The Impact of Job Satisfaction on Employee Retention - Research Paper

The following project uses data collection tools that include both qualitative and quantitative but identifies the significance of conducting the study with the help of social and cultural context. The process of data collection will make primarily make use of questionnaires. The close-ended questionnaire technique which is structured facilitates the collection of more data in the field. A more in-depth collection of data will be possible through the administration of multiple questionnaires, in addition to promoting follow up procedures. The research project aims to administer close-ended questions to 85 participants, emancipating from diverse working environments and having different identity positions. The participants in the study are expected to give unbiased opinions on their daily living and job satisfaction in their working environment. The personal views from the participants should include their beliefs, reactions, and diverse roles as employees in their respective working place.

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Introduction

The study was undertaken to facilitate the identification and evaluation of the impact of job satisfaction on employee retention in a business organization. Therefore, the primary research technique used in gathering data is the questionnaire, whereby, the strengths and weaknesses of the method was also determined to be part of the research objective. With the need to answer the prompts as put forward by the study goals, the research sought the personalized opinions and beliefs of the human resource staff members based on the study topic. The sample to facilitate the study was made up of four units who gave out 17 respondents each, hence amounting to 85 participants. The participants undertaking the survey answered the specially structured questionnaire; thus sufficient data was gathered. The computerized analysis was done on the data obtained, and subsequent interpretation followed suit. The study into the topic is made possible by the use of both primary and secondary resources (Jessup-Ramsay and Whitney 2015). The study resources entailed articles, and among other peer-reviewed literature.

Population and Sampling Techniques

Population

Eighty-five respondents were requested to undertake the study as participants, to determine the impact of job satisfaction on employee retention. The respondents are police personnel who have completed their contract with the institution between 2015 and 2017. Moreover, these are the individuals who have renewed their work contract in the four respective units. There was a clear criterion used in the selection of the participants, such that, pertinent and proper data and the information is gathered, with increased accuracy. Therefore, the criteria were that participants must be police personnel of the respective units in the institution taking place in the study. The participants being aware of the close-ended questionnaire were able to accomplish the survey requirements easily. That is because the research was to determine the impact of job satisfaction on employee retention, hence preferred the use of participants from the institution with diverse experiences in the working environment. The sample size of the population was recommended since there was no human resource to assist in the study. Provided the sample was large; the study would not be completed in due time.

Sampling

The selection of participants was made from four units within the institution, amounting to 75 participants selected to undertake the study. Moreover, the selection of the 75 participants is as a result of simple random sampling. Whereby, each police personnel in the institution is offered an equal opportunity to be part of the entire study irrespective of their gender. That minimizes bias and potential prejudice when the method of selection would not be employed. To realize that method of sampling, there should be the definition of the population in question. Such that, all the personnel are listed in a particular frame and assigned a specific number for identification purposes before undertaking the lottery selection process. After that, a lottery was conducted, whereby, the random lucky pick technique was employed in the selection of the final respondents.

Data Collection Procedures

The primary data collection tool used in the research is the questionnaire. To facilitate the proper collection of data and information, the questionnaire was divided into two segments which included; to survey appropriate and the profile section. The profile section was based on the social and demographic characteristics related to the respondents. For instance gender, age, years as an employee and the position held, and civil status. Whereas, the proper survey section was based on employee perception with regards to job satisfaction. The main point of focus was on its reliability and suitability as a tool for employee retention. The structuring of the questions was done in a way that four options are made available for either of the questions provided. The four options represented the severity of agreement to either of the questions asked. Whereby choice four to one represented "Strongly Agree," "Agree," "Disagree," and "Strongly Disagree" respectively.

Pre-Testing

The validity testing of the questionnaire was done on 15 participants from each unit in the institution taking part in the study. The testing is essential to eliminate instances of ambiguous questions in addition to the format and wording of the questionnaire which might go undetected. However, the participants who undertook the validity test were not incorporated into the final study carried out.

Reliability and Validity of the Instrument

The culmination of data gathering was characterized by asking of test subjects for additional opinions and personal views about improvement in the structure of the questionnaire. The respective suggestions help in the restructuring of the questions to remove vagueness and enhance the clarity of the questions. Moreover, the researcher ensured the developed questionnaire holistically defined the ideas of the research being conducted. That was accomplished through pilot testing which ascertained the consistency and dependability of the questionnaire.

Research Design

Studying the topic employed the use of a descriptive research method. According to the Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching, descriptive research is a study seeking to describe a phenomenon, subject or behavior (CIRT 2019). Therefore, the study method is categorized as descriptive when it aims to obtain quantifiable data which is essential in the statistical analysis of a particular subject or a specific audience. The research method plays the role of observing and describing a study problem or subject without applying any influence whatsoever to the variables therein. Hence, the descriptive research method is considered correlational or observational, but not exclusively experimental. Hence, the cost of conducting the study is drastically lowered as the research is manageable without external assistance.

Research Approach

The study was able to combine the perspective of qualitative and quantitative, with the help of the survey questionnaire. Moreover, the potential limitations of the study were effectively overcome through the proper use of a qualitative and quantitative approach, which were combined to institute the findings.

Quantitative Data

The quantitative method of gathering data is based on quantifying relationships existing amongst the measured variables, and statistics and numerical data are significantly used. Hence, the researcher and the study undertaken are considered different entities; consequently, prejudice and bias are minimized. By using quantitative methods, there is the establishment of a study topic which is specific; hence the data collected is usually reliable (Iqbal, Guohao, and Akhtar 2017).

Qualitative Data

Qualitative approaches gather verbal data and information but not numerical and statistical. There is the excellent use of holistic analysis in the interpretation of study findings. Therefore the quantitative method is more deductive and particular, and is dependent on the development of hypothesis and proving it by the use of statistical data obtained.

Data Sources

The study makes use of police personnel, who are the respondents in the research. The participants were supplied with a close-ended questionnaire to obtain answers. The descriptive method of research is applicable since there can be a determination of answers by the respondents which are similar and the diverse ones. The types of data gathered are categorized into primary and secondary based on their respective sources.

Use of Empirical Data

The primary data types were obtained from the survey process when the response by the participants form the questionnaire was recorded. The two sections of the questionnaire were further divided into four subsections which included; demographic information, the level of job satisfaction, the revised scheme of service and the opportunity for career/personal development (De Sousa Sabbagha, Ledimo, and Martins 2018, p. 136).

Gathering of Secondary Data

The secondary data types were gathered from peer-reviewed literature, which is published and relevant to the study topic. These published documents are from the year 2015 to the current time, based on the level of employee retention. For instance, the paper by Mathimaran and Kumar 2017, identifies the need for retaining human resources for the economic competitiveness of an organization (Mathimaran and Kumar 2017).

Data Analysis

Administering the Questionnaire

The researcher distributed the questionnaire through the permission of the institution's manager. Data handling ensued, whereby assigning of codes to the respondents ensured easy identification and the fast input of data by the use of Microsoft Excel. The process of handling data began with editing the information obtained; exercise was determined to be significant as clarifications were sought from the respondents who gave out incomplete responses. A descriptive statistic such as frequencies and percentages were used to display data in summary form, tables, and charts. This software was chosen because excel is software widely used to ensure easy generation of percentages, while tables and charts were used in the analysis and interpretation of data.

Limitation of the Study

Given the sensitivity of the topic and nature of the study, some limitation was observed. Though the study focusses on the targeted participants, however, it was limited to only the respondent who participated in the HR Survey 2015. The time constraints and resources allowed only the selection of 85 out of the 115 respondents were selected. However, the timeframe for the submission was another constraint as the researcher has to extend the deadline to give the respondent additional time to complete the questionnaires; hence this process delayed the data collection in certain units.

Ethical Consideration

The most important ethical agreement that prevails while conducting the study includes the voluntary participation, confidentiality and most of all harm to contributing participants. Firstly, the respondents were briefed on the potential harm undertaking the study may cause to them. With regards to confidentiality, no information collected was revealed except for the study. Secondly, the participant was well informed and adequately educated on purpose and what is being investigated which increased the chance of their participation.

References

CRIT (2019). Overview of Descriptive Research - Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching. [online] Cirt.gcu.edu. Available at:...