University of Plymouth
Bachelor of Science (Hons)
Business Management
STO305HKA-Project (Management ReportQualitative Methods)
Report
Factors affecting job satisfaction of
employee in ABC Airlines
Warning: Please not to copy.
Study mode: Part-time
UoP Student Number: 10705926
HKU SPACE Student Number: 20097451
Date of submission: 07/30/2021
(Word Count: 5488)
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Acknowledgement
Many people have encouraged and provided support in completing this research
report. I am grateful to express my heartfelt thanks by mentioning their names.
Thanks to Dr. Jonathan Lean and Dr. Johnathan Moizer from Plymouth University for
the invaluable support for their encouragement, teaching and guidance and the
interview respondents from ABC Airlines for providing me necessary information for
this project.
Especially thanks to Dr. Adonis Cheung from HKU SPACE for his time and patience
to scrutinize this project. He has contributed immensely in shaping this study through
his suggestions, advices and directions with great engagement. During this project, I
acquire many valuable skills and I hope that in the years to come, those skills will be
put to good use.
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Executive Summary
Purpose of the Study
This report explores the factors affecting employee job satisfaction further to provide
insights to enhance their job satisfaction in ABC Airlines.
Research Method
Qualitative research was undertaken and purposive sampling was used for data
analysis. Six were conducted against ABC Airlines flight
attendants with different positions to provide more insights on employee job
satisfaction. Thematic analysis was conducted to have a clear understanding on how
to enhance employee job satisfaction.
Main Findings
Five main themes have been identified from this study; These themes are (1)
perceptions on job satisfaction, (2) leadership style of management, (3) opportunity,
achievement and recognition, (4) organizational culture and (5) recommendations for
enhancing job satisfaction. The key findings revealed that transformational
leadership is preferable within the organization. All participants feel satisfied with the
organizational culture, which provides a less-hierarchical and harmonic working
atmosphere. Further, they feel satisfied and motivated by recognitions, selfdevelopment and opportunities for personal growth. Lastly, all participants suggest
some strategies to improve technical support and company policies to the company.
Conclusion and Recommendations
In conclusion, this study sheds light on how to enhance employee job satisfaction.
Some recommendations are suggested to enhance job satisfaction. Firstly,
management style to advocate transformational leadership, improve work motivation
and sustain open communication culture are proposed. Secondly, technical support
such as optimizing roster issues, and monitoring
flight report and E-library systems are focused on. Lastly, company policies such as
adjusting promotion mechanism, increasing crew forums and being more transparent
for crew surplus issues are advocated.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction ……………………………………………………………… 7
1.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………..7
1.2 Research Problem ………………………………………………………………………………………..7
1.3 Research Aim and Objectives ……………………………………………………………………..7
1.4 Significance of the Project …………………………………………………………………………..8
Chapter 2 Literature Review………………………………………………………. 9
2.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………..9
2.2 Theoretical Background……………………………………………………………………………….9
2.2.1 Job Satisfaction…………………………………………………………………………………………….9
2.2.2 Leadership…………………………………………………………………………………………………..10
2.2.3 Motivation ……………………………………………………………………………………………………11
2.2.4 Organizational Culture………………………………………………………………………………..12
2.3 Conceptual Framework ………………………………………………………………………………12
2.4 Research Questions……………………………………………………………………………………13
Chapter 3 Research Methodology ……………………………………………..14
3.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………14
3.2 Research Design…………………………………………………………………………………………14
3.3 Target Population and Sampling Criteria………………………………………………….14
3.4 Sampling Method………………………………………………………………………………………..14
3.5 Data Collection Method………………………………………………………………………………15
3.6 Pilot Test ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..15
3.7 Data Analysis ………………………………………………………………………………………………15
3.8 Reliability and Validity………………………………………………………………………………..15
3.9 Ethical Consideration …………………………………………………………………………………16
Chapter 4 Findings and Discussions …………………………………………17
4.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………17
4.2 Characteristics of Interviewees …………………………………………………………………17
4.3 Themes Identification …………………………………………………………………………………17
4.4 Key Findings and Discussions ………………………………………………………………….18
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4.4.1 Perceptions on Job Satisfaction………………………………………………………………..19
4.4.2 Leadership Style of Management………………………………………………………………20
4.4.3 Opportunity, Achievement and Recognition ……………………………………………21
4.4.4 Organizational Culture………………………………………………………………………………..22
4.4.5 Recommendation for Increasing Job Satisfaction …………………………………..24
4.5 Conceptual Framework ………………………………………………………………………………25
4.6 Chapter Summary……………………………………………………………………………………….26
Chapter 5 Conclusions and Recommendations………………………….27
5.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………..27
5.2 Conclusions ……………………………………………………………………………………………….27
5.2.1 Which leadership style will enhance employee job satisfaction?………….27
5.2.2 How to motivate the employee with a high job satisfaction?…………………27
5.2.3 How does the organizational culture relate to employee job satisfaction?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..28
5.2.4 What are the strategies to increase employee job satisfaction? …………..28
5.3 Recommendations for Practices ………………………………………………………………28
5.3.1 Management Style………………………………………………………………………………………29
5.3.2 Technical Support ……………………………………………………………………………………..29
5.3.3 Company Policies ………………………………………………………………………………………30
5.4 Research Limitations…………………………………………………………………………………31
5.5 Contribution to the Research ……………………………………………………………………31
5.6 Recommendations for the Future Study ………………………………………………….32
References ………………………………………………………………………………33
Appendix I – Interview Guide………………………………………………………………………………44
Appendix II – Transcripts……………………………………………………………………………………..46
Appendix III – Data Analysis …………………………………………………………………………………81
Appendix IV – Ethical Declaration………………………………………………………………………111
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Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Introduction
ABC Airlines was founded in Hong Kong in 2006. It has a fleet size of 32 aircraft and
serves over 25 destinations across Asia Pacific (ABC Airlines, 2021).
The impact of COVID-19 has resulted in an existential threat to global airlines (Gole,
Dobrea and Gombos, 2021). The indefinite timeline for travel restrictions has
created uncertainties to airline staff (Sobieralski, 2020). The revenue was mostly
come from cargo flights (IATA Economics, 2021). Air travel scales down due to flight
cancellations, so that it puts more aviation jobs at risk (IATA, 2021). Thus, ABC
Airlines made redundant more than 400 flight attendants in 2020 (Han, 2020; Lee,
2020). Facing different negative consequences in high competitive environment,
employees may have feelings of job insecurity due to downsizing and restructuring
operations to reduce wages potentially undertaken by organization (Meyer, Morin
and Wasti, 2018; Baum et al., 2020). Employees stressful status of job insecurity
can affect job satisfaction and performance negatively (Zheng et al., 2014; Vo-Thanh
et al., 2020). Hence, it is significant to enhance employee job satisfaction which
serves as morale booster.
1.2 Research Problem
After the redundancy of flight attendants, the impact of job insecurity affects their
performance and commitment negatively. Insecurity perceptions influence
employees to put minimal effort and distract attention towards work (Piccoli, Reisel
and De Whitte, 2019). Recently, some negative consequences including
substandard in-flight performance and disciplinary lapses are encountered. Thus,
this study is crucial to develop strategies to boost up the morale by addressing the
factors affecting employee job satisfaction.
1.3 Research Aim and Objectives
The aim of this research is to identify the factors affecting job satisfaction of
employees further to provide insights to enhance their job satisfaction.
1. To explore how employees perceiving job satisfaction.
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2. To identify the major factors which affecting the job satisfaction.
3. To make recommendations to the company to develop strategies to enhance job
satisfaction of employees.
1.4 Significance of the Project
This study seeks to address the relationships amongst different related variables and
identify the consequences of employee job satisfaction. Findings will attribute the
management to understand the needs and expectations of employees and develop
effective strategies to enhance employee job satisfaction. Findings will also benefit
the researcher to explore an emerging area of employee job satisfaction that many
researchers are not able to.
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Chapter 2 Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
A literature review on job satisfaction shows that the theoretical background of flight
attendants. The concepts of employee satisfaction, leadership, motivation and
organizational culture will address the relationships amongst different related
variables. Furthermore, this study will examine how the independent variables such
as leadership, motivation and organizational culture affecting flight attendant job
satisfaction.
2.2 Theoretical Background
2.2.1 Job Satisfaction
Job satisfaction is an individual who satisfies with different aspects of job
characteristics and employment conditions (OECD, 2017). Locke (1976, p.1304)
defines job satisfaction as a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from
the appraisal of ones job or job experiences, which is still thriving in different
researches nowadays. Despite Liu, Aungsuroch and Yunibhand (2016) suggest that
key attributes of job satisfaction are on how employee perceiving job value,
happiness and gratitude for work conditions. However, Chiang and Wu (2014) argue
that frontline staff cannot receive promptly responses and immediate support from
organization compared with office staff. Arguably, Schiffinger and Braun (2020)
critique that the routine life is tough which involves working in a rush pace and night
shifts at irregular time even without emergency. In response, Chen (2006) indicates
that flight attendants work in an unstable environment with high work stress.
By reinforcing job satisfaction, Bitner (1990) underscores that employees good
performance would lead to customer satisfaction and gain better company
reputation. In contrast, Baron (1986) and Maghradi (1999) argue that the
consequences of job dissatisfaction would affect the efficiency, staff relationship,
absenteeism and turnover. Thus, job satisfaction is important to improve productivity,
retain staff, generate staff loyalty and gain revenue for individuals and organisations
(Wong and Chan, 2020). Barling, Kelloway and Iverson (2003) and Jackson, Alberti
and Snipes (2014) argue that job satisfaction associates with positive outcomes
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including effective performance, affective commitment, professional fulfilment and
general life satisfaction. Despite Kim and Back (2012) critique that the positive effect
for organizational commitment is confirmed, indirect negative effect such as
emotional dissonance via burnout of job satisfaction is also significant.
2.2.2 Leadership
Leadership is a fascinating and inexhaustible truism for a practice, research subject
or even overinflated concept (Marque, 2018). The definition of leadership is mostly
agreed to be a process for an individual to influence other people for attaining the
common goal (Vroom and Jago, 2007 cited in Kort, 2008). While Lok and Crawford
(2003) state that leadership affects employees job satisfaction and commitment,
Appelbaum et al. (2008) and Tourish (2013) critique that leadership determines the
success or failure of an organisation in turbulent environment.
Among the historical leadership theories, there is no specific leadership style can fit
the entire situation (Mosadeghrad, 2003). Notably, Zaccaro (2007) argues that
leaders should apply different leadership styles to different situations. However, Bass
(1985) conceptualizes the ideas of transactional and transformational leadership to
cover a wide range of leadership styles. Transactional leadership suggests that
leaders use conventional rewards-punishments to gain compliance from followers,
which is derived from a mutual benefit (Burns, 1978 cited in Adams et al., 2016). In
contrast, Bass and Avolio (1994) suggest that transformational leadership bases on
four dimensions (4Is); idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, inspirational
motivation and individualized consideration, which is viewed as a process of both
influencing individual in the micro-level and implementing organizational change in
the macro-level (Burns, 1978 cited in Yukl, 1989).
Arguably, Mathur et al. (2010) and Yukl (2013) mentioned that transformational
leadership is effective to enrich service quality. Transformational leaders motivate to
work better to promote premium service quality (Huo et al., 2019). Additionally,
transformational leadership includes the relations-oriented behaviours that improve
the human-relations determinant not only can promote a higher job satisfaction and
lower turnover (Yukl, 2008), but also inspire followers to concern their self-
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actualisation and perform the best for organisations (Taylor, Cornelius and Colvin,
2014).
However, transformational leadership is not flawless. Tourish and Vatcha (2005)
argue that destructive leadership would impact job performance, increase turnover
intention and eventually make the organisation going downward. Additionally, Frost
(2004) and Ferris et al. (2007) indicate that destructive behaviours create the job
tension and emotional exhaustion which drain vitality from individuals and
organisation. Thus, negative impact on organisation and outcomes are often being
overlooked and cause the organisational dysfunction and poor performance.
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