The Relationship between Motivation, Organizational stressors and Job Satisfaction in the U.S.A Banking Industry
INTRODUCTION
Background
The central role played by the banking sector in the American economy cannot be overemphasised. The banking industry is one of the largest industries in any country with far reaching implications on all other sectors. The banking industry is very competitive with a huge share of the market controlled by few players. Commercial banks offer similar services. Therefore, the only competitive advantage a commercial bank can have over other commercial banks is having highly motivated personnel that deliver outstanding services to the bank’s customers. Quality services create a niche for the bank from the consumer prism. Job attitude will determine the quality of service offered by the bank personnel. Therefore, it is imperative to ascertain causes of job satisfaction. Motivation and organizational stressors are some of the factors that affect job satisfaction.
The relationship between motivation, organizational stressors and job satisfaction is one of the most widely researched areas by Industrial/ Organizational psychologists. There is consensus among I/O psychology practitioners and scholars that organizations in all industries are experiencing rapid changes in both the industry and within the organization, which is accelerating at a high speed. To manage change, human factor has become increasingly important for organizational survival. Organizational excellence can only be attained by motivated employees. In the same vein, organizational stressors such as tragedy, violence, job insecurity and fear need to be reduced to ensure organizational success. However, most studies are concentrated in the manufacturing and trading organizations. There are very few studies that have explored this topic in the banking industry. To this end, the research proposal seeks to evaluate whether there is a relationship between motivation, organizational stressors and job satisfaction in the U.S.A banking industry.
Research Purpose
The purpose of this research is this study is to evaluate the relationship, if any, between motivation, organizational stressors and job satisfaction in the U.S.A banking industry.
Research Questions
- Does a relationship exist between work motivation and job satisfaction?
- Does a relationship exist between organizational stressors and job satisfaction?
Hypotheses
- A positive relationship exists between job satisfaction and work motivation
- A negative relationship exists between job satisfaction and organizational stressors
LITERATURE REVIEW
According to Maria (2012), there is a connection between motivation, job performance and work performance. She supports her assertions with empirical research conducted in trading companies in Romania. The study showed that there is a direct relationship between motivation, job performance and work performance. The findings are in consonance an article published in a quarterly review by Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). The article analysed various case studies on motivation and job satisfaction. SHRM (2012) argues that organizational success can only be achieved with a strong leadership and a highly motivated staff. SHRM noted that employee motivation determined job satisfaction which consequently determined work performance. Therefore, irrespective of the industry, employee motivation cannot be overlooked.
Human relations theory introduced by Elton Mayo is one of the most practical theories that affect the job attitudes and consequently performance of employees in today’s global market place and economic climate. Elton Mayo stated that employee motivation depends on the human relations policy of the organization. Managers should have a good relationship with employees, give them the chance to work in teams and develop their personal abilities and exploit their potential. Good human relations eliminate organizational stressors hence improving employee job satisfaction . Usman states that employees get job satisfaction when they work in a conducive and stress free environment. Employee job satisfaction is often evidenced by their job performance. A study conducted by Usman revealed that there is an inverse relationship between organizational stressors and job satisfaction. Some of the stressors identified by the study include; as tragedy, violence, job insecurity and fear. Usman argues that job satisfaction is important in all industries. However, it is most critical in the service industry the success of an organization depends on interactions between employees and clients.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
A quantitative research design was used to evaluate the research question. Quantitative design was the most suitable research design to study the relationship between the variables and in answering the research question because the study is based on hypothesis testing.
Area of study and Target Population
This study intends to draw conclusions that will be applicable in U.S.A. Therefore, the study area of interest is U.S.A. The target population for this study is all employees of commercial banks in the U.S.A.
Sampling technique and sample size
Measures
- Demographic form
Demographic forms will be filled by the study participants. The forms will be used to obtain demographic information regarding participants’ gender, age, length of service, qualifications and designation.
- Organizational Stressors Survey
A survey questionnaire containing the most common organizational stressors will be used. Respondents will be required to rank the level of each stressor in the organization using a 6-point response scale.
- The Motivation at Work Scale (MAWS)
MAWS comprises of 12 items with 4 subscales; intrinsic, identified, introjected and extrinsic. Each subscale comprises of 3 items: Intrinsic comprises item 4, 8 and 12, Identified comprises item 3,7 and 11, introjected comprises item 2,6 and 10 and extrinsic comprises item 1,5 and 9. MAWS have a 6 point scale.
- Job satisfaction survey (JSS)
JSS is a 9-subscale measure of job satisfaction. The 9 facets include; pay promotion, supervision, fringe benefits, contingency rewards, co-workers, operating conditions, nature of work and communication. It contains 36 items that will be ranked using a 6-point response scale.
Procedure
Questionnaires will be distributed to respondents. The respondents will be required to complete the questionnaires manually. On the first page of each questionnaire an overview will be provided. All respondents will be required to fill a demographic form. The researcher will give instructions on the organizational stressor survey, MAWS (2010) and JSS (1997). Participation will be voluntary and the responses will be anonymous. Respondents will be informed on the purpose the study. All participants will be assured that all information will be kept confidential. The collected data will be tabulated in a Microsoft Excel sheet.
Statistical Analysis
The data set was analysed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics will be used to give an overview of the demographic profile of the participants. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient will be performed in order to ascertain the correlation, if any, between work motivation and job satisfaction, and organizational stressors and job satisfaction. The level of significance will be 5 per cent with a confidence level of 95 per cent.
References
Drillings, M., & O'Neil, H. F. (2012). Motivation: Theory and Research. New York: Routledge.
Gliner, J. A., & Morgan, G. A. (2009). Research Methods in Applied Settings: An Integrated Approach to Design and Analysis, Second Edition (revised ed.). London: Routledge.
Johnson, P. (2010, May 10). Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research. Retrieved April 22, 2013, from http://www.southalabama.edu: http://www.southalabama.edu/coe/bset/johnson/lectures/lec2.pdf
Maria , D. (2012, December 15). Connection between Job Motivation, Job Satisfaction and Work Performance in Romanian Trade Enterprises. Retrieved June 26, 2013, from http://www.eia.feaa.ugal: http://www.eia.feaa.ugal.ro/sites/default/files/Lut.pdf
SHRM. (2012, March 30). Motivation in Today’s Workplace: The Link to Performance. Retrieved June 26, 2013, from http://www.shrm.org: http://www.shrm.org/research/articles/articles/documents/10-0235%20research%20quarterly-q2-fnl.pdf
Usman, B. (2009). Impact of Stress on Employees Job Performance. International Journal of Marketing studies, 20-32.
