Gender differences and its impact on employee job satisfaction: a case study of fidelity bank plc, nigeria

Thesis Overview

<p> </p><p>INTRODUCTION</p><p>1.0 OVERVIEW</p><p>Human resource management varies across different countries on the basis of cultural,</p><p>political, economic and social settings, and these results in diverse firms of practice. The</p><p>disparity in human resource management modes of operations in organizations ensure</p><p>that initiatives produced by their management teams are geared towards developing and</p><p>retaining employees because they have been recognized as the most vital and competitive</p><p>factor in the business environment of today. As such, the topic “Job satisfaction” has</p><p>attracted a huge attention as well as argument in recent times. While most of its attributes</p><p>have been studied, analyzed and validated mostly in developed countries, much less is</p><p>understood about job satisfaction in developing economies such as Nigeria.</p><p>Right from the beginning of history, women have always been seen as subordinates to</p><p>men. Due to this reason, men and women differ in personalities and also tend to differ in</p><p>various areas in n organizations such as in their job mentation and the way they are</p><p>treated. These areas such as the issues of pay, supervision, working conditions and many</p><p>more are being considered in this research. However, not everyone wants the same act of</p><p>a work situation.</p><p>Studies previously carried out in some western economies offer basic understanding in</p><p>the topic area – Job Satisfaction and Gender Difference. Despite huge amount of</p><p>literature on job satisfaction, the relationship between job satisfaction and gender has not</p><p>fully been understood. Questions are still asked; questions such as:</p><p>– Does gender indeed affect job satisfaction? How and why?</p><p>– Is there really a gender gap in job satisfaction?</p><p>– Are men indeed more satisfied than women in organizations?</p><p>These are, but a few of the questions which could be asked relating to gender issues and</p><p>job satisfaction. However, it can be assumed that different variables could be responsible</p><p>for the level of job satisfaction among employees of which the presence of these variables</p><p>would lead to a degree of satisfaction. This satisfaction also tends to cause an</p><p>improvement in organizations’ efficiency.</p><p>Job satisfaction of both genders need to be understood in organizations. In addition, it is</p><p>of importance to investigate the approaches to be adopted in order to lessen these</p><p>differences. Hence, aside this dissertation being a modest attempt to fill this gap by</p><p>examining gender difference, on job satisfactions of employees in Fidelity Bank Plc,</p><p>Nigeria, it will contribute to literature by examining various reasons for gender</p><p>differences.</p><p>This study followed up the research topic submitted and approved on March 23, 2010.</p><p>This chapter will be outline as follows: the background of the study, its aims and</p><p>objectives, statement of research problem, study rationale, definition of key terms,</p><p>methodology, and scope of study, limitations, and finally, the dissertation structure</p><p>1.1 STUDY BACKGROUND</p><p>The background of the study which IS Nigeria can be traced to Western capitalism and it</p><p>has been said to be one of Africa’s most populous and popular country and its leading oil</p><p>producer.</p><p>In past times, the economy of Nigeria was dependent and still dependent on the capital</p><p>intensive oil industries which contribute a lot to the government revenue. However, there</p><p>has been an upsurge of various industries such as telecommunications, manufacturing,</p><p>freight, export and import industries, the banking industry and a lot more. In every</p><p>country’s economic development, the bank plays a very important role.</p><p>Since the Nigerian economy is dependent on the increase or decrease in earnings from the</p><p>oil industries, the bank tends to have high uncertainty avoidance, HOF Stede (1980),</p><p>meaning they are unable to predict and make long terms plans. In addition, the economic</p><p>and political circumstances in Nigeria where these banks operate have been unsteady</p><p>over the years. Pre-consolidation era of Nigeria banks was a period the Nigeria banking</p><p>industry experienced stagnancy in regards to profitability and well-grounded capital base</p><p>and reserve with the central bank. Banks then struggled with unethical practices,</p><p>incoherence in actions and absence of good team work..</p><p>However, this is not to say that the industry does not have its challenges at present,</p><p>though rapid improvement has been visible in every aspect most especially the stability</p><p>of the sector due to changes in structure and liquidity/capital base.</p><p>The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as the Apex Bank regulates the practices and</p><p>operations of the consolidated banks of which Fidelity Bank Plc is included. This body</p><p>has also ensured remarkable changes in recent times in terms of ownership structure,</p><p>extensive branch networking, depth, and breadth of operations and adoption of high</p><p>information technology which are all driven by globalization. Today, the Nigerian</p><p>banking system has worked and still working to be attaining global financial banking</p><p>standards.</p><p>Nigeria organizations generally tend to show more concern for productivity, with a</p><p>structure characterized by top-down communication and minimal employee involvement.</p><p>There is also great emphasis an extrinsic reward to attract and retain employee. Due to</p><p>the polychromic culture. Nigeria portrays, however, the issue of rewards, pay and</p><p>promotion are earned through having the right connections with top management rather</p><p>than hard work. While productivity in organizations is of high importance, employee</p><p>satisfaction in the work place also needs attention as employee satisfaction enhances</p><p>organizational profitability. As stated by one of the directors in Lloyds Tsd Bank,</p><p>Crookall (2007), ‘material reward and remuneration are just basic factors for employees</p><p>to derive satisfaction because the working environment needs to be supportive of an</p><p>employee’s development’.</p><p>In the Nigerian culture, gender issues acts as one determinant factor on how employees</p><p>are rated most times, either expressed or implied. Women are generally seen and easily</p><p>accepted as homemakers, rather than as independent when it comes to economic, social,</p><p>or political setting.</p><p>However, in recent times, there has been tremendous change as women folk are now in</p><p>professions/vocations initially managed by men. A notable change in the banking</p><p>industry is the increase in female employees, unlike in the past, when it was mainly</p><p>dominated by men. Imoukhuede (2001), in a study carried out, concluded that Nigeria</p><p>women in management positions of both the financial and banking sectors were a mere</p><p>twelve percent of the working population.</p><p>Several authors also noted gender differences in the assignment of roles to employees.</p><p>Statistics have shown, in Nigeria, that as at 2007 at the inception of late President Uman</p><p>Musa Yardua of Nigeria, only eleven percent of women were appointed and given key</p><p>roles in the public office(s), (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://allafrica.com/strrries">http://allafrica.com/strrries</a> /20080408 229.html?page = 2)</p><p>But in recent times, Nigeria women have made a visible development in breaking the</p><p>glass ceiling by getting into top management positions and displaying qualities, which</p><p>were otherwise thought to be peculiar to the men folk. This has caused the gradual</p><p>disappearance of the assumption that certain roles are meant only for men. The</p><p>contribution of women in the economy of Nigeria can no longer be ignored.</p><p>The Nigerian culture and value system have had a great effect on the work environment</p><p>whereas population of women in the work sector had been less. The issue of gender</p><p>inequality has been on the increase especially with respect to pay package and working</p><p>conditions. Employees’ job satisfaction could be determined by these factors and on how</p><p>employees perceive their jobs compared with their expectations.</p><p>It would be of importance to clarify whether, or not, gender differences exist in the</p><p>banking sector and also justify if job satisfaction for men is comparable to that of women</p><p>and vice- versa. The aims and objectives of this study are stated below.</p><p>1.1.1 Definition of Terms</p><p>The study made use of a number of terms. Definition is below:</p><p>Gender: According to online dictionary of social sciences, gender refers to the cultural</p><p>definition of various roles and behaviour attributed to men and women.</p><p>Gender inequality: This is the difference or variation between men and women in terms</p><p>of allocating resources, status, power and position</p><p>Discrimination: According to the Wbster’s dictionary (2008), discrimination means an</p><p>unfair treatment of a person or a group based in the basis of prejudice. In terms of gender,</p><p>it means treating a man more favorably than a woman or vice versa.</p><p>Overall job satisfaction: Specter (1997) defines job satisfaction as “the degree to which</p><p>people like their jobs and the different aspects of their jobs”. Overall job satisfaction is</p><p>the general fulfillment an employee derives from a job. This term, however, will be</p><p>defined further in the literature review.</p><p>Job Dissatisfaction: Gruneberg (1981) suggested it is the matching of an individual’s</p><p>expectation to what a job offers that determines job satisfaction. Where these</p><p>expectations are not satisfied, there will be a job dissatisfaction.</p><p>Motivation: this is what instigates a person to behave a certain way. Armstrange (2006)</p><p>describes it as a goal directed behavior which is likely to lead to the attainment of a goal</p><p>and a valued reward.</p><p>Culture: Is a concept used to describe a rationale for a people’s behaviour. According to</p><p>Hofstede (1991), it can be defined as the collective programming of the mind which</p><p>distinguishes the members of one organization from another.</p><p>Communication: This is the exchange of information between two or more employees or</p><p>groups of employees in an organization.</p><p>Personal variable: this is simply an attribute on which cases vary. Bryman (2001) is of the</p><p>opinion that these ‘cases’ could be individuals, organizations and nation</p><p>1.2 AIMS</p><p>For the purpose of this research, there are two primary aims:</p><p>i. To identify factors that affect employee job satisfaction;</p><p>ii. To investigate the impact of gender differences on job satisfaction</p><p>1.3 OBJECTIVES</p><p>The objectives of the study which would assist in attaining the aims include:</p><p>i. To evaluate whether or not male employees are more satisfied than their</p><p>female counterparts (and vice versa) compared in similar roles.</p><p>ii. To research theories, models and concepts concerning roles in the work place.</p><p>iii. To identify factors that lead to job satisfaction among bank staff.</p><p>iv. To offer recommendations with a view to enhancing employee job</p><p>satisfaction.</p><p>1.4 STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM</p><p>Extensive literature on gender an job satisfaction exists and often times, it is related to</p><p>characteristics such as pay and reward, promotion, supervision, education and</p><p>relationship with co-workers. Okpara (2005) reported that female bankers were less</p><p>satisfied with their jobs than their male counterparts in terms of pay and reward whereas</p><p>AI – Ajimi (2006) suggested that employee gender has no effect on job satisfaction.</p><p>Furthermore, other researchers have established different views on this topic therefore,</p><p>no general conclusions have been made as to whether gender has an impact on job</p><p>satisfaction.</p><p>In developing countries such as Nigeria, management in organizations hardly understands</p><p>the attitude of employees to their job functions. The problem here is to assess the</p><p>influence of gender on overall job satisfaction of employees in Fidelity Bank Plc, not</p><p>based on only a particular variable but on every aspect as a whole.</p><p>1.5 STUDY RATIONALE</p><p>The reason for undertaking this research is due to the fact that it would be of great</p><p>importance to understand the aspects that are involved in job satisfaction as literature has</p><p>confirmed that an increase in job satisfaction lead to increase in organization’s</p><p>productivity. This research is a modest attempt to find out if gender difference exists in</p><p>Fidelity Bank Plc, and if it does, the study intends to investigate the impact of these</p><p>differences on employee job satisfaction as well as factors which determine job satisfaction</p><p>of Fidelity Bank Plc employees. Thus, based on the findings of this study, possible</p><p>strategies and recommendations will be proffered and provided to the management of</p><p>Fidelity Bank Plc for improvement on job satisfaction of their employees.</p><p>Furthermore, which has been learnt and knowledge acquired on the course of undertaking</p><p>the MBA, Management Programe of the University of Nigeria over the past months.</p><p>Therefore, a personal rationale for undertaking this research is to apply the theory gained</p><p>into practice.</p><p>1.6 METHODOLOGY</p><p>The research will be carried out using a combination of primary and secondary data. The</p><p>primary sources will include the use of questionnaires and interview. The secondary</p><p>sources will include literature surveys, existing articles, journal, and related test books.</p><p>The interview will involve personal communication with a number of managers.</p><p>Telephone interviews will be carried out initially with line managers informing them</p><p>about the proposed research, thereafter, a cover letter will be sent at electronically.</p><p>The methodology and statistical methods used, to analyze collected data will be discussed</p><p>in depth in chapter three</p><p>1.7 SCOPE OF STUDY</p><p>The study will focus on one branch of Fidelity Bank Plc with Anambra State. The bank</p><p>was incorporated as a private Limited Liability Company in 1987, and commenced</p><p>operations as a merchant Bank between 1988 – 1989.</p><p>Between 1999 – 2001, it was registered as a Public Limited Liability, converted to</p><p>Commercial Bank and licensed as universal bank. In 2005, it was listed and quoted on the</p><p>Nigerian Stock Exchange and in 2006; it raised equity through rights, Initial Public Offer</p><p>(IPO) and private placements and consolidated with former FSB Int’l and many Bank Plc</p><p>to form the enlarged Fidelity Bank Plc. In 2007, it fully integrated as one bank running on</p><p>one banking platform. Presently, it is among one of the fastest growing new generation</p><p>banks in Nigeria with 167 branch networks.</p><p>A number of sixty employees will be handed questionnaires and interviews will be</p><p>conducted with a number of managers. This sample sizes has been chosen as it seemed</p><p>appropriate considering the time frame within which the research has to be completed.</p><p>This should produce suitable results that will lead to data analysis which will be seen in</p><p>chapter four of this dissertation.</p><p>1.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUIDY</p><p>This study will contribute to the growing of literature; nevertheless, it will not be without</p><p>its limitations. The encountered limitations, however, will be discussed in the</p><p>methodology chapter of this study.</p><p>1.9 CONCLUSION</p><p>In conclusion, this chapter draws attention to the fact that the issue of job satisfaction is</p><p>of great importance in organizations if they are to meet their vision and mission</p><p>statements. In addition, to highlights the fact that gender inequality exists. Although a</p><p>conclusion has not been made as to the issue of greater job satisfaction for men than</p><p>women and vice versa, this chapter provides an understanding that this study is a modest</p><p>attempt to fill the gap. The issue of gender inequality has no general solution; this</p><p>chapter however, suggests the importance for organizational managements to constantly</p><p>look for ways to reduce the high rate of gender gaps.</p><p>This chapter explained the background of the Nigerian banking industry as well as the</p><p>organizational structure. Furthermore, it enlightened the reality that job satisfaction of</p><p>employees could be influenced by some factors of which both the national and</p><p>organization culture are involved. It lays emphasis on the importance of job satisfaction</p><p>of employees as it could have a positive effect on the organization’s productivity.</p><p>1.9.1 Dissertation structure</p><p>This study is structured into five chapters which are summarized below:</p><p>Chapter one: Current chapter, the introduction</p><p>Chapter two: This chapter undertakes a critical review of related literature of gender and</p><p>job satisfaction of employees. It covers relevant related theories and issues that are of</p><p>importance in understanding this topic area.</p><p>Chapter three: This chapter is the methodology and covers the approach used in</p><p>collecting both primary and secondary data stating their advantages and disadvantages. In</p><p>addition, it covers methods chosen for analysis of data and limitations during the course</p><p>of collecting data.</p><p>Chapter four: This chapter covers the statistical analysis and findings of data gathered</p><p>from questionnaires and interviews. This will develop the relationship of gender and job</p><p>satisfaction and its implication to the mentioned research questions.</p><p>Chapter five: This chapter summarizes the study and implications of the study based on</p><p>the data analysis. It also consists of the author’s recommendations and opportunities for</p><p>further research.</p> <br><p></p>