Exploring Different Theories of Employee Wellbeing - Paper Example

Introduction

Researchers have conducted vast research to try and explain the concepts behind employee wellbeing. A number of theories have been formulated by different experts, and they all seem to have a different concept and comprehension of employee wellbeing. The first one is the dynamic and equilibrium model that was proposed by Heading and Wearing. The emphasis on this theory is mostly based on the psychological state of a person. According to this model, every person or employee exhibits a certain state of equilibrium when it comes to their wellbeing. Change is inevitable, this state is often compromised by several events that occur in a person's life, and the personality traits of a person are key in bringing back the previous state of equilibrium ("Organizational culture and employee well-being... it's time to change the game," 2019). DeNeve and Cooper also put their efforts into analyzing some of the aspects that constitute wellbeing. This study sorts out to discover how to achieve a happy personality through goal-directed behavior. It emphasizes personal traits and the impact they have on a person's wellbeing. Their research revealed that out of all the grouped traits, neuroticism had the highest potential of determining personal wellbeing. The final theory which is the most significant of them all when it comes to the study of Aramco employee well-being is Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

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Maslow's hierarchy suggests that employees' wellbeing is guaranteed if their needs are satisfied. This model involves a hierarchy of needs in the shape of a pyramid with the most basic needs being placed at the bottom while at the peak, needs concerning self-actualization are situated. Maslow stated that every level in the pyramid was of great importance and one would proceed to the next levels if the needs in the previous level are satisfied. The levels are five in number, and the primary needs are located at the bottom. Primary needs are simply the basic needs of life for instance food water and shelter. These needs determine the state of a person in terms of their health and ability to work effectively in a company. The next level involves safety needs which normally guarantee the peace of an employee ("Organizational culture and employee well-being... it's time to change the game," 2019). This level includes matters such as job security that ensure a long-term benefit from their respective workplaces. Next on the list is needs related to having a sense of belonging. This entails the feeling of attention, love, and intimacy with members of the organization in their daily social interactions in the workplace. Once this level is achieved, one now elevates to the level of self-esteem. Employees tend to have a desire to be noticed and appreciated for their efforts and contribution to the organization. This also includes gaining respect from all the other employees in the organization. The elite level in this pyramid is the self-actualization level. In this level, employees tend to focus on perfecting their craft and skill in their various fields. This can involve an employee venturing into education to polish their skills or even learn a new type of skill that they feel is important to their lives and wellbeing.

Aramco is the top leading oil company in Saudi Arabia and has very many employees involved. Many employees in different fields including the field of energy hope to make a transition in their lives at one point in their career. Satisfying their needs and seeking new ways to go up in the employment levels is a huge necessity ("Detrimental Effects of Employee Absenteeism on the Workplace - Actec Systems." 2019). The vast number of employees that the organization has indicates that it is an employer choice for many and since most people desire the fulfillment of needs in their lives then Maslow's theory is quite applicable in this case.

Even though Maslow's theory is relevant to the study on employee wellbeing at Aramco, it leaves out several important determinants of wellbeing. The theory does not in any way mention anything to do with a person's qualities or traits as variables in the discussion of wellbeing. This factor can in a way affect one's performance when it comes to moving on to the next levels (Aldulaimi, 2018). For instance, if a person possesses the trait of being lazy in their job place, they are likely to take much more time to achieve the needs at the peak when they can barely be able to achieve the most basic needs. Another setback in this theory is that the needs of a person are endless and suggesting that the satisfaction of needs will help improve the wellbeing of an employee means that there is no time in an employee's life where they will achieve complete satisfaction which then reflects their wellbeing. The satisfaction of needs is indeed a good argument in discussing employee wellbeing, but it is not the only guarantee of wellbeing.

Wellbeing can be defined as a state of happiness and tranquility in a person's life. This means that the employee is in good shape in terms of their psychological, social and physical state. Aramco is a huge oil company that operates in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Aldulaimi, 2018). This means that the company greatly contributes to the economy of Saudi Arabia. There have been numerous reports that this organization lags behind especially when it comes to employee wellbeing. Such a predicament greatly threatens the welfare of the organization and the result will also reflect on the country as a whole. The oil industry accounts for 90% of all the export earnings of Saudi Arabia. This, therefore, creates an urgent need to analyze the wellbeing of the employees in Aramco. Research reveals that health is also a major threat to the wellbeing of the employees in Aramco with almost 37.6% of employees suffering from fatigue-related issues. This means that the productivity of the employees will not be at a maximum. Fatigue tends to limit the input that employees devote themselves to in a company, impacts their wellbeing negatively and often employees with accumulated fatigue end up being absent and skipping their assigned roles at Aramco. An absent employee, especially in a large organization such as this, might seem like a minor thing but once the long-term effect is analyzed then the results are normally contrary to this opinion (Hobfoll, Halbesleben, Neveu, & Westman, 2018). Aramco also witnessed death among 10 of their employees in the year 2017, and within the same year, a contractor also died due to an oil pipe tragedy that left several employees injured.

A good example of an effect that results with employees absconding on their duties includes poor performance of the company. If an employee has been assigned the duty to oversee a certain project go through then their failure to show up to their assigned role will lead to unnecessary delays since the other colleagues in charge of taking after the work of a certain part of the project cannot embark on their role. The other major effect is that employee will limit their growth in this industry. Organizational growth is not only determined by the profits made by the organization but also the employees' growth as well. If the employees record a significant amount of growth when it comes to their abilities then the whole company, in general, will grow and strive in a world where competition has become so intense (Hobfoll et al., 2018). Absconding roles will also make the other concerned employees work extra long hours to cover up for the void created, and this is a huge threat to the motivation levels of the employees. The employees might end up resenting the management team of the organization, and this causes a ripple effect to the organization welfare. The need for a framework addressing employee wellbeing in Aramco was inevitable and essential in improving the company's output.

Knowledge sharing is a key factor when it comes to ensuring maximum employee performance. This entails sharing important skills and information related to the welfare of the company. This not only ensures that information flows accordingly throughout the organization but ensures that the organization has a sense of teamwork in all its activities. Saudi Aramco did have an issue in knowledge sharing, and it is due to this reason that in the year 2016, they resulted in new ways of ensuring that knowledge sharing is perfected in the organization. This proved to be fruitful as the company was able to improve but more could be done to perfect the already enacted system of knowledge sharing. This is a clear indication that knowledge sharing is quite essential. The most notable advantage of knowledge sharing is innovation (Hobfoll et al., 2018). Large companies such as Aramco are often faced with challenges such as maintaining good product quality streak especially in the event of fluctuations in the market. The cost of oil production may at times skyrocket based on a number of variables, and it is through innovation that the organization will be able to stabilize. Innovation also helps the company acquire new ways in which it will be able to compete in the field of energy since there are currently several oil companies that are eyeing the topmost position in oil production such as Sinopec that has its origin from China.

The targeted population for this survey is the employees in Aramco. The form of sampling to be used is known as the purposive sampling, and it relies on the fact the selected group have so much information that is relevant for the study. The whole study focuses on studying employee wellbeing of the organization, and there is no better place to gather substantial information than the company itself. Aramco has a total population of 55,000 according to an annual report, but the sampling process will only narrow down to 400 employees. There are two major sampling techniques that are suitable for this study. The first technique is called the probability sampling while the other is referred to as the non-probability sampling technique (Grant, & Campbell, 2007). The probability sampling technique touches on each element of the population while the non-probability sampling technique focuses its study on a certain specific chosen population element. The non-probability sampling technique is ideal in this situation because the studies aim at obtaining information on wellbeing only from employees exposed to difficult, physical activities leading to fatigue. In addition to this, the non-probability sampling technique is cost effective and is convenient in producing results more quickly.

Sampling a larger number would seem like a reasonable choice, but in the end, it ends up being time-consuming. Due to this reason, it is a logical choice to select a few persons from each department of the organization. Deciding to sample the population in Aramco will also help create an estimate of what the other employees in the same industry might be going through since the organization acts as a reference point to other organizations in Saudi Arabia within the same industry. The individuals will not be picked randomly, but they will be selected according to certain characteristics. First of all, the employee must have worked in the company for two years and above. The second consideration is that the specific field that these employees work in must have met certain qualifications (Grant, & Campbell, 2007). The employee must be exposed to hazardous encounters such as the ones encountered by roustabouts. Roustabouts are normally exposed to dangerous drilling equipment that may cause injuries, and they often get their hands on this equipment which is a great threat to their physical wellbeing. When it comes to employees exposed...