1.

Working Title

Comparative analysis of factors leading to job satisfaction among private and public sectors in
Saudi Arabia (case study: Najran university as public sector and Najran cement as private
sector)

2. Context

Within the paradigm of management, Job satisfaction has gained significant importance. That is
why in context to the organizational behavior, it has been studied both as an independent and
dependent variable. Job satisfaction is termed as an affective reaction to a job. It is an attitude
reflected by the employees at their work places. The job satisfaction is a factor that tend to
regulate employees productivity level. In addition to that it has potential to control employees
absenteeism and turnover. Job satisfaction is positively related to the organizational efficiency as
it has ability to control behavior of employees and atmosphere of workplace (Chugtai, undated)

There is a variation within the factors that lead towards job satisfaction. It is more like a personal
assessment that has no as such defined boundaries for measuring it in a material manner.
Different parameter have been used to measure the satisfaction level within the employees. The
variable of job satisfaction within the organizational behavior is assessed through salary, perks,
communication style and etc. In this regard one of the considerable dimension is influence of the
leader on the workplace. Performance of employees is regulated and impacted by the leader of an
organization and it eventually contributes towards the employees job satisfaction or
dissatisfaction. Moreover the design, aim, nature of the job, performance, culture, empowerment,
motivation, appraisals and autonomy in work are the factors responsible for providing job
satisfaction. On contrary to this this research paper has also pin pointed the factors such as job
pressure, interference and etc. the means of providing job dissatisfaction. Job satisfaction and
performance have very fragile relational ship because at times factors leading to job satisfaction
are not conducive for enhancing the performance (Fiaz and Dr.Qadar, 2012).

The study by (Ahmed et al, 2010) states the relationship between motivation and job satisfaction.
The motivation able the employees to work effectively in a competitive environment and further
paves the way for the continuous enhancement of individuals productivity by acknowledging
their efforts and hard work through different gestures. Organizations and individuals both are
driven by their objectives so the tool of motivation channelize the process of goal involvement
and goal attainment and thus are positively related to job satisfaction. The process of goal
attainment and goal involvement backed up by the motivation enables employees to gain their
objectives and boost their levels of self-esteem. The level of autonomy at the work place tend to
impact the job satisfaction and power is considered to be important predictor of job satisfaction
at the work. The motivational drive system creates synergy for the employees by enabling them
to avail the interactive opportunities prevalent at the work place. The factors considered to be the
part of motivational drive system are praise, tangible, encouragement, interactive attitude and
tangible recognition.

Motivation is considered to be a very important factor helping in positively impacting the

phenomena of job satisfaction. In regard to the different organizational variables, motivation has
power to compliment job satisfaction and impact the overall performance. Employees behavior
at the work place is impacted by their intrinsic and extrinsic needs. In a nutshell job satisfaction
and employees motivation cannot be set apart as these both variables are intensely related to
each other. Moreover finding of this study highlights the difference of the factors leading to the
job satisfaction between males and females. Males Job satisfaction is associated with increase in
salaries and dominant factor leading to job satisfaction in females are means of professional
growth (Nadia and Shuguffta, 2011).

Job satisfaction can be termed as a state of mind. It is a set of feelings through which an
employee view its working conditions. The important condition associated with job satisfaction
is employees willingness to do the job. It means how much one is enjoying the job vested upon
him. In previous discussion, it has been listed that they are multiple factors leading towards job
satisfaction. Different methods are used to judge the level of employees job satisfaction. These
methods give insight about the factors causing satisfaction and ones leading towards
dissatisfaction (Gupta and Pannu, 2013).
The comparative analysis of factors leading to Job satisfaction among private and public sector
has been a very debatable topic. These two forms of administration varies in term of
management. The scope does lie in exploring the different dimensions of organizational behavior
with context to the employees of private and public sector. The variation in term of
administration within the private and public sector surely supports the possibility of having
difference in the factors leading to job satisfaction (Kamari and Pandey, 2011). That is why this
research paper intends to discover how means of job satisfaction varies among private sector and
public sector in Saudi Arabia. The region has a significant importance because of the cultural
impact. This dimension has not been much explored there

The study conducted in Nepal to reveal the difference in the factors responsible for providing job
satisfaction to the employees among private and public sector textile factories has potential for
the current study because the findings can be used as an assumption for the current research. The
current study was conducted by selecting the sample of 372 workers (238 from public and 134
from the private textile factories). The results gained showed that there was not much difference
in the factors contributing to the job dissatisfaction among the employees in private and public
sector of textile factories in Nepal. Employees of both sectors showed discontentment with their
jobs on ground of low salaries (Katuwal and Randhawa, 2007). The results of the respective
study helps building two assumptions for the research i.e. By and large there are not much
differences in the factors leading to satisfaction or dissatisfaction among the employees of
private and public sector and secondly salary is one factor that is responsible for providing job
satisfaction to the employees of both the sector.

In light of the preliminary literature discussed above has given brief insight in to the factors
related to job satisfaction. In context to the research topic, researcher particularly aim at
distinguishing the reasons leading to job satisfaction among private sector employees in Saudi
Arabia. In context to the organizational behavior of the respective country this dimension holds
significant importance because of the potential it holds. There has been not much work done in
this regard in this specific area so investigation of the factors responsible for bringing job
satisfaction within the employees of private and public sector will surely help the organizational
management to gain better insight and further incorporation will put them on way of efficiency.
 3. Research Question

It is very important to formulate the research questions for giving more focus approach to the
study. The determination of the Research questions helps to gain clarity and objectivity in term
of defining the dimension for sake of conducting the research. It helps to remain more productive
during the conduct of research. The Research known as Comparative analysis of factors leading
to job satisfaction among private and public sectors in Saudi Arabia (case study: Najran
university as public sector and Najran cement as private sector) has the following Research
questions.

1. What are main factors related to the Job satisfaction?

2. What are the similar factors leading to job satisfaction among employees of private and
public sector?
3. What is the difference in term of the factors among the private and public sectors for
creating job satisfaction between the employees?
4. Why factors of job satisfaction differ among private and public sector?
5. What changes are required to incorporate for sake of gain more efficiency within the
private and public sector in regard of providing job satisfaction to the employees?

4. Research Methods

This section of proposal will give brief insight about the research methods intended to use by
researcher for sake of accomplishing the research.

Research Scope

The investigation in term of exploring the factors leading to job satisfaction among private and
public sector employees in Saudi Arabia has lots of scope because this aspect has not been much
discussed there. The analysis of factors providing job satisfaction by examining the employees
of private sector and public sector in a separate manner will help in developing the understanding
how job satisfaction is viewed in that specific region. The findings can be generalize and
improvement can be seek at broad level by gaining insight about the factors leading to job
satisfaction among employees of private and public sector. Moreover any sector doing better can
be replicated in term of providing means of job satisfaction in light of the findings of the
research. It will surely be an aid for sake of improving and enhancing the organizational behavior
of organizations working in Saudi Arabia. The culture of this region is different from the west
and extensive work has been done in west to explore different dimensions of Job satisfaction so
it will also help to understand the variation in the factors leading to Job satisfaction because of
cultural differences.

Research Process

Saunders et al (2007) have well highlighted the significance of research process. The main
purpose of following the research through a process is to gain objectivity. Positivism and
Phenomenology are the two known research processes for conducting research. The research
carried in an analytical manner is known as positivism and it is descriptive in nature (Craswell,
2009). On contrary to this the nature of phenomenological research is interpretive. It is been very
important part of social and business research (Saunders et al 2003).

In current study, the research will be conducted through the philosophy known as positivism. The
data will be collected for analyzing the factors leading to the job satisfaction among the
employees in private and public sector. The questionnaire will aim of investigating the factors
leading to job satisfaction will be separately given to the private and public sector employees in
Saudi Arabia. The literature review will help to draw the independent variables such as discussed
above salary and etc. and further through adopting the process of positivism their relationship
with dependent variable job satisfaction will be explored.

Research Approaches

The two known research approaches are deductive and inductive (Saunders et al, 2009). Moving
from explicit to general findings is a mechanism followed under the research approach known as
inductive (Trochim, 1999). In contrast to that, deductive approach tend to move from general to
specific findings. Hypothesis formulation is tested via different statistical tools.

The topic for the current research Comparative analysis of factors leading to job satisfaction
among private and public sectors in Saudi Arabia (case study: Najran university as public sector
and Najran cement as private sector) is self-explanatory in term of justifying the adoption of
deductive research approach. The research objective is to find the factors leading to job
satisfaction. Therefore it requires building the hypothesis and then its statistical significance will
be presented through using statistical tools for sake of meeting the standards of reliability.
 Research Strategies

Following variation is available in term of choosing research strategies.

1. Case study is comprised of research strategy that analyze one case of any particular
organization and different organizations are evaluated for one case.
2. Survey is comprised of research strategy that may analyze one event in similar or
different industry.
3. Experimental Research deal with the subjects pertaining to the field of medicine or
psychology (Bryman, 2004).
4. Ethnography research strategy is followed for the field of anthropology.
5. Action strategy are deployed to determine cause and effect relationship.
6. Grounded Strategy formulates research by conducting hypothesis testing (Sekaran and
Bougie, 2009).

Case study approach will be adopted for sake of formulating this research. Job satisfaction will
be analyzed with context to the factors contributing for enhancing job satisfaction at work place.
It will be a comparative analysis between the employees of private and public sector employees.

Methods of Data Collection

The two key ways of collecting data are primary and secondary. The primary data deals with the
collection of raw data. The means deployed for collecting this raw data could be interview,
observation, and documentary, open and close ended questionnaires. This method requires
extensive time and considered to be costly method (Sekaran and Bougie, 2009). Data collected
through the existing means such as books, journals, articles, and etc. is known as secondary data.
It does not have to meet constrains in form of time and money both (Sekaran and Bougie, 2009).

This research study will rely on both sources i.e. primary and secondary for sake of collecting
data. The sources of secondary data such as articles, journals, books and websites will be used to
draw literature review highlighting the different dimensions of job satisfaction. In addition to that
questionnaire and interviews will be used to generate primary data. This data will be analyzed to
find answers for the research questions and mainly it will evaluate the factors leading job to
satisfaction among employees of private and public sector in Saudi Arabia.

Research Instrument
Research instruments are required to collect primary data. Primary data can be collected through
means of interviews, questionnaires or document analysis. In regard to explore the factors
leading to job satisfaction between the employees in private and public sector in Saudi Arabia,
both interviews and questionnaires will be incorporated in the research. Interviews will be taken
from the management to inquire about the efforts organization putting for providing job
satisfaction. Random employees from the selected units of analysis such as Najran University
and Najran Cement will be given a standardized questionnaire to explore the similarities and
difference of the factors leading to job satisfaction among private and public sector in Saudi
Arabia.

Population and Sample

Najran University is a public research university situated in Najran, Saudi Arabia. This unit of
analysis will be representing style of administration prevalent in country with regard to public
sector. Sample of 150 employees will be taken from this respective university presenting the
public sector. Najran Cement is private company involved in production and marketing of
ordinary Portland cement and sulfate resistant cement. This will representing the style of
administration prevalent in the country with regards to private sector. 150 employees will also be
from the respective company. The both unit of analysis are situated in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

5. Reflections

The research Comparative analysis of factors leading to job satisfaction among private and
public sectors in Saudi Arabia (case study: Najran university as public sector and Najran cement
as private sector)may encounter limitations in form of time constrain and in addition to the
research instrument (questionnaire) will be used to evaluate what factors employees among
private and public sector consider important for job satisfaction. This is a matter of self-report
rather than directly observing it so it may encounter issues related to honesty from the
respondents.

The beauty of research is hidden in observing the ethics. The ethics are very integral to follow,
while conducting the research for sake of enhancing the validity and reliability of the research. In
this regard researcher will religiously observe the mandatory principles related to ethics such as
unbiased behavior, privacy and fair collection and interpretation of data. The collection,
presentation and data analysis should be free of all the biased behavior. In this regard researcher
ethical conduct is very important for maintaining the reliability and validity of his own research.
Hence keeping this consideration in mind the researcher has strong consent for conducting the
research through maintaining all the required ethics.

The research proposal made has given further clarity to the researcher and in addition to this it
has enabled the researcher to understand the scope of the research and analysis of potential
problems through defining the limitations has given the strength to deal with them with factor or
preparedness.

7. Conclusions

The above discussions have been made to prepare the synopsis for the respective topic i.e.
Comparative analysis of factors leading to job satisfaction among private and public sectors in
Saudi Arabia (case study: Najran university as public sector and Najran cement as private
sector). The Researcher now looks forward to the acceptance of this proposal along with the brief
explaining the changes required to make it more remarkable and impressive.
 References

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