisooriya 2014). While researchers have ended to agree that the link exists, there has been a degree of contention regarding the reward systems, which can attain the best results. While is logical to argue that certain rewards (whether intrinsic or extrinsic) are likely to be more effective, researches regarding rewards to date remain mostly untested. Hence, there is a need to undertake scholarly research in this area. This provides the basis for inclusion of the “extrinsic and intrinsic rewards” in the research question. At this stage therefore, a research question is suggested: How does both intrinsic and extrinsic reward affect employee’s retention in customer services jobs (front line services face to face and call centre service) in a telecommunications company? It is significant to note that the research question has integrated the issue of employee motivation and employee retention, front line employees in the service sector, and customer service. This research will be limited to employees of Etisalat. Question 2: Locating literature (800 words) Gieter and Hofmans (2015) examined satisfactory reward systems affects employees’ performance and turnover rate. The researchers challenged the assumption that employee satisfaction through rewards has similar effect on all employees’ behaviours and attitudes, and instead hypothesised that individual differences exist among employees in the effects when there is some form of financial, psychological and material rewards on the employees intent to leave and job performance. They used a quantitative research approach to survey 179 employees using cluster-wise regression analysis. Gieter and Hofmans’ (2015) findings on job performance showed that no individual or employee types difference to be affected by the reward systems. Instead, they established an existence of three diverse employee types, which revealed a distinctive relationship pattern existing between intention to leave and employee satisfaction as a result of satisfactory material psychological and financial rewards. Still, Gieter and Hofmans’ (2015) study has several limitations. First, given the fact that a small study sample was drawn to take part in the study, it becomes clear that the study cannot be genaralised. This is compounded by the fact that the participants were recruited from a single organisation. Gieter and Hofmans’ (2015) study is relevant to the proposed research as it explores the effects of reward systems on employee behaviours, attitudes and turnover decision. The study, therefore, relates to the proposed study, which is concerned with the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards on employee retention. In related study, Sujeong and Cheong (2012) explored into the management of customer service. They, however, narrowed their study to the management of job burnout among customer service staff. However, their objective was to examine whether monetary rewards, career path, and support from the supervisors affected the correlation between turnover intentions and job burnout. Sujeong and Cheong (2012) used a qualitative research approach, where they surveyed 287 customer service employees drawn from 7 call centres. To validate the research model and test the hypotheses, they used a structural equation modelling. To validate the results further, they performed a multi-group analysis. Sujeong and Cheong’s (2012) findings was consistent with the research hypothesis. They found that job burnout and reduced reward systems increased turnover intentions. On the other hand, increased monetary rewards reduced turnover intentions in situations of depersonalization. Additionally, under both minimal personal accomplishment and depersonalization, career paths reduced turnover intentions. Still, the study had certain limitations; the researchers investigated the nature and impacts of high levels of job burnout by finding out whether certain moderating variables can mitigate the unfavourable effects of job burnout on intentions to quit from an organisation. While such an approach provides newer insights, it is actually a preliminary attempt that will need backing by future researches. Sujeong and Cheong’s (2012) study is relevant to the proposed study as it demonstrate the mode rating effects of monetary rewards on turnover intentions for customer service representatives. The proposed study also focuses on the effects of intrinsic rewards, such as monetary rewards, on customer service representatives. In yet another study of the customer service representatives, Walsh (2011) examined how unfriendly customers can be social stressors, who influence them to develop turnover intention. The study is in response to recent management research that suggested that adverse work experiences that customer service employees go through negatively influence their performance at work and lead to increased employee turnover rates. The research used a quantitative research methodology, through the use of structured online survey questionnaires, to study 200 survey employees. The findings suggested that while perceived unfriendliness of the customers both indirectly and directly affects employees’ job satisfaction. In turn, this causes them to develop intentions to quit. Theoretically, the study appears to complement customer service research by Sujeong and Cheong’s (2012), which established that poor employee satisfaction has moderating effects on turnover intentions for customer service representatives. The study has several limitations. For instance, the conceptual model draws from existing literature instead of qualitative fieldwork. It also focused on the customer service employees although additional insights from the customer service supervisors and the customers would have provided important perspectives. The study also relied on date from a single source and a small study sample, which makes the study less generalisable. The study is relevant to the proposed study as it provides insights into variables (apart from reward systems) affecting the customer service representatives’ turnover rate. Proposed Literature for review Ajmal, A, Bashir, M, Abrar, M, Khan, M & Saqib, A 2015, "The Effects of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Rewards on Employee Attitudes; Mediating Role of Perceived Organizational Support," Journal of Service Science and Management, vol 8, pp.461-470 Albrecht, S Bakker, A, Gruman, J, & Saks, M 2015, “Employee engagement, human resource management practices and competitive advantage,” Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, vol 2 no1, pp7 – 35 Gieter, S & Hofmans, J 2015, "How reward satisfaction affects employees’ turnover intentions and performance: an individual differences approach," Human Resource Management Journal vol vol 25 no 2, pp.200-216 Ifie, K 2014, "Customer orientation of frontline emploees and organisational commitment," Service Industrial Journal, vol 34 no 8, pp.699-714 Kassa, T 2015, "Employee Motivation and its Effect on Employee Retention in Ambo Mineral Water Factory," International Journal of Advance Research in Computer Science and Management Studies, vol 3 no 3, pp.10-21 Khan, I, Shahid, M, Nawab, S, Wali, S 2013, "Influence of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards on employee performance: the banking sector of Pakistan," Academic Research International, vol 4 no 1, pp.282-291 Malmberg , D, Bouzo, D & Al-aqel, M 2014, Achieving front-line employee’s satisfaction through Internal marketing in service organizations: A case of SEB Bank, Malardalen University, the School of Business, Society and Engineering, Malardalen Masdek, N, Aziz, Y & Awang, K 2011, "Potential antecedents and outcomes of frontline employees’ service recovery performance," Int. Journal of Economics and Management, 5(1): 114 – 139 Mehta, D 2013, “Employee engagement: A literature review,” Economia. Seria Management vol 16 no 2, pp207-215 Sarwar, S & Abugre, J 2013, "The influence of rewards and job satisfaction on employees in the service industry," The Business & Management Review, Vol.3 no 2, pp.21-32 Shah, A 2014, "Internal marketing’s effects on employee satisfaction, productivity, product quality, consumer satisfaction and firm performance," American Journal of Management, vol 14 no 4, pp.33-39 Sujeong, C & Cheong, R 2012,"Moderating effects of supervisor support, monetary rewards, and career paths on the relationship between job burnout and turnover intentions in the context of call centers", Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, vol. 22 Iss 5 pp. 492 – 516 Walsh, G 2011, "Unfriendly customers as a social stressor – An indirect antecedent of service employees quitting intention," European Management Journal, vol 29, 67– 78 Question 3: Research plan (400 words) On April 20, 2016, I will receive feedback for the research proposal to proceed with the actual study. On April 21-27, I will perform literature searching to identify at least 40 relevant literature for review. On April 30, I will begin reviewing the literature, as well as begin working on the first draft. I seek to complete the first chapter of the dissertation on May 5, 2016. On May 9 -11, I will design the interview guide for the semi-structured interview with customer service employees at Etisalat. On May 13, I will submit the initial draft of chapter 1 and the interview guide to the supervisor. On May 17, 2016, I will request for permission to conduct the research at Etisalat. On May 17, I will recruit study participants through the help of the Etisalat administration. Present the consent form to the research participants. From May 18 -24, I will work on the initial draft of the other remaining chapters, except for conclusion. On May 26, I will submit the initial draft to the supervisors, as well as obtain the feedback from the previously submitted work. On May 28, I will update the questionnaires in preparation for active collection of data in the field. On June 1- 12, I will collect data from the participants one at time. On June 14, I will analyse the collected data, as recorded in the notebook and transcripts, and work on the results and discussion chapters. On June 25, I will write up the final draft ad staring working on the conclusion. Finish the last draft and integrate all the chapters. On June 28, I will send the dissertation to the supervisor for review. On July 12 Perform final revisions and proofreading of the entire dissertation. On August 2, I will print the dissertation, bind it, and then submit it. Risks and risk management The key risks likely to be encountered include the possibility of a dearth of research on factors affecting the retention of customer service employees in UAE. Still, this risk will be managed by collating several studies on the same, from the wide Gulf region and a number of Western scholarly literatures before doing a comparison. Therefore, every endeavour will be made to present a global perspective on the issue. Additional risks include accessibility of the participants. For instance, since the research plan targets that the employees be interviewed in June, the period may correspond to the month of Ramadan, where the Muslim faithful would be fasting. This may mean that some employees would be inaccessible because of religious concerns. In anticipation of this risk, I will call the participants three days ahead of the schedule to keep reminding them of the appointment. Rather than meet them in person, I may also need to arrange for telephone interviews. Technical risks may also materialize, including breaking down of the computer. To avoid this risk, I would store the drafts of the dissertation on cloud storage tools, such as Google Docs. Question 4: Research strategy (600 words) The study will use a qualitative research strategy. Bahari (2010) defines qualitative research strategy as one where the investigator uses constructivist perspectives to make knowledge claims. The rationale for selecting qualitative research strategy is since the investigator seeks to provide a deeper knowledge of the social world, in this case Etisalat’s organisational behaviours. Additionally, the researcher seeks to interview a small study sample. Lastly, the researcher seeks to use interactive data collection methods, in this case semi-structured interview, to facilitate exploration of Etisalat’s reward system issues and concepts that lead to customer service employee retention. The strategy places emphasis on analysis of words instead of quantifying the statistical data. Qualitative research strategy is inductive by nature. According to Mack (2010), an inductive approach requires theory development from the observed empirical data. In using this strategy, the investigator will begin by collecting information from participants and developing the information into themes. The themes would afterwards be developed into broader patterns, generalizations, and theories. Ultimately, it would then be put side by side with the participant’s personal experiences as well as the related literature on the subject matter. Figure 1: Proposed research design As regards the epistemological assumptions, Bahari (2010) defines epistemology as a theory of knowledge or research philosophy that investigates into the characteristics of knowledge as well as what makes up acceptable knowledge. In this regards, epistemological assumption is linked to the nature of knowledge in addition to the methods based on the kind of knowledge that needs to be acquired. Within the context of the proposed study, the study will use interpretivism as the epistemological assumption. Bahari (2010) defines interpretivism as an “epistemology that allows the investigator to interpret the social roles of others in keeping with their own set of meanings. In this regard, the findings of the study would be subject to the researcher’s perspectives and interpretation. The rationale for choosing interpretivism is based on Bahari (2010) perspective that the interpretivist perspective is appropriate for business and management research, specifically in human resource management as it allows the research to investigate the participants based on the their (participants’) firsthand experiences. According to Mack (2010), interpretivism is linked to the perspectives of phenomenology, which is a philosophy referring to the manner in people make sense of the social world based on their interpretations or perspectives, or grasp of their social setting. Phenomenology is concerned with the manner in which an investigator views a social phenomenon as being socially constructed, and associated with creation of meanings and acquisition of knowledge or insights into the phenomenon. On the other hand, social reality could be said to be constructed, as it is rooted in a constant process of interpreting and reinterpreting the purposeful or, meaningful behaviour of the participants. Indeed, the proposed study is concerned with the behaviours of customer service employees at Etisalat, particularly what motivates them to stay as far as the issue of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards are concerned. Hence, interpretation such a social inquiry would essentially be constructive process, which requires interpretivism and subjectivism. To this end, an additional aspect of research important in this regard is ontology, which Mack (2010) defines as theory concerned with the nature of a social phenomenon as an entity that is regarded as a source of knowledge. It comprises he assumptions made regarding the nature of reality. Within the context of qualitative research strategy, investigators accept the idea of multiple realities rather than a single reality. Reality may be objective of subjective. The proposed study will rely on subjectivism, as it will be a qualitative research, which is concerned with views and ideas that the participants’ actions, perceptions, and interactions are the source of knowledge. Question 6: Research methods (1400 words) The aim of the proposed study is to investigate how intrinsic and extrinsic rewards affect employee’s retention in customer services jobs at Etisalat. Because the proposed research anticipates collection of qualitative data, qualitative research method is proposed as the research methodology. Such an underlying principle for selecting qualitative research method for investigating into social phenomenon that requires analysis of qualitative data was discussed by Dornyei (2007) while discussing regarding selecting the qualitative research method approach. Dornyei (2007) describes a qualitative research design as type of scientific inquiry that relies on a combination of predetermined steps to discover and interpret research issues in-depth through collection of pertinent data, resolution of research questions as well as generation of newer findings that are applicable beyond the study delimitations. According to Bazeley (2004), qualitative research design tends to be systematic as well as empirical by character and seeks to explore into the meaning of a given research setting. According to Creswell et al (2004), a qualitative research design integrates a multi-method focus that calls for the use of interpretive method to examine a given research issue. This also implies that an investigator studies a research phenomenon in its natural setting and later attempts to interpret or make meaning as participants convey. The objective of qualitative research method is to improve an understanding of a social phenomenon within its natural setting through analysis of the perceptions, meanings, views, and experiences that the study participants go through (Onwuegbuzie et al. 2012). The qualitative research design research is particularly appropriate for the proposed study because of its capacity to explore in-depth knowledge by allowing the researcher to traverse into the uncharted knowledge depths of a research issue (Harris & Brown 2010). Compared to a quantitative research design, which emphasises measuring and quantifying perceived correlations between predetermined research variables, the qualitative research design offers a textual description. Therefore, it provides greatly detailed information. Essentially, in comparison to the quantitative research design, the qualitative research approach is appropriate for exploration and interpretation of complex research issues in-depth (Heyvaert et al. 2013). On the other hand, the quantitative research design centres on exploration of research issues in breadth. It also brings forth generalized information, unlike a qualitative approach that allows the investigator to avoid generalisations and instead to collect data that is more contextual-specific when it comes to exploring the participant’s opinion, practices, beliefs, and behaviours within the study environment (Harris & Brown 2010). However, a key disadvantage of qualitative research is that it will be time consuming. Additionally, the quality of the research will depend on the interviewing skills and research skills of the participant, and is likely to be influenced by personal biases or idiosyncrasies (Atieno 2009; Matveev 2002). Still, it is reasoned that the quantitative research design is more appropriate for the proposed study as mainly it offers a more relevant framework for investigating into how intrinsic and extrinsic rewards affect employee’s retention in customer services jobs at Etisalat. Justification for selecting qualitative research method This study will rely on qualitative research method to explore into the participant’s views and perspectives about intrinsic, as well as extrinsic rewards effect on employee’s retention, in customer services jobs at Etisalat. Additionally, the study seeks to use both open- and closed -ended questions to explore into the proposed research question. In the same breadth, the proposed study needs to multiple forms of participant’s interpretations regarding intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, based on which it would draw textual analysis. According to Dornyei (2007), it is the of the research problem that influences the choice of research methodology. In which case, a research problem that is qualitative in nature, calls for a qualitative research approach. The method is also relevant to the interpretive paradigm, which was selected for the research. The interpretive approach inquires into a research problem that is qualitative in nature, as it views the participants as having own interpretations (Rowland 2005). Figure 2: Proposed research methodology For these reasons, it is the perceived exploratory nature of the proposed research alongside its objective of investigating into the behaviours, attitudes, and perceptions of customer service employees at Etisalat, which justifies the decision to select qualitative tools. Semi-structured interviews At this rate, the semi-structured interviews are selected for data selection, as they provide an appropriate means to exploring into the research participant’s attitudes and expectations based on their interaction within a social setting. According to Gilbert (2008), semi-structured interviews can assist the investigator to gain deeper insight into participant’s entrenched perceptions, while concurrently providing a general perception of the entire research setting. An underlying principle that rationalises the selection the use of semi-structured interviews in a qualitative study for the proposed study is based on Harris and Brown (2010) validated claim that the research instrument provides an appropriate examination into the day by day operation of management system, as it allows the researcher to scrutinise the context of the organisation’s real-life environment. The interviews undertaken with the customer service employees will be semi-structured in nature. Consequently, the researcher will rely on a set of predetermined questions that will direct the guide the interviewing processes. However, by relying on the responses provided by the respondents provides, the investigator will ask supplementary questions to seek for in-depth understanding and better clarity of their interpretations. The researcher will use a record and a notebook interchangeably, to store data during the interview sessions. The semi-structured interviews are appropriate for the proposed study, compared to structured questionnaire. This is because the semi-structured interviews provide a means for collecting in-depth and detailed data, rather than generalised data. This is because it semi-structured interviews provide a researcher with a platform to request the participants to clarify certain responses, opinions, or even to make comparisons. The researcher is also allowed to elicit more accurate information, as the interviewer is in a position to seek for clarifications in cases where the participant provides vague responses. An additional advantage over questionnaires is that semi-structured interviews facilitate synchronous communication, which enables the researcher to make observations and acquire information from the participant’s voice or facial expression. Data Analysis Analysis of the collected data will be based on Miles and Huberman’s (1994) framework for data analysis. The framework is made up of a four-step process of extracting meaning. The four steps are data reduction, display of date, drawing conclusion and verifying findings. In the data reduction process, key categories or areas relevant data are identified and applied in resolving the research objectives. As the amount of data collected is extensive and wide-ranging, the process ranges from discarding irrelevant data and retaining relevant data. The relevant data is applied in addressing the identified research issues (Miles et al 1994). The process is advantageous as it helps the researcher in simplifying and selecting relevant data. It is also subjective in nature and therefore allows the researcher to make subjective analysis of the data, based on own interpretations. This is consistent with the interpretivism perspective. After the data reduction process, the data categories that have been identified go through the process of data display. Miles’ and Huberman’s (1994) describe the data display as an approach for organising and assembling data to make it more compact and straightforward. This eases the process of data analysis and interpretation data by generating meanings. In such a situation, the data categories are represented diagrammatically using charts and tables (Miles et al 1994). The process of drawing conclusion then follows. The process involves selection of relevant data themes or patterns from diagrammatically represented data and applying them to respond to the research questions. At this stage, the researcher steps back and considers the meanings of data analysed. The researcher also evaluates the implications of the identified research question (Miles et al 1994). In the last stage, the data verification process is carried out. The process will entail making a pragmatic review and assessment of the conclusions drawn in order to determine their accuracy or validity (Miles et al 1994). Fundamentally, the meanings that are drawn from the data are tested for their apparent validity. The process either involves making a review or comparison of the findings with previous empirical findings. The reason for selecting Miles and Huberman’s (1994) framework for data analysis is because it presents an appropriate framework for making identifications and comparisons of the patterns, variables, as well as themes apparent in the data collected on the effects of both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards on employee’s retention in customer services jobs at Etisalat. Reference List Ajmal, A., Bashir, M. Abrar, M, Khan, M & Saqib, S 2015, "The effects of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards on employee attitudes; Mediating role of perceived organizational support," Journal of Service Science and Management, vol 8, 461-470 Aktar, S, Sachu, M & Ali, E 2012, "The Impact of Rewards on Employee Performance in Atieno, O 2009, “An analysis of the strengths and limitation of qualitative and quantitative research paradigms," Problems Of Education In The 21st Century, vol 13, pp.13-18 Bahari, S 2010, "Qualitative versus quantitative research strategies: contrasting epistemological and ontological assumptions," Jurnal Teknologi, vol 52, pp17–28 Bazeley, P 2004, "Issues in Mixing Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches to Research," 1st International Conference - Qualitative Research in Marketing and Management University of Economics and Business Administration, Vienna 10th April, 2002 Commercial Banks of Bangladesh: An Empirical Study," IOSR Journal of Business and Management, vol 6 no 2, pp.9-15 Creswell, J, Fetters, M & Ivankova, N 2004, "Designing A Mixed Methods Study In Primary Care," Annals of Family Medicine vol 2 no 1, pp.6-12 Dornyei, Z 2007, Research Methods in Applied Linguistics: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methodologies, Oxford university Press, Oxford Edirisooriya, W 2014, "Impact of Rewards on Employee Performance: With Special Reference to ElectriCo," Reshaping Management and Economic Thinking through Integrating Eco-Friendly and Ethical Practices Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Management and Economics, 26-27 February 2014 Erdemir, A & Kessler, O 2015, A shift to a 'knowledge economy' could transform the Middle East," Business Insider, viewed 4 April 2016, Esch, P & Esch, L 2013, "Justification of a Qualitative Methodology to Investigate the Emerging Concept: The Dimensions of Religion as Underpinning Constructs for Mass Media Social Marketing Campaigns," Journal of Business Theory and Practice vol 1 no 2, pp.214-243 Gilbert, N 2008, Researching Social Life, Sage Publications, New York Harris, L & Brown, G 2010, "Mixing interview and questionnaire methods: Practical problems in aligning data," Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, vol 15 no 1, pp.1-19 Heyvaert, M, Hannes, K, Maes, B & Onghena, P 2013,"Critical Appraisal of Mixed Methods Studies," Journal of Mixed Methods Research vol 20 no 10, pp.1-26 Kumar, V, Batista, L & Maull, R 2011, “The Impact of Operations Performance on Customer Loyalty,” Service Science vol 3 no 2, pp158-171 Lawati, A 2008, "Anger mounts as etisalat puts complaints on hold," GulfNews, 15 April 2016, Mack, L 2010, "The Philosophical Underpinnings of Educational Research," Polyglossia,vol 19, pp.5-10 Masoud, E & Hmeidan, T 2013, "The effect of perceived work environment on frontline employees’ service recovery performance: The case of four and five star hotels in Jordan," European Scientific Journal, vol 9 no 11, pp.129-147 Matveev, A 2002, “The advantages of employing quantitative and qualitative methods: Practical implications from the study of the perceptions of intercultural communication competence by American and Russian managers," Russian Journal of Communication, vol 1 iss 1 McKee, D, Garner, D & McKee, Y 1999, Accounting Services, the Islamic Middle East, and the Global Economy, Greenwood Publishing Group, Westport Miles, M & Huberman, A & Saldana, J 1994, Qualitative Data Analysis A Methods Sourcebook, SAGE, Los Angeles Moller, O 2011, How Asia Can Shape the World: From the Era of Plenty to the Era of Scarcities, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Pasir Panjang Olsen, E 2013, “How can service organizations improve the customer orientation of frontline employees? A cross cultural study,” Master thesis in Marketing and Brand Management Norwegian School Of Economics, viewed 14 April 2016, Ongori, J, Iravo, M & Munene, C 2013, "Factors affecting performance of hotels and restaurants in Kenya: A case of Kisii County," Interdisciplinary Journal Of Contemporary Research In Business, vol 4 no 12, pp.897-928 Ozutku, H 2012, "The Influence of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Rewards on Employee Results: An Empirical Analysis in Turkish Manufacturing Industry," Business and Economics Research Journal, vol3 no 3,pp. 29-48 Rowland, B 2005, "Grounded in Practice: Using Interpretive Research to Build Theory,” Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods vol 3 no1, pp.81-92 Samoglou, E 2015, “Etisalat and du customers paying the price for unwanted TV," The National, viewed 15 April 2016, Shaw, C 2014, 15 Statistics That Should Change The Business World – But Haven’t, viewed 14 April 2016, Read More