Abstract
This proposal aims to do qualitative research on the effects of workplace social support, psychological contracts and work engagement on employees’ happiness mainly in the UAE. This study proposes a qualitative phenomenological methodology to answer the research question. This approach is appropriate to this study since it aligns with the phenomenon under investigation. The study targets a sample size of 200 employees who will be drawn from both public and private sector. Data will be collected through interviews after the getting consent and permission from the participants and other relevant bodies. From the synthesis of previous studies, preliminary findings indicate that workplace social support results in an increased employee happiness. In addition, other factors such as psychological contracts and work engagement has positive impact on the employee’s happiness. However, because previous studies have focused on individual factors, there is a need to investigate the effects of integrating decent factors in the workplace and how it affects employees’ happiness.
Introduction/Description
This study explores the effects of workplace social support, psychological contracts, and work engagement on employees’ happiness in the United Arab Emirates. Although numerous studies have explored individual factors on workplace social support, psychological contract, work engagement, and employee happiness, there are scarce studies that explore the effects and relationship between these factors on employees’ happiness (Singhal, & Srivastava, 2020). It is also unclear how workplaces manage workplace social support, psychological contracts, and employee engagement.
According to Foy et al. (2019), there is a lack of consideration of employee’s workplace support and engagement as the primary reasons for implementing employee happiness. The research gap in exploring employee happiness is more profound in the UAE since there are scarce studies on workplace social support and employee engagement in Arab countries. Besides, few studies have been carried out to explore the achievement of organizations in the achievement of employee happiness (Benuyenah, & Pandya, 2020). Therefore, it is imperative to understand the effects of workplace social support, psychological contracts, and workplace engagement on employee happiness.
According to Bellet et al. (2019), most previous studies on employee happiness focus on developed countries. Thus, a lack of research focuses on the United Arab Emirates as a developing country. The focus of the UAE government is to improve employee happiness by becoming the first nation to establish the Minister of Happiness. The focus of the ministry will be to spread happiness as UAE is ranked the 21st happiness in 2020 World Happiness Reports (Benuyenah, & Pandya, 2020).
Purpose and Scope of the Study
The significance of this study is based on managerial application and theoretical implications. This study will provide an in-depth understanding of the effects of workplace social support, psychological contracts, and work engagement on employee happiness. This exploration contributes to the current body of knowledge. This is because it will be the first study in the United Emirates Arabs to investigate these crucial areas. In addition, the findings of this study will reveal how the management can integrate decent work factors into the workplace to improve the overall happiness of the employees.
Further, organizations in the United Arab Emirates can also use this study’s findings to improve employees’ happiness in the organization. Therefore, the organization’s management can maximize the implementation of workplace social support, psychological contracts, and workplace engagement to improve employees’ happiness in the workplace.
Rationale
Happiness is a subjective aspect, especially in an organization. What makes one person happy may not be the same that may cause another happy and satisfied in the workplace. Because of the subjective nature of happiness, there is a need to further current research and further investigate how employees’ happiness in the UAE is affected by factors such as workplace social support, psychological contracts, and work engagement.
Boundaries of the Study
This study is limited to a specific scope and conceptual dimensions. The study will specifically utilize a qualitative approach to investigate the effects of variables mentioned above and employees’ happiness. Also, the study focuses on employees and employers from various sectors, and all should be working within the United Arab Emirates.
Literature Review
Employees’ happiness in their workplace has resulted in massive attention from scholars and researchers since it has been found that employees who are committed in their places of work tend to exhibit a high level of performance (Othman et al., 2018). As such, numerous studies associate work engagement, social and psychological contracts with employees’ happiness. However, most of the studies focus on the individual relationship between these factors and fail to explore how moderating these factors can affect employee happiness. Thus, this literature review seeks to explore relevant studies conducted on workplace social and psychological contracts, work engagement, and the association with employees’ happiness in the United Arab Emirates.
Employee Happiness
Practitioners and scholars have distinct ways of defining the concept of happiness. Al-Ali et al. (2019) defined happiness as the psychological well-being of a person. Similarly, Alserhan et al. (2021) carried out a study to understand the concept of happiness in a restaurant in Jordan. The researchers found out that happy employees tend to be more satisfied with their work routines, exhibit positive psychological experiences, and have a high productivity rate. As depicted in a conceptual framework of happiness, positive emotional experiences are associated with a person’s life and job (Qaiser et al., 2020). Besides, researchers and practitioners attribute employees’ happiness to workplace engagement (Othman et al., 2018). Therefore, employees’ happiness is associated with the feelings of a person towards a job and the entire life in general.
Social Support in the Workplace
Relationship of Workplace Social Support and Employees Happiness
According to Schutte & Loi (2014), workplace social support entails the exchange or sharing of resources between at least two employees perceived by the provider to enhance the well-being of the recipients. In addition, Schutte & Loi (2014) posited that social support could be in various forms, such as providing advice and assistance to handle various problems, among others.
Notably, a study by Qaiser et al. (2020) revealed that employees who receive any form of social support, either from their colleagues or supervisors, tend to be happy. Yuh & Choi (2017) contend with Qaiser et al.’s (2020) study and establish that colleagues’ and supervisors’ support contributes to job satisfaction. This is because such support contributes to employees’ happiness since the employees feel that there is continuous support to solve problems. Parent-Lamarche and Marchand (2019) also postulated that social support in the workplace contributes to the employees’ well-being since they usually feel recognized and part of the organization. Therefore, positive workplace social support contributes to improved employees’ happiness.
Psychological Contracts and Employees Happiness
According to Hansen & Griep (2016), a psychological contract refers to how an employee perceives and relates to the workplace. Hansen & Griep (2016) further expounds that a psychological contract is nurtured depending on how an employee relates with the organization and other employees. Based on the psychoanalytic model, Driver (2018) postulates that psychological contracts relate to how the employees perceive and interact with the employer.
A qualitative study conducted by Bal et al. (2013) points out that “the relationship between employers and their employees is based on long-term and open-ended engagements that facilitates the growth of the workers and that of the employer. As such, Qaiser et al. (2020) conclude that positive psychological contracts result in employee happiness since the relationship of the organization’s management makes an employee happy in the workplace. Therefore, the employees’ perception towards their employer influences how they might behave and feel about the workplace. As such, this study contends that positive psychological contracts contribute to improved employee happiness in the workplace.
Work Engagement and Employees Happiness
According to Kiran & Khurram (2018), work engagement is the employee’s feeling connected with the workplace. Halinski & Harrison (2020) conducted a study to explore work engagement. The researchers found out that positive work engagement contributes to employees’ happiness. This significantly results in positive outcomes for the organization. Lasrado (2018) indicates that most of the companies in the United Arab Emirates are particularly investing in programs meant to improve customer and employee happiness and satisfaction. This strategy has been adopted not only to improve employees’ happiness but also to improve business performance. A study by Constantini et al. (2017) postulated that employees with a high level of engagement are more energetic and have a positive connection with their roles in the workplace.
Mediating impacts of Decent Work Factors
Decent work is an essential component of employees’ happiness and overall job satisfaction. according to Duffy et al. (2016), decent work comprises a conducive work environment that allows flexibility, provides access to healthcare, allows work-life balance, and free from any form of abuse. When these conditions are met, work is considered decent, and employees’ happiness improves. However, Duffy et al. (2016) add that numerous factors contribute to decent work, such as economic constraints and marginalization. Therefore, with decent work, employees tend to be much happier, which increases job productivity.
Research Aims, Objectives, and Research Questions
This qualitative research explores the effects of workplace social support, psychological contracts, and work engagement on employee’s happiness in the United Arab Emirates. Besides, the study will offer support in the efforts of the UAE to improve employee happiness while at the same time explore the role played by the subjective vitality in employee engagement and social support.
For this qualitative study, the research objectives are:
- To investigate the effects of workplace social support and practices on employees’ happiness in the UAE.
- To investigate the effects of psychological contract practices on employees’ happiness in the UAE.
- To investigate the effects of work engagement practices on employee’s happiness in the UAE.
- To examine the moderating role of decent work factors in employee happiness in the UAE.
Besides, this study will be an extension of previous studies in different ways. As such, the current study will seek to answer the following research questions:
- How does workplace social support practices influence employees’ happiness in the UAE?
- How does the psychological contract practices influence employee’s happiness in the UAE?
- Hoes does the work engagement practices influence employee happiness in the UAE?
- How do the decent work factors impact on employees’ happiness in the UAE?
Research Design and Methodology
Research Design
This study uses a qualitative research design based on the research framework designed and linked between theory and the study variables derived and explained in the literature review. Therefore, there will be new dimensions and ideas to fill the literature gap by recognizing the effects of social support and work engagement on employee happiness and the role of subjective vitality in the UAE. Hence, it is believed that when there is clear identification and understanding, then the given literature gap can be filled. It is also possible to use strategies on the awareness of subjective vitality so employee happiness can be achieved in organizations in the UAE.
Research Paradigms
The research paradigm refers to a philosophical way of thinking. Research paradigms describe how data will be collected and thus helps to define the choice of method to be used. Some of the research paradigms include:
Epistemological Research Paradigm
The epistemology research paradigm is used to describe how a person comes to know and understand something about the truth and reality. This paradigm focuses on human knowledge and the comprehension that the researcher has and can acquire, extend and broaden his understanding in the field of study (Kivunja & Kuyini, 2017). As such, when using an epistemology paradigm, the research investigates whether knowledge is something that can be acquired or whether it is something that can be personally experienced.
Epistemology defines the choice of design and methodology that can be used in a study. This is because it helps the researcher to establish faith in the data and information collected. This helps the researcher to uncover the knowledge about the social context under investigation.
Ontological Research Paradigm
This paradigm is concerned with the assumptions made by researchers so as to believe that some elements make sense of the social phenomenon under investigation. This paradigm examines the underlying belief system of the researcher about the nature of existence (Kivunja & Kuyini, 2017). The philosophical assumptions are vital in a study as they help the researcher to make meaning of the data collected.
The paradigm helps to determine the choice of methodology to use in a study. In essence, the assumptions made orientate the thinking of the researcher, the significance of the methodology, and how the approach was chosen can be used to answer the research question.
Qualitative Approaches
Social science research can be categorized as either qualitative or quantitative. The qualitative approach focuses on human behaviors from the participant’s perception, while the quantitative research aims to explore facts about specific groups. However, this study employs a qualitative research approach. In this methodology, there are five main approaches, namely:
The first approach is the ethnographic approach. This is the most common and recognized approach of qualitative research. This approach immerses the participants in a culture that is not familiar to them (Hollstein, 2011). The main intent is to learn and describe the participants or the population’s characteristics. The second approach is the grounded theory approach. This approach explains the course of action for a certain phenomenon. It is appropriate when the sample size is large. The third qualitative approach is the case, study model. This approach provides an in-depth analysis of a particular test subject. Data is later collected from different sources and compiled to create a generalized conclusion.
The fourth approach is the phenomenological approach. This approach aims to describe how the experience of one participant influences the outcomes of an event. This approach uses interviews, surveys, and observation to collect information (Togia & Malliari, 2017). The last approach is the historical model. This approach describes past events to understand current patterns and thus anticipate future outcomes.
Choice of Qualitative Methodology
This study proposes a qualitative phenomenological methodology to answer the research question. This methodology is appropriate in this study because it aligns with the research question that seeks to explore the effects of workplace social support, psychological contracts, and work engagements on employees’ happiness (Burkholder et al., 2019). This research question is subjective in nature, requiring different perspectives that can be obtained from these approaches. Besides, data and information will be collected through interviews. This is possible when using a phenomenological approach.
Ethical Issues
The ethical process in this research study considers Abu Dhabi University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) committee so human subjects can be protected. Therefore, there will be review and approval on the research design, consent letter, and survey questionnaire. The Dissertation Chair will be consulted on ethical concerns periodically to ensure the safety, rights, and welfare of the involved participants in the research.
The privacy and dignity of all the participants from the workforce in the UAE will be protected for their valuable and personal information. So, all the potential participants will be protected at all times. For this purpose, all the targeted organizations will be communicated for permission through a ‘no objection letter’ to ensure agreement on conducting the interviews. In addition, all the decision-makers for approval will be requested to comment on the survey questions. Hence, these selected organizations should approve and issue a ‘no objection letter’ showing full support for this research study.
Every participant will be informed of the purpose of this research study, and their participation will be voluntary also; they can withdraw at any point. These participants will be informed that they do not need to share personal details and information to keep their identities anonymous and confidential. It indicates that none of the participants of this research study will be identified or revealed.
Data Sampling
The sampling method will be stratified and used to represent workers in the public sector clearly. The samples of this study will be public sectors providing government services such as a municipality. The participants will be made of both genders to have a diverse view about the phenomenon under investigation. The participants will be selected voluntarily and through random sampling. Besides, although it is highly recommended for the participants to respond to the questions to the best of their knowledge, they have the discretion to determine whether they will respond to all the questions. The participants will not be forced to respond to any question. Further, the confidentiality of the participants will be maintained through the use of complete anonymity.
Methods of Data Collection
The study is qualitative as it attempts to understand the effects of the aforementioned factors and employees’ happiness in the UAE. The study is measured based on the impact of the elements on engagement and variations in the female and male workforce measurements for employees who work in the public sector in UAE. The target population in the study is the UAE National workforces in various sectors. The participants in the study will be spread across different sectors in the country in the public sector. The sample selection will vary from unranked employees, managerial cadres, and their subordinates.
The study data will be collected through interviews, where the participants will be required to respond to open-ended and closed questions. The questions will be used objectively to measure workplace social support, psychological contracts, and work engagements. The results of the study will be used to explain and understand the effects of the aforementioned factors on employees’ happiness.
Data Analysis and Presentation
Data analysis refers to the process of examining data collected. In this study, the qualitative method will be used to analyze the data collected from the participants. Data to be analyzed will be collected through in-depth interviews conducted by the researcher on all the participants. According to Creswell and Creswell (2017), the qualitative method of data analysis comprises clear and specific procedures. Data collected is code after analysis and presented in thematic form.
Through the qualitative approach, the data collected will be analyzed to comprehend workplace social support, psychological contracts, and work engagement on employee happiness in the UAE.
In this study, data will be analyzed using QDA Miner and ANTCONC software application. The QDA Miner is easy to use qualitative data analysis software. It helps researchers to organize, code, annotate, retrieve and analyze data collected. Additionally, QDA Miner efficiently analyzes focus group transcripts, interviews, speeches, and legal documents, among other qualitative studies (Provalis Research, 2020). In addition, ANTCONC software will be used to analyze research texts or information obtained. This software is vital in the generation of keywords and word distribution.
Besides, data presentation refers to the manner through which the data analyzed will be presented. In this research, analyzed data will be presented in descriptive form. In addition, various outputs such as a codebook, memos, display matrix, tables, and charts will be presented.
Discussion/Preliminary Findings
Previous studies reveal that workplace social support, psychological contracts, and workplace engagement contribute to the employees’ happiness. For instance, it is evident that happy employees tend to be more satisfied with their work routines, exhibit positive psychological experiences, and have a high productivity rate. This is in accordance with a study conducted by Alserhan et al. (2021) to understand the concept of happiness in a restaurant in Jordan. Therefore, when an organization’s management is concerned with the happiness of their employees by offering all the required support such as workplace social support, psychological contracts, this would improve employees’ workplace engagement which ultimately contributes to employee happiness. In the long run, an increase in employees’ happiness contributes to workplace productivity (Alserhan et al., 2021).
Further, preliminary studies reveal that employees’ happiness is linked with an employee’s engagement towards the job and the overall quality of life in general. Othman et al. (2018) contend with these findings by postulating a direct link between employees’ happiness and workplace engagement. As such, it is clear that the management’s perception of workplace social support, psychological contracts, and work engagement contributes to the improved happiness of the employees. Therefore, numerous findings from previous studies from developing countries postulate that the factors mentioned above contribute to employees’ happiness. These findings can as well be extended to UAE employees and those beyond other geographical areas.
In addition, studies have linked employees’ happiness to increased productivity. Essentially, as mentioned earlier, when there is workplace social support, psychological support, and workplace engagement, employees are likely to be happy. Increased employees’ happiness results in job satisfaction (Yuh & Choi, 2017). Increased job satisfaction results in motivation and consequently improved productivity. This benefits not only the employee but also the entire organization.
Limitations
There are few limitations prevalent in this study. One of the limitations is that the study is limited only to the UAE employees in the public sector. As such, it may be difficult to generalize the results of the study to other geographical areas. This is because differences in geographical conditions may affect the employees’ happiness. Therefore, factors that may affect employees’ happiness in the UAE may differ from factors in other places across the globe.
Secondly, the qualitative methodology used may be prone to bias. This is because, in qualitative studies, the outcomes of the study are predetermined, unlike in the quantitative study that is based on facts. Additionally, the data collected is subjective, and every participant has his or her opinion on the area under focus. Instances of bias are possible.
Also, time constraints may be an issue. Data will be collected using interviews. In this case, in a situation where the sample size is large or when the participants are widely spread, it can be time-consuming when collecting data. In some instances, time may not be enough to interview all the participants.
Conclusion
Numerous studies have explored the effects of work engagement, workplace social support, and psychological contracts on employees’ happiness. Studies have established that work engagement, workplace social contract, and psychological contracts result in improved employee happiness. However, these studies mainly focus on individual factors, and, thus, there is a scarcity of information to help in the understanding of the relationship between these factors. Moreover, research on the relationship of these variables in the UAE is relatively scarce. Therefore, these findings indicate that it is vital to conduct further studies to explore the effects that exist between workplace social support, psychological contracts, work engagement, and employees’ happiness in the United Arab Emirates and how decent work factors mediate this relationship.
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