Research Questions
The purpose of this project was to determine the impact of a regular training program for employees on aspects and attributes of corporate culture on job satisfaction outcomes. Specifically, the study is organized around the following question:
- Is there a relationship between regular training of employees and increased job satisfaction?
Method
This study was based on a quasi-experimental quantitative design, which involves working with quantitative variables to find an answer to the research question. The independent variable of the project was the fact that regular training was conducted, and hence, de facto, this variable was dichotomous. The working and control groups, who received and missed training, respectively, were used for this project. The dependent variable was the level of job satisfaction of the employees of interest for the study, which was measured using self-reported stoic scales.
Since this study is based on an experimental paradigm and assesses the effects of the independent variable on the dependent variable, as opposed to a correlational design, this allowed for causal inferences to be drawn about the relationship (Privitera, 2022). The analysis results provided insight not only into the relationship between regular employee training and employee satisfaction but also indicated the effects, direction, and influences in the structure of this relationship.
Unidirectional hypotheses can be applied to the present study given the extensive literature evidence (McKenzie & Brennan, 2019). Specifically, the working hypothesis hypothesized that regular training is positively associated with increased satisfaction and, therefore, leads to an increase in this measure. This directional type of hypothesis required only right-sided tests because the formulation specified the direction of effects and relationships (McKenzie & Brennan, 2019). This was accounted for in the statistical analysis as the appropriate significance level for the tests had to be modified.
A simple probability sampling mechanism was used to collect data. In this case, after obtaining approval from local employers, the employee lists were ranked in an MS Excel spreadsheet in ascending order using the =RAND() value as the sorting criterion (Yuan et al., 2020). Only every third person on the list was selected as a potential candidate for the project, and an invitation link to participate was sent. If a candidate declined or did not respond to the invitation, it was sent to the following individual on the list. This resulted in a sample drawn from employees of different companies in the local community, in which every member of the lists had an equal chance of being included in the work or control groups.
Several factors determined the high internal validity of the study. First, using a control group ensured that the influence of concomitant variables was checked, ensuring that only independent and dependent variables were examined (Privitera, 2022). Second, the sample was drawn based on the criterion of randomness, which increased the unbiased nature of the data. Third, variables were operationalized, and measurement procedures were standardized for all participants. Such strategies ensured that the design measured what was intended to be measured and that the associated influencing factors were insignificant.
The study was associated with several ethical considerations. On the one hand, employee participation was entirely voluntary: no coercion or encouragement was used, and the individual was aware of the aims and objectives of the project, as well as the option to leave participation at any stage. On the other hand, the data was anonymized entirely, and sensitive topics related to employee satisfaction could not be used to identify the participant’s identity.
Data Analysis
Several data types were collected for the quantitative statistical analysis, including the individual’s group membership and the level of satisfaction rated on a hundred-point scale. Since there were only two groups in the set (control and worker) for which differences in mean job satisfaction scores were measured, t-statistics were used for estimation (Privitera, 2022). A t-test of independent samples was conducted using SPSS, which showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups in their levels of job satisfaction (t(33) = -1.063, p =.295). Cohen’s d effect size was moderate (d = 0.378342).
Conclusion
The present research project focused on investigating the impact of employee training on employee job satisfaction. The paper operationalized and conceptualized the variables, discussed the ethical issues of the study, and described the methodology. Unlike correlational studies, the results can be used to extrapolate causal relationships. In general, however, the results showed no difference in employee satisfaction between the two groups, which implies that the training did not lead to an increase in satisfaction.
References
McKenzie, J. E., & Brennan, S. E. (2019). Synthesizing and presenting findings using other methods. In J.P.T. Higgins, J. Thomas, J. Chandler, M. Cumpston, T. Li, M.J. Page, & V.A. Welch (Eds.), Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions (pp. 321-347). Wiley.
Privitera, G. (2022). Research methods for the behavioral sciences (3rd ed.). Sage.
Yuan, J., Xiang, S., Xia, J., Yu, L., & Liu, S. (2020). Evaluation of sampling methods for scatterplots. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 27(2), 1720-1730.