through the eyes of outsourced workers
TRANSCRIPT
THROUGH THE EYES OF OUTSOURCED WORKERS:
A STUDY ON THE CORRELATION BETWEEN IMMERSION INTO THE CORPORATE
CULTURE OF COMPANY X AND JOB SATISFACTION
An Undergraduate Thesis Proposal
Presented to the Faculty of the
Department of Arts and Communication
College of Arts and Sciences
University of the Philippines Manila
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree of
Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication
MARWELL LEIGH B. EBLACAS
2012-24401
MAY 2016
E B L A C A S | ii
Approval Sheet
This undergraduate thesis, entitled Through the Eyes of Outsourced Workers: A Study on
the Correlation Between Immersion into the Corporate Culture of Company X and Job
Satisfaction, presented by Marwell Leigh B. Eblacas in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for Organizational Communication 200, is accepted:
________________________________
Prof. Chadwick Co Sy Su Adviser
_________________________________ _________________________________
Alice B. Adeva, M.A. Leonardo R. Estacio Jr., Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Arts and Communication Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
E B L A C A S | iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There is a verse found in the book of Philippians that says, “I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me.” It was because of this that I was able to get through
the four most challenging years of my life. Being in UP was more than a privilege. It opened
my eyes and showed me the real world. It was here where I lost and found myself, where I
grew and became better, where I learned to be strong despite the obstacles that are the four
years of blood, sweat, and sleepless nights. I wouldn’t be able to make it without the people
mentioned in this section. To all of you who were God’s instruments of my growth, I owe you
my love and lifetime of gratitude.
To Mama Marie, Tita Babi, Mama Joyce, and Mama Paz, who have instilled in me
the values of hard work, humility, and education, I would not have made it this far without
their love and support. I thank them for being both my toughest critics and loving mentors at
the same time. I am forever grateful for them serving as my source of strength amidst all the
trials of life.
To Tito Jong, Iani, and Ian, for the unwavering support and prayers in all my
academic endeavors. Their love and words of encouragements will always be treasured for
these have served me well in my toughest times here in the academe.
To my brother, Mark, may he learn from the life experiences I have shared and may
he use these as his guide to conquer life. I hope that I inspire him as much as he inspires
me.
Professor Chadwick Sy Su, my thesis adviser, for his time and effort in the
accomplishment of my study. His invaluable knowledge and passion for research and
statistics have taught me that one can never learn enough. My college life would not be as
E B L A C A S | iv
meaningful as it was if it were not for his dedication as an esteemed educator in this
university.
To the employees of Company X, for their willingness to lend me their valuable
time and insights that made the accomplishment of my study possible.
To IRDK, my college friends, I would not been able to survive the harshness of UP
without all of them. I am eternally grateful for their support and words of encouragement.
To the Lord Almighty, who I owe my wisdom, patience, and knowledge. I thank Him
for continuously and abundantly showering me with His love and protection. I may not know
what is in store for me yet but through Him, I can do all things!
E B L A C A S | v
Eblacas, M. (2015). Through the Eyes of Outsourced Workers: A Study on the Correlation
Between Immersion into the Corporate Culture of Company X and Job Satisfaction.
Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis. University of the Philippines Manila.
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to provide quantitative proofs with support from the conducted
interviews of the nature and significance of the relationship between immersion into the
corporate culture of companies and job satisfaction when taken from the perspective of
Company X’s outsourced workers. Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory and Schein’s
Model of Organizational Culture stand as the foundations of this study. Herzberg’s Two-
Factor Theory is proposed to be relating to factors that directly affect outsourced workers.
These factors, in turn, are generally believed to have an effect on the overall satisfaction in
jobs of an outsourced employee. Schein’s Model, on the other hand, is used to explain how
culture is affected by behavior through the process of immersion.
Moreover, the undertaken research intended to discuss and analyze how putative
variables related to immersion such as such as Level of Immersion, Reasons for Immersion,
and Perceived Importance of Immersion affect job satisfaction in the workplace. Methods
included a survey questionnaire administered to 35 purposively selected call center agents
from Company X’s pool of outsourced employees. Findings from this tool were analyzed
through the use of statistical tests, such as Pearson’s R, Measures of Central Tendency,
and Frequencies. Personal interviews were also conducted with four key informants in order
to substantiate the quantitative findings.
Conclusions of the study show that there is a moderately high correlation between
immersion and job satisfaction. These statistical correlations were verified and elucidated by
the findings from the conducted interviews.
Keywords: job satisfaction, corporate culture, motivation, outsourcing, outsourced employee
E B L A C A S | vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page i Approval Sheet ii Acknowledgments iii Abstract v Table of Contents vi List of Tables viii List of Figures ix
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study 1 Significance of the Study 6 Delimitation of the Study 8 Statement of the Problem and Objectives 9
II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Outsourcing 11 Corporate/ Organizational Culture 28 Immersion 30 Job Satisfaction 31 Related Studies and Gaps in Current Literature 33
III. STUDY FRAMEWORK Theoretical Framework 38 Conceptual Framework 45 Operational Definitions 47 Assumptions and Hypotheses 49
IV. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Research Design and Methods 50 Variables, Measures and Indicators 51 Sampling Frame and Procedure 54 Research Instrument 55 Data Collection and Analysis Procedure 56 Limitations 57
V. DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION Putting It All In Context 58 Descriptive Statistics of Respondent Scores 63 Immersion as a Coping Mechanism 65 Immersion as a Motivation to Adapting in Organizations 74 Extent of Influence and Impact of Immersion to Job Satisfaction 80 Metrics for Job Satisfaction 84 Relationship between Level of Immersion and Overall Job Satisfaction 97
E B L A C A S | vii
VI. SUMMARY, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary and Conclusion for Quantitative Findings 104 Summary and Conclusion for Interview Results 105 Implications 107 Recommendations 109
REFERENCES 112 APPENDIX A: SURVEY INSTRUMENT 118 APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW SCHEDULE 129 APPENDIX C. LETTER OF REQUEST TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AND INTERVIEW 130 APPENDIX D. The SAS System (CORR Procedure Analyses) 131 APPENDIX E. SCORES AND RANKINGS FOR THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE 134 APPENDIX F. SCORES AND RANKINGS FOR THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE 135 APPENDIX G. Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 14 137 APPENDIX H. Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 12 141 APPENDIX I. Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 26 144 APPENDIX J. Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 22 148
E B L A C A S | viii
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE PAGE
1 Summary of the Variables, Measures, and Indicators Used in the Study 51
2 Summary of Demographic Information of Respondents 62
3 Interviewee Profiles and Justification for their Selection as Key Informants 62
4 Ratings and their Corresponding Scores for Level of Immersion 66
5 Descriptive Statistics of Scores on a Per-item Basis for Level of Immersion 66
6 Descriptive Statistics of Survey Responses to Level of Immersion 70
7 Summary of Results for Reasons for Immersion 74
8 Descriptive Statistics of Scores on a Per-item Basis for
Reasons for Immersion 75
9 Descriptive Statistics of Scores on a Per-item Basis for
Perceived Importance of Immersion 81
10 Descriptive Statistics of Overall Scores for Categories
of Metric for Job Satisfaction 84
11 Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:
Relationship with Supervisor 85
12 Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:
Relationship with Coworkers 87
13 Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:
Quality of Work Life 88
14 Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:
Conditions of Work 91
15 Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:
Remuneration and Rewards 93
16 Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:
Professionalism 95
17 Correlation Findings Between Immersion into the Corporate Culture and
Overall Job Satisfaction 98
E B L A C A S | ix
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE PAGE
1 Proposed Model of Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory 40
2 Model of Schein’s Organizational Culture 42
3 Explanation of how immersion into the corporate culture of companies
affect job satisfaction of outsourced employees 44
4 Conceptual Framework of Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory
and Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture 46
5 Descriptive Statistics of Survey Responses for Years in the Profession 64
6 Descriptive Statistics of Survey Responses for Years in Company X 64
7 Correlation between Level of Immersion into the Corporate Culture
to Overall Job Satisfaction 131
8 Correlation between Reasons for Immersion into the Corporate Culture
to Overall Job Satisfaction 132
9 Correlation between Perceived Importance of Immersion into the Corporate Culture to Overall Job Satisfaction 133
E B L A C A S | 1
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the development and impact of outsourcing from different
industries and organizations in various countries. In turn, these findings provide bases and
justifications for further research on the correlation of job satisfaction to immersion into the
corporate culture of companies. Finally, this section expounds on the main problem,
significance and specific objectives needed in attaining the study.
A. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Outsourcing has proven to be an essential business strategy in various industries
and has gained ground this 21st century. It is a growing phenomenon that is continually
adopted by modern day organizations (Tinselboer, 2005). It has continually evolved through
the years, not just in countries such as India and America but also in the Philippines
(Manabat, 2011).
1. Outsourcing in Other Countries
Today’s industries harness their workforce by outsourcing their employees.
Outsourcing, as defined by Marvin (2011), is a “function that combines complexity of
logistics, investing, and contract management” (p. 3). According to Harper (2003),
companies are now looking for new ways to thrive in an unstable and turbulent economic
climate; and strategic outsourcing of large scale business operations up to the level of core
functions is gaining its popularity.
India
With its recent government initiatives, strong economic growth, and an educated
workforce with over 2 million IT graduates each year, India is now a preferred choice when it
E B L A C A S | 2
comes to outsourcing (Vagadia, 2007). Beares (2010) reports that the rapid growth of
outsourcing in India is attributed to the availability of educated and skilled workers they
produce. To date, India’s most common forms of outsourcing comprise that of the
Information Technology (IT) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industries (Hillary,
2013). Information Technology (IT) has been a growing industry in India with a Compound
Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 28%. Its GDP doubled from 2.9% in 2002 and 4.8% in 2006
(Vagadia, 2007).
United States
In a survey conducted by Deloitte & Touche (2012), findings show that 60% of the
respondents agreed that outsourcing has become a standard operating practice in their
respective companies. Businesses, firms, agencies, and all corporate money-making bodies
are now using outsourcing as an effective business strategy. Moreover, Corbett (2004)
found in his study that many manufacturers outsource 70% to 80% of the content of their
finished products and more than 90% of companies say that outsourcing is an important part
of their growth and development strategy. Today, companies of all sorts outsource even
their entire back office operations such as payroll and accounting, and human resources, to
name a few. As a matter of fact, large companies and corporations commonly hire
outsourced workers for half of their IT operations. At this pace, Corbett (2004) claims that
“companies may soon be more outsourced than in-sourced, signifying a fundamental
reorganization that will affect employees, managers, customers and executives” (p. 2).
Consumer choices will increase, product costs will rise and drop, and workers’ roles will
change – that is the reality of today’s economy.
E B L A C A S | 3
It is of particular importance to note that in this era, outsourcing is no longer just
about cost saving; but a strategic tool that powers the twenty-first century global economy.
Pearlstein (2012) notes that:
“Today, some of the world’s largest companies and biggest employers are the product
of this outsourcing trend: Sodexo in food service; IBM in information technology;
Wackenhut, now known as G4S, in security services; UPS and FedEx in logistics;
Foxconn and Lenovo in computer manufacturing. Instead of the Rouge plant, the new
model of industrial organization has become Nike, which outsources the making of all
of its shoes, clothing and sporting equipment so it can concentrate on design and
marketing, and Apple, which outsources all of its hardware manufacturing.” (p. 2).
Evidently, countries such as India, China, and America are becoming economic
powerhouses because of this unstoppable trend (Bhide, 2004). This alone justifies that
outsourcing workers have not only boosted the economy of these companies, but are also
emerging to shape and revolutionize the working industry.
2. Outsourcing in the Philippines
The Philippines has tagged its outsourced sectors as the “government’s newest
sunshine industry” (Manabat, 2011, p. 2). A report from the Joint Foreign Chamber of the
Philippines (2012) shows that the Information Technology and Business Process
Outsourcing (IT-BPO) is the fastest-growing employment and one of the highest revenue
generating economic sector in the Philippines today due to of its current size, high growth
rate, and potential to employ millions of Filipinos. .
In a review by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (2012), it was only in the new
millennium that the Philippines gained ground in outsourcing. Manabat (2011) claims that
E B L A C A S | 4
the massive expansion brought about by outsourcing over the last 10 years have generated
thousands of jobs in various growing sectors in the Philippine economy. Ramon (2007, in
Medina & Remulla, 2012, p. 13) reports that “from P2 billion in 2000, investment in the BPO
industry rose to P11 billion in 2001, then settled to about P5–7billion annually in the next 4
years.”
Overtime, government support to the BPO industry is increasing, with the Philippines
dubbed as the “primary destination for voice services and the second most preferred
destination for Information Technology-Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) and global
in-house center (GIC) complex, non-voice services after India” (Medina & Remulla, 2012, p.
2).
In the same review, reports showed that:
“The country’s IT-BPO industry continued to exhibit double-digit positive annual growth
rates in revenues generated from 2004 to 2011. The industry posted US$12.1 billion
of revenues in 2011, about nine times the US$1.3 billion level realized in 2004. This in
turn shows how outsourcing has impacted not only the business economy but also
that of the workers as well. The industry’s growth over the years was due to the
continued demand for offshore call or contact centers. According to the IBM’s Global
Locations Trend, the Philippines ranked number one in the shared services and BPO
categories in the world in 2010. The country overtook India as the contact center
capital of the world, outperforming the latter in terms of revenue and employment
generation” (Medina & Remulla 2012, p. 6).
Presented with these figures, it is evident that outsourcing is fast becoming a
strategy of various companies and organizations not only to minimize costs, more so, to
maximize results. It has generated thousands of jobs for the past 10 years alone; that is why
the researcher believes that exploring job satisfaction of outsourced workers is an
E B L A C A S | 5
interesting area of study. Given the status quo, the researcher thinks that it is imperative to
explore their needs that lead to job satisfaction by considering their immersion into a
company’s culture.
3. Outsourcing in relation to Corporate Cultures and Job Satisfaction
There has not been a lot of literature written about how outsourced employees’
immersion into a company’s corporate culture can affect his or her job satisfaction. Given
the fact they are still considered more of outsiders to the organization’s core functions,
outsourced workers are presumed to immerse into the culture that permeates their working
environment. However, it must be made clear that outsourcing is merely an extension of
services that a company makes use of; therefore, cultural compatibility and adjustment of
outsourced workers take an increased importance (Harper, 2003). Unlike that of regular
employees who embody and personify the company’s vision and mission, outsourced
employees might as well be considered as a separate case. Since most of these workers
are bounded to a project-based contract, immersion to the company culture may or may not
be impeded.
It is imperative to establish that the company has its own formal culture – the written
mission, vision, practices, norms, and policies that separates them from other organizations
– what separates regular employees from outsourced workers. However, it is the informal
culture where the differences between that of the management and outsourced workers may
be perceived.
Company immersion has long been interpreted from a viewpoint of a regular
employee who operates within the organizations’ primary functions. This study seeks to
explore how things would differ if taken from an outsider’s perspective and how this
difference could impact their job satisfaction. Generally, further studies are required to better
E B L A C A S | 6
cater the needs of outsourced employees that is why it is of importance to know how these
workers identify and associate themselves with the company that hired them. This will in
turn, be a factor of determining their satisfaction towards their job that would generate
sufficient data to be used in the milieu of this study.
B. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
To Outsourced Workers
Outsourced employees may be assigned to handle an organization’s core functions
and activities but if there is one inevitable reality that is evident until now, it is that they are
still considered outsiders. The results that will be yielded by this study would benefit them,
above all. This would be beneficial to outsourced employees who feel dissatisfaction in their
jobs, and who seek to find answers from their perspective. This is a research that attempts
to present the point of view of outsourced employees. Furthermore, this would aid both the
management and the outsourced employees to have a better understanding of each other;
thus mutually catering to their needs.
To Company X and organizations that outsource
As mentioned earlier, further studies on how companies cater to the needs of its
outsourced workers will aid the management team of companies in improving job
satisfaction among their employees. The results that this study will yield could be of use to
Company X’s management, human resource department, and decision-making bodies in
analyzing the possible benefits of job satisfaction to an outsourced employees’ immersion
into their corporate culture. Assessing and determining the relationship of these two
variables could provide the organization with fresh and credible guide on crafting their work
relationships with these outsourced employees. In addition, HR professionals and
communication specialists of Company X and of other similar organizations could find the
E B L A C A S | 7
results and recommendations of this study beneficial in learning how immersion to a
company’s corporate culture affects an outsourced worker’s overall performance, job
satisfaction, and work productivity.
To scholars of the social sciences and students of the academe
The findings and recommendations for this study would contribute to their pursuit of
wisdom and academic endeavors not only in the field of business administration but of
sociology and communication, as well.
Outsourcing in the business world has proved to be an unstoppable trend in the 21st
century. Findings in this study could contribute to the existing literature on how immersion
into a certain culture of a corporate company could influence an outsourced employee’s job
satisfaction. Companies of all sizes and orientations are embracing this phenomenon
because it has proven to be strategic and efficient.
It is, of course, beneficial to sociology as outsourcing continues to shape the
interactions in today’s organizations both in the local and foreign markets. Furthermore,
since the researcher intends to explore outsourcing through the eyes of an outsourced
worker, it is of particular importance to note its effect on a person’s attitude and self-
perception, as a whole.
To the general public
It is of importance to be aware of the status quo in today’s business economy since
this impacts both the local and global market. Outsourcing is a phenomenon that has
generated both positive and negative feedback through the ages. It has resulted in being
one of the most sought after business strategy all over the world. The public’s perception of
outsourcing is also valued. Moreover, findings obtained from this study could be of
E B L A C A S | 8
significance to all individuals, may it be outsourced workers, young professionals, or even
CEOs.
C. DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This study aims to describe the nature and extent of the relationship between job
satisfaction and an employee immersion into a company’s corporate culture. It also seeks to
shed light on the correlation of job satisfaction to immersion into a company’s culture by
taking first and foremost, into consideration the views and perception of outsourced workers.
The study is limited to the examination of Company X’s corporate culture and its hired
outsourced employees only. Moreover, this intends to provide a fresh perspective on
company immersion and job satisfaction.
Immersion into the company’s corporate culture referred in this study is limited to the
outsourced workers’ adjustment period, and interpersonal and work relationship with
colleagues for the duration of stay as specified in the contract. The independent variable,
outsourcing, shall be inclusive of all workers employed in the company that will also depend
on the duration of their contract. This is to ensure that the results would not be monopolized,
as such.
Other individual-related factors, such as age, sex, and years working for Company X
will also be considered. Moreover, an outsourced employees’ perceptions on the quality of
work life, relationships with their supervisors and co-workers, conditions of work,
performance in the company, and immersion into corporate culture are putative variables for
the correlations being established in this study. For the purpose of this study, the questions
that are used in the survey are focused on and limited to an outsourced worker’s needs.
Furthermore, the research methodology will only be limited to 35 respondents given that
Company X may or may not employ on a large scale.
E B L A C A S | 9
Lastly, the findings that this study present cannot be generalized to be true of other
organizations that outsource, given the differences in individual and company-influenced
factors that would be pertinent in the research.
D. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM AND OBJECTIVES
This study examines the problem: How is employee immersion into a company
corporate culture related to job satisfaction?
In line with this, it is guided by the following specific objectives:
1.) To measure how these variables are related to the job satisfaction of employees:
a. Level of Immersion
b. Reasons for Immersion
i. Socializing or Belonging
ii. Productivity
iii. Self-fulfilment
iv. Commitment and Identification
c. Perceived Effect of Immersion
Dimensions of Job Satisfaction
1. Relationship with Supervisor
2. Relationship with Co-Workers
3. Quality of Work Life
4. Conditions of Work
5. Remuneration and Rewards
6. Professionalism
2.) To give a quantitative view on how these variables are related to an employee’s
job satisfaction through interviews and surveys.
3.) To determine which of the variables have the strongest effect on job satisfaction
4.) To measure how these variables correlate with one another; and
E B L A C A S | 10
5.) To define the relationship that is present between job satisfaction and company
culture immersion.
E B L A C A S | 11
CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter discusses the history, development, and impact of outsourcing which
distinguished it from other existing economic trends in the 21st century. Definitions of
outsourcing, organizational culture, immersion, and job satisfaction shall also be explored.
Lastly, the following section discusses the results of studies on outsourcing and how this
research will attempt to fill the gaps in the current literature.
A. Outsourcing
Globalization has provided organizations with more economic, efficient, and effective
options than before. Business tycoons and leaders are encouraged to strategically improve
and adapt processes and approaches to keep up with the ever changing market trends.
Today’s economy seeks after what provides the highest revenues with much less costs
which has inspired management to explore emerging strategies and techniques. One rising
trend in the advent of global markets is outsourcing (Schillen & Steinke, n.d.).
1. Outsourcing Through the Years
It is important to know the history of outsourcing because it shows the progression
and development of this emerging business trend. There is a growing apprehension among
business leaders, economists, and ordinary workers that we are witnessing the age of
sourcing out jobs (Bardhan and Kroll, 2003).
1.1. History
Dating back to the time of the Romans and gaining its popularity in eighteenth
century England notably through the sourcing out of tax collection, outsourcing has been in
continuous use in a variety of forms ever since (Duffy, 2001, as cited in Tompkins, 2007).
E B L A C A S | 12
Kalamu (2009) reports that the term dates back as early as the 1970s, when manufacturing
companies seeking efficiency began hiring outside firms to manage less-than-essential
processes. When large and diverse companies were considered to be underperforming in
the 1970s, outsourcing gained greater impetus. This eventually became a trend that became
more pronounced in the early 1980s with the onset of global recession (Kakabadse &
Kakabadse, 2000, as cited in Kalamu, 2009). With the beginning of 1980s, the business
sectors witnessed a change of direction in business strategy thinking. Instead of directing
their resources elsewhere, they started to focus on fewer activities that are both beneficial to
the company and its people (Peters & Waterman, 1982, as cited in Kalamu, 2009).
Maynard (n.d.) wrote that the first wave of outsourcing began during the onset of the
Industrial Revolution which was then fueled by large-scale growth of services in insurance,
tax, accounting, engineering, and legal affairs, among others. This was supported by a study
by Bardhan and Kroll (2003), which stated that the first wave of outsourcing began with
manufacturing. Bardhan and Kroll (2003) wrote that:
“Between 1987 and 1997, the share of imports in inputs used in US manufacturing
increased from 10.5% to 16.2% and in high-tech manufacturing, such as computers
and electronics, from 26 to 38%. These data continue a long history of foreign
outsourcing in US manufacturing and the associated loss of blue-collar jobs in many
industrial sectors.” (p. 1)
In the same study, Bardhan and Kroll (2003) stated that what motivated US firms to
outsource was driven by the: “(1) low costs of manufacturing; (2) the availability of skilled
labor primarily in different East Asian Countries such as Taiwan, China, South Korea,
Malaysia and others; (3) the availability of skilled labor; (4) the promotion of a business-
E B L A C A S | 13
friendly environment; and (5) the existence of production and supply networks in the
aforementioned countries” (p. 1).
Furthermore, Maynard (n.d.), reported that more recently, outsourcing has “moved
into the world of information technology, data transcription, and call center operations” (para.
6). In addition, Maynard (n.d.) stated that today’s realm is made more and more possible by
continued investment in education, improved information technology, the wide adoption of
the Internet, and the broad, but still emerging, availability of low cost telecommunications
and data communications in third world countries.
Bardman & Kroll (2003) wrote that today, the new wave of outsourcing now thrives in
the sourcing out of white collar jobs. To put into context:
“In addition to cost advantages similar to those offered by the manufacturing centers
of East Asia, the ongoing outsourcing of business services jobs to India, Malaysia,
Philippines and South Africa among others is also due to the widespread acceptance
of English as a medium of education, business and communication in these
countries and a steady and copious supply of technically savvy graduates. While it is
difficult to estimate the exact number of jobs created in these countries in these
sectors, let alone those transplanted and created by US firms, tentative evidence
collected by the authors suggests that business process outsourcing and software
outsourcing have together generated, at the very least, over a million jobs in the
1990s and hundreds of thousands more since the turn of the century” (p. 2).
Furthermore, Mullin (1996, as cited in, Kalamu, 2005) stated in his study that
because of the onset of outsourcing, corporate managers have resorted to reassessing the
concept that organizations need to be vertically integrated and self-sufficient. Thus,
E B L A C A S | 14
corporations invested in “peripheral or supplementary” businesses in order to focus on their
“core” business and, in turn, become “de-integrated” by increasingly outsourcing their
requirements for components and business services (Grant, 1995, p. 381, as cited in
Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2005, p. 183).
The Rise of Outsourcing
The agenda was set in the 1990s, with the growing belief that quick wins could be
achieved by pursuing core strategies. (Prahalad & Hamel, 1990, as cited in Kakabadse &
Kakabadse, 2005). Thus, many firms began reengineering, which in turn led to embarking
on a search for new ways of organizing various elements of work. These “new beginnings”
led to the rethinking of a design of business processes that would enable companies to
achieve vast and dramatic improvements in critical areas of performance such as: cost,
quality, service, and speed (Gamble, 1995, as cited in Kakabase & Kakabadse, 2005).
In the 21st century, outsourcing is at a crossroads. Corbett (2004) wrote that
companies do not only outsource vertical business units, but the new “cross-functional”
approach follows a horizontal process throughout the whole organization – this is the so
called Business Process Outsourcing or BPO. As a result, more companies are seeking
strategic advantages based on outsourced alliances. The driving force behind outsourcing is
the relentless push to operate more efficiently. Through this, outsourcing has also become a
strategic and competitive marketplace tool – allowing companies to develop and improve
(Corbett, 2004).
1.2. Impact
It is of importance to note the history of outsourcing and how it has traversed various
sectors of the business industries. It has, through the years, made tremendous contribution
to the local and foreign markets. Nag (2004) wrote that after over a decade of booming
E B L A C A S | 15
economy, the recent global economic turndown has significantly accelerated and intensified
market competition pressures, causing many corporations to seek innovative ways to deal
with the changed economic landscape. He also mentioned that in the process of
outsourcing, an increasing number of organizations worldwide have turned to BPO, which
has significantly lower overhead costs without sacrificing quality and productivity levels. Nag
(2004) also reasoned that the state of BPO today is considered not only as a simple cost-
cutting mechanism but also as “a strategic initiative, which is expected to shape and prepare
the organization for future business dynamics” (p. 62). Lastly, Nag (2004) reiterates that
apart from cost-cutting, BPO saves “precious management time and resources by allowing
companies to concentrate on core competencies” (p. 62).
On Businesses
DeLoria (2001), reported that outsourcing projects can yield both positive and
negative impacts on business performance. This was supported by Sweeney & O’Riordan
(2006), who said that the outcome, may it be positive or not, “ultimately depends on the way
the company goes about the outsourcing project and what support the project receives from
top-level management” (p. 8). If the outsourcing project goes well, outsourcing can help
improve business performance by enabling a company to focus on its core competency and
getting back to what it does best. Another reason is that by transferring non-core activities to
a specialized vendor, it can help to reduce the cost, and ultimately improve the performance
of the activity (Barthèlemy, 2003, as cited in Sweeney & O’Riordan, 2006).
Kletzer (2004, as cited in Sweeney & O’Riordan, 2006) goes as far as saying
outsourcing “brings real, solid benefits to the economy” (p. 9). To illustrate, the Outsourcing
Institute highlighted the fact that “companies can gain a nine percent cost saving, and a
fifteen percent increase in capacity and quality, on average, through outsourcing” (p. 9).
E B L A C A S | 16
On Employees
More than contributing to the business economy, outsourcing also impacts the lives
of both the regular and outsourced employee. Today large enterprises in the developed and
emerging economies are increasingly adopting “limited-term contracts, associate-like
relationships, and home-based teleworking as standard contractual relationships with
employees” (Standen, Daniels, & Lamond, 1999, as cited in Kakabadse & Kakabadse,
2005, p. 191). However, Tregaskis (1999, as cited in Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2005)
discussed that:
“The advantages are not all one-way, as the individual is also considered to benefit
from the more flexible arrangements, allowing for greater disposable time. In the
European Union in 1998, there were 1.1 million people, approximately 0.8% of the
workforce, employed according to such arrangements, and by the year 2000, this
figure was estimated to stand at 4.4 million people, or 3.1% of the workforce” (p. 191)
On the other hand, the outsourcing trend affects employees through the “loss of
fixed-employment opportunities and results in an increasing number of part-time and
contract workers typically earning less pay than permanent workers and without health, life,
short- and long-term disability, and retirement benefits” (Charara, 2004; Crolius, 2006, as
cited in Abebe, Elmuti, & Grunewald, n.d., p. 180).
Moreover, Khan (2004, as cited in Abebe, Elmuti, & Grunewald, n.d.) states that
outsourcing also implies a gradual structural change whereby a significant part of the
workforce will be made up of part-time, temporary, freelance, or independent contractors.
This was supported by Dobbs (2004, as cited in Abebe, Elmuti, & Grunewald, n.d) who
argue that the overall economic impact of outsourcing at are the expense of outsourced
workers.
E B L A C A S | 17
1.3. Trends and Outcomes
Most corporations believe that in order to compete globally, they have to look at
efficiency and cost containment rather than relying strictly on revenue increased (Bartlett,
2004; Drezner, 2004; Farrell & Rosenfeld, 2005; Jasper, 2003, as cited in Abebe, Elmuti, &
Grunewald, n.d.). With its continuous development, outsourcing has become more common
in Information Technology (I.T.) and other industries and is regarded as an intrinsic function
to managing businesses. Sriwongwanna (2009) states that:
“In general, outsourcing can be defined as an organization delegating their non-core
functions to an external organization that provides a particular service, function or
product (Hansen, 2009; Lawler & Mohrman, 2003). Some authors observe that
outsourcing is no longer confined to information technology (IT) services, but has
expanded to financial services, banking services, engineering services, creative
services, data management services, hospitality and clinical laboratories or
laboratory medicine, and human resource management (HRM) (Bielski, 2007;
Bossuyt, Verveire & Blanckaert, 2007; Schultheis & Summer, 1998). Outsourcing the
Human Resource (HR) function is one of many ways to improve an organization’s
efficiency (Lawler & Mohrman, 2003)” (p. 3).
As companies seek to enhance their competitive positions in an increasingly global
market place, they are discovering that they can cut costs and maintain quality by relying
more on outside service providers for activities viewed as supplementary to their core
businesses (Baily & Farrell, 2004; Cassale, 1996; Donahoe & Pecht, 2003; Irwin, 2004; Li &
Barnes, 2008, as cited in Abebe, Elmuti, & Grunewald, n.d.)
Over the last 10-15 years, global outsourcing activities have continued to increase.
Research suggests that this trend is expected to continue. (Kakabadse & Kakabadse 2005).
E B L A C A S | 18
A review of the literature emphasizes that “now and into the future, determining what is core
to the organization so that those processes and activities considered peripheral can be
passed over to an external service provider will continue to be a prime consideration”
(Chalos & Sung, 1998; Currie & Willcocks, 1997, as cited in Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2005,
p. 187). There is a strong presence of outsourcing functions in today’s business economy.
Continued outsourcing growth presents a need for the development of expertise around
successful outsourcing management and a comprehensive understanding of relevant trends
and issues (Schillen & Steinke, n.d.).
Outsourcing often increases an organization’s ability to focus on their core
competencies. Furthermore, companies may notice increased productivity in terms of: (1)
access to new technologies; (2) improved quality in work outcomes; (3) increased speed of
task and product completion; (4) increased ability to respond to customer needs, and the (4)
ability to establish a smaller core workforce (Elmuti, 2003; Elmuti & Kathawala, 2000; Walsh
& Deery, 2006, as cited in Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2005, p. 190). Outsourcing can also
increase an organization’s access to innovation and improve their flexibility. This is often
accomplished through “access to new skills of offsite personnel, increases in organizational
competitiveness and the ability to gain in markets that might otherwise be inaccessible or
uneconomical” (Elmuti, 2003, as cited in Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2005 p. 190).
Outsourcing, however, is not without its challenges. In fact, “75% of U.S. managers
admitted that outsourcing initiatives do not necessarily fulfill all their expectations”
(Barthélemy, 2009, p. 87, as cited in Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2005 p. 192). Elmuti (2003,
as cited in Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2005) reasoned that:
“55% of outsourcing relationships fail with the first five years of implementation, and
of the remaining 45%, 12% are unhappy and regret the decision to outsource in the
first place. To add to these bleak statistics, it is often the case that customers
E B L A C A S | 19
express dissatisfaction with such outsourcing decisions as well. Inevitably, a host of
factors play into the lack of success in outsourcing endeavors.” (p. 194)
1.4. Pitfalls
Despite the evident benefits of sourcing out jobs and hiring outsourced workers,
there are still skeptics of this emerging trend. Mussell (1987, as cited in DeLoria, 2001)
wrote that with the onset of outsourcing, comes potential pitfalls. These include: (1) less-
than-quality vendor service; (2) vested contractor interests; (3) loss of control; (4) inflexible
long-term contracts; and (5) reduced accountability. DeLoria (2001) reported that critics
express concern that employers may suffer if employees do not feel a connection to the
mission of the organization. This alone supports that outsourced workers, too, are as
valuable as any regular employee. Just like any new hire, outsourced employees would
likely feel more committed and satisfied if they feel that they are not outsiders but genuine
members of the organization.
In the same study, DeLoria (2001), mentioned that employee commitment may be
difficult to obtain when loyalty is unreciprocated by the organization. This was supported by
Nollen and Axel (1996) who reasoned that employers may feel fear and suffer if they
populate their organizations with individuals who have little or no attachment to their jobs,
noting that some workers do not want to be so unattached. DeLoria (2001) reported that
reciprocated commitment may be difficult to obtain because, by definition, no employment
relationship with contract employees exists. She stated that one characteristic of the
contingent employee is the lack of attachment to the organization.
According to Nollen and Axel (1996, as cited in DeLoria, 2001):
“Contingent workers do not belong to the company as regular employees do; they
are not expected to be as committed to the company’s mission. They may be as fully
E B L A C A S | 20
committed to the work they do as regular employees are, especially among highly
skilled professional and technical people. But they do not have the same ties to the
company where they do the work” (p. 1).
Pfeffer & Baron (1988, as cited in DeLoria, 2001) wrote that doing a task as part of
an organization that does contract and outsourced works may not provide the same form of
identification that allows regular employees to relate strongly to an organization’s goals.
They also wrote that one implication is that a person doing a task will have feelings of
commitment and satisfaction that depend on the individual’s relationship to the organization
and the organization’s principle mission. Thus, this justifies the need to know how immersion
may help outsourced workers attain satisfaction in their jobs.
Pfeffer & Baron (1988, as cited in DeLoria, 2001) note that the literature suggests
that:
“Employees’ organizational positions and how work is structured impacts their place
in and relationship to the process of production, implying that externalization has
profound implications for individuals’ orientations to their jobs. This new relationship
is important to understand. If externalization reduces workers’ odds of becoming
attached to a large, unionized employer, the practice may have consequences for
their labor market outcomes and experiences” (p. 5).
Another study conducted by KPMG International Research (2009) found that many
problems can occur when organizations introduce outsourcing processes. Sriwongwanna
(2009) wrote that the research found that “52 percent of the respondents said outsourcing
providers are lacking in knowledge, 47 percent of respondents said outsourcing providers
are non-responsive, and 35 percent of respondents said outsourcing providers have low
E B L A C A S | 21
performance standards” (p. 25). Therefore, contrary to popular belief, outsourcing can also
lead to serious downfalls.
British Telecom and Accenture’s ePeopleServe
An example of an organization disappointed with the decision to outsource is the
case study of British Telecom and Accenture’s ePeopleServe, provided by Robinson and
Kalakota (2004, as cited in Sriwongwanna, 2009). Accenture, having the reputation of being
a leading outsourced provider, provides outsourcing HR services to many organizations,
with ePeopleServe as one of its services. Another company, British Telecom, is branded as
one of the world leaders in communication services and operates in various countries from
Europe to Asia. ePeopleServe was outsourced by Accenture to the British Telecom for $75
million dollars. Evidently, this cost the British Telecom, having to pay an additional $5 million
dollars for other costs; thus leading to the conclusion that the services provided by
Accenture were overpriced.
Robinson and Kalakota (2004, as cited in Sriwongwanna, 2009) commented that
there are many hidden costs behind the outsourcing agreement which organizations might
not be able to control. These include: “(1) expenditure for upgrading the system due to the
rapid improvement in computer reliability and functionality; (2) expenditure for training costs
due to a lack of skilled employees; and (3) the expenditure for incomplete projects due to
the inability of some outsourcing providers to effectively transfer their knowledge” (p. 26).
1.5. Examples of BPO Providers
Having presented the impact, pitfalls, trends, and outcomes brought about by
outsourcing, it is of high importance to illustrate examples of how it performs today.
E B L A C A S | 22
Latin American Countries
A study by Kearney (n.d., as cited in Nag, 2004) reported that Latin American
countries are fast becoming popular primarily because of their low labor costs, time zone
difference, and proximity to the United States. Companies such as Xerox and Unisys have
committed to outsourcing in Brazil. AOL Time Warner has opened call center services for its
Spanish-speaking customers in Mexico.
Central European Countries
Biswajit Nag (2005), reported that Central European countries are fast becoming a
popular source for outsourcing activities because of their high record of technical
capabilities, cultural and linguistic similarities. General Electric (GE) has invested
significantly in Hungary over the past 12 years and across Western Europe. The Russian
Federation, too, has a large pool of technical talent. Particular of which are its Russian
Aeronautics Specialist in seven cities who are responsible for designing 777 aircrafts.
India
Armed with its skilled English speaking workforce and educated professionals, India
has captured a dominant share of the international outsourcing market (Kakabadse &
Kakabadse, 2005). It has, through the years, become the primary center for outsourcing
software contracts. According to NASSCOM (n.d., as cited in Nag, 2004), more than 200
companies are directly involved in the outsourcing business in 2003-2004 alone. This
registered a growth of 54% and a total revenue of $3.6 billion.
E B L A C A S | 23
Philippines
It is of particular importance to note that the Philippines is also into the outsourcing
trend. In Measuring the Contribution to the Philippine Economy of Information Technology-
Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) Services by Grace Medina and Marriel Remulla
(2015), it was reported that:
“The country’s IT-BPO industry continued to exhibit double-digit positive annual
growth rates in revenues generated from 2004 to 2011. The industry posted US$12.1
billion of revenues in 2011, about nine times the US$1.3 billion level realized in 2004.
Amid the global financial crisis experienced in 2007 to 2008, the local IT-BPO
industry remained resilient, although growth in revenues was slightly lower compared
to previous years. Top officials of different outsourcing companies and associations
continued to be optimistic on the prospects of the industry, suggesting that
multinational firms keep on outsourcing services to cheaper locations, including the
Philippines, to cut costs. The growth in the industry’s revenues further declined in
2009 as most of the industry’s outsourcing clients were from the advanced
economies, where recovery remained slow in the latter part of the year. (p. 4)
This was supported by a report by Manabat (2011), which says:
“According to the IBM’s Global Locations Trend, the Philippines ranked number one
in the shared services and BPO categories in the world in 2010. The country
overtook India as the contact center capital of the world, outperforming the latter in
terms of revenue and employment generation. The Philippines is a favored BPO
location due to its workforce, armed with good English conversational skills as well
as deeper understanding and appreciation of the Western culture. The multilingual
skills of the Filipinos also add to the country’s competitive edge as many call center
E B L A C A S | 24
outsourcing firms in the country capitalize on the multilingual Filipino workforce to
serve the Hispanic, Japanese and European population. Contact Centers remained
the biggest contributor in terms of revenues for the years covered by the survey. The
sector’s contribution to the industry’s total revenues has increased from 44.4 percent
(or US$5.9 billion) in 2004 to 56.5 percent (or US$6.8 billion) in 2010” (p. 2).
Given the current state of outsourcing in the Philippines and other parts of the globe,
it is of high importance to be acquainted with the emerging workforce: the Outsourced
Workers.
2. Outsourced Workers as an “Extended Workforce”
In Accenture: The Rise of Extended Workforce, Yaarit Silverstone, Himanshu Tambe
and Susan M. Cantrell (2015) wrote that:
“To compete in the future, organizations will need to push talent management
beyond the confines of the enterprise wall to include the new extended workforce: a
global network of outside contractors, outsourcing partners, vendors, strategic
partners and other nontraditional workers. By maximizing the potential of both an
extended workforce and permanent employees, companies can gain critical
advantages—including agility and access to valuable talent. Today, companies are
no longer using outsourcing just for augmenting staff who perform administrative
processes. In addition, they’re using it strategically, to gain staff who can handle
higher-level, knowledge-related processes” (p. 2).
In a survey conducted by Accenture and the International Association of Outsourcing
Professionals, 40-plus percent of respondents indicated that outsourcing at their
organizations was increasingly focused on knowledge-based activities. Likewise, the sort of
E B L A C A S | 25
work done by the contingent workforce is changing. With the increase of specialization in the
workplace and the heavy reliance on project work in knowledge-based organizations,
Cantrell, Silverstone, & Tambe (2015) reported that highly educated specialists and
professionals are serving as contingent workers in positions as varied as engineer,
information technologist, healthcare worker, and accounting and finance professional,
among others.
Cantrell, Silverstone & Tambe (2015) illustrated the case of Procter & Gamble. The
case indicates that more than 50 percent of product initiatives and outputs at P&G involve
significant collaboration with outside innovators. They note that through its “Connect and
Develop program,” the company has forged more than 1,000 agreements with innovation
partners. Cantrell, Silverstone, & Tambe (2015) wrote that:
“The company has also tapped into a wide range of outside individual contributors
through new crowdsourcing models by challenging them to solve R&D problems or
to come up with new product ideas. Workers outside of P&G have helped develop
hundreds of successful offerings, such as Swiffer Dusters, the Crest SpinBrush, and
Olay Regenerist” (p. 3).
The Rising Tide of the Just-In-Time Worker
The extended workforce is expanding fast and its efforts are becoming essential to
organizations’ competitive success. Economists project that the extended workforce will
continue to increase as part of a long-term trend. Cantrell, Silverstone, & Tambe (2015)
reported that:
“By various estimates, 20-33 percent of today’s US workforce now comprises
independent workers (freelancers, contractors and temps), up from 6 percent in 1989
(1) Worldwide, companies now spend an estimated $300 billion dollars per year on
E B L A C A S | 26
such contingent labor (2) Indeed, temporary and contract labor is one of the fastest-
growing line items on corporate operating statements.”(Human Capital Institute,
2011, as cited in Cantrell, Silverstone, & Tambe, 2015, p. 4)
According to Cantrell, Silverstone, & Tambe (2015):
“The recent emergence of online independent contractor talent platforms that enable
companies to access “talent in the cloud”—like Elance, oDesk and TopCoder—is a
rapidly growing market, with more than 1 million workers having earned $1- 2 billion
over the past 10 years in this industry (Moyer & Stock, 2011, as cited in Cantrell,
Silverstone, & Tambe, 2015).
In some industries, such as oil and gas, 77 percent of the workforce now reportedly
reside outside of the core organization (Moyer & Stock, 2011, as cited in Cantrell,
Silverstone, & Tambe, 2015).
Outsourcing contracts with Fortune 100 companies have more than doubled since
2000. According to some studies, about 20 percent of global companies have
outsourced or offshored workers (Smith, Leon, Marshall & Susan Cantrell,
Accenture, 2011 as cited in Cantrell, Silverstone, & Tambe, 2015).
Outsourcing is now an estimated $6 trillion global industry and is expected to keep
growing” (Human Capital Institute, 2011, as cited in Cantrell, Silverstone, & Tambe,
2015, p. 4)
3. Motivations for Using Outsourcing in Companies
Given the surge of outsourced workers and the emergence of outsourcing trends, the
researcher then sees that it is of high importance to explore what motivates businesses and
companies around the world to source out jobs. There are a number of reasons, at both the
strategic and operational level, why firms want to outsource workers for specific core
E B L A C A S | 27
activities in their organizations (Hussain & Sulatana, 2006). Bajpai and Nirupam (2003, as
cited in Dad & Iqbal, 2013) conducted a survey at the Earth Institute at Columbia which
shows that about 70% of the firms outsource to cut cost. According to Kumar and Eickhof
(2006, as cited in Dad & Iqbal, 2013), there are several factors that motivates companies to
outsource:
3.1. Cost Reduction and Economies of Scale
Kakabadse and Kakabadse (2005, as cited in Dad & Iqbal, 2013), reported that
economies of scale and cost reduction are among the most cited reasons to outsource.
Furthermore, they also agree that prime motive of most companies is short-term cost
saving. Kakabadse and Kakabadse (2005) added that there are a number of reasons
and motivators that influence outsourcing but to achieve operational cost efficiency is the
most considered factors so far by companies.
3.2. Technology Advancements
Sahgal and Malhotra (2005, as cited in Dad & Iqbal, 2013) argued that, “the
globalization and technology advancements created a global workforce, with a blend of
different cultures and nationalities working for the common objective across the globe”
(p. 96). Leavy (2004, as cited in Dad & Iqbal, 2013) states that the “control of outsourced
BPOs will most likely be central to the organization’s core functions and risks brought
about by this phenomenon must be taken into account for the success of projects” (p.
97). Dad & Iqbal (2013) reports that outsourcing has been adapted in almost every
sector – from NGOs to bank institutions to health sectors in different countries.
E B L A C A S | 28
3.3. Focus on Core Competencies
The recent trend to outsource non-core business is motivated by the competence
based view (Kakabadse and Kakabadse 2005; Sparrow 2005; Mehta et al. 2006;
Sangeeta and Bharadwaj 2009; Mahmoodzadeh et al. 2009; Choudhuri et al. 2009, and
Wu & Park 2009, as cited in Dad & Iqbal, 2013, p. 97). The driving forces of outsourcing
or offshore outsourcing are most primarily lower labor cost and also firm’s motives to
focus on core business competencies. These, are however, not easy to identify and
would most likely affect the organization’s overall performance.
B. Corporate/Organizational Culture
Much like regular employees, outsourced workers will eventually be immersed into
an organization’s corporate culture. The researcher thinks that it is necessary, more so,
important to explore the underlying themes that could affect an outsourced employees’ over-
all perception of his or her place in the company.
Each organization has its own way, customs, and rules in achieving the goals and
organizational mission. The life is based on the belief, a philosophy of life based on human
relationships with the environment. The belief is used as a basic assumption underlying all
programs, strategies and action plans which raise a high value when the activities are
carried out is not violate on what has been programmed, and vice versa. (Gani, Ismail,
Mapparenta, & Sinring, 2015)
The concept of ‘organizational culture’ has become popular since the early 1980s.
Along with the growing interest in the topic, there seems to be little agreement within the
literature as to what ‘organizational culture’ actually is and, therefore, there are different
definitions and perspectives on this topic. In Measuring Core Dimensions of Organizational
E B L A C A S | 29
Culture: A Review of Research and Development of a New Instrument by Nathalie Delobbe
and Robert Haccoun (n.d.) they wrote that some define organizational culture as “(1) the
observable behavioral rules in human interaction (Van Maanen 1979); (2) some as the
dominant values in an organization (Deal & Kennedy 1982); (3) others as a consistent
perception within an organization (Robbins 1998)” (p. 2).
Cameron and Quinn (2011, as cited in Adulwaihi, 2013) argued that organizational
culture has a strong association with the organization’s sense of uniqueness, its values,
mission, aims, goals and ways of building shared values. Moreover, Schein (1992, as cited
in Adulwaihi, 2013) reported that organizational culture represents ‘a system of intangible
and unquestionable beliefs that justify how organizations behave. These beliefs, however,
are taken for granted and are rarely stated or discussed openly” (p. 19).
\.
Delobbe & Haccoun (n.d.) noted that:
“There is considerable overall agreement as to the general definition of
organizational culture and most questionnaires define culture as: "a set of cognitions
shared by members of a social unit" (O'Reilly, Chatman, & Caldwell, 1991, p. 491),
or more fully: "a system of shared values and beliefs that produces norms of
behavior and establish an organizational way of life" (Koberg & Chusmir, 1987, p.
397). This latter definition is important because it pinpoints that the culture construct
can be equivocally understood to deal with "major beliefs and values” (or
alternatively as “norms and patterns of behaviors” (p. 3).
Previous research has shown that organizational culture does have an impact on several
key organizational variables (Cameron & Freeman, 1991, as cited in Adulwaihi, 2013). In
the same report, it was showed that:
E B L A C A S | 30
“Many other studies reported a profound impact of organizational culture on
organizational performance and effectiveness (Cameron & Quinn, 2011; Deal &
Kennedy, 2000; Frost, Moore, Louis, Lundberg, & Martin, 1985; Schein, 1985). In
addition to the reported impact of organizational culture on overall organizational
performance, the literature suggests that organizational culture affect individual
attitudes and behaviors (Macintosh & Doherty, 2010). Therefore, employees'
perceptions of the nature of organizational culture is a critical element in human
resource management, change management and leadership”. (p. 10)
C. Immersion
Much like regular new hires, outsourced workers go through the process of
immersion. In The New Hire Experience when Onboarding in an Outsourced Recruiting
Environment conducted by Tedlie (2009), she wrote that more than just the process of
immersion, “onboarding is the most critical time period for a new hire of an organization and
is comprised of the first 90 days after hire” (p. 4). During this time, it is important to regularly
meet with the new hire, set reasonable goals, provide positive feedback, and offer coaching
as needed. From the organizational perspective, onboarding involves informing new
employees about policies and assists them in adapting to requirements (D'Aurizio, 2007, as
cited in Tedlie, 2009, p. 4).
According to Employee Insights (2008, as cited in Tedlie, 2009):
“Onboarding is part of the recruitment process and is defined as the transition point
into the organization. During this time, new employees are brought into the company
and learn about the job, the culture, and the expectations. This is a critical period
when employees form beliefs about what it is like to work for a company. First
E B L A C A S | 31
impressions matter with new hires, and implementing a program that demonstrates
to them that the organization cares enough to ensure they have a great experience
during their first few months goes a long way to fostering enthusiastic, loyal
employees, may it be regular or outsourced employees” (p. 6).
Tedlie (2009) reports that the first few days and weeks on the job can have a
significant influence on a new employee's attitude and engagement level. Moreover, their
initial exposure can even determine how likely they are to become an asset to the company.
While immersion requires having a formal onboarding experience, it is important to note that
this is a critical time of transition for the employees to the organization. (Philips, 2001, as
cited in Tedlie, 2009). Successful immersion into a company and its corporate culture will
most likely yield the attainment of satisfaction just as onboarding serves as a direct bridge
between as the promise of new talent and the attainment of actual productivity.
In Successful Onboarding: How to Get Your New Employees Started Off Right by
David Lee (2005), he illustrated that “simply bringing a new employee in to work on the first
day without appropriate support and coaching is one of the most common, and damaging,
mistakes organization can make” (p. 5). This then justifies the importance of onboarding and
immersion into a company. Therefore, Lee (2005) reiterated that companies should be sure
to keep in touch with new hires as they integrate into the organization.
D. Job Satisfaction
One variable of this study is the relevance of job satisfaction to an outsourced
worker’s immersion into a certain company. Having discussed immersion and outsourcing, it
is of high importance to explore one of the distinguishing forces behind every worker’s
performance.
E B L A C A S | 32
Outsourcing options can certainly affect job satisfaction. (Schillen & Steinke, n.d.).
Job satisfaction or “the pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of
one’s job and job experience” (Locke, 1976, as cited in Valentine, Godkin, Fleischman, &
Kidwell, 2010, as cited in Schillen & Steinke, n.d, p. 22) is an important component of the
employee’s perception. In addition, overall job satisfaction has also been linked to
“profitability, turnover intentions, customer satisfaction, and productivity” (Judge et al., 2001;
Valentine et al., 2010, as cited in Schillen & Steinke, n.d., p. 23). Farndale, van Ruiten,
Kelliher, & Hope-Hailey (2011, as cited in Schillen & Steinke, n.d.) added that increased
organizational commitment is also an “important outcome of job satisfaction as committed
employees are more likely to accept and invest in organizational change” (p. 23).
In a literature review by Amjad, Ilyas, & Sabri (2011), it was reported that:
“Researchers link job satisfaction with many factors such as fairness of rewards,
growth opportunities, participation in decision making, supervisory support and
compensation, among others. A large number of researchers, however, link job
satisfaction with organizational culture. Some examples are works, journals, and
theses by Taber (1975), Jiang and Klen (2000), Mckinnon (2003), Navaie & Waliser
(2004), Rad (2006), Arnold (2006), Chang and Lee (2007), and Mansoor and Tayib
(2010)” (p. 122).
E. Gaps in Current Literature
Current studies on outsourcing and job satisfaction explored on how regular
employees perceived outsourcing and how it has affected their satisfaction in jobs. It would
be an interesting point to note that ever since the onset of outsourcing began, job
satisfaction among outsourced employees was never truly investigated. Lack of related
E B L A C A S | 33
studies on the research has become a gap in the current literature given the state of
outsourcing around the globe.
In Mitigating the Adversity of Outsourcing: Outsourcing from the Employee’s
Perspective, authored by Sarah Schillen & Gerhard Steinke, the study showed that
understanding the employee perspective facilitates job satisfaction. Findings showed that:
“Managers must pursue a true understanding of employee perceptions and fear
around outsourcing and display acts of commitment to those remaining employees.
Such an understanding will allow managers to address such concerns as they arise
throughout the transition process (Logan et al., 2004)” (p. 68).
This study seeks to shed light on outsourcing through the eyes of regular employees
obtained by generating their opinions of outsourcing implementation. Findings also suggest
that working toward realignment of company and employee goals, vision, and values may
be a useful tool in this process. Collins (2009, as cited in Schillen & Steinke, n.d.)
suggested making innovative steps toward motivating purpose in your employees. He notes
that:
“Creating a higher purpose for employees, as opposed to numbers-driven
accomplishments, provides employees with the opportunity to give meaning to their
work and also unifies the organization. Organizations can also consider aligning the
business strategy and goals with the employee vision by measuring success through
client satisfaction and service levels” (p. 68).
Moreover, Elmuti & Kathawala (1993, as cited in Schillen & Steinke, n.d.) reiterated
that, “establishing a strong corporate culture with visible top management support is
expected to assist in effectively restructuring the organization” (p. 69). Simply put,
outsourcing workers will have an effect on the company’s operations. Restructuration may
E B L A C A S | 34
be deemed imperative when the need arises. Barthélemy, (2003, as cited in Schillen &
Steinke, n.d.) stated that it is important to maintain the key employees who remain even
after outsourcing because they hold “firm-specific knowledge” about how to make operations
run smoothly. This study also found out that understanding the regular or key employees’
perspectives necessitate that of providing higher salaries and benefits. Cameron (1994, as
cited in Schillen & Steinke, n.d.) reasoned that:
“Training, retraining, and cross-training will aid in employee adaptation to
downsizing. Furthermore, the management must treat employees remaining within
the organization as assets whose ideas and contributions are respected by
encouraging and offering ongoing career development opportunities. The extent to
which employees feel like valued assets in the company’s pursuit for change, largely
determines the extent to which those employees remain satisfied of their role within a
greater purpose” (p. 69).
Evidently, the first study focused on how the remaining employees at a certain
company perceived job satisfaction after an outsourcing decision. This, however, failed to
shed light on how outsourced employees would cope with the present corporate culture the
company practices. Current literature would put into consideration the well-being of internal
employees but there are no present studies exploring job satisfaction among outsourced
workers.
In another study, entitled, Outsourcing From the Employee Perspective by Kessler,
Shapiro, and Purcell (1999, as cited in Sriwongwanna, 2009), examined the impact of
external activities (outsourcing) on employment relations from the point of view of the
employee. The results from this survey revealed that employees reported greater
satisfaction with their job if three factors were present: (1) career development opportunities;
(2) reward and training assessments; and (3) organizational respect.
E B L A C A S | 35
Conversely, the survey found that a negative attitude from employees stemmed
from new career development stress, primarily because the employees, truck drivers and
supervisors, were unable to adapt to the new environment and technology. Kessler,
Shapiro, and Purcell (1999, as cited in Sriwongwanna, 2009) reported that this survey
indicated that when outsourcing occurs, “internal employees may feel less trust in the
organization. This leads to reduced levels of employee performance and cooperation” (p.
37). Outsourcing providers may also find it difficult to adapt to the new social and
organizational culture. This mismatch can end with conflict between internal employees and
the external providers. Hence, the relationship between internal employees and external
providers seems critical in ensuring the successful implementation of outsourcing decisions.
Specifically, Kessler, Shapiro, & Purcell (as cited in Sriwongwanna, 2009) stated that
the research identified:
“Communication regarding the outsourcing process; the choice of outsourcing
partner or process and the relationship between this provider and internal
employees; and the benefits that employees see as an outcome of the decision
making process all play an important role in determining the success of the
outsourcing decision” (p. 37).
This study, on the other hand, sheds light on how the current employees were
unable to adapt to outsourcing environment and how their level of trust is affected with the
decision to outsource. Much like the first study, this only focuses on the internal employees
of the organization.
Cameron & Freeman (1991, as cited in Adulwaihi, 2013) wrote that Organizational
Culture has a profound influence on several key organizational variables. The current
literature suggests that organizational culture affects individual attitudes and behaviors
E B L A C A S | 36
(Lund, 2003; Schein, 1992). One of these main individual attitudes and behaviors is job
satisfaction which was shown to be directly impacted by organizational culture (MacIntosh &
Doherty, 2010, as cited in Adulwaihi, 2013).
In a compiled report by Amjad, Ilyas, & Sabri (2011), various studies proving the
relationship between organizational culture and job satisfaction were discussed:
“Hoppock (1935), Navaie-Waliser (2004) and Rad, (2006) report that job
satisfaction of the employees is affected by the culture of the organization” (p.
122).
“Robbert & Reilly (1979), Kram (1985), Greenhaus (1990) and Gorris (2006)
find that various forms of the communication in the organization and the
relationship between the employee and the employer have positive impact on
the job satisfaction of the employees” (p. 122).
“McHugh (1993) argue that bad and poor culture of the organization will lower
the level of job satisfaction and lower productivity from the employees, and
finally all these factors contribute to decrease the efficiency and performance
of the organization” (p. 122).
“Hansen & Wernerfelt (1989) describe that the behavior of the employees
towards their mode of thinking whatever they think intentionally or
unintentionally is strongly influenced by the culture of the organization” (p.
122).
“Jiang & Klein (2000) argue that supportive culture of the organization
increases the satisfaction level of the employees and decreases the turnover
ratios from the organization” (p. 122).
E B L A C A S | 37
“Taber (1975), Johnson (2004) and Chang and Lee (2007) conclude that
organizational culture has a positive impact on the job satisfaction of the
employees” (p.123).
“Yousaf (1998), Mckinnon (2003), Arnold (2006) and Mansoor & Tayib (2010)
observe strong positive impact of organizational culture on the job
satisfaction” (p. 123).
“Johnson (2004) opines that some component of the organizational culture
may not be positively associated with the job satisfaction” (p. 123).
“Navaie-Waliser et al. (2004) conclude that there is no single measure to find
out the level of job satisfaction and the impact of the organizational culture on
the job satisfaction of the employees” (p. 123).
“Aoms & Weathington (2008) argue that the organization with strong and
suitable culture positively affects not only the satisfaction of the employees
but also the job commitment of the employees with the organization” (p. 124).
“Chang & Lee (2007) emphasize over the group oriented culture in the
organization for raising the employees‟ job satisfaction. However, they find a
positive relationship between the culture of the organization and job
satisfaction” (p. 124).
Evidently, there is a lack of exploratory studies that concerns that of the outsourced
workers. Given the current predicament of outsourcing around the globe, it is of particular
interest to note that there is a scarcity of related studies concerning the correlation of
immersion to corporate culture and job satisfaction of outsourced employees. The gap in the
current literature only suggests that further studies must be conducted – not on internal
employees, but on outsourced workers.
E B L A C A S | 38
CHAPTER III. STUDY FRAMEWORK
This chapter presents the theoretical and conceptual frameworks as informed by
the literature review and guided by the study’s objectives. Furthermore, it provides
assumptions, hypotheses, and operational definitions of relevant variables and related
concepts in the research.
A. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory and Schein’s Model of Organizational
Culture stand as the foundations of this study. In this particular framework, Herzberg’s Two-
Factor Theory is proposed to be relating to factors that directly affect outsourced workers.
These factors, in turn, are generally believed to have an effect on the overall satisfaction in
jobs of an outsourced employee. Schein’s Model, on the other hand, explains how culture is
affected by behavior through the process of internal integration. Through an exploration and
analysis of these theories, the researcher examines and determines the correlation of job
satisfaction and immersion to the corporate culture of companies.
1.1. Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory
Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory proposed that there are two different
categories of needs, which are intrinsic (motivators) and extrinsic (hygiene) factors. This
theory postulates that job satisfaction and/or is dissatisfaction is the function of two need
systems. Intrinsic factors are related to the job itself and seem to positively influence job
satisfaction.
According to Herzberg (1959, as cited in Riley, 2007), satisfaction is caused by what
he called "motivators". These factors include achievement, recognition, work itself,
responsibility, advancement, and growth. On the contrary, extrinsic factors are closely
E B L A C A S | 39
related to the environment and condition of the work. Dissatisfaction is caused by problems
that Herzberg called "hygiene factors". These include company policy and administration,
supervision, relationship with supervisor, work conditions, salary, relationships with peers,
personal life, relationships with subordinates, status, and security.
Herzberg (1959, as cited in Riley, 2007) also reported that the absence of motivators
will not lead to dissatisfaction, it would only lead to no satisfaction. On the other hand, job
satisfaction can't be improved by improving any of the hygiene factors, but by improving
motivators.
Apparently, Herzberg's Motivator-Hygiene theory has caused a “great controversy in
the fields of psychology and organizational behavior” (Khalifa, Hossam, & Truong, 2010, p.
143). This study aimed at testing Herzberg's theory in another context – that of outsourced
workers. Since Herzberg (1959, as cited in Riley, 2007) found out that improvement in
hygiene factors would not lead to improvement in job satisfaction, then it is logical to expect
that immersion to corporate culture will not have a significant relationship with job
satisfaction when the outcome in the comparison is one of what Herzberg called "hygiene
factors". On the contrary, considering the findings of researches on the relationship between
immersion to corporate culture and job satisfaction (positive relationship) and considering
Herzberg's findings of the effect of improving "motivators" on job satisfaction (positive
effect), one should expect a positive relationship between immersion and job satisfaction
when the outcome in the comparison is one of what Herzberg called "motivators".
For this study, the researcher focuses on Herzberg’s motivation factors since these
are said to lead to job satisfaction. The researcher has also taken the liberty to add
immersion to the existing pool of motivators as a putative variable that links organizational
culture and job satisfaction. Immersion will act as the transition through which an outsourced
worker attains or achieves job satisfaction. The more an outsourced worker penetrates an
E B L A C A S | 40
organization’s corporate culture, the higher the satisfaction in his or her job. It is presumed
that a directly proportional relationship occurs between job satisfaction and company
culture, made possible by immersion.
Figure 3.1 illustrates the Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory with Immersion as an added
factor
This study primarily considers the importance of motivation needs of outsourced
workers with the onset of his or her transition as a newcomer into an organization. As
depicted in the model, a typical worker will focus on factors that will account for his or her
satisfaction. Hygiene factors are considered as maintenance needs only and does not
necessarily mean an absence of satisfaction.
Figure 3.1. Proposed Model of Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory (Fast Pitch
(n.d). Retrieved from http://fastpitchwoody0.tripod.com/theories_of_motivation1.htm)
E B L A C A S | 41
1.2. Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture
Schein (1984) presents culture as a series of assumptions a person makes about
the group in which they participate. For the purpose of this study, outsourced workers make
assumptions about the group they belong in. The researcher sees this as a crucial transition
into an organization given that these workers are more often than not, considered as
outsiders in an organization. These assumptions are grouped into three levels, each level
becoming more difficult to articulate and change. These assumptions can be seen through:
(1) artifacts (experiences with senses, such as language, styles, stories, and published
statements); (2) espoused beliefs and values (ideals, goals and aspirations); and (3) basic
underlying assumptions (taken for granted conditions)
Schein (1984, p.3) defined organizational culture as the “pattern of basic
assumptions that a given group has invented, discovered or developed in learning to cope
with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration”. These “valid” behaviors are
therefore taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to
problems, issues and decisions. Schein (1984) maintains that in order to understand the
culture of the organization, researchers need to delve into the underlying assumptions of the
organization.
Organizational culture is “deeply rooted within the organizational system, as it is a
process, which evolves over a long time” (Sempane, Rieger, & Roodt, 2002, p. 22). An
organization’s culture determines the way the organization conducts its business, and as a
result also influences its processes. Because of its deep- rooted nature, the culture of the
organization is difficult to change, as there is often resistance against giving up something,
which is valued and has worked well in the past. Some researchers (Desatnick, 1986;
Schneider, 1990; Balkaran, 1995; Al – Shammari, 1992; Van der Post, de Coning & Smith,
1997) referred to culture as the “personality” of the organization, while Gutknecht & Miller
E B L A C A S | 42
(1990) described it as the organization’s soul, purpose and foundation. According to
Schneider (1983) it is viewed as the organization’s value systems and assumptions which
guide the way the organization runs its business. Schein (1984) on the other hand, referred
to it as a “glue” which serves as a source for identity and strength, while Gutknecht & Miller
(1990) viewed it as an “oil” for lubrication of organizational processes” (Sempane, Rieger, &
Roodt, 2002, p. 24).
As it is pervasive, Schein (1984) suggests there are, in fact, three levels on which
organizational culture makes its presence felt. The first level constitutes the typical
organizational behaviors or artifacts form the most observable level of culture, includes all
the phenomena that one sees, hears, and feels when one encounters a new group with an
unfamiliar culture. Artifacts, according to Schein (1984) include the visible products of the
group, such as the architecture of its physical environment; its language; its technology and
products; its artistic creations; its style, as embodied in clothing, manners of address,
emotional displays, and myths and stories told about the organization; its published lists of
Figure 3.2. Model of Schein’s Organizational Culture (Adapted from Schein, E.
(1984) Organizational Culture & Leadership)
E B L A C A S | 43
values; its observable rituals and ceremonies; and so on. Artifacts also include, for purposes
of cultural analysis, “the organizational processes by which such behavior is made routine,
and structural elements such as charters, formal descriptions of how the organization works,
and organization charts. The most important point to be made about this level of the culture
is that it is both easy to observe and very difficult to decipher” (Schein, 1984, p. 25)
The second level pertains to the espoused values underlie and, to a large extent,
determine behavior, but they are not directly observable as behaviors are. Organizational
values are frequently expressed through norms–characteristic attitudes and accepted
behaviors that might be called “the unwritten rules of the road”–and every employee is
assumed to quickly adjust to it. Schein (1984, p. 29) explains that “beliefs and values at this
conscious level will predict much of the behavior that can be observed at the artifacts level.”
If the espoused beliefs and values are reasonably congruent with the underlying
assumptions, then the articulation of those values into a philosophy of operating can be
helpful in bringing the group together, serving as a source of identity and core mission.
Lastly in order to understand culture, one has to get to the third deepest level: the
level of Fundamental or Basic Underlying Assumptions. Schein (1984) expounds that “basic
assumptions, like theories-in-use, tend to be non-confrontable and non-debatable, and
hence are extremely difficult to change” (p. 31). These exist largely at an unconscious level
yet these provide the key understanding as to how and why things happen in a particular
way. Moreover, Schein (1984) reiterates that these assumptions grow out of values, until
they become taken for granted and eventually drops out of a person’s awareness. These
basic assumptions from around deeper dimensions such as nature of humans, human
relationships and activity, reality, and truth.
E B L A C A S | 44
The previous chapters state that new employees have to go through a socialization
process to adapt to the organization culture. For the purpose of this study, socialization
process has been renamed immersion by the researcher since it is more encompassing and
has a clear connotation that pertains to culture. Thus, it then follows than an outsourced
worker must go through the process of immersion to adapt to a company’s corporate culture.
How immersion comes into play into the whole process is crucial because it operates on the
principle that the more an outsourced worker penetrates an organization’s culture, the
higher his or her satisfaction will be.
A. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
To conceptualize the theoretical frameworks presented, immersion to corporate
culture is set as a motivator that affects job satisfaction. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory and
Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture illustrated above provide an explanation on how
immersion of outsourced workers to a company’s corporate culture affect job satisfaction.
The extrinsic and intrinsic factors provided by Herzberg, along with the researcher’s added
Figure 3.3. Explanation of how immersion into the corporate culture of companies
affect job satisfaction of outsourced employees
E B L A C A S | 45
variable, immersion, are presented as reasons and motivations for the attainment of
satisfaction of an outsourced employee’s job. The two theories will be integrated into a
single framework, wherein immersion plays a vital factor in reaching satisfaction in an
outsourced employee’s job.
As stated earlier, job satisfaction is influenced by immersion to a company’s
corporate culture. But, it is also of great importance to note that there are other factors that
may affect an outsourced worker’s immersion into an organization. These factors, which are
either personal or organizational in nature, are outside the purview of this study.
Job satisfaction and adjustment to an organization’s corporate culture has always
been taken into the context of a regular employee. This study, however, sheds light on
outsourced employees. The researcher integrated into this model other employee-related
factors such as Level of Immersion, Reasons for Immersion, and Perceived Effects of
Immersion that are considered as pertinent variables in the relationship between immersion
to corporate culture and job satisfaction, as guided by the literature review, objectives set by
the researcher, and because of practical considerations.
The researcher also took the liberty to deviate from the traditional model as
illustrated in the theoretical paradigm. Through Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture,
the researcher showed that outsourced employees enter into a reciprocal relationship with
both the client organization and the employment agency. Both organizations offer support to
the outsourced employees so that they can perform at the work place. According to Fisher
(2008, as cited in Adoyo, Ochieng & Oima, 2014), effective socialization process helps an
employee transition to a new work place and learns how to function in the work
environment. This is in line with Schein’s model in such a way that once a newcomer
(outsourced worker) enters an organization, members of the group are expected to help him
or her in the immersion and socialization process. The outsourced worker is presumed to go
E B L A C A S | 46
into the different levels until he or she gets to the heart of the culture – one that is subjected
to reveal deeper underlying assumptions. In this level, it is also presumed by the researcher
the outsourced worker has gained optimum satisfaction in his or her job and has also
identified himself or herself as an insider in the organization.
As two theories were combined to develop a conceptual framework, these
assumptions were also formulated: (1) The more immersed an outsourced worker is into the
different levels of organizational culture, the higher the perceived job satisfaction; and (2)
the more an outsourced worker immerse through the three levels of organizational culture,
the notion of being outsiders is replaced with the notion of belonging. Figure 3.4 illustrates
the conceptual framework designed for this study.
Figure 3.4. Conceptual Framework of Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory and
Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture
E B L A C A S | 47
B. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
As stated in the objectives and illustrated above in the framework, the research
works toward attaining the objectives of the study stated earlier. An outsourced worker’s
immersion to corporate culture is posited to influence job satisfaction, along with a host of
other factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic. The definitions of the variables in the study’s
context are as follows:
Outsourced worker – refers to a person who is hired from third party organizations
on a project-based contract.
Immersion – refers to the process through which outsourced employees learn and
adapt to the norms and expectations of the organization to gain satisfaction in their
jobs. It is also a process in which employees are transformed through an interactive
process between newcomers and their organizations from organizational outsiders to
effective insiders (Feldman, 1981, as cited in Bauer, Perrot, & Roussel, 2012)
Corporate culture – is defined as a pattern of basic assumptions that are found,
invented or developed by one particular group in order to learn and deal with the
problem, so it needs to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, to
think, and to feel. It includes components of organization, including values, beliefs,
assumptions, perceptions, and behavioral norms that reflected in behavior of each
organization member (Schein, 1984).
Job Satisfaction – results from the best fit among job requirements, wants and
expectations of an employee. It is used to express the extent of match between the
employees' expectation of the job and the rewards that the job provides. It has
important implications on quality of work, experience, employees' mental health and
physical adjustment. Ultimately, it may have a direct or indirect effect on
organizational effectiveness influencing productivity, absenteeism, turnover and
E B L A C A S | 48
other aspect of employees’ behavior. (Shodhganga, n.d.) There are eight (8) metrics
for job satisfaction designed by the researcher which was based on Herzberg’s
Motivation-Hygiene Theory of Job Satisfaction: (1) Relationship with Supervisor;
(2) Relationship with co-workers; (3) Quality of Work Life; (4) Conditions of
Work; (5) Remuneration and Rewards; and (6) Professionalism
Level of Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture – refers to the extent
by which an outsourced worker has immersed into a company. This will be
determined through the respondent’s composite score in the survey instrument.
Reasons for Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture - refers to an
outsourced worker’s need to immerse in an organization. This will be determined
through the respondent’s composite score in the survey instrument. These can be
categorized into four clusters:
Socializing or Belonging – refers to the sense of affinity to a certain
community or organization (i.e. members of the company); satisfies the need
for interpersonal communication and social interaction
Productivity – refers to the overall effectiveness of an outsourced worker in
his or her job; satisfies the need for achievement and responsibility
Self-Fulfilment – refers to the accomplishment and realization not only of the
respondent’s personal goals, but that of the organization as well; satisfies the
need for growth
Commitment and Identification –refers to the extent to which organizational
membership is incorporated within the individual’s self-concept and therefore
entails a strong cognitive component (Herrbach, 2006, as cited in Adoyo,
Ochieng & Oima, 2014)
E B L A C A S | 49
Perceived Importance of Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture –
refers to an outsourced workers perceptions and opinions of the importance of
immersion to job satisfaction. This will be determined through the respondent’s
composite score in the survey instrument.
C. ASSUMPTIONS AND HYPOTHESIS
As informed by the literature review and basic assumptions of its theoretical
foundations, this study aimed to prove that there is a significant relationship between an
outsourced worker’s immersion to a company’s corporate culture and job satisfaction. This is
due to the nature of Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory and Schein’s Model of
Organizational Culture which stresses the importance of the human variable, immersion to
corporate culture, as well as personal attitudes when it comes to how they adjust in the
organization.
Also consistent with the fundamental assertion of this theory, this paper aimed to
provide quantitative proofs with support from the conducted interviews to the claim that the
outsourced workers experience satisfaction in their jobs if they successfully immerse to the
company’s corporate culture. The former data set is viewed as a means to accurately gauge
how the variables correlate. The latter data set is viewed in the context of the business
environment from which it was gathered. Furthermore, outsourced employees are presumed
to be fully aware that through immersion, the notion of being “outsiders” may be truly
eradicated. The outsourced workers rely not just on the intrinsic and extrinsic factors; more
so, immersion as a motivator for job satisfaction.
E B L A C A S | 50
CHAPTER IV. METHOD AND PROCEDURES
This chapter discusses the research design, method and procedures that will be
used for gathering and interpretation of data. In addition, certain considerations will be
clarified and limitations of the study will also be expounded on.
A. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHOD
` The researcher used a sequential exploratory research design. Company X served
as the site in which the study was conducted due to the evident lack of literature and related
studies performed in organizations of this nature. The researcher made use of two different
methods pertained to in this paper as Phase 1 (quantitative aspect) and Phase 2
(substantiated by the conducted interviews), respectively. A survey questionnaire that
included 82 items in the form of a Likert Scale was used for the first phase of the study. The
data that was gathered from this method was analyzed and substantiated by conducting
personal interviews with four (4) key informants during the second phase of the study. This
is to provide the researcher with pertinent and more in-depth information which could
otherwise not be reflected through the use of survey questionnaires. These methods will be
expounded on in the succeeding sections.
B. VARIABLES, MEASURES AND INDICATORS
The following table presents the summary of the variables, measures and indicators
the researcher used in the study. All of these were answered in the quantitative portion of
the study in accordance with Objectives 1, 2 and 3 (refer to Chapter 1). This is supported by
the conducted interview as it provided discussions, clarifications, and answers to Objectives
4 and 5 of the study.
E B L A C A S | 51
TABLE 1. Variables, Measures, and Indicators Used in the Study
VARIABLES
MEASURES
INDICATORS
Putative Independent Variable: Immersion
Level of Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture
As determined by the respondents in 23 specific questions in the survey instrument
Examine the depth in which an outsourced employee has immersed into an organizations corporate culture and how this affects job satisfaction; will also include questions that will help determine how aware they are of what organizational culture the company they work in has
Reasons for Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture
As determined by the respondent in nine (9) specific questions in the survey instrument
Examine which among the four given categories of reasons for immersion (refer to Chapter III) is related to job satisfaction, and how these are related
Perceived Importance of Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture
As determined by the respondent in eight (8) specific questions in the survey instrument
Examine how the perceived importance of immersion into the company’s corporate culture is related to job satisfaction
Putative Dependent Variable: Job Satisfaction
Metrics for Job Satisfaction
Relationship with Supervisor
As determined by the respondents in six (6) specific questions in the survey instrument
Show of positive relationship with his or her supervisor through display of cooperation, respect and open communication
Relationship with co-workers
As determined by the respondents in nine (9) specific questions in the survey instrument
Show of positive relationship with his or her co-workers through display
E B L A C A S | 52
of cooperation, respect, and open communication
Quality of Work Life
As determined by the respondents in the five (5) specific questions in the survey instrument
Perceived favorableness or unfavorableness of job environment; perception of the culture, people, work, and the organization as a whole;
Conditions of Work
As determined by the respondent in the five (5) specific questions in the survey instrument
Presence of adequate working equipment, respect for subordinates and supervisors; safe working conditions, approachable and helpful supervisor and co-workers
Remuneration and Rewards
As determined by the respondent in the five (5) specific questions in the survey instrument
Includes monetary and nonmonetary rewards and other benefits received by an outsourced employee, if any
Professionalism
As determined by the respondents in the 12 specific questions in the survey instrument
Observance of rules and compliance to policies, regulations of the company; interest in own professional growth, immersion to the company’s organizational culture, engagement in activities which promote professional growth, wearing of prescribed uniforms, embodiment of the vision, philosophy, and mission of the company,
Overall Satisfaction
Average of scores in Relationship With Co-Workers, Relationship with Supervisor, Quality of Work Life, Conditions of Work, Professionalism, Remuneration and Rewards, and Performance in the Company
Show of positive relationship with his or her supervisor through display of cooperation, camaraderie, and open communication; Show of positive relationship with his or her co-workers through display of cooperation,
E B L A C A S | 53
camaraderie, and open communication; Perceived favorableness or unfavorableness of job environment; perception of the culture, people, work, and the organization as a whole; Presence of adequate working equipment, respect for subordinates and supervisors; safe working conditions, approachable and helpful supervisor and co-workers; Includes monetary and nonmonetary rewards and other benefits received by an outsourced employee, if any; Observance and compliance to policies, regulations, and procedures of the company; interest in own professional growth, immersion to the company’s organizational culture, engagement in activities which promote professional growth, wearing of prescribed uniforms, embodiment of the vision, philosophy, and mission of the company; Performance of work responsibilities that are relevant an necessary to the organization’s core functions
E B L A C A S | 54
C. SAMPLING FRAME AND PROCEDURE
The sampling frame of the study was derived through purposive sampling, and
included 35 outsourced BPO employees of Teletech Holdings Inc. who are currently working
for Company X. These employees perform tasks that are beneficial to the organization’s
core functions.
The researcher made use of purposive sampling during the second phase of the
study due to the research design. Personal interviews were conducted with four (4) key
informants from Company X. The interviewees were composed of four call center agents.
This is to validate and ensure the reliability of data from the survey questionnaires, and
enrich the information through the existence of nonverbal and the presence of follow-up
questions that will be pertinent once the interview schedule is conducted.
D. RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
The researcher administered a survey questionnaire that comprises 82 questions for
the quantitative aspect or Phase 1 of the study. The questions that were used are a
combination of questionnaires that the researcher made and found online. The
Organizational Culture Assessment Questionnaire by Cameron & Quinn (2010), Quality of
Work Life: Scale and Validation Questionnaire by Nanjundeswaraswamy, Rashmi & Swamy
(2015), and the Peer Advisor Network Organizational Assessment Questionnaire (2010) will
be utilized by the researcher for the study but with minor modifications. The survey was
divided into three (3) main parts: (1) Level of Immersion; (2) Reasons for Immersion; and
(3) Perceived Importance of Immersion. Questions pertaining to the Metrics for Job
Satisfaction were also devised and divided into six (6) parts: (1) Relationship with
Supervisor; (2) Relationship with Co-Workers; (3) Quality of Work Life; (4) Conditions
of Work; (5) Remunerations and Rewards; and (6) Professionalism. The first 23
E B L A C A S | 55
questions focused on how well or how deep in level an outsourced worker has adjusted to
the company’s corporate culture and how this impacts job satisfaction. It aimed to know the
assessment of the organization they are working in. The next nine (9) questions revolved
around the reasons behind an outsourced workers immersion into the company’s corporate
culture and how this is posited towards job satisfaction. The third part, comprising of eight
(8) questions, sought to know how an outsourced worker’s perception of immersion affects
his or her job satisfaction. Metrics for Job Satisfaction were also devised in order to help
substantiate the findings. Six (6) questions that revolved around an outsourced worker’s
relationship with his or her supervisor were also explored. Another nine (9) delved into an
outsourced workers relationship with his or her co-workers. Five (5) questions were
formulated to explore an outsourced worker’s quality of work life while ten (10) questions
were focused on the conditions of work. In addition, five (5) questions were constructed for
the remunerations and rewards an outsourced worker receives, if any. Lastly, 12 questions
were formulated to address professionalism in the workplace. The respondents answered
these 82 items in the form of a Likert Scale (Appendix A).
For the Phase 2, the researcher formulated and conducted one interview schedule
for four (4) key informants, a copy of which is provided in Appendix B. The participants were
chosen based on the scores of the conducted survey during the Phase 1 of the study. Those
who obtained the highest and the lowest scores from both the independent and dependent
variables were chosen. Detailed profiles of these respondents are presented in the
succeeding chapters.
The interview schedule with four (4) informants included fifteen (15) guide questions.
The first five (5) centered on the employee’s perception of job satisfaction through the
process of immersing into the company’s corporate culture. The final (10) expounded on the
E B L A C A S | 56
perceived importance of immersing into the corporate culture of company X, level by level,
as prescribed by Schein, and its relation and effect on job satisfaction.
E. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
The researcher requested information on the complete roster of the outsourced
employees of Company X, which included their names and job description. The metrics for
job satisfaction, and the respective scores of each respondent in each metric formulated
were also gathered. The survey questionnaires were administered to the chosen sample
(n=35) for this study. The accomplished forms were saved in a Microsoft Excel® file. The
two (2) respondents who gained the lowest and highest scores in all independent and
dependent variables served as part of the key informants in the study. This is to ensure that
the information gathered are rich in both substance and content. Quantitative data gathered
from these respondents included from correlation analyses which were done through the
use of Statistical Analysis System (SAS) which utilized the CORR Procedure. Pearson’s r at
the 95% confidence level (p <= 0.05) served as baseline for the analyses of the data.
For the second phase of the study, four (4) key informants were personally
interviewed using the guide questions that were formulated by the researcher. From the
respondent’s answers, the researcher asked follow-up questions and subsequently, derived
plausible conclusions. Findings from this interview expounded on the data that were
gathered from the survey questionnaires.
The researcher made use of the SAS System, specifically the CORR Procedure. As
for the four (4) informants that were chosen for the scheduled interview, they paved the way
for substantiating the numerical findings and other pertinent details that were asked for in
the study.
E B L A C A S | 57
F. LIMITATIONS
As made clear in the first few chapters of the study, this dealt with how immersion
into the corporate culture of companies correlates with job satisfaction, through interviews
and survey. It did not look on other factors such as the quality of relationships an outsourced
worker must have with his or her co-workers. It also did not look on the degree by which
companies are affected by this immersion. Moreover, the researcher cannot assure that
such sample can assure the well-representation of the entire population being studied,
particularly because a majority of the questions are centered on opinions and personal
characteristics. As mentioned in the first chapter, findings generated by the study could not
be generalized as true or valid for other companies. This is due to the fact that it heavily
deals with individual-related variables which evidently vary from one subject to another.
E B L A C A S | 58
CHAPTER V. DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION
In this chapter, the main problem of the study which is to determine how immersion
into the corporate culture of companies is related to the job satisfaction of employees is
answered through the presentation and analyses of obtained quantitative data, as
substantiated by the interviews. Correlations among the variables as stated in the fourth
objective of the undertaken research (refer to Chapter 1) were also discussed.
A. PUTTING IT ALL IN CONTEXT
Teletech Holdings, Inc., established on December 22, 2004 in the Philippines, is a
leading global business processes outsourcing (BPO) company that provides full range of
front-to-back office outsourced solutions. With operations in over 18 countries and on nearly
every continent, Teletech Holdings, Inc., manages over 3.5 million interactions in over 29
languages around the world via phone, internet, e-mail, and other media. They perform all
of the business critical support processes which include: complex customer management,
direct sales and marketing, training development and delivery, recruiting, staffing, and
workforce management, loan processing, benefits and claims administration, vendor
management, payroll administration, and e-commerce. Teletech provides outsourced
solutions to the following outsourced industries: (1) Healthcare; (2) Retail; (3) Financial
Services; (4) Communications and Media; (5) Government; (6) Travel and Hospitality; and
(7) Automotive.
Over the years, Teletech has seen periods of explosive growth, with a continuous
increase in clients, branches, and employees here in the Philippines. Presently, it still
functions as a 24/7/365 operation since 2004. Currently, Teletech has 14 locations across
the Philippines and serves around 100 clients with approximately 48,000 employees in 18
E B L A C A S | 59
countries. Teletech in the Philippines uses English and Spanish as their primary medium of
communication.
The study’s milieu is centered on an inbound call center program for Company X.
Company X is a client of Teletech Holdings, Inc. This particular client is one of their oldest,
being in business with them since 2005. Teletech Holdings, Inc. supplies this client with
project-based contract employees, assigned to four distinct departments: Classic Email,
Digital Chat, Customer Service, and Digital Support Team. Among the four departments, the
respondents all came from the Digital Support Team whose role is to give instructions on
troubleshooting solutions to their customers, To elaborate, the Digital Support Team handles
inbound calls to help customers navigate their way on their devices, most especially how to
download or purchase an electronic book (E-book). Most of the calls received by the Digital
Support team are from adults in the United States, with ages ranging from 43 years old – 65
years old.
Phase 1 (Quantitative Aspect)
The sample was comprised of 35 purposively selected individuals from Company X.
Of this group, 13 are males, and 22 are females. All are under the Digital Support Team.
The average age of the informants is 24.94 with the youngest informant being 19 years old
and the oldest, 38. Majority of the respondents belongs to the Millennial generation or those
belonging to the age range 21-35. Moreover, the respondents’ average score for their length
working for Company X is expressed in years is at 1.84. Save for three, the rest had prior
call center experience even before working for Company X.
Out of the 35, four (4) were selected to be the key respondents of the study.
Justifications for choosing will be explained later in the study. The key informants’
backgrounds are a mélange. One is a fresh graduate of BA Office Administration from the
E B L A C A S | 60
Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP); one respondent has a degree in BA
Organizational Communication from the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM); the
other has a degree of BS Mechanical Engineering at the Technological Institute of the
Philippines; and one is still an undergraduate student at the University of the Philippines
Manila (UPM). Three out of four informants have been employed in another call center
located in Manila prior to their stint as an agent working for Teletech. One of the
respondents have been working for Teletech’s client, Company X for five years, and is now
on tenure. One of the key informants has described herself as a “call center virgin” meaning
that she has no prior experience at all when it comes to how things are done in a BPO
company. They heavily rely on their coworkers and supervisors for guidance. Two of the key
informants have held blue-collar jobs prior to their present employment, with the gamut of
jobs ranging from a service crew at a fast food chain, to a department store clerk.
Table 2 presents the summary of the demographic profile of the respondents.
AGE (in years)
Frequency
Distribution
Mean
Standard Deviation
18-22 15 20.87 0.99
23-28 14 25.64 1.45
29-36 4 31.75 1.26
37-42 2 37 0
Number of Years in
the Profession
Frequency
Distribution
Mean
Standard Deviation
Less than a year 10 0.63 0.39
1-2 years 8 1.77 0.37
3-5 years 13 3.45 0.51
5 years or more 4 5 0
Number of Years
Working For Company X
Less than a year 15 0.53 0.19
E B L A C A S | 61
1-2 years 9 1.74 0.43
3-5 years 9 3.44 0.53
5 years or more 2 5 0
Table 2. Summary of Demographic Information of Respondents (N=35)
Phase 2 (As supplemented by interviews)
The researcher supplemented information from the administered survey
questionnaires for the study‘s second phase through conducting personal interviews (refer
to Chapter 4). In order to do such, four (4) informants were purposively selected: three (3)
were derived through the initial phases of data gathering from the total sample while the
remaining one (1) was chosen due to her length of stay and knowledge of how the
workplace operates.
The four (4) informants who were derived from the sample, and shall be referred to
as Respondent # 12, Respondent # 14, Respondent # 22, and Respondent #26 in the
SEX
Percent
Male 13 37.14
Female 22 62.86
Educational Attainment
Frequency Distribution
PERCENT
Elementary Graduate 1 2.86
High School Diploma 3 8.57
Vocational 5 14.29
College Graduate 26 74.29
I live
Alone 11 31.43
with wife/husband 11 31.43
with wife/ husband & children
10 28.57
With Extended Family/relatives
2 5.71
Other 1 .86
E B L A C A S | 62
succeeding sections of the study, were chosen for their scores in the immersion part of the
survey, and their overall scores for the metrics of job satisfaction which are considered to be
outstanding among their respective age groups and colleagues. Furthermore, Respondent #
12 and Respondent # 22 prove to be the youngest and oldest serving employees of
Company X, respectively. Such was done to enable the researcher to gain perspectives
regarding the matter from both the youngest (18-25) and oldest (37-42). Respondent #14
was chosen since he has one of the highest scores for immersion and the metrics for job
satisfaction, respectively. Respondent # 26 was chosen due to her length of stay and
knowledge of how the workplace operates.
Table 3 below shows the profiles of all five (5) informants of the study, and the main
justification for their being selected.
INFORMANT
AGE
JUSTIFICATION FOR
INTERVIEW
Respondent # 12 19 Has the shortest time working for Company X (8 months)
Scored high in the level of immersion part of the survey
Has a high score in the metrics for job satisfaction
Youngest employee
Respondent # 14 23 Has a high score on all metrics for job satisfaction
Has a moderately high score on the immersion part of the survey
Respondent # 22 38 Has an average score on Immersion
Has an average score on all metrics for job satisfaction
E B L A C A S | 63
Table 3. Interviewee Profiles and Justification for their Selection as Key Informants
B. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS OF RESPONDENT SCORES
Other information regarding immersion obtained in the study include the length of time
(expressed in years) in the profession as call center agents. This was deemed important by
the researcher since this will shed light on how their experiences affect the immersion
process, and in turn, have an effect on job satisfaction. In addition, this part will also talk
about the length of time the respondents have been working for Company X. This
information will be vital in identifying how deep in level the agents are when it comes to
immersing into the company’s corporate culture. Some descriptive statistics are presented
below to provide background about the characteristics of the data gathered:
A majority of the study participants have been working for Company X longer than most
of their coworkers. 13 respondents or 37% of the total sample, have been in service for 3-5
years. 10 respondents or 29% of the study answered that they have been working for less
than a year for Company X.
Figure 5 below summarizes the results of the findings.
Oldest employee
Respondent # 26 27 Exhibits adequate knowledge of how the workplace operates
Has the longest time working for Company X (5 years)
Has a high score in the immersion part of the survey
Has a high score in job satisfaction
E B L A C A S | 64
Figure 5. Descriptive Statistics of Survey Responses for Years in the Profession (N=35)
Moreover, findings show that 43% or 15 respondents have been working for Company X
for less than a year. Only 2 respondents or 6% of the study sample have been working for
Company X or more than 5 years. The average mean score of the length working for
Company X is 1.85 years.
Figure 6 below summarizes the results of the findings.
.
Figure 6. Descriptive Statistics of Survey Responses for Years in Company X (N=35)
E B L A C A S | 65
C. IMMERSION AS A COPING MECHANISM
To reiterate, there are three (3) independent variables examined in the study: 1)
Level of Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture; 2) Reasons for Immersion
into the Company’s Corporate Culture; and 3) Perceived Importance of Immersion into
the Company’s Corporate Culture.
1) Level of Immersion
Schein (2004) explains that though the essence of a group's culture is its pattern of
shared, basic taken for granted assumptions, the culture will manifest itself at the level of
observable artifacts and shared espoused values, norms, and rules of behavior.
Furthermore, in analyzing cultures, it is important to recognize that artifacts are easy to
observe but difficult to decipher and that espoused beliefs and values may only reflect
rationalizations or aspirations. To understand a group's culture, one must attempt to get at
its shared basic assumptions and understand the learning process by which such basic
assumptions evolve. This attempt is explained through the level by level design of
immersion made by the researcher.
For the first independent variable, the researcher has formulated the following matrix
which presents the ratings and their corresponding scores that shall be used in the study.
Table 4. Ratings and their Corresponding Scores for Level of Immersion
RATING
SCORE
REMARKS
High 3.10-4.0 Able to clearly tell/identify the corporate culture of the
company; sees immersion as a need for job satisfaction;
Medium 2.20-3.09 Has a fairly adequate knowledge of the company’s
E B L A C A S | 66
corporate culture; sees immersion as merely a factor that influence job satisfaction;
Low Below 2.20 Has a basic, although not substantial understanding of
the company’s corporate culture; sees immersion as a need to only be acquainted of the organization’s functions;
A majority of the respondents scored between the ranges of 3.29-3.69, an overall
rating of high. Table 5 below presents the summary of responses on a per-item basis of
the questionnaire for Level of Immersion.
STATEMENTS
N
Frequency Distribution
Descriptives
SA
A
D
SD
Mean
Standard Deviation
1. The organization is a very personal place. It is like an extended family. People seem to share a lot of themselves
35
25 9 1 0 3.69 0.53
2. The goals of this organization are clearly stated.
35 19 15 1 0 3.51 0.56
3. This organization’s leaders effectively help fulfill our goals
35 15 20 0 0 3.43 0.50
4. The organization is very results oriented. A major concern is with getting the job done. People are very competitive and achievement oriented.
35 20 15 0 0 3.57 0.50
5. The organization is a very controlled and structured place. Formal procedures generally govern what people do.
35 21 13 1 0 3.57 0.56
6. The leadership in the organization is generally considered to exemplify mentoring, facilitating, or nurturing
35 19 14 2 0 3.49 0.61
E B L A C A S | 67
7. The leadership in the organization is generally considered to exemplify a no-nonsense, aggressive, results-oriented focus
35 15 20 0 0 3.43 0.50
8. The leadership in the organization is generally considered to exemplify coordinating, organizing, or smooth-running efficiency
35 14 19 1 1 3.31 0.68
9. The management style in the organization is characterized by teamwork, consensus, and participation.
35 16 17 2 0 3.4 0.60
10. The management style in the organization is characterized by individual risk-taking, innovation, freedom, and uniqueness
35 19 14 2 0 3.49 0.61
11. The management style in the organization is characterized by security of employment, conformity, predictability, and stability in relationships.
35 16 14 4 1 3.29 0.79
12. The glue that holds the organization together is loyalty and mutual trust. Commitment to this organization runs high.
35 16 17 2 0 3.4 0.60
13. The glue that holds the organization together is commitment to innovation and development. There is an emphasis on being on the cutting edge
35 18 15 2 0 3.46 0.61
14. The glue that holds the organization together is the emphasis on achievement and goal accomplishment. Aggressiveness and winning are common themes
35 18 17 0 0 3.51 0.51
15. The glue that holds the organization together is
35 18 17 0 0 3.51 0.51
E B L A C A S | 68
formal rules and policies. Maintaining a smooth-running organization is important.
16. The organization emphasizes human development. High trust, openness, and participation persist.
35 17 16 2 0 3.43 0.61
17. The organization emphasizes acquiring new resources and creating new challenges. Trying new things and prospecting for opportunities are valued.
35 17 15 3 0 3.4 0.65
18. The organization emphasizes competitive actions and achievement. Hitting stretch targets and winning in the marketplace are dominant.
35 14 19 2 0 3.34 0.59
19. The organization emphasizes permanence and stability. Efficiency, control and smooth operations are important
35 16 15 4 0 3.34 0.68
20. The organization defines success on the basis of the development of human resources, teamwork, employee commitment, and concern for people.
35 13 20 2 0 3.31 0.58
21. The organization defines success on the basis of having the most unique or newest products. It is a product leader and innovator
35 21 12 2 0 3.54 0.61
22. The organization defines success on the basis of winning in the marketplace and outpacing the competition. Competitive market leadership is key.
35 18 17 0 0 3.51 0.51
23. The organization defines success on the basis of
35 19 15 1 0 3.51 0.56
E B L A C A S | 69
efficiency. Dependable delivery, smooth scheduling and low-cost production are critical.
COMPOSITE
35
3.45
0.59
Table 5. Descriptive Statistics of Scores on a Per-item Basis for Level of Immersion (N=35)
The per-item analysis above shows that majority of the respondents are able to
clearly tell the corporate culture of Company X as an organization with clearly defined goals,
and has a management style that is characterized by security of employment, predictability,
conformity, and stability in work relationships. Item # 11 is has the most varied response
since it has a Standard Deviation of 0.79. Moreover, the results show that the respondents
are able to tell that Company X is a very controlled and structured place and that formal
procedures generally govern what people do. The leadership in the organization is generally
considered to exemplify coordinating, organizing, or smooth-running efficiency as validated
by Respondent #26 who said:
“Very relaxed. Mayroon kasi kaming open door policy na tinatawag. Yung Admin offices…wala actually na offices, cubicles lang…nasa same level as all the employees in the production floor. So ineencourage talaga open communication. Bukod pa dun, may [we have] weekly business reviews, sessions and huddles, open forums, tapos [and also,] weekly scheduled meetings. [Very relaxed. We have what we call, an “open door” policy. Instead of the usual office, our Admin Offices are usually just composed of cubicles. These are in the same level as all the employees in the production floor. That’s why they highly encourage open communication. In addition to that, we have weekly business reviews, sessions and huddles, open forums, and also weekly scheduled meetings.]”
Table 6 below summarizes the results for the mentioned variable with its
corresponding value in the matrix provided.
E B L A C A S | 70
scorers Respondent #
lowest 2.5455 4th
highest 4.0000 10th
medium 3.5000 2nd, 9th, 12th, 25th, 34th
Frequency according to ratings %
Low 0 0
Medium 5 14.29
High 30 85.71
Table 6. Descriptive Statistics of Survey Responses to Level of Immersion (N=35)
From the results above, 85.71% of the respondents have scored high in the level of
immersion. This means that 30 respondents consider themselves as able to clearly
tell/identify the corporate culture of the company; sees immersion as a need for job
satisfaction and are in the third level of the proposed conceptual framework. Five (5)
respondents or 14.29% scored Medium meaning they have a fairly adequate knowledge of
the company’s corporate culture; see immersion as merely a factor that influence job
satisfaction, and are in the second level of the proposed framework. Surprisingly, none of
the respondents scored low in this part of the survey. Thus, this goes to say that their length
of time working for Company X has no relationship with their level of immersion into the
corporate culture of Company X. The number of years working for Company X is just a
number for this does not affect the quality of immersion. Respondent # 12, who has only
been working for 8 months, validates this claim. She responds:
“Ay, no. For me po kasi wala talagang effect yung length. Nasa gaano ka kadalas siguro mag-effort mag-immerse. Kasi for me, 8 months on the job per I can say na nakaadapt na ako sa culture ng company – pero syempre ongoing process pa rin With regard sa the higher the level, the higher the job satisfaction, para sa akin, oo Mas satisfied ako kapag alam kong alam ko how the way things are in the organization. Simpleng goals and objectives, pag-observe sa rules, pagsunod sa instruction ng TL mo, that it in itself for me is immersion. And yes, tumataas job satisfaction. Pero sa ngayon, since 8 months pa lang ako di pa siya ganun katas. Alam kong may itataas pa Depende yan eh. [No. For me, the length has no effect. It’s probably based on how I frequently put an effort to immerse. Because for me, 8 months on the job but I can say that I have adapted into the culture of the company –
E B L A C A S | 71
but of course, an onging process. With regard to the assumption, the higher the level, the higher the job satisfaction, for me, I do agree with that. I am more satisfied if I know how the way things are in the organization. Simply adhering to the goals and objectives, observation rules, and following the instruction of your TL, that it in itself for me is immersion. And yes, job satisfaction increases. So far, since I have only been working here for 8 months, it’s not yet that high. I know that it is bound to increase. It really depends.]”
Respondent # 14, who has the highest score in the level of immersion, has been a
call center agent for 3 years and has been working for Company X for one year, says that:
“My experience and yung panahon na nagtatrabaho ako para sa client are merely factors lang siguro for my immersion. Hindi talaga siya depende sa hinaba or iniksi Para sa akin, sa isang taon ko dito, yung pag-immerse ko sa corporate culture combined efforts ko, ng mga katrabaho ko, at ng kumpanya. If you feel valued – na ramdam ko naman dito—then everything follows. And siguro dahil second call center job ko na to in two years, mas nadadalian ako. Oo, magkakaibang kumpanya, magkakaibang corporate culture, pero para sa akin, same process – ganun lang. At, oo for me the higher the level, higher the satisfaction. I love my job maski paulit-ulit. Maganda trato sayo ng katrabaho mo, Malaki sweldo, maraming incentives. Nakakagana magtrabaho. [My experience and the time I have spent working for the client are merely factors for my immersion. It doesn’t depend on how long or short a time I’ve worked here. For me, in my one year of working here, my immersion into the to the combined efforts that I make, my coworkers make, and that of the company’s. If you feel valued –which I feel here —then everything follows. And since this is my second call center job in two years, things are easier for me. Yes, different companies, different corporate cultures, but for me, it’s the same process – as simple as that. And yes, I personally believe that the the assumption, the higher the level the higher the satisfaction is true. I love my job even if sometimes the tasks get a bit monotonous and repetitive. They treat me nicely here. The pay here is nice, and we get a lot of incentives. It makes me want to work better.]”
Respondent # 26, who has five (5) years of call center experience, has been working
for company X for five (5) years, and who has already acquired her tenure, scored medium
(3.5) in the level of immersion part of the survey. She says:
“Five years is a long time in call center life and masasabi ko namang I have completely immersed with the corporate culture of our client because I do it every single day. Nagmamatter yung time for me, it’s just that for me, I tend to be completely focused in my work rather than in my surroundings. As for the satisfaction I job, I can say that it fluctuates. May araw na super motivated ako, super satisfied pero parang monotonous na yung ginagawa mo. May human variable pa rin talaga yan. Walang problema sa pag-immerse sa corp culture ng client, madali na lang yun for me. Pero to sustain one’s satisfaction in their jobs, in my case, siguro depende talaga. Don’t get me wrong – I like working here. I like the people here, the
E B L A C A S | 72
environment, yung sahod…pero siguro over the years, standards changes. Natural lang naman yun sa tao, lalo na I’ve been here for 5 years. Regardless of that naman, I can honestly say na I’m familiar with the SOPs here, protocols, jargon, ganyan….mga bawal, pwede – dress code – lahat – even with my eyes closed. [Five years is a long time in call center life and I can say that I have completely immersed with the corporate culture of our client because I do it every single day. Length of time working here matters for me. It’s just that, I tend to be more focused in my work rather than my surroundings. As for the satisfaction I job, I can say that it fluctuates. There are days when I feel really motivated and super satisfied but I also feel that what I do here is becoming monotonous. The human variable will always be present. There is no problem when it comes to immersion into the corporate culture of the client, that’s easy for me. But to sustain one’s satisfactions in their jobs, in my case, it really depends. . Don’t get me wrong – I like working here. I like the people here, the environment, the pay…but probably over the years, standards changes. I think that’s very natural, especially I have been working for this client for 5 years. Regardless of all these, I can honestly say that I’m familiar with the SOPs, protocols, jargon, among others. I am knowledgeable of what is allowed and what isn’t – may it be in wearing the proper dress codes or other things – even with my eyes closed.]”
From the quantitative results above, we can infer that the length of time working for
Company X is not related to the level of immersion. As supplemented by the interviews, the
level of immersion increases because of the quality of the working environment, relationship
with coworkers and supervisors, and cannot be solely attributed to how long or how short
the time working for Company X is. As substantiated by the respondents’ answers, they view
their level of immersion as merely a factor in adapting to their jobs. Immersion is their way of
coping with their environment and the people in it. Moreover, this section proves that
regardless of the length working for Company X, they are bound to immerse, no matter
what. It can be said that this is a natural phenomenon that is happening in all organizations,
not just in Company X.
Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture, as mentioned in Chapter 3, explained how
culture is affected by behavior through the process of internal integration. This internal
integration process, as reiterated in the previous chapters, is immersion. Because corporate
cultures are pervasive and subterranean, the levels designed by the researcher aim to know
if these are applicable in the BPO industry. Results show that the employees exhibit the first
E B L A C A S | 73
level of culture, artifacts, which are the visible organizational structures and processes such
as dress codes, names and titles of people, formality or informality in speaking, working
hours, level of technology utilized, and the physical layout of workspaces. Going deeper to
the second level, are the underlying values that help determine behavior. These are the
unwritten rules in the organization, which, as supplied by the interviews, are pervasive in the
organization and that the outsourced workers are able to quickly pick up. Examples are
slogans and mottos, mission statement or code of ethics, statement about commitment to
excellence (customer service, etc.) and overt and professed beliefs about how employees
and customers are treated. The deepest level, which consists of the fundamental
assumptions, are values that become taken for granted. This is the core and essence of
cultures in organizations. Insofar as the quantitative findings and information obtained from
the interviews suggest, the outsourced employees of Company X seem to be well-grounded
in the organization’s culture regardless of the length of time spent working for the company.
This is very interesting since quality is given much more importance than the quantity (i.e.
how long or how short).
More than immersing level by level into the organization, the interview results yield that
immersion is used by the agents as their coping mechanism to the corporate environment of
the company. Respondent #22, who has prior experiences as an agent in other BPO
companies explained that:
“This is the third BPO Company I have worked in. I’ve been in the business since 2008. Every organization has a different culture and sometimes you can’t help but mix it all up. Immersing became my coping mechanism…it made things easier, but it’s not something that just happens. You have to make it happen.”
E B L A C A S | 74
Respondent #14 adds:
“…there are some days when you feel overwhelmed by the clientele’s rules and specific policies…add the cultural barriers between you and the client then that makes it more challenging. Immersion eased it for me…I was able to cope, little by little.”
D. IMMERSION AS A MOTIVATION TO ADAPTING IN ORGANIZATIONS
Reasons for immersion into the corporate culture of companies are further categorized
into four (4), as presented in the statement of the problem and objectives (refer to Chapter
1). These are: 1) Socializing or Belonging; 2) Productivity; 3) Self-fulfillment; and 4)
Commitment and Identification. They are grouped into different items in the survey
questionnaire, and were rated in the form of a Likert Scale (see Appendix A). Items 1 and 2
fall under Socialization and Belonging Category while items 5 and 8 belong to the
Productivity Category. Items 4, 7 and 3, 6 belong to the Self-fulfilment and Commitment and
Identification categories, respectively.
Among the four (4), Productivity and Socialization or Belonging motivations gathered the
highest average scores of responses. The mean score for both is 3.53 – figures that are not
considerably high in comparison to 3.52 for Commitment and Identification and 3.34 for Self-
fulfilment. Table 7 below summarizes the results.
CATEGORY
MEAN
STANDARD DEVIATION
Socialization or Belonging 3.53 0.53
Productivity 3.53 0.56
Self-fulfillment 3.39 0.52
Commitment and Identification 3.52 0.51
Table 7. Summary of Results for Reasons for Immersion
E B L A C A S | 75
For this part of the survey item 7, “Overall, I immerse into the corporate culture of the
company I work in because it makes me feel satisfied with my job garnered the highest SD
of 0.61 which means that this is high. Therefore, it can be derived from the data below that
all the provided motivations for immersion lead to job satisfaction. Apart from this, the
researcher thinks that based from the quantitative findings, all reasons provided are vital for
a person’s immersion into the corporate culture of companies. Table 8 below presents the
summary of responses on a per-item basis of the questionnaire for Reasons for Immersion
STATEMENTS
N
Frequency Distribution
Descriptives
SA
A
D
SD
Mean
Standard Deviation
Socialization or Belonging
1. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in to feel connected with my boss or supervisor
35 22 13 0 0 3.63 0.49
2. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in to feel connected with my co-workers
35 16 18 1 0 3.43 0.56
Commitment and Identification
3. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because I want to feel acquainted with how they do things here
35 19 16 0 0 3.54 0.51
4. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it eradicates the notion of outsourced workers being outsiders
35 17 18 0 0 3.49 0.51
E B L A C A S | 76
Self-Fulfilment
5. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it gives me a sense of purpose (i.e. to work harder, work smarter)
35 12 23 0 0 3.34 0.48
6. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work because it allows me to feel that my work and contributions are valued
35 16 18 1 0 3.43 0.56
Productivity
7. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it helps me accomplish my personal, professional, and organizational goals
35 22 12 1 0 3.6 0.55
8. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company because it allows me to feel empowered
35 17 17 1 0 3.46 0.56
9.
9. Overall, I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it makes me feel satisfied with my job
35 19 14 2 0 3.49 0.61
COMPOSITE
35
3.49
0.54
Table 8. Descriptive Statistics of Scores on a Per-item Basis for Reasons for
Immersion (N=35)
These figures prove that immersion has more or less been the respondent’s way of
adapting into the culture of corporate culture of companies. The researcher deems this
E B L A C A S | 77
highly significant in the BPO context where the notion of outsiders is still prevalent. These
numbers are verified and expounded by statements from the informants. In response to the
question, “Why is there a need to immerse into the corporate culture of organizations?”
Respondent # 26 said:
“In order to have an understanding how things are done here, how the system operates, you need to immerse into the culture, the affairs of the organization. Why? It’s because of things: First, to learn. Second, to work better and feel satisfied…that’s how I see it.”
Respondent # 14 adds:
“I personally think that to immerse is not just to adapt – but to learn. And yes, I agree na need siya. Pero bakit nga di ba? Sa akin kasi ang nakikita ko, you need to not because you should but you must. Must yan sa bawat companies – lalo na sa BPOs. You won’t survive a year kapag wala yan or kapag di mo ginawa. [I personally think that to immerse is not just to adapt – but to learn. And yes, I agree that it is needed. But why? From what I can see, you need to not because you should but you must. That [immersion] is a must in every company – especially BPOs. You won’t survive a year if you don’t make an effort or at least try to do it.]”
Respondent #22 replied with a similar answer:
“Basically, it’s needed because it helps life easier for us outsourced workers. Lalo na our client is from the US, the rules there apply to us here. May dress code sa mother company sa US so dito sa branch sa Pilipinas ganun din. Hindi naman ganun kastrict si client, unlike sa Verizon or Amazon. Pero we need to immerse – we need to adapt not just for our sake pero for the client na rin. Para productive ako, para naman naipapakita kong I am doing my part. [Basically, it’s needed because it helps life easier for us outsourced workers. Most especially our client is based in the US, the rules there apply to us here. The mother company has a dress code branch here in the Philippines must adhere to this rule. The client I work for isn’t very strict, unlike that of Verizon or Amazon. Regardless of that, we need to immerse – we need to adapt not just for our sake, but for the client’s as well. This effort (to immerse) makes me feel productive. It enables me to show that I am doing my part.]”
He adds as a response to the succeeding question of “What benefits do you get from
immersing into the corporate culture of company X?”:
“Siguro sa professional benefits, marami. Example na lang is when it comes to my work ethics. I tend to align it with that of the client’s. Kay client kasi, they put a high
E B L A C A S | 78
regard for quality – both on how we treat our customers and sa calls that we make. It has a very big influence on how I do my job. Nadala ko na over time. Sa personal benefits, I could say na mas naramdaman kong part ako ng organization – na I belong. It’s both an individual and organizational effort eh. You immerse because you need to, para naman di ka loner di ba. And sa amin kasi, the client we work for helps us adapt sa through culture orientation. Hindi lang kami basta nagtatrabaho. Parte na kami ng organization. [I can say that there are a lot of professional benefits. An example is when it comes to my work ethics. I tend to align it with that of the client’s. The client company puts a high regard for quality – both on how we treat the customers and on the calls that we make. It has a very big influence on how I do my job. It has since been a part of how I go about my job. For the personal benefits, I could say that I felt that I was part of the organization – that I belong. It’s both an individual and organizational effort. You immerse because you need to. No one wants to be a loner, right? The client we work for helps us adapt through culture orientation. We don’t just work there. We are part of the organization.]”
Respondent # 12 responds with similar statements:
“Benefits…sa pampersonal siguro I feel that I belong. Hindi na ako nahihirapan makitungo sa mga tao, sa supervisor, sa rules, sa kung how they operate… More than that, self fulfilment na rin siguro. I feel that I don’t work well if I am left out. So conscious effort rin talaga on our part – on my part, since 8 months pa lang ako dito. I know I still have a lot to learn. [For the personal benefits, I can say that it helped me feel that I belong. I don’t experience any difficulties when it comes to interacting with the people, my supervisor, the rules and how the company operates. More than that, I’d say part of the personal benefits is a sense of self-fulfillment. I feel that I don’t work well if I am left out. So, it is really a conscious effort on our part – on my part since I have only been here for 8 months. I know I still have a lot to learn.]”
Respondent #26 was asked the question, “How does immersion impact your job
satisfaction?”
“Medyo agree ako sa binigay mong reasons for immersion because ang endgame niya for me is satisfaction, nonetheless. You belong, you identify yourself with the group, you socialize, you become productive…and you feel fulfilled if you immerse – yes, in my case kuha mo siya. Siguro immersion impacts job satisfaction by becoming itself the end. Gets ba? I mean, ako for example, I immerse sa corporate culture ng company kasi it gives me the satisfaction I need to go about the daily volume of calls – which is 120, on average. Dami ‘di ba? Alam ko naman yung reason bat ako nandito and dahil siguro yun so effort ko na maging part ng organization – di madali yun ha lalo na BPO ‘to... Pero so far, masasabi ko Malaki ang impact. Super. [I do agree with the given choices for the reasons for immersion because the endgame of this for me is satisfaction, nonetheless. You belong, you identify yourself with the group, you socialize, you become productive…and you feel fulfilled if you immerse – yes, in my case, you got it right. I think that immersion impacts job satisfaction by becoming in itself the end. Do you get me? I mean, take me as an example, I immerse into the corporate culture of the company because it gives me the satisfaction I need to go about the daily volume of calls – which is 120,
E B L A C A S | 79
on average. That’s quite a lot, right? I know the reason why I’m here and that’s probably because I made an effort to be part of this organization –and that’s not easy, especially I work in a BPO company. But so far, I can say that it has a very big impact.]”
Respondent # 12 adds:
“For newcomers in the BPO industry such as myself, I’d say that it has helped me a lot…adapt to the norms...expectations. Sa satisfaction in jobs, yes, it had a huge effect. Medyo acquainted na ako sa company culture so it’s easier. A lot easier. [“For newcomers in the BPO industry such as myself, I’d say that it has helped me a lot…adapt to the norms...expectations. For the satisfaction in jobs, yes, it also has a huge effect. I am now acquainted with the company culture so it’s easier. A lot easier.]”
Based from the quantitative findings and the interview results above, all the provided
motivations or reasons for immersion are necessary factors of the agents’ satisfaction in
their jobs. Apart from these, the interview questions revealed that immersion, more than just
a process, is seen as their way of adapting to the company’s corporate culture. The four
aforementioned categories are more or less the reason why they immerse into the
organization. Through this process of internal integration and external adaption, job
satisfaction is achieved.
Although varied answers were obtained, this section of the survey generally yielded
a positive result. Findings also revealed that immersion into the corporate culture of
Company X has with it personal and professional benefits, based from the key informants’
answers. Overall, the respondents seem to project affirmative responses for both the phase
1 and phase 2 of the study.
E B L A C A S | 80
E. EXTENT OF INFLUENCE AND IMPACT OF IMMERSION TO JOB SATISFACTION
Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory proposed that there are two different
categories of needs, which are intrinsic (motivators) and extrinsic (hygiene) factors. This
theory postulates that job satisfaction and/or is dissatisfaction is the function of two need
systems. Intrinsic factors are related to the job itself and seem to positively influence job
satisfaction.
For this study, the researcher focused on Herzberg’s motivation factors since these
are said to lead to job satisfaction. The researcher took the liberty to add immersion to the
existing pool of motivators as a putative variable that links organizational culture and job
satisfaction. Immersion, as proven in the results above, serves as the transition through
which an outsourced worker attains or achieves job satisfaction.
Findings for the third dimension of the independent variable, “Perceived Importance of
Immersion” is deemed as significant. The composite mean of respondent scores is at 3. 51
which indicates a high score. Most of the items gathered a significant amount of responses
for Strongly Agree (SA) and Agree (A) in comparison to Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree
(SD). Table 9 below presents the summary of responses on a per-item basis of the
questionnaire for Perceived Importance Immersion.
STATEMENTS
N
Frequency Distribution
Descriptives
SA
A
D
SD
Mean
Standard Deviation
1. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel productive
35 21 14 0 0 3.6 0.50
2. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in gives me a sense of belonging
35 19 15 1 0 3.51 0.56
E B L A C A S | 81
3. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel satisfied with my job
35 16 17 2 0 3.4 0.60
4. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel comfortable
35 20 14 1 0 3.54 0.56
5. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to work well
35 24 10 0 1 3.63 0.65
6. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel connected with the organization’s mission, vision, and goals
35 18 16 0 1 1.46 0.66
7. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to have a healthy relationship with my co-workers and supervisors
35 18 17 0 0 3.51 0.51
8. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel satisfied with my job
35 21 13 1 0 3.57 0.56
COMPOSITE
35
3.53
0.58
Table 9. Descriptive Statistics of Scores on a Per-item Basis for
Perceived Importance of Immersion (N=35)
The extent of influence can be seen in both the quantitative findings and interview
results of the study. The responses are generally positive, implying that immersion is
perceived by the informants as an important factor that influences their job satisfaction.
34/35 respondents agreed that Immersion into the corporate culture of Company X allows
them to feel satisfied with their jobs. The extent of this influence can be supported by
Respondent #14 who said:
E B L A C A S | 82
“Probably it is evident in our daily lives to the extent that it has become some sort of an unspoken rule – nobody has to tell you to do it but when you’re there…you’re on the floor, it just happens.”
Respondent # 12 adds:
“For me, the extent of influence, nakikita mo yun na parang natural na lang na gawin mo. Parang despite the cultural barrier, you immerse kasi para sa’yo din. Importante yun, lalo na project-based pa lang po ako. [For me, the extent of influence is seen when what you do just instantly becomes natural. Despite the cultural barrier, you immerse because you know it’s also for yourself. I do think that’s important, especially since I am still a project-based employee.]”
Respondent # 26 supplied the statement by saying:
“Immersion, well, I’ve to say it’s very important. It influences not only your disposition towards your work but also with how you interact with other people and how you do your job. It’s something that is engrave in our daily life as outsourced employees – mga ganung extent siguro, para sa akin. [that’s the extent of influence for me.]”
Respondent # 22 adds:
“The extent of influence is evident sa pagiging satisfied ko sa trabaho ko. So far, so good. Yun yung maganda dito kay Client, it’s not awkward despite the different cultures [The extent of influence is evident in my being satisfied with my job. So far, so good. That’s one of the best things about the client, it’s not awkward despite the different cultures.]”
Based from the interview results, we can see that Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory
is at play. Aside from the intrinsic factors such as achievement, recognition, work itself,
responsibility, advancement, and growth; and extrinsic factors such as company policy and
administration, supervision, relationship with supervisor, work conditions, salary,
relationships with peers, personal life, relationships with subordinates, status, and security,
they also consider the perceived importance of immersion to have an effect on job
satisfaction. Referring to the conceptual framework proposed in Chapter 3, this seems to be
consistent and yields a positive perception of immersion as a motivator for job satisfaction.
Aside from these, one assumption of the research is: the more an outsourced worker
E B L A C A S | 83
immerse through the three levels of organizational culture, the notion of being outsiders is
replaced with the notion of belonging. This, too is supported by the interview results of the
study. When asked the question, “Did immersion help you change the usual notion of
outsourced workers as outsiders to becoming effective insiders who embody the company’s
corporate culture?”
Respondent # 26 answered with:
“Yes, it betrays you as an outsourced worker – which is something not a lot of clientele approve of – as an outsider. The more immersed you are with the culture affects performance and consequently recognition. Thus, affecting appraisal and career growth and therefore, job satisfaction.”
Respondent # 14 supports this by saying:
“Yes, of course! It certainly has affected my old perception of outsourced workers as outsiders. The more you immerse, the less of this perception strikes you as true.”
Respondent # 12 had a similar response:
Yes po, sobra. [Yes, very much!] It made me feel like an insider na [already] – not the lonely outsider I was months ago!”
Respondent # 22 answered:
“Definitely, yes. Immersion has done me good. Bukod pa diyan, I’d say it help me grow as a person, both sa personally and professionally…pati na rin maturity sa workplace. [Definitely, yes. Immersion has done me good. Aside from that, I’d say it help me grow as a person – both personally and professionally. It also has an effect on my maturity in the workplace.]”
From the responses above, it is quite evident the extent of influence and impact of
immersion to job satisfaction is immense – affecting both the mindset and attitude of the
agents towards their work. Moreover, it is very interesting to note that immersion does
indeed eradicate the notion of being outsiders and has a positive effect when it comes to job
satisfaction.
E B L A C A S | 84
F. METRICS OF JOB SATISFACTION
The metrics of job satisfaction were categorized into six (6) dimensions. These are: 1)
Relationship with Supervisor; 2) Relationship with Co-workers; 3) Quality of Work Life; 4)
Conditions of Work; 5) Remuneration and Rewards; 6) Professionalism. They are grouped
into different sections in the survey questionnaire, and were rated in the form of a Likert
Scale (see Appendix A).
Among the six (6) dimensions, Relationship with Coworkers and Quality of Work Life
garnered the highest average scores of responses. The mean for the former is 3.69 and
3.53 for the latter - figures that are considerably high in comparison to 3.05 for
Remuneration and Rewards and 3.43 for Conditions of Work. Table 10 below shows the
summary of results of the aforementioned metrics for job satisfaction.
CATEGORY
MEAN
STANDARD DEVIATION
Relationship with Supervisor 3.46 0.64
Relationship with Co-workers
3.69 0.49
Quality of Work Life 3.53 0.49
Conditions of Work 3.43 0.50
Remuneration and Rewards 3.05 0.82
Professionalism 3.50 0.51
Table 10. Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction
In order to have a clear understanding of clear understanding of the results, a per-item
basis analysis will we utilized.
E B L A C A S | 85
1. Relationship with Supervisor
Items #1 (My supervisor regularly lets me know what is expected of me in doing my job
effectively) and #6 (My work relationship with my supervisor is factor of satisfaction in my
current job) garnered the most SA and A responses for this particular section. The mean
score for the former is at 3.57 while the latter is at 3.37, which denotes a moderately high
score. Table 11 below shows the summary of responses and scores for Metric for Job
Satisfaction: Relationship with Supervisor
STATEMENTS
N
Frequency Distribution
Descriptives
SA
A
D
SD
Mean
Standard Deviation
1. My supervisor regularly lets me know what is expected of me in doing my job effectively.
35 22 11 2 0 3.57 0.61
2. My supervisor is approachable. S/he guides me on how I go on about my job
35 17 18 0 0 3.49 0.51
3. I get along well with my supervisor
35 19 14 2 0 349 0.61
4. My supervisor gives me the individual help and support I need to do my job effectively
35 18 14 3 0 3.43 0.65
5. Both I and my supervisor respect each other’s opinions.
35 16 18 1 0 3.43 0.56
6. My work relationship with my supervisor is a factor of my satisfaction in my current job
35 20 10 3 2 3.37 0.88
COMPOSITE
35
3.46
0.64
Table 11. Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:
Relationship with Supervisor (N= 35)
E B L A C A S | 86
These figures prove that the agent’s work relationship with their supervisor has an
impact on their job satisfaction. These numbers are verified and expounded by statements
from the four informants. In response to the question, ― Why is it important to have a work
relationship with your supervisor? Respondent # 14 said:
“Mahalaga talaga yan for me kasi I tend to work better—I mean if you now that your supervisor does her job of guiding us agents, panatag loob namin. [I think that’s very important since I tend to work better – I mean if you know that your supervisor does her job of guiding us agents, we feel that we are in good hands.]”
This is also supported by Respondent # 22 who answered,
“Oo, it’s important. Partly because she sees to it that we are guided accordingly…mahirap din kapag wala kang healthy relationship with the people around you – lalo na sa supervisor mo. Yung iba nga sa amin dito, pakiramdam nila na di sila well-guided. I think that’s probably because may something sila against or may issue sila sa kung paano yung approach ng supervisors – lalo na pag one-on-one coaching. [Yes, it’s important. Partly because she sees to it that we are guided accordingly. It’s hard if you don’t have a healthy relationship with the people around you – most especially your supervisor. The others here, they feel that they are not well-guided. I think that’s probably because they have something against or ma have an issue on the supervisor’s approach – especially during our one-on-one coaching sessions.] ”
Respondent # 22 validates this by saying:
“I have to agree with the results no. Kasi, bukod sa coworker mo, importanteng maayos ang work relationship mo sa supervisor, TL, operations manager or sa kung sino man for that matter because working here—working at teletech….working for this client means working with people from all walks of life. Tignan mo dito sa floor namin, may 57 years old, may 20, may single, may married—you don’t choose the people you work with eh. Supervisor man siya o hindi, it is best to always be professional. [I have to agree with the results because aside from your coworkers, it important that you have a healthy work relationship with your supervisor, TL, operations manager or anyone for that matter since working here, working at Teletech, and working for this client means working with people from all walks of life. In our floor, we have coworkers ranging from ages 20-57. Some are married and most are single – you don’t choose the people you work with. He or she may be your supervisor or not, it is best to always be professional.]”
2. Relationship with co-workers
This section yielded generally positive results. Most of the respondents ticked Strongly
Agree (SA) and Agree (A). Their relationship with their coworkers prove to be a vital factor in
E B L A C A S | 87
their satisfaction in their jobs as they each help other adjust in the organization. Table 12
below shows the summary of responses and scores for Metric for Job Satisfaction:
Relationship with Coworker
STATEMENTS
N
Frequency Distribution
Descriptives
SA
A
D
SD
Mean
Standard Deviation
1. My co-workers are very approachable.
35 30 5 0 0 3.86 0.36
2. My co-workers don’t treat me as an outsider even if I am an outsourced employee
35 29 6 0 0 3.83 0.38
3. My co-workers and I share the same interests, personal values, and beliefs
35 26 8 1 0 3.71 0.52
4. I rarely have conflicts with my co-workers
35 22 12 1 0 3.6 0.55
5. Both I and my co-workers and I respect each other’s opinions.
35 22 12 1 0 3.6 0.55
6. I have interactions with my co-workers even outside of work (e.g. going to parties)
35 22 13 0 0 3.63 0.49
7. My co-workers do his/her best in helping me cope with the company’s corporate culture
35 25 8 1 0 3.71 0.52
8. My co-workers and I can talk about anything (e.g. anything outside of work)
35 21 14 0 0 3.6 0.50
9. My work relationship with my co-workers is a factor of my satisfaction in my current job
35 25 10 0 0 3.71 0.46
COMPOSITE
35
3.69
0.49
Table 12. Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:
Relationship with Coworkers (N= 35)
E B L A C A S | 88
Aside from having a healthy work relationship with their supervisors, these agents give
importance on maintaining the bonds they have formed at work. Respondent # 14 said when
asked the question, “How often do you interact with you coworkers?”
“Madalas, lalo na kapag sabay kami ng end ng shift. Gagala kami, iinom, kakain…these are the persons na tumutulong sa’yo sa pag-adjust sa org. Lalo na may mga baguhan pa sa amin, so parang support group kami, ineenourage namin sila. [Very often, especially if our shifts start and end at the same time. We would hangout, eat, and drink. The person I interact with are the people who helped you adjust in the organization. Right now, there are a number of us who are new in the industry so we are like a support group. We encourage them.]”
Respondent # 12 adds,
“Usually after shifts or in our case, pag weekends, magmo-mall, magkakaraoke. They’re more than your coworkers na rin eh. Karamay mo sila sa frustrations mo dito sa trabaho. [Usually after shifts or in our case, during weekends, we go to the mall and bond over karaoke sessions. For me, they are more than just your coworkers. We help each other deal with the frustrations of work.]”
3. Quality of Work Life
Quality of work life is defined as the perceived favorableness or unfavorableness of job
environment; perception of the culture, people, work, and the organization as a whole. Table
13 below shows the summary of responses and scores for Metric for Job Satisfaction:
Quality of Work Life
STATEMENTS
N
Frequency Distribution
Descriptives
SA
A
D
SD
Mean
Standard Deviation
1. The organization offers me opportunities to grow and learn new skills
35 25 9 1 0 3.69 0.53
2. I am given a lot of work empowerment to decide about my own style and pace of work.
35 18 17 0 0 3.51 0.51
3. People have an equal chance to get ahead in
35 19 12 3 1 3.4 0.77
E B L A C A S | 89
this organization regardless of sex, age, religion, racial or ethnic background, or other factors not related to their work performance
4. I believe the work I am assigned to do makes good use of my knowledge and skills.
35 16 19 0 0 3.46 0.51
5. This organization operates according to honest, ethical business values
35 20 15 0 0 3.57 0.50
COMPOSITE
35
3.53
0.58
Table 13. Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:
Quality of Work Life (N= 35)
Item # 1 (The organization offers me opportunities to grow and learn new skills)
garnered the highest mean score with x = 3.69, SD = 0.53. When asked the question, “How
does this help you perform in your work? Respondent # 14 said:
“It helps in a way that it satisfies me. Oo, there is always room for improvement eh, and they always remind us na, oo, trabaho lang ’to pero every day is something new…I feel satisfied kasi sa totoo lang, kapag one-on-one caching na, yung coach ko, na TL ko din at the same time, may iniimpart na knowledge, experience, lalo na kung paano pa kami babawi sa QAs namin. For the client na rin siguro, since graded kami dito sa Pilipinas at meron din sa States. You need to grow and excel – and hinahasa naman nila ‘yun. [It helps in a way that it satisfies me. Yes, there is always room for improvement. They also remind us that this is just work but every day is something new. To be honest, I feel satisfied because during our one-on-one coaching sessions, my coach, who is also my TL imparts her knowledge, and experience. She also encourages us and gives us tips on how to do better on our QAs. You need to grow and excel – and they help you improve.]”
Respondent # 22 supports this by saying:
“There are days when you feel like you’re doing the same thing over and over and over again – and that makes you frustrated. Paring routine soya: Gissing kea ng 11PM, bathe kea for one hour, tapes you wait para magistrate young shift mo. – media gamin Pero regardless of that, there are wide arrays of opportunities an in
E B L A C A S | 90
offer ng org—in client. If Matias score mo. as QA…nag passing Kasi as Amin 92%, it lets me work better, improve more…for me, gamin Lang naan Yun. Tapes Kung cross-skilled kea pa, e ‘di advantage mo. din Yun. [There are days when you feel like you’re doing the same thing over and over and over again – and that makes you frustrated. It becomes a routine: wake up at 11PM, travel time is an hour, then wait for your shift to start. Regardless of that, there are wide arrays of opportunities that the organization and the client is offering. If I have a high score in your QA, our passing score is 92%, it lets me work better and improve more. For me, that’s how I see it. And if you’re a cross-skilled agent, then that’s an advantage.]”
Respondent # 26 had a different answer, she said:
“Para sa akin, kulang…I mean it’s enough but for someone who has been working for five years sa workplace na 24/7/365 yung operations, dapat mas madami pang opportunities para sa mga tao…what made me stay siguro is more of a personal factor – yung tao, and yung sweldo na rin. Tenured na ako dito. [For me, it’s not enough. I mean it’s enough but for someone who has been working for five years in workplace with a 24/7/365 yung operations, there should be more opportunities for the people. What made stay is probably very personal factor – the people, and the salary I get here. I am already tenured.]”
When asked to describe their quality of work life, Respondent # 12 states:
“Overall, maganda. Nakakaffect siya sa trabaho namin. The client ensures naman that we feel welcomed sa company. May tiwala sila…we make sure din, at least for me, ha, na I do my job well – taasan sa QAs kasi di naman strict si client sa approach naming when we take calls – basta maresolve yung problem ng caller. [Overall, it’s great. It affects how we work. The client ensures that we feel welcome in the company. They trust us and we make sure, at least for me, that I do my job well by scoring high in my QAs. The client’s not that strict with our approach in taking calls. What’s important is that we resolve the problem of the caller.]”
Respondent # 22 says:
“Simple lang yan for me e. If you are able to work well – walang masyadong problema sa trabaho, sa tao, sa environment, sa culture nga, gaya ng sabi mo, mataas ang quality ng work life. Para sa akin, ha. Di naman kasi complicated dito eh, basta alam mo yung ginagawa mo. Basta nakikinig ka sa TL mo, basta mahal mo trabaho mo. [It’s very simple. For me, if one is able to work well, has no problem with work, the people, and the environment, and in the culture, like what you said, then the quality of work life is high. That’s how I see it. It’s not that complicated here if you know what you’re doing, if you listen to your TL, and if you love your job.]”
E B L A C A S | 91
4. Conditions of Work
Conditions of Work is defined as the presence of adequate working equipment, respect
for subordinates and supervisors; safe working conditions, approachable and helpful
supervisor and co-workers. For this particular dimension, item # 1 (My company is good and
highly motivating) garnered the highest mean score of 3.63 and SD of 0.49. Table 14 below
shows the summary of responses and scores for Metric for Job Satisfaction: Conditions of
Work
STATEMENTS
N
Frequency Distribution
Descriptives
SA
A
D
SD
Mean
Standard Deviation
1. My company work environment is good and highly motivating
35 22 13 0 0 3.63 0.49
2. My company offers sufficient opportunities to develop my own abilities
35 15 20 0 0 3.43 0.50
3. I am given a lot of work empowerment to decide about my own style and pace of work.
35 15 20 0 0 3.43 0.50
4. There are much defined channels for information exchange and transfer.
35 10 25 0 0 3.29 0.46
5. Conditions on my job allow me to be as productive as I could be
35 12 23 0 0 3.34 0.48
COMPOSITE
35
3.42
0.50
Table 14. Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:
Conditions of Work (N= 35)
E B L A C A S | 92
Based from the quantitative findings, it can be inferred that Company X does
possess a good and highly motivating environment since this statement has obtained 22
responses for Strongly Agree and 13 responses for Agree. This means that the corporate
culture of Company X is perceived as something generally pleasant and this in turn, has an
effect on their job satisfaction. Moreover, working conditions at Company allows the agents
to be productive. Respondent # 22 validates this claim:
“…oo, very productive ako. Nakakamotivate yung taong katrabaho mo. Ganito kasi kay client – you pull each other up. If you have bad calls, let it go. If your coworkers have bad calls, be a friend, ganun turo sa amin. Hindi naman very strict yung setting – yung culture kaya hindi ako nahirapan mag-immerse. And provided din naman lahat ng kailangan naming malaman and it’s not that hard to follow their rules. [Yes, I am very productive. My coworkers motivate me. This is how it works with the client: you pull each other up. If you have bad calls, let it go. If your coworkers have bad calls, be a friend – that’s why they taught us. The setting and the culture isn’t very strict that’s why I didn’t have any difficulty in immersing. The client company provided us with everything we need to know that’s why it’s not hard to follow their rules.]”
Respondent # 14 elucidates this by saying:
“Tingin ko it’s nice to know that the company makes sure that you are working in a place where you can be productive and satisfied at the same time. Oo, stressful but that’s part of every job. [I think that it’s nice to know that the company makes sure that you are working in place where you can be productive and satisfied at the same time. Yes, it’s stressful but that’s part of every job.]”
Evident from the answers above, the respondents have an overall perception of the
conditions as satisfactory. There were no respondents who answered D or SD which only
denotes that that the company is perceived as generally positive by the respondents.
5. Remunerations and Rewards
This section has the most varied responses from the respondents. For item 2, 11 agents
have ticked D or disagree and 1 SA or strongly agree to the statement, “The company I work
in does a good job of linking rewards to job performance”. This has also the lowest mean
E B L A C A S | 93
score of 2.77, which is considerably low in comparison to the dimensions discussed above.
Table 15 below shows the summary of responses and scores for Metric for Job Satisfaction:
Remuneration and Rewards.
STATEMENTS
N
Frequency Distribution
Descriptives
SA
A
D
SD
Mean
Standard Deviation
1. I feel that I am given an adequate and fair compensation for the work I do
35 12 17 4 2 3.11 0.83
2. The company I work in does a good job of linking rewards to job performance
35 5 18 11 1 2.77 0.73
3. When I do my job well, I am rewarded by my supervisor
35 9 17 7 2 2.94 0.84
4. I feel that I deserve the rewards I receive, may it be monetary or nonmonetary
35 17 14 4 0 3.37 0.69
5. The rewards I receive contribute to my satisfaction in doing my job
35 11 17 4 3 3.03 0.89
COMPOSITE
35
3.05
0.82
Table 15. Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:
Remuneration and Rewards (N= 35)
From the results above, it can be inferred that while the company ensures a
generally productive environment and a satisfactory quality of work life, some respondents
think that the rewards and compensation they receive are not enough despite the volume of
calls and the demands that go along with it. This is validated by Respondent # 14 who said:
“Para sa akin, maliit pa rin. Pero kapag i-cocompare mo siya sa sweldo ng ibang call center agents, it’s fairly big. May mga incentives naman. For example, sa pasko, may ham na binibigay si Client. May tablets din na pinoprovide si client, May
E B L A C A S | 94
bonuses din. Pero kung sweldo lang, maliit talaga. [For me, it’s still quite small. But if we are to compare the salary with the other call center agencies, it’s fairly big. There are incentives. For example, during Christmas, the client company would give us ham as their present. They also provide tablets and there are bonuses, too.]”
Respondent # 12 adds by saying:
“Sa amin kasi, Php 14,000 ang sweldo. Tapos may narereceive kaming incentives kapag maganda yung scores namin sa QA. Makikita mo yun after every shift, yung performance mo, yung grade mo so may idea ka. Pinakamataas na nakuha kong incentive, last November ay Php 3,000. Pero kung wala yun, maliit pa rin. [Our monthly salary is Php 14,000. We do receive incentives if we have high scores in the QA. We can see our performance every shift, expressed in grades, so we have an idea. The highest incentive I received was Php 3,000 last November. But if I were to subtract that, the salary is still small.]”
Respondent # 26 has a different response. She said:
“For me, Malaki na yung natatanggap ko, partly siguro tenured na ako. Maraming bonuses. Tulad na lang ng medical, dental insurance, holiday pay, accident insurance – iilan lang yan. [For me, my salary’s quite big. Partly because I’m already tenured. There are a lot of bonuses. Some of which are medical, dental, accident insurance, and holiday pays.]”
6. Professionalism
For the last dimension of job satisfaction, Professionalism is defined as the observance
of rules and compliance to policies, regulations of the company; interest in own professional
growth, immersion to the company’s organizational culture, engagement in activities which
promote professional growth, wearing of prescribed uniforms, embodiment of the vision,
philosophy, and mission of the company. Generally, professionalism in the organization is
high, with a composite score of 3.50 and an SD of 0.51. This denotes that the respondents
denote Professionalism as a significant factor for job satisfaction. Table 16 below shows the
summary of responses and scores for Metric for Job Satisfaction: Professionalism.
E B L A C A S | 95
STATEMENTS
N
Frequency Distribution
Descriptives
SA
A
D
SD
Mean
Standard Deviation
1. There is cooperation
among all the departments for achieving the goals.
35 23 12 0 0 3.66 0.48
2. I am proud to be working for my present Company because it is at par with my professional goals
35 15 20 0 0 3.43 0.50
3. I am discriminated on my job because I am an outsourced employee
35 21 14 0 0 3.6 0.50
4. The company communicates every new change that takes place and this makes my adjustment period shorter and easier
35 16 19 0 0 3.46 0.51
5. There is a strong sense of belongingness in my organization (can be seen in artifacts e.g. wearing of uniforms; espoused beliefs e.g. embodies the companies culture, among others)
35 16 19 0 0 3.46 0.51
6. I know about my companies policies, vision, mission, and philosophy
35 16 19 0 0 3.46 0.51
7. In my organization, people help each other learn
35 11 24 0 0 3.31 0.47
8. In my organization, people give open and honest feedback to each other.
35 24 11 0 0 3.69 0.47
9. In my organization leaders ensure that the organization’s actions are consistent with its values.
35 21 14 0 0 3.6 0.50
10. My organization gives people control over the resources they need to accomplish their work.
35 18 17 0 0 3.51 0.51
E B L A C A S | 96
11. In my organization, people give open and honest feedback to each other.
35 13 21 1 0 3.34 0.54
12. In my organization, whenever people state their view, they also ask what others think
35 14 20 1 0 3.37 0.55
COMPOSITE
35
3.50
0.51
Table 16. Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:
Professionalism (N= 35)
This part of the survey is perceived by the respondents as generally positive. Save
for two questions, all consist of responses which range from Strongly Agree (SA) to Agree
(A), which means that professionalism in the organization runs high. This is substantiated by
the interview results in the Phase 2 of the study. Respondent # 22 elucidates this finding:
“Wala pa naman akong nawitness kung saan naging problema sa workplace ang lack of professionalism. We respect each other, regardless kung senior namin sila or not. Yes, may cultural boundaries, personal and organizational but we strive to work it out…di siya issue for me. [So far, I haven’t witnessed a scenario in the workplace where lack of professionalism became a problem. We respect each other, regardless of their position in the organization. Yes, there are cultural boundaries, as well personal and organizational differences but we strive to work it out. It’s not an issue for me.]”
Overall, the respondents acknowledges the importance of all dimensions of job satisfaction
being vital to their immersion into the organization. Respondent # 12 validates this claim by
saying:
“Yes, I think all of the dimensions are important. Because each requires immersing into the org culture. How would I forge healthy work relationships kung [if] I don’t make an effort to immerse? How do I become acquainted dito sa [here in the] company kapag [if] I’m not aware of how they do things…oo [yes], agree po ako sa immersion [I agree with immersion.]”
E B L A C A S | 97
Respondent # 22 adds:
“Depende pa rin sa bawat tao, syempre. For me, I agree na needed yung dimensions since, essentially, you do all these to identify yourself as someone who works for the company. Partida, we are outsourced so immersion, yan…kelangan talaga yan. [It really depends on each and every one. For me, I agree that the dimensions are needed since, essentially, you do all these to identify yourself as someone who works for the company. Also, given that we are outsourced workers, we really need that.]”
The dimensions of job satisfaction are merely measures to obtain the overall score for
the dependent variable. This will not be correlated with the three independent variables: 1)
Level of Immersion; 2) Reasons for Immersion; and Perceived Importance of Immersion
because this will increase the margin of error. Instead, the averages of all the dimensions
will be used since this makes more sense and is what the researcher is after.
G. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IMMERSION AND OVERALL JOB SATISFACTION
To reiterate, the first specific objective of this study is to measure how the three (3)
dimensions of the independent variable namely, Level of Immersion, Reasons for
Immersion, and Perceived Importance of Immersion are related to the level of job
satisfaction. For the correlation part of the study, the dependent variable, will now pertain to
the overall job satisfaction; that is, the average score of all the six dimensions in the
previous section. This is done to reduce the margin of error. The six dimensions are only
used to measure job satisfaction while the overall score for the job satisfaction will be used
to correlate the data. The researcher utilized the non-parametric statistical tool Pearson’s R
in order to answer such objective. Results gained and summarized from the Statistical
Analysis System (SAS) using the CORR Procedure are presented below to elucidate on the
findings for the first objective.
E B L A C A S | 98
A correlation is considered to be significant if its p-value is less than what the researcher
set as the confidence level or the level of significance. For this study, it is set at is 5% or
0.05. The p-value measures how compatible the data is with the null hypothesis in this
study. In this case, the null hypothesis states that there is no correlation between immersion
and Job Satisfaction. On the other hand, the alternative hypothesis is that there is
correlation between immersion and Job Satisfaction
Table 17 below illustrates the correlation between immersion and overall job satisfaction.
Variable Correlation p-value Description
Level of Immersion and Job Satisfaction
0.531 0.0001 Moderately High Correlation
Reasons for Immersion and Job Satisfaction
0.556 0.0001 Moderately High Correlation
Perceived Importance of Immersion and Job
Satisfaction
0.500 0.0002 Moderately High Correlation
Table 17. Correlation Findings between Immersion and Overall Job Satisfaction
(N=35)
On the Relationship Between Level of Immersion and Overall Job Satisfaction
The table above shows the correlation between level of immersion and overall job
satisfaction. Analyzing these results, one could conclude that there is a significant
relationship between the two. Since the p-value is 0.001, there is sufficient evidence to
reject the null hypothesis. This means that there is a significant correlation between level of
Immersion and Job Satisfaction. This indicates that when the level of immersion is
increasing, the overall Job Satisfactions also increases and vice versa. It has a medium
correlation since it has a value of 0.531. Under the 0.05 level of significance, it is clear that
aside from the interviews, the numbers prove that such relationship exists. Consistent with
E B L A C A S | 99
the results from the quantitative findings and interview results, the assumption by the
researcher that the deeper the level, the higher the job satisfaction proves to be true.
Respondent #26 validates this claim:
“The more immersed you are with the culture affects performance and consequently recognition. Thus, affecting appraisal and career growth and therefore, job satisfaction.”
Respondent #22 supports this by saying:
“With regards to the assumption, the higher the level, the higher the job satisfaction, for me, I do agree with that. I am more satisfied if I know how the way things are in the organization.
Immersion, as supplemented by the interviews, is seen as a motivators that links
organizational culture and job satisfaction. Immersion acts as a transition through which an
outsourced worker attains or achieves job satisfaction. The more an outsourced worker
penetrates an organization’s corporate culture, the higher the satisfaction in his or her job.
Based from the results, there is a directly proportional relationship that occurs between job
satisfaction and company culture, made possible by immersion. Therefore, the more
immersed an outsourced worker is into the different levels of organizational culture, the
higher the perceived job satisfaction.
The previous chapters stated that new employees have to go through a
socialization process to adapt to the organization culture. This study has renamed
socialization into immersion since it has proven to be more encompassing and has a clear
connotation that pertains to culture. The results of the correlation implies that the more an
outsourced worker penetrates an organization’s culture, the higher his or her satisfaction is.
E B L A C A S | 100
However, as mentioned in the previous sections, it is important to note that the
length of time working for Company X is deemed as negligible and has no effect on the level
and does not affect job satisfaction.
On the Relationship Between Reasons for Immersion and Overall Job Satisfaction
As mentioned, most commonly found motivations or reasons for immersion are those
under Productivity and Socialization or Belonging motivations which are necessary to attain
job satisfaction. All were significant as none reached a score of below 3.0. These 4
aforementioned clusters (Socialization or Belonging, Productivity, Self-Fulfilment, and
Commitment and Identification) are merely measures set by the researcher to gauge the
agents’ perception of immersion. As a whole, these clusters are referred to as Reasons for
Immersion as designed by the researcher.
Under the 0.05 level of significance, the p-value, 0.001 suggests that there is
sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means that there is a significant
correlation between Reasons of Immersion and Job Satisfaction. This indicates that when
the agent can clearly tell or identify the reasons why he or she immerses into the corporate
culture of the organization, the overall Job Satisfaction also increases and vice versa. It has
a medium or a moderately high correlation since it has a value of 0.556.
The key informants that were interviewed for the Phase 2 of the study gave a
generally positive answer with regard to this part of the interview schedule. Respondent # 26
explains: I do agree with the given choices for the reasons for immersion because the
endgame of this for me is satisfaction, nonetheless. You belong, you identify yourself with
the group, you socialize, you become productive…and you feel fulfilled if you immerse –
yes, in my case, you got it right. I think that immersion impacts job satisfaction by becoming
in itself the end.
E B L A C A S | 101
Among three correlations in the study, the relationship between Reasons for
Immersion and Overall job satisfaction yielded the highest result. This implies that the
respondents give more importance to their motivations on why they immerse rather than
immersing level by level. This is unsurprising since most of the key informants scored high in
this part of the survey. Moreover, this makes more sense since most of the respondents are
after their growth, both professionally and personally, as this makes them more satisfied.
Basing it from the proposed conceptual framework, the reasons for immersion have indeed
made a significant impact on the respondents’ job satisfaction. Although it had the strongest
correlation of 0.556, the other independent variables also have a relatively strong impact on
the respondents’ satisfaction in their jobs. Immersion into the corporate culture of Company
X entailed a level by level immersion, as supported by both the quantitative findings and the
interview results. Aside from this, the reasons or the motivations behind these immersions
are seen as more in-depth and personal, thus having a slightly stronger correlation than the
level of immersion. It can be inferred that from these results, the distinct personal element
on their motivations to immerse still prevailed as more important than the level by level
immersion. While each informant prioritized one motivation over the other, the four clusters
are deemed necessary to their job satisfaction as shown in the interview results and
quantitative findings.
While the assumption, the deeper the level, the higher the satisfaction, is proven to
be true, it cannot be denied that the personal motivations of the agents on why they
immerse have a bigger and greater bearing on their job satisfaction. The correspondence, or
lack thereof of the numbers to that of the interviews can further be explicated by delving into
one’s personal perception of the concept of job satisfaction. As far as numbers and the
interviews are concerned, the human variable and one’s preference over the other factors
seem to have contributed to this result.
E B L A C A S | 102
On the Relationship Perceived Importance of Immersion and Overall Job Satisfaction
Among the three independent variables, the perceived importance of immersion has the
lowest correlation to job satisfaction with a score of 0.500 in comparison to the level (0.536)
and reasons (0.556) for immersion. While the difference may not be significant, results from
the interview put a greater importance on the reason for immersion as opposed to the
aforementioned variable. In totality, all are seen by the agents as vital sources of their
satisfaction in jobs.
Since the p-value is 0.002, there is sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis.
This means that there is a significant correlation between Perceived Immersion and Job
Satisfaction. This indicates that when the perceived importance of immersion is increasing,
the overall Job Satisfaction also increases and vice versa. It has a medium or a moderately
high correlation since it has a value of 0.500.
Basing it from the both quantitative findings interview results above, the Perceived
Importance of Immersion also had a generally positive response. Most of the key informants
share the same sentiments with regard to they perceive the importance of immersion into
the corporate culture of Company X. To reiterate, not only do the agents feel productive but
they do feel that immersion affirm their sense of belonging. This finding is elucidated by
Respondent # 22 who said, “I could say that I felt that I was part of the organization – that I
belong. It’s both an individual and organizational effort. You immerse because you need to.
No one wants to be a loner, right? The client we work for helps us adapt through culture
orientation. We don’t just work there. We are part of the organization.”
Moreover, immersion into the corporate culture of Company X allowed them to feel
satisfied with their jobs, thus the relationship between the two can be inferred as true – as
supported by the correlations, survey, and the interview schedule. Respondent # 14
E B L A C A S | 103
elucidates the findings by saying, “I am more satisfied if I know how the way things are in
the organization. Simply adhering to the goals and objectives, observing rules, and following
the instruction of your TL, that it in itself for me is immersion. And yes, job satisfaction
increases.”
Although it had the weakest correlation when compared to the first two independent
variables, 0.500 denotes a moderately high or medium correlation. Since this part of the
survey is subjective and has an innate appeal to the agents’ emotions, it too, has varied
results.
Overall, it can be concluded that this variable indeed affects job satisfaction. Basing
it from the proposed conceptual framework (Chapter 3), immersion, in totality, has an effect
on job satisfaction: 1) level by level; 2) influenced by their own personal motivations; and 3)
the effect by which they perceive the importance of immersion. While the second and third
independent variables, Reasons for Immersion and Perceived Importance for Immersion,
respectively, are highly subjective and open to various interpretations, as far as this study is
concerned, all are vital factors for job satisfaction.
E B L A C A S | 104
CHAPTER VI. SUMMARY, IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter provides a condensed discussion of the findings and answers to the
objectives yielded by the study. In addition, it details such findings' implications and
recommendations to the examined organization, and future academic efforts in the field of
the BPO industry.
A. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION FOR QUANTITATIVE FINDINGS
In line with the objectives of the study, the three (3) independent variables: (1) Level
of Immersion; (2) Reason for Immersion; (3) Perceived Importance of Immersion were
correlated with the overall job satisfaction. Findings support the research hypothesis that the
higher the level an outsourced worker is into the corporate culture of Company X, the higher
the job satisfaction. Statistical relationships between the different variables of immersion and
overall job satisfaction have a medium correlation and are positive. Furthermore, this study
yield statistically or practically significant proofs that immersion into the corporate culture of
companies eradicates the notion of being outsiders. As such, it can be deduced that the
relationship between immersion and job satisfaction is significant, on the quantitative, as
supplemented by the interviews
Other findings that could be significant use for academic endeavors of this nature
include:
Length of time working for the company (client) has little to no effect on the
level of immersion attained.
Socialization or Belonging and Commitment and Identification are the primary
motivations of the agents when immersing into the corporate culture of the
company (client), which eventually leads to job satisfaction.
E B L A C A S | 105
The perceived importance of immersing into the corporate culture of
companies is the agent’s satisfaction in his or her job
Interactions with their coworkers greatly affect the immersion process
There is a medium or a moderately high correlation between immersion and
job satisfaction
B. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION FOR THE INTERVIEW RESULTS
Common themes gained from the conducted interviews with four (4) key informants
include openness to change of the agents in the workplace despite the cultural barriers, trust
that the management does well in developing their skills and potentials, and sense of
identification despite the notion of outsiders still exists. Though not validated by any
statistical proof, these could be verified as probable factors in the nature of the results of the
study through direct interview statements.
Presently, there are few related studies and current literature with regard to this
research. This study, however, shed light that immersion is a process as perceived by
employees in order to adapt the organization's culture and communication climate. Today's
members of the BPO industry have stronger preference for a corporate environment that
entails both productivity and satisfaction; and one that acknowledges them as part of the
organization and not thought of as outsiders. The outsourced workers favor an environment
wherein they feel most satisfied and productive and agree that these are attained through
immersion into the corporate culture of the company they work in. This is proven by the
study as a shared belief across different age groups, and sexes. Other insights that may be
beneficial to further studies regarding the matter are as follows:
Length of time working for the company (client) matters little to the process of
immersion and is a negligible factor of job satisfaction
E B L A C A S | 106
The agents tend to work better if they feel that they are aware of the corporate
culture and are identified with the group
Apart from the shifting schedules, there is a constant need for top-down and bilateral
communication in this nature of work.
Cultural barriers were also addressed through the process of immersion and culture
orientation
This study revealed that there is no significant difference in the norms but there is
still a need to adopt certain practices, jargon, and demands.
Despite being outsourced workers, the agents do not feel discriminated in the
workplace.
BPO employees are much like any other regular employees – they adjust, strive to
be productive, and adapt to the company culture of the company they work in.
C. IMPLICATIONS
Theoretical Issues
The study’s related literature while lacking due to its unexplored nature, appears to
be consistent with the findings of the study but this can be improved further. Schein’s Model
of Organizational Culture was well incorporated with the framework and was designed by
the researcher into three levels: Low, Medium, and High. The assumption that the deeper
the level of immersion, the higher the satisfaction is also consistent with how the framework
is designed. The dimensions of job satisfaction, namely: 1) Level of Immersion; 2) Reasons
for Immersion; and 3) Perceived Importance of Immersion greatly played an important part
in helping the agents attain satisfaction in their jobs. The dimensions of job satisfaction were
also consistent with the employee’s personal perception of the concept. All the
E B L A C A S | 107
aforementioned concepts remain consistent with the proposed framework. The 3
independent variables have a medium or moderately high correlation with job satisfaction.
However, reasons for immersion seem to affect the level of job satisfaction the most with a
correlation of 0.556. This, however, does not exhibit a very significant difference since the
correlation between level of immersion and overall satisfaction is at 0.531. Looking at the
figures, it can be implored that the agents value the reason why they immerse rather than
what level they are in. They perceive the human element of comfort, belongingness, self-
fulfillment, commitment and identification, and productivity as factors that have more bearing
to attain job satisfaction. Apart from this discovery, all elements of the framework applies to
a great extent in the milieu of this study.
Methodological Issues
While this study was able to answer its research questions, it could not be denied
that its answers yielded more questions to be answered by conducting further research for
studies of this nature. One finding in this study is that immersion is a continuous process.
Therefore, more questions will arise as to how this further affects affect job satisfaction or
even work performance. Changes in the method and procedures of further subsequent
studies may serve to validate the results that this study had yield. It may also open these to
debate and argumentation. This study can certainly be duplicated by using Spearman’s Rho
and the SPSS Statistical Package to further prove if the correlations do exist. Moreover, it is
suggested that a longitudinal study be implemented so that future researchers may be able
to track the various variables used in this research. It is also of great importance to note that
the milieu of the study was set in an inbound program, i.e. a program where agents receive
calls from the customers. An outbound program, or one where the agents call the customers
may provide a new set of variables and considerations. It would be very interesting to see
what findings will hold true in an outbound program.
E B L A C A S | 108
All of the variables used in the study framework turned out to be beneficial and has a
medium or a moderately high correlation with job satisfaction. But future researchers may
choose to add or revise certain portions of the survey instrument and add more in-depth
questions to the interview schedules.
Practical Issues
Currently, there are core skill trainings and culture orientation generally touching on
the serviced demographics of the company’s client, and there are also introductions to
client-specific policies provided by the BPO Company (Teletech). Because of these, the
intended effect of immersion as a motivator for job satisfaction seems to be very evident and
is made possible through the combined efforts of Teletech, the employee, the coworkers,
and the Team Leaders (TL). While the direct involvement by company X may hasten the
immersion process, its indirect approach (using the BPO Company as means to let the
agents know about the policies, among others) proves to still be effective, nonetheless.
Presently, the company and its employees seem to be generally contented with how
immersion process is handled in the company. Moreover, the outsourced employees
understand their roles in the organization and this in turn contribute to fostering a corporate
environment that leads to job satisfaction. However, the agents’ expressed their concern
that, if possible, the management could provide more support on the job since they
encounter different cases every day. While the feeling of belongingness in the work circle is
major driving force to immerse themselves in the culture, it is also important to note there
are other practical considerations that are in effect but are outside of the purview of this
study.
E B L A C A S | 109
D. RECOMMENDATIONS
To Company X (client)
While there are core skill trainings and culture orientations provided by the BPO
Company, the outsourced employees shall perform much better with the client company
initiating actual efforts in the formulation of a formal immersion program to make the agents
feel more welcomed and acquainted with the organization’s core functions. Based from the
interview results, the researcher noticed that there is a subtle disagreement in terms of
perceptions or attitudes towards how they are treated in the organization. These
disagreements, while harmless at first glance, could possibly be magnified and cause
unnecessary effects whenever such arise in the future.
Findings of the undertaken study prove that immersion does affect job satisfaction.
The extent of these effects greatly depend on the level they are in, their reasons for
immersing, and their perceived importance of immersion, and by the organization itself in
formulating a sort of a program that could maximize the benefits and potential of these
workers. As such, the researcher highly recommends that the client company does it part
by ensuring that their outsourced employees are not discriminated nor treated merely as
cogs in the organization.
These could be carried out through in-depth studies of the discourse and
consultations with experts such as the Human Resources practitioners. As outsourcing is a
booming industry in the Philippines, the company could also find it beneficial to seek the
professional opinions of researchers or scholars in the field of business management. The
formulation of comprehensive communication plan for the proposed immersion program,
may prove beneficial for the organization, the outsourced employees, and the client
E B L A C A S | 110
company as a whole. It can also be used for the improvement of internal communication, in
general.
To further studies
After analyzing the results, the researcher forwards five (5) recommendations for the
undertaking of future studies of this nature. First, the findings may be enriched through an
enhancement of research design. A different research design may yield results that have
more reliability and external validity as it is open to quantitative comparisons of pertinent
variables that were not thoroughly explored in the study.
Second, the researcher encourages that companies of this nature that shall serve as
the site of research for future studies increase their sample to a minimum of 50 individuals
(N=50). The key informants should also be increased to 15 as this would yield more
substantial results. This larger and more diverse population may allow the use of a more
complex statistical method that could explain further the effects of the moderating variable
that was not expounded in the study.
Third, the study can be improved by measuring the immersion level of the employees
or at least set a baseline (85% immersed) that shall serve as the foundation for the
quantitative part of the study. This would entail a much reliable and stronger statistical basis
for the correlation between immersion and job satisfaction. Moreover, the interview
questions used could also be enhanced by
Fourth, the length of time working for the company that outsource can be used as a
vital variable in the analysis of the data. Instead of just being part of the descriptive statistics
needed to support study, it can be an avenue to generate substantial information for
researches of this nature.
E B L A C A S | 111
Fifth and lastly, the researcher recommends the conducting of future studies of this
nature in other major industries in the country like manpower service companies, security
agencies, information technology, computer manufacturing, and logistics. This is to ensure
that 1) further studies could account for a much reliable result; and 2) the population, while
relatively more diverse and larger, could be said to represent today’s workforce.
E B L A C A S | 112
REFERENCES
Abebe, D., Elmuti, D., & Grunewald, J., (n.d.). Consequences of Outsourcing Strategies on
Employee Quality of Work Life, Attitudes, and Performance. Retrieved November 12,
2015 from http://www.izt.uam.mx/sotraem/Bibliografia/Elmuticonsequences.pdf
Adulwaihi, A. (2013). The Influence Of Organisational Culture On Job Satisfaction,
Organisational Commitment And Turnover Intention: A Study On The Banking Sector
In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia. Retrieved November 29, 2015 from
http://vuir.vu.edu.au/22019/1/Abdullah%20Aldhuwaihi.pdf
Adoyo, P., Ochieng, I., & Oima, D. (2014). Influence of Socialization on Commitment ad
Identification of Outsourced Employees in Companies Listed at the Narobi Securities
Exchange – Kenya. Retrieved November 19, 2015 from
http://www.ijern.com/journal/May-2014/20.pdf
Amjad, Z., Ilyas, M., Sabri, P. (2011). Organizational Culture and Its Impact on the Job
Satisfaction of the University Teachers of Lahore. Retrieved November 12, 2015 from
http://ijbssnet.com/journals/Vol_2_No_24_Special_Issue_December_2011/13.pdf
Bardhan, A. & Kroll, C. (2003). The New Wave of Outsourcing. Retrieved September 17,
2015 from http://sandovalhernandezj.people.cofc.edu/index_files/egl_32.pdf
Bauer, T., Perrot S., & Roussel P. (2012). Organizational socialization tactics: Determining
the relative impact of context, content, and social tactics. Retrieved November 23,
2015 from https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00743179/document
Beares, M. (2010). Top Outsourcing Countries. Retrieved August 26, 2015 from
https://clutch.co/outsourcing-location/india
Bhide, A. (2004). Missing the True Significance of Outsourcing. Retrieved August 23, 2015
from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB108794373176844610
E B L A C A S | 113
Cameron, K., & Quinn, R. (2010). Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument.
Retrieved November 30, 2015 from
http://my.ilstu.edu/~llipper/com435/survey_ocai_culture.pdf
Cantrell, S., Tambe, H., & Silverstone Y. (2015). In Accenture: The Rise of Extended
Workforce. Retrieved September 15, 2015 from https://www.accenture.com/us-en/
Corbett, M. (2004). The Outsourcing Revolution: Why It Makes Sense and How to Do it
Right. Retrieved August 22, 2015 from
http://www.economist.com/media/globalexecutive/outsourcing_revolution_e_02.pdf
Dad, A. & Iqbal, Z. (2013), Outsourcing: A Review of Trends, Winners & Losers and Future
Directions. Retrieved September 14, 2015 from
http://ijbssnet.com/journals/Vol_4_No_8_Special_Issue_July_2013/9.pdf
Delobbe, N. & Haccoun, R. (n.d.). Measuring Core Dimensions of Organizational Culture: A
Review of Research and Development of a New Instrument. Retrieved September
16, 2015 from
https://www.uclouvain.be/cps/ucl/doc/iag/documents/WP_53_Delobbe.pdf
DeLoria, J. (2001). A Comparative Study Of Employee Commitment: Core And Contract
Employees in Federal Agency. Retrieved September 15, 2015 from
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-10212001-
152609/unrestricted/dissdf8.pdf
Deloitte & Touche LLP. (2012). Outsourcing, today and tomorrow: Insights from Deloitte’s
2012 global outsourcing and insourcing survey. Retrieved August 20, 2015 from
http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/de/Documents/human-
capital/outsourcing-today-and-tomorrow.pdf
Fast Pitch (n.d). Retrieved November 29, 2015 from
http://fastpitchwoody0.tripod.com/theories_of_motivation1.htm
E B L A C A S | 114
Gani, M., Ismail, R., Mapparenta, A., Sinring, B. (2015) Factors Influencing Job
Satisfaction: A Conceptual Framework. Retrieved November 12, 2015 from
http://www.ijhssi.org/papers/v4(5)/Version-1/D0451028031.pdf
Harper, P. (2003). Use Your Organization’s Reality to Maximize Strategic Outsourcing.
Retrieved August 24, 2015 from http://businessadvance.com/articles/self-sabotage/
Hillary, M. K. (2013).Outsourcing to India: The Offshore Advantage. Retrieved August 25,
2015 from
https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=DjDwCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA108&dq=state+of
+outsourcing+in+India&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBWoVChMIxcSJmpfLxwIVh
TmICh2ZJgBk#v=onepage&q=state%20of%20outsourcing%20in%20India&f=false
Joint Foreign Chamber of the Philippines. (2012). BPO. Retrieved November 12, 2015
from: http://www.investphilippines.info/arangkada/seven-winners/business-process-
outsourcing/background-bpo/
Kakabadse, A. & Kakabadse, N. (2005). Outsourcing: Current and Future Trends.
Retrieved September 15, 2015 from
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/227659911_Outsourcing_Current_and_Futu
re_Trends
Kalamu, P. (2009). Challenges of Outsourcing Strategy By Mobile Phone Operators In
Kenya Retrieved September 16, 2015 from
http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/11295/12742/Challenges%20of%20o
utsourcing%20strategy%20by%20mobile%20phone%20operators%20in%20Kenya?
sequence=4
Kessler, I., Shapiro, J.C. & Purcell, J. (1999). Outsourcing and the employee perspective.
Human Resource Management Journal, 9(2), 5-20
Khalida, E., Hossam, M., & Truong, Q. (2010). The Relationship between Employee
Perceptions of Equity and Job Satisfaction in the Egyptian Private Universities.
http://ejbe.org/EJBE2010Vol03No05p135KHALIFA-TRUONG.pdf
E B L A C A S | 115
Lee, D. (2005). Successful Onboarding: How to Get Your New Employees Started Off
Right. Retrieved September 22, 2015 from
http://www.humannatureatwork.com/SuccessfulOnboarding.pdf
Manabat, S. (2011). The Philippines – Outsourcing’s New Destination.
Retrieved August 25, 2015 from
https://www.kpmg.com/PH/en/PHConnect/ArticlesandPublications/Documents
/The%20 Philippines-%20Outsourcing's%20new%20destination-
%20Guide%20for%20Businessmen%20and%20Investors%202011-
2012%20Digital%20Edition.pdf
Marvin, K. T. (2011). Global Trends in Outsourcing and their Impact (Unpublished
undergraduate thesis). Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Retrieved August 24, 2015
from https://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-042711-
161931/unrestricted/MarvinIQP.pdf
Maynard, A. (n.d.), Outsourcing 101. Retrieved September 17, 2015 from
http://www.reliabilityweb.com/art04/outsourcing_101_1.htm
Medina, G. & Remulla, M. (2012). Measuring the Contribution to the Philippine Economy of
Information Technology-Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) Services. Retrieved
August 20, 2015 frohttp://www.bsp.gov.ph/downloads/publications/2012/BS2012.pdf
Nag, B. (2004). Business Process Outsourcing: Impact and Implications. Retrieved
September 17, 2015 from
https://www.academia.edu/298424/Business_Process_Outsourcing_Impact_and_Im
plications
Nanjundeswaraswamy, T., Rashmi, S., & Swamy, D. (2015) Quality of Work Life: Scale and
Validation. Retrieved November 30, 2015 from
www.internationaljournalofcaringsciences.org
E B L A C A S | 116
O’Riordan, A. & Sweeney, E. (2006). Outsourcing in Ireland: A literature review, survey and
case study perspective. Retrieved September 18, 2015 from
http://arrow.dit.ie/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1017&context=nitlcon
Pearlstein, S. (2012). Outsourcing: What’s the True Impact? Retrieved August 22,
2015 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/outsourcings-net-
effect-on-us-jobs-still-an-open-ended-question/2012/07/01/gJQAs1szGW_story.html
Rieger, H., Roodt, G. & Sempane, M. (2002). Job Satisfaction in Relation to Organizational
Culture.Retrieved November 18, 2015 from
https://ujdigispace.uj.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10210/1059/job%20satisfaction%20in%
20relation%20to%20organisational%20culture.pdf?sequence=1
Riley, S. (2005). Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of Motivation Applied to the Motivational
Techniques within Financial Institutions. Retrieved November 7, 2015 from
http://commons.emich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1118&context=honors
Schein, E. (1984). Organizational Culture & Leadership. Retrieved November 27, 2015
from
http://elibrary.kiu.ac.ug:8080/jspui/bitstream/1/484/1/Organizational_Culture_and_Le
adership,_3rd_Edition.pdf
Schillen, S. & Steinke, G. (n.d). Mitigating the Adversity of Outsourcing: Outsourcing from
the Employee’s Perspective. Retrieved September 21, 2015
from http://www.iima.org/index.php?option=com_phocadownload&view=category&do
wnload=319:mitigating-the-adversity-of-outsourcing-outsourcing-from-the-employee-
s-perspective&id=55:2011-volume-11-issue-1&Itemid=68.
Shodhganga (n.d.). Chapter - II Conceptual Framework of Job Satisfaction And Review Of
Literature. Retrieved November 29, 2015 from
http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/20919/7/07_chapter%202.pdf
E B L A C A S | 117
Sriwongwanna, J. (2009). Understanding the Impact of Outsourcing Human Resource
Activities on Employee Attitude and Behaviors. Retrieved September 22, 2015 from
http://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/11233514.pdf
Tedlie, L. (2009). The New Hire Experience when Onboarding in an Outsourced Recruiting
Environment. Retrieved September 24, 2015 from
http://www2.uwstout.edu/content/lib/thesis/2009/2009tedliel.pdf
Tinselboer, K. (2005). The Present and Future of Outsourcing: Theory Meets Practice.
Retrieved November 12, 2015 from
http://referaat.cs.utwente.nl/conference/3/paper/7109/the-present-and-future-of-
outsourcing-theory-meets-practice.pdf
Tompkins (2007). Outsourcing And E Learning Development Information Technology
Essay. Retrieved September 16, 2015 from
http://www.ukessays.com/essays/information-technology/outsourcing-and-e-learning-
development-information-technology-essay.php#ixzz3mvL8e6FN
Vagadia, B. (2007). Outsourcing to India – A Legal Handbook. Retrieved August 25, 2015
from
https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=YvZOD39BVHwC&pg=PA7&dq=outsourcing+
in+India&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAWoVChMIuJqlwpfLxwIVBpeICh36XQE0#
v=onepage&q=outsourcing%20in%20India&f=false
E B L A C A S | 118
APPENDIX A
SURVEY INSTRUMENT
Good day! I am Marwell Leigh B. Eblacas, 4th year BA Organizational Communication student from the University of the Philippines Manila. As part of the completion of our final requirement, I am currently working on my thesis which aims to seek if immersion into a corporate culture of an outsourced worker affects his or her job satisfaction. It would be of great help to the accomplishment of my study if you answer this survey completely and honestly.
Rest assured that all information that you shall provide in this survey will be treated with utmost confidentiality and will be used for academic purposes only. Thank you very much!
Should you have additional concerns and inquiries, you may reach me at [email protected] or 0915-652-3327. For questions about the study, please contact my adviser, Prof Chadwick Co SY SU at 0915-855-0685 or [email protected]
Legend: * - required
Name*: __________________________________________ Sex: _____________
Age*:_______________ Mobile number*: ______________________________ E-mail address: ________________________________
No. of months/years in the profession*: _____ No. of mos./yrs. working for Company X*: ____
Educational attainment (please check applicable)* ( ) Elementary graduate ( ) High school diploma ( ) Vocational ( ) College graduate Marital Status (please check applicable)* ( ) Single ( ) Married ( ) Widow/er ( ) Separated I live*….. ( ) alone ( ) with wife /husband and children ( ) with wife/ husband & children and with extended family (relatives/ siblings/parents) ( ) Others please specify: ___________
E B L A C A S | 119
A. Level of Immersion In this section, I would like to gain information on how well or how deep in level you have adjusted to the company’s corporate culture. I would also like to know your assessment of the organization you are working in. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1- Strongly Disagree (SD) *Please note that the term immersion refers to the process through which you learn and adapt to the norms and expectations of the organization to gain satisfaction in your jobs.
STATEMENTS
SA
A
D
SD
1. The organization is a very personal place. It is like an extended family. People seem to share a lot of themselves
2. The goals of this organization are clearly stated.
3. This organization’s leaders effectively help fulfill our goals
4. The organization is very results oriented. A major concern is with getting the job done. People are very competitive and achievement oriented.
5. The organization is a very controlled and structured place. Formal procedures generally govern what people do.
6. The leadership in the organization is generally considered to exemplify mentoring, facilitating, or nurturing
7. The leadership in the organization is generally considered to exemplify a no-nonsense, aggressive, results-oriented focus
8. The leadership in the organization is generally considered to exemplify coordinating, organizing, or smooth-running efficiency
E B L A C A S | 120
9. The management style in the organization is characterized by teamwork, consensus, and participation.
10. The management style in the organization is characterized by individual risk-taking, innovation, freedom, and uniqueness
11. The management style in the organization is characterized by security of employment, conformity, predictability, and stability in relationships.
12. The glue that holds the organization together is loyalty and mutual trust. Commitment to this organization runs high.
13. The glue that holds the organization together is commitment to innovation and development. There is an emphasis on being on the cutting edge
14. The glue that holds the organization together is the emphasis on achievement and goal accomplishment. Aggressiveness and winning are common themes
15. The glue that holds the organization together is formal rules and policies. Maintaining a smooth-running organization is important.
16. The organization emphasizes human development. High trust, openness, and participation persist.
17. The organization emphasizes acquiring new resources and creating new challenges. Trying new things and prospecting for opportunities are valued.
18. The organization emphasizes competitive actions and achievement. Hitting stretch targets and winning in the marketplace are dominant.
19. The organization emphasizes permanence and stability. Efficiency, control and smooth operations are important
20. The organization defines success on the basis of the development of
E B L A C A S | 121
human resources, teamwork, employee commitment, and concern for people.
21. The organization defines success on the basis of having the most unique or newest products. It is a product leader and innovator
22. The organization defines success on the basis of winning in the marketplace and outpacing the competition. Competitive market leadership is key.
23. The organization defines success on the basis of efficiency. Dependable delivery, smooth scheduling and low-cost production are critical.
B. Reasons for Immersion In this section, I would like to gain information on what are the reasons behind your immersion into the company’s corporate culture. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1- Strongly Disagree (SD) *Please note that the term immersion refers to the process through which you learn and adapt to the norms and expectations of the organization to gain satisfaction in your jobs.
STATEMENTS
SA
A
D
SD
24. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in to feel connected with my boss or supervisor
25. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in to feel connected with my co-workers
26. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because I want to feel acquainted with how they do things here
27. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it
E B L A C A S | 122
gives me a sense of purpose (i.e. to work harder, work smarter)
28. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it helps me accomplish my personal, professional, and organizational goals
29. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it makes me feel satisfied with my job
30. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it eradicates the notion of outsourced workers being outsiders
C. Perceived Importance for Immersion In this section, I would like to gain information on your perception of immersion’s importance and how it is related to job satisfaction. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1- Strongly Disagree (SD) *Please note that the term immersion refers to the process through which you learn and adapt to the norms and expectations of the organization to gain satisfaction in your jobs.
STATEMENTS
SA
A
D
SD
31. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel productive
32. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in gives me a sense of belonging
33. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel empowered
34. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel satisfied with my job
35. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel that my work and contributions are valued
E B L A C A S | 123
36. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel comfortable
37. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to work well
38. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel connected with the organization’s mission, vision, and goals
39. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to have a healthy relationship with my co-workers and supervisors
40. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel satisfied with my job
D. Metric for Job Satisfaction: Relationship with Supervisor In this section, I would like to gain information on your perception with your relationship with your supervisor and how this affects job satisfaction. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1-Strongly Disagree (SD)
*Please note that Relationship with Supervisor refers to the demonstration of positive relationship with your supervisor through display of cooperation, camaraderie, and open communication
STATEMENTS
SA
A
D
SD
41. My supervisor regularly lets me know what is expected of me in doing my job effectively.
42. My supervisor is approachable. S/he guides me on how I go on about my job
43. I get along well with my supervisor
44. My supervisor gives me the individual help and support I need to do my job effectively
45. Both I and my supervisor respect each other’s opinions.
E B L A C A S | 124
46. My work relationship with my supervisor is a factor of my satisfaction in my current job
E. Metric for Job Satisfaction: Relationship with Co-Workers In this section, I would like to gain information on your perception with your relationship with your co-workers and how this affects job satisfaction. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1-Strongly Disagree (SD) *Please note that Relationship with Co-Workers refers to the demonstration of positive relationship with your co-workers through display of cooperation, camaraderie, and open communication
STATEMENTS
SA
A
D
SD
47. My co-workers are very approachable.
48. My co-workers don’t treat me as an outsider even if I am an outsourced employee
49. My co-workers and I share the same interests, personal values, and beliefs
50. I rarely have conflicts with my co-workers
51. Both I and my co-workers and I respect each other’s opinions.
52. I have interactions with my co-workers even outside of work (e.g. going to parties)
53. My co-workers do his/her best in helping me cope with the company’s corporate culture
54. My co-workers and I can talk about anything (e.g. anything outside of work)
55. My work relationship with my co-workers is a factor of my satisfaction in my current job
E B L A C A S | 125
F. Metric for Job Satisfaction: Quality of Work Life
In this section, I would like to gain information on the quality of your work life in the company you work in. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1-Strongly Disagree (SD)
*Please note that Quality of Work Life refers to the perceived favorableness or unfavorableness of job environment, and how you view the people, culture, and the organization as a whole
STATEMENTS
SA
A
D
SD
56. The organization offers me opportunities to grow and learn new skills
57. I am given a lot of work empowerment to decide about my own style and pace of work.
58. People have an equal chance to get ahead in this organization regardless of sex, age, religion, racial or ethnic background, or other factors not related to their work performance
59. I believe the work I am assigned to do makes good use of my knowledge and skills.
60. This organization operates according to honest, ethical business values
G. Metric for Job Satisfaction: Conditions of Work In this section, I would like to gain information how work conditions affect your job satisfaction. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1-Strongly Disagree (SD)
*Please note that Conditions of Work refer to presence of adequate working equipment, respect for subordinates and supervisors; safe working conditions, approachable and helpful supervisor and co-workers
E B L A C A S | 126
STATEMENTS
SA
A
D
SD
61. My company work environment is good and highly motivating
62. My company offers sufficient opportunities to develop my own abilities
63. I am given a lot of work empowerment to decide about my own style and pace of work.
64. There are much defined channels for information exchange and transfer.
65. Conditions on my job allow me to be as productive as I could be
H. Metric for Job Satisfaction: Remuneration and Rewards In this section, I would like to gain information on how remuneration and rewards affect your satisfaction in your job. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1-Strongly Disagree (SD)
*Please note that Remuneration and Rewards refer to monetary and nonmonetary
rewards and other benefits received by an outsourced employee, if any.
STATEMENTS
SA
A
D
SD
66. I feel that I am given an adequate and fair compensation for the work I do
67. The company I work in does a good job of linking rewards to job performance
68. When I do my job well, I am rewarded by my supervisor
69. I feel that I deserve the rewards I receive, may it be monetary or nonmonetary
70. The rewards I receive contribute to my satisfaction in doing my job
E B L A C A S | 127
I. Metric for Job Satisfaction: Professionalism In this section, I would like to gain information on your perception with your relationship with your supervisor. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1-Strongly Disagree (SD) *Please note that Professionalism refers to the observance and compliance to policies, regulations, and procedures of the company; interest in own professional growth, immersion to the company’s organizational culture, engagement in activities which promote professional growth, wearing of prescribed uniforms, embodiment of the vision, philosophy, and mission of the company
STATEMENTS
SA
A
D
SD
71. There is cooperation among all the
departments for achieving the goals.
72. I am proud to be working for my present Company because it is at par with my professional goals
73. I am discriminated on my job because I am an outsourced employee
74. The company communicates every new change that takes place and this makes my adjustment period shorter and easier
75. There is a strong sense of belongingness in my organization (can be seen in artifacts e.g. wearing of uniforms; espoused beliefs e.g. embodies the companies culture, among others)
76. I know about my companies policies, vision, mission, and philosophy
77. In my organization, people help each other learn
78. In my organization, people give open and honest feedback to each other.
79. In my organization leaders ensure that the organization’s actions are consistent with its values.
E B L A C A S | 128
80. My organization gives people control over the resources they need to accomplish their work.
81. In my organization, people give open and honest feedback to each other.
82. In my organization, whenever people state their view, they also ask what others think
E B L A C A S | 129
APPENDIX B.
INTERVIEW SCHEDULE
1) How often do you interact with your co-workers?
2) How often do you interact with your supervisor/s?
3) How did you adjust and fit in into the company’s corporate culture?
4) Describe your adjustment period on the job.
5) Did you have any difficulties adjusting? What are these?
6) How did immersion into the corporate culture affect your performance in doing your
job?
7) How did immersion into the corporate culture of Company X affect your job
satisfaction?
8) What is your personal perception of job satisfaction?
9) Do you think immersion plays a vital factor in your job satisfaction? Why or why not?
10) What are the benefits you derive from immersing into the corporate culture of the
company you are currently working in?
11) What is your perception of your company’s organizational/corporate culture?
12) How open are you to coping with the changes in the organization?
13) How applicable is the statement, “The more I immerse into the company’s corporate
culture, the more I feel satisfied with my job”? Rate it with 5 being the highest and 1
being the lowest.
14) What is your reason for immersing into your company’s corporate culture?
15) Did immersion help you change the usual notion of outsourced workers as outsiders
to becoming effective insiders who embody the company’s corporate culture?
E B L A C A S | 130
APPENDIX C.
LETTER OF REQUEST TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AND INTERVIEW
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES University of the Philippines Manila
The Health Sciences Center Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila
Telefax No. 524-6798 Trunkline No. 525-4980 loc. 102 and 104
DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND COMMUNICATION
Date Name Title Organization X Office Address of Organization X Dear Mr/Ms.: I am a graduating BA Organizational Communication student from the University of the Philippines Manila, and currently working on my thesis with the proposed title, Through the Eyes of Outsourced Workers: A Study on the Correlation Between Immersion Into the Corporate Culture of Company X and Its Effect on Job Satisfaction. This study aims to provide quantitative proofs, supplemented by the interviews, of the nature and significance of the relationship between immersion into the corporate culture of companies and job satisfaction, when it taken into the perspective of outsourced workers. In this regard, I would like to ask for your permission in obtaining your company’s participation in conducting my research. Methods will include a survey administered to 30 purposively selected employees and brief interview with five (5) key informants. These shall be carried on between February and March 2016. Rest assured that all the data gathered will be treated with utmost confidentiality and for academic purposes only.
I hope to receive your response on or before [date] given class deadlines. To discuss the arrangement further,
you may contact me at 0915-652-3327. You may also send me an email at [email protected]. Alternatively, I can contact you on or before [date] as I understand that you have a busy schedule. Thank you very much and I look forward to your positive response. Sincerely,
Marwell Leigh B. Eblacas BA Organizational Communication University of the Philippines Manila
Noted
Chadwick Co Sy Su Assistant Professor
E B L A C A S | 131
APPENDIX D.
The SAS System
CORR Procedure Analyses
Fig. 7. Correlation Between Level of Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture to
Overall Job Satisfaction
E B L A C A S | 132
Fig. 9. Correlation Between Reasons for Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture to
Overall Job Satisfaction
E B L A C A S | 133
Fig.9. Correlation Between Perceived Importance of Immersion into the Company’s
Corporate Culture to Overall Job Satisfaction
E B L A C A S | 134
APPENDIX E.
SCORES AND RANKINGS FOR THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
Table 18. Level of Immersion
Scorers Respondent #
Lowest 2.5455 4th
highest 4.0000 26th
Medium 3.5000 2nd, 7th, 12th, 14th, 22nd
Frequency accdg to ratings %
Low 0 0
Medium 5 14.29
High 30 85.71
Table 19. Reasons for Immersion
Scorers Respondent #
Lowest 2.7143 8th
highest 4.0000 3rd, 10th, 15th, 22nd, 26th
medium 3.5714 2nd, 6th, 12th, 14th, 18th, 29th
Frequency accdg to ratings %
Low 0 0
Medium 8 22.86
High 27 77.14
Table 20. Perceived Importance Immersion
Scorers Respondent #
Lowest 2.5000 8th
Highest 4.0000 3rd, 14th, 26th, 29th
Medium 3.6000 6th, 12th, 15th, 18th, 22nd, 27th
Frequency accdg to ratings %
Low 0 0
Medium 5 14.29
High 30 85.71
E B L A C A S | 135
APPENDIX F.
Scores and Rankings for the Dependent Variables
Table 21. Relationship With Supervisor
Scorers Respondent #
Lowest 2.5000 16th
highest 4.0000 2nd, 3rd, 12th, 10th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 35th
medium 3.5000 1st, 14th, 26th, 32nd, 34th
Frequency accdg to ratings %
Low 0 0
Medium 9 25.71
High 26 74.29
Table 22. Relationship With Co-Workers
Scorers Respondent #
Lowest 2.8750 30th
Highest 4.0000 2nd, 4th, 6th , 7th, 8th, 9th, 14th, 17th, 21st, 22nd, 32nd, 35th
Medium 3.7778 12th, 24th, 26th, 28th
Frequency accdg to ratings %
Low 0 0
Medium 2 5.71
High 33 94.29
Table 23. Quality Of Work Life
Scorers Respondent #
Lowest 2.8000 4th, 15th, 34th
highest 4.0000 3rd, 6th, 7th, 8th, 14th, 23rd, 26th
medium 3.6000 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 24th, 25th, 28th
Frequency accdg to ratings %
Low 0 0
Medium 6 17.14
High 29 82.86
E B L A C A S | 136
Table 24. Conditions Of Work
Scorers Respondent #
Lowest 3.0000 1st, 3rd, 4th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 28th, 30th, 35th
Highest 4.0000 2nd, 7th, 15th, 22nd, 34th
Medium 3.4000 26th, 33rd
Frequency accdg to ratings %
Low 0 0
Medium 10 28.57
High 25 71.43
Table 25. Remuneration And Rewards
Scorers Respondent #
Lowest 2.0000 8th, 9th
Highest 4.0000 7th, 26th, 31st
Medium 3.0000 1st, 12th, 14th, 22nd, 27th, 29th
Frequency accdg to ratings %
Low 2 5.71
Medium 17 48.58
High 16 45.71
Table 26. Professionalism
Scorers Respondent #
Lowest 3.0000 1st, 22nd
highest 4.0000 12th, 26th
medium 3.5833 14th, 20th, 28th
Frequency accdg to ratings %
Low 0 0
Medium 5 14.29
High 30 85.71
E B L A C A S | 137
APPENDIX G
Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 14
Date: March 19, 2016
Interviewee Profile:
Age: 23
Has an average score on all metrics for job satisfaction
Has a moderately high score on the immersion part of the survey ________________________________________________________________________
How often do you interact with your co-workers?
I interact with my coworkers daily, especially we have the same shift. We go out for lunch, and minsan sabay-sabay din kaming umuuwi since maraming [umuuwi] near the area lang. How often do you interact with your supervisor/s?
Madalas din. Lalo na if you have questions or if one-on-one coaching session na. Nung una medyo nakakailang pa kasi you felt inferior tapos di pa sila mukhang approachable. Nung kinalaunan, okay na. Madalas na. How did you adjust and fit in into the company’s corporate culture?
My adjustment period was not toxic naman. The people here are very welcoming. Uhm, they’ll help you learn. When it comes to fitting in, we have a culture orientation bago kami isabak sa floor so I didn’t have much of a problem fitting and blending in with the company’s culture. There are struggles because you need to be accustomed to the culture here – sa culture ni client. But overall, I was able to adjust because I was very willing to immerse and learn about how they do things here.
Did you have any difficulties adjusting? What are these?
Hmm. Yung gising ka sa gabi pero tulog ka after ng shift mo hanggang maghapon. That’s a a bit of a challenge for me since it’s kind of unusual than my previous job as a department store clerk. I was so used to getting off at 8PM. Ngayon kasi, 2AM-11AM ang shifting schedule ko so gigising ako ng 11 PM or minsan dito na ako matutulog kasi may lounge kami dito, parang hotel. So after ng shift ko, tsaka palang ako makakatulog. Big adjustment yun for me. And bukod pa dito yung dapat masanay ka na you’re always on avail – meaning on the phone. Di gaya dun sa dati kong trabaho, personal interaction talaga.
E B L A C A S | 138
How did immersion into the corporate culture affect your performance in doing your job? Uhm, in terms of job performance, I’d say it has a big effect. When you know how the org works, it follows na madali na lang para sayo.. thus, you perform well. Aside from that, madali na lang yung paghandle ng task...it helps in a way that it satisfies me. Oo, there is always room for improvement eh, and they always remind us na, oo, trabaho lang’to pero every day is something new…I feel satisfied kasi sa totoo lang, kapag one-on-one caching na, yung coach ko, na TL ko din at the same time, may iniimpart na knowledge, experience, lalo na kung paano pa kami babawi sa QAs namin. For the client na rin siguro, since graded kami dito sa Pilipinas at meron din sa States. You need to grow and excel – and hinahasa naman nila ‘yun.
How did immersion into the corporate culture of Company X affect your job satisfaction? Siguro nauna muna sa performance then satisfaction. Through immersion, I have learned to level with the client’s demands. Then through that, na alam kong tama yung ginagawa ko, I can say that it did make me feel satisfied with my job here.
Does the length of time working for company X have an effect on the quality of your immersion?
My experience and yung panahon na nagtatrabaho ako para sa client are merely factors lang siguro for my immersion. Hindi talaga siya depende sa hinaba or iniksi. Para sa akin, sa isang taon ko dito, yung pag-immerse ko sa corporate culture combined efforts ko, ng mga katrabaho ko, at ng kumpanya. If you feel valued – na ramdam ko naman dito—then everything follows. And siguro dahil second call center job ko na to, in two years, mas nadadalian ako. Oo, magkakaibang kumpanya, magkakaibang corporate culture, pero para sa akin, same process – ganun lang. At, oo for me the higher the level, higher the satisfaction. I love my job maski paulit-ulit. Maganda trato sayo ng katrabaho mo, Malaki sweldo, maraming incentives. Nakakagana magtrabaho.
Can immersion function as a coping mechanism? There are some days when you feel overwhelmed by the clientele’s rules and specific policies…add the cultural barriers between you and the client then that makes it more challenging. Immersion eased it for me…I was able to cope, little by little
To what extent has immersion influenced your life in the workplace? Probably it is evident in our daily lives to the extent that it has become some sort of an unspoken rule – nobody has to tell you to do it but when you’re there…you’re on the floor, it just happens.
E B L A C A S | 139
Describe your quality of work life. Tingin ko it’s nice to know that the company makes sure that you are working in a place where you can be productive and satisfied at the same time. Oo, stressful but that’s part of every job.”
Do you feel that you are well compensated by the company? Para sa akin,maliit pa rin. Pero kapag i-cocompare mo siya sa sweldo ng ibang call center agents, it’s fairly big. May mga incentives naman. For example, sa pasko, may ham na binibigay si Client. May tablets din na pinoprovide si client, May bonuses din. Pero kung sweldo lang, maliit talaga What is your personal perception of job satisfaction?
Personal perception ko kapag I feel at home, I feel that I belong, good compensation, and basta if I feel happy despite the stress. Do you think immersion plays a vital factor in your job satisfaction? Why or why not?
Yes, sobra. It plays a vital factor since I tend to do my job well and I strive to meet the expectations set by the client. Plus, you get to adapt with the changes easily. What are the benefits you derive from immersing into the corporate culture of the company you are currently working in? Siguro sa professional benefits, marami. Example na lang is when it comes to my work ethics. I tend to align it with that of the client’s. Kay client kasi, they put a high regard for quality – both on how we treat our customers and sa calls that we make. It has a very big influence on how I do my job. Nadala ko na over time. Sa personal benefits, I could say na mas naramdaman kong part ako ng organization – na I belong. It’s both an individual and organizational effort eh. You immerse because you need to, para naman di ka loner di ba. And sa amin kasi, the client we work for helps us adapt. Hindi lang kami basta nagtatrabaho. Parte na kami ng organization.
What is your perception of your company’s organizational/corporate culture?
For me, it’s not rigid. Very relaxed, smooth flowing, despite the cultural barriers
How open are you to coping with the changes in the organization?
Very open. Dapat open. Kami rin kasi kawawa if di kam makakasabay sa changes. BPOs are like that eh – it’s all about real-time change. So as employees, we have to cope and adapt.
E B L A C A S | 140
How applicable is the statement, “The more I immerse into the company’s corporate culture, the more I feel satisfied with my job”? Rate it with 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. Para sa akin, 4/5. May mga unforeseen factors din kasi na di maiiwasan. But I do agree with the statement. And it’s always an ongoing process for me. What is your reason for immersing into your company’s corporate culture?
To learn, earn, and to grow.
Did immersion help you change the usual notion of outsourced workers as outsiders to becoming effective insiders who embody the company’s corporate culture? Yes, of course! It certainly has affected my old perception of outsourced workers as outsiders. The more you immerse, the less of this perception strikes you as true.
E B L A C A S | 141
APPENDIX H
Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 12
Date: March 22, 2016
Interviewee Profile:
Age: 19
Has the shortest time working for Company X (8 months)
Scored high in the level of immersion part of the survey
Has a high score in the metrics for job satisfaction
Youngest employee _____________________________________________________________________
How often do you interact with your co-workers?
Madalas, lalo na kapag sabay kami ng end ng shift. Gagala kami, iinom, kakain…these are the persons na tumutulong sa’yo sap ag-adjust sa org. Lalo na may mga baguhan pa sa amin, tulad ko so parang support group naming ang isa’t-isa…ineenourage namin sila.
How often do you interact with your supervisor/s?
Everyday po.
How did you adjust and fit in into the company’s corporate culture?
May culture orientation bago pa man po kami sumabak sa floor. So medyo may idea na kami, tinutulungan naman nila kami pero most of the work, kami na. Diskarte na naming. Hindi naman super hirap dahil very relaxed ang environment dito. Did you have any difficulties adjusting? What are these?
Sa shifting schedules po. Nakakapanibago po kasi kailangan madaling araw pa lang nagtatrabaho ka na. It mean adjusting physically since 8 months pa lang po ako dito. How did immersion into the corporate culture affect your performance in doing your job? It helped me work better and I was more mindful po of the cultural barriers that exist. Malaki po yung effect niya in a way na dahil alam mo na kung paano yung culture dito, madali na lang sa’yo magcope and adapt so I tend to work better. I tend to perform better.
E B L A C A S | 142
How did immersion into the corporate culture of Company X affect your job satisfaction? So far po, masasabi kong may effect pero di pa masyadong significant since baguhan pa lang po ako. Pero so far I feel very satisfied. Does the length of time working for company X have an effect on the quality of your immersion? Ay, no. For me po kasi wala talagang effect yung length. Nasa gaano ka kadalas siguro mag-effort mag-immerse. Kasi for me, 8 months on the job pero I can say na nakaadapt na ako sa culture ng company – pero syempre ongoing process pa rin. With regard sa the higher the level, the higher the job satisfaction, para sa akin, oo. Mas satisfied ako kapag alam kong alam ko how the way things are in the organization. Simpleng goals and objectives, pag-observe sa rules, pagsunod sa instruction ng TL mo, that it in itself for me is immersion. And yes, tumataas job satisfaction. Pero sa ngayon, since 8 months pa lang ako, di pa siya ganun kataas. Alam kong may itataas pa. Depende yan eh
To what extent has immersion influenced your life in the workplace?
For me, the extent of influence, nakikita mo yun na parang natural na lang na gawin mo. Parang despite the cultural barrier, you immerse kasi para sa’yo din. Importante yun, lalo na project-based pa lang po ako.
Describe your quality of work life. Overall, maganda. Nakakaffect siya sa trabaho namin. The client ensures naman that we feel welcomed sa company. May tiwala sila…we make sure din, at least for me, ha, na I do my job well – taasan sa QAs kasi di naman strict si client sa approach naming when we take calls – basta maresolve yung problem ng caller.
Do you feel that you are well compensated by the company? Sa amin kasi, Php 14,000 ang sweldo. Tapos may narereceive kaming incentives kapag maganda yung scores namin sa QA. Makikita mo yun after every shift, yung performance mo, yung grade mo so may idea ka. Pinakamataas na nakuha kong incentive, last November ay Php 3,000. Pero kung wala yun, maliit pa rin.
What is your personal perception of job satisfaction? Malaking sweldo, relaxed working environment, friendly and productive coworkers
E B L A C A S | 143
Do you think immersion plays a vital factor in your job satisfaction? Why or why not? Yes, kailangan po. You need to immerse yourself in unfamiliar situations, jargon, and other practices. Plus kailangan din pong mameet ang expectations ni client. “For newcomers in the BPO industry such as myself, I’d say that immersion has helped me a lot…adapt to the norms...expectations. Sa satisfaction in jobs, yes, it had a huge effect. Medyo acquainted na ako sa company culture so it’s easier. A lot easier. And I think all of the dimensions [of job satisfaction] are important. Because each requires immersing into the org culture. How would I forge healthy work relationships kung I don’t make an effort to immerse? How do I become acquainted dito sa company kapag I’m not aware of how they do things…oo, agree po ako sa immersion.” What are the benefits you derive from immersing into the corporate culture of the company you are currently working in? Benefits…sa pampersonal siguro I feel that I belong. Hindi na ako nahihirapan makitungo sa mga tao, sa supervisor, sa rules, sa kung how they operate… More than that, self fulfilment na rin siguro. I feel that I don’t work well if I am left out. So conscious effort rin talaga on our part – on my part, since 8 months pa lang ako dito. I know I still have a lot to learn.
What is your perception of your company’s organizational/corporate culture? Very relaxed po. Smooth-flowing ang operations.
How open are you to coping with the changes in the organization? Very open po. Kailangan po eh para makasabay sa panahon, mameet ang expectations, at syempre para maganda ang performace at in the end, masatisfy sa trabaho. I am pretty open to anything. Plus I am flexible and ready to learn new things, How applicable is the statement, “The more I immerse into the company’s corporate culture, the more I feel satisfied with my job”? Rate it with 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. I’d rate it 4/5 po. Since mag-oone year pa lang po ako, Malaki ang possibility na mag 5/5 pa yan (laughs). What is your reason for immersing into your company’s corporate culture? I want to learn more about the company I am working for. Plus I want to grow both personally and professionally din po, since this is my first call center job. Did immersion help you change the usual notion of outsourced workers as outsiders to becoming effective insiders who embody the company’s corporate culture? Yes po, sobra. It made me feel like an insider na – not the lonely outsider I was months ago!
E B L A C A S | 144
APPENDIX I
Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 26
Date: March 25, 2016
Interviewee Profile:
Age: 27
Exhibits adequate knowledge of how the workplace operates
Has the longest time working for Company X (5 years)
Has a high score in the immersion part of the survey
Has a high score in job satisfaction ________________________________________________________________________
How often do you interact with your co-workers?
On a daily basis since we work very closely with each other. Usually after shifts or in our case, pag weekends, magmo-mall, magkakaraoke. They’re more than your coworkers na rin eh. Karamay mo sila sa frustrations mo dito sa trabaho. How often do you interact with your supervisor/s?
Daily din or as much as it is needed.
How did you adjust and fit in into the company’s corporate culture?
There were core skills training and culture orientation which generally touches on the companies serviced demographics so medyo di ako nahirapan. Inintroduce din sa amin yung client-specific policies. Syempre, iba yung kay Teletech, iba yung kay client. And through constant interaction with my coworkers and gauging a feel of the environment. Describe your adjustment period on the job.
Well, first, there had to be a shift in the interaction, language levels, and tone. Dagdag mo pa na night shift ako sa trabaho so that entailed both physical and mental challenges. Did you have any difficulties adjusting? What are these?
Hmmm. Bukod siguro sa shifting schedules, there was a constant need for top-down and bilateral communication. There were cultural barriers that needed to be addressed. Wala naming malaking difference sa norms pero kailangan pa rin naming mag-adopt ng ceratin practices, matutunan yung jargon, and mameet yung demands ng clientele. May training din kami sa history, common cultural norms, tulad ng humor kapag we’re on the phone.
E B L A C A S | 145
How did immersion into the corporate culture affect your performance in doing your job?
For me, immersion helped improve my performance. I felt better that I was able to handle tasks and understand the requirements as time went by. Syempre, I had my own working style. Pero in my 5 years of experience working for this client, I learned that any working style demands compromise. For someone who has been working for five years sa workplace na 24/7/365 yung operations, dapat mas madami pang opportunities para sa mga tao…what made me stay siguro is more of a personal factor – yung tao, and yung sweldo na rin. Tenured na ako dito.
How did immersion into the corporate culture of Company X affect your job satisfaction? Hmm. Siguro it affects me in a way na it helped leverage certain frustrations and even yung mga unmet expectations that I have gone through in the past 5 years. Para sa akin kasi, understanding the corporate culture leads to a rationalization…leads to a welcoming attitude lalo na sa mga unfamiliar processes, especially with regards sa performance appraisal. Does the length of time working for company X have an effect on the quality of your immersion? Five years is a long time in call center life and I can say that I have completely immersed with the corporate culture of our client because I do it every single day. The time matters for me, its’s just that for me, I tend to be completely focused in my work rather than in my surroundings.. As for the satisfaction in my job, I can say that it fluctuates. May araw na super motivated ako, super satisfied pero parang monotonous na yung ginagawa mo. May human variable pa rin talaga yan. Walang problema sa pag-immerse sa corp culture ng client, madali na lang yun for me. Pero to sustain one’s satisfaction in their jobs, in my case, siguro depende talaga. Don’t get me wrong – I like working here. I like the people here, the environment, yung sahod…pero siguro over the years, standards changes. Natural lang naman yun sa tao, lalo na I’ve been here for 5 years. Regardless of that naman, I can honestly say na I’m familiar with the SOPs here, protocols, jargons, ganyan….mga bawal, pwede – dress code – lahat – even with my eyes closed.
To what extent has immersion influenced your life in the workplace? Immersion, well, I’ve to say it’s very important. It influences not only your disposition towards your work but also with how you interact with other people and how you do your job. It’s something that is engrave in our daily life as outsourced employees – mga ganung extent siguro, para sa akin.
Do you feel that you are well compensated by the company? For me, Malaki na yung natatanggap ko, partly siguro tenured na ako. Maraming bonuses. Tulad na lang ng medical, dental insurance, holiday pay, accident insurance – iilan lang yan.
E B L A C A S | 146
What is your personal perception of job satisfaction? Siguro I would base it on Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs na I’m sure you’re very familiar with. Pero para sa akin, I would give a lot of importance on challenge and growth kasi a lot of jobs today—they could provide for base requirements. Tulad na lang ng financial security, stability, and also, a conducive environment for both professional and personal advancement.
Do you think immersion plays a vital factor in your job satisfaction? Why or why not? Yes, oo naman. You have to immerse yourself in unfamiliar practices and situations instead of turning away based pa lang sa first impressions. Otherwise, hindi ka makakapaghanap ng ways on how to deal with unmet expectations—kung mag-aagree or disagree k aba if may certain points that you find unsatisfactory, and also, to be in a place to maybe effect `changes in those points, kailangan mong intindihin kung ano ng amneabke and kung ano ang hindi and yung reason behind those. And medyo agree ako sa binigay mong reasons for immersion because and endgame niya for me is satisfaction, nonetheless. You belong, you identify yourself with the group, you socialize, you become productive…and you feel fulfilled if you immerse – yes, in my case kuha mo siya. Siguro immersion impacts job satisfaction by becoming itself the end. Gets ba? I mean, ako for example, I immerse sa corporate culture ng company kasi it gives me the satisfaction I need to go about the daily volume of calls – which is 120, on average. Dami ‘di ba? Alam ko naman yung reason bat ako nandito and dahil siguro yun so effort ko na maging part ng organization – di madali yun ha. Pero so far, masasabi ko Malaki ang impact. Super.
What are the benefits you derive from immersing into the corporate culture of the company you are currently working in? Para sa akin, it helped me touch base with the clientele. Yung tipong you can bring language down to service level or adapt accordingly sa higher levels of management. Sa BPOs kasi, you always have two employers – the outsourced company and the serviced clients. Yung Serviced clients, they have an external public, so basically, we have three publics to deal with. What is your perception of your company’s organizational/corporate culture? Very relaxed. Mayroon kasi kaming open door policy na tinatawag. Yung Admin offices..wala actually na offices, cubicles lang…nasa same level as all the employees in the production floor. So ineencourage talaga ang open communication. Bukod pa dun, may weekly business reviews, sessions and huddles, open forums, tapos weekly scheduled meetings. How open are you to coping with the changes in the organization?
Very, very open. I’d rate it a 10/10. Ang BPOs kasi deals with real-time adaptability dahil sa time zones between sa serviced client or client’s public at sa local employer. Dapat very open talaga. Yan yung nature ng trabaho eh!
E B L A C A S | 147
How applicable is the statement, “The more I immerse into the company’s corporate culture, the more I feel satisfied with my job”? Rate it with 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. Hmm. I’d say 4/5. Kasi may certain parts ang cultural sphere na we..na I can always disagree with, mapaforeign or native man yung corporate environment. What is your reason for immersing into your company’s corporate culture?
Bukod sa professional needs, syempre personal growth, satisfaction sa trabaho, and learning new things. Why is there a need to immerse into the corporate culture of organizations?
In order to understanding how things are done here, how the system operates, you need to immerse into the culture, the affairs of the organization. Why? It’s because of things: First, to learn. Second, to work better and feel satisfied…that’s how I see it.
Did immersion help you change the usual notion of outsourced workers as outsiders to becoming effective insiders who embody the company’s corporate culture?
Yes, definitely! It betrays you as an outsourced worker – which is something not a lot of clientele approve of – as an outsider. Para sa akin kasi, the more immersed you are with the culture affects performance and consequently recognition – thus, ripple effect, it affects appraisal and career growth and therefore, job satisfaction.
E B L A C A S | 148
APPENDIX J
Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 22
Date: March 27, 2016
Interviewee Profile:
Age: 38
Has an average score on Immersion
Has an average score on all metrics for job satisfaction
Oldest employee ________________________________________________________________________
How often do you interact with your co-workers?
A lot. Team lunch and team buildings are prevalent in the organization. We interact a lot since team stations are well established, and teammates are literally one step away from each other. How often do you interact with your supervisor/s?
Kung interaction by formal interaction like coaching [which is part of MTD (month-to-date) process, perhaps twice per working week is a must. Pero if its informal interaction like team lunches, yosi sessions, depends sa TL (jargon for team leader, or supervisor. There are tls na madaling lapitan, some are not. But generally in this company, i find TLs more involved in administrative tasks rather than managing teams unlike other companies ive work with.
How did you adjust and fit in into the company’s corporate culture?
I believe I adjusted from a formal work attitude to a casual one. I've worked with companies invested in formal relationship, and I can differentiate what we have here compared sa dati. The company culture is invested more in interpersonal relationship between agents and the company itself (Ironically, ni-uutilize sana ni company ang TLs to foster interpersonal relationship, pero I believe hindi) Describe your adjustment period on the job.
On the job itself, it is a baptism in fire. I found it hard since the account has more complicated security measures on its clients, and nahirapan akong mag-adjust dun. I seldom forgot some security measures, and even now nag-sslip padin ako to some guidelines.
E B L A C A S | 149
Did you have any difficulties adjusting? Here kasi, they are more invested in quality of calls rather than getting customer satisfaction. **One possible reason is Company X is catering into middle-class and above people in US, therefore assuring quality calls is the main thrust of its service. Also, nook devices are more of a luxury rather than a necessity, unlike financial services and internet service providers How did immersion into the corporate culture affect your performance in doing your job? A lot. Since mejo informal nga dito, mas feel at home ang mga employees sa job nila, and they can work with utmost comfort. But placing a relatively high metrics served as a counterbalance sa mga agents. There are days when you feel like you’re doing the same thing over and over and over again – and that makes you frustrated. Parang routine siya: Gising ka ng 11PM, biyahe ka for one hour, tapos you wait para magstart yung shift mo – medyo ganun pero regardless of that, there are wide arrays of opportunities na inooffer ng org—ni client. If mataas score mo sa QA…ang passing kasi sa amin 92%, it lets me work better, improve more…for me, ganun lang naman yun. Tapos kung cross-skilled ka pa, e ‘di advantage mo din yun.
How did immersion into the corporate culture of Company X affect your job satisfaction? A lot, din. It is a chain reaction. If you like your job and you are satisfied, you will perform well. Can immersion function as a coping mechanism? This is the third BPO Company I have worked in. I’ve been in the business since 2008. Every organization has a different culture and sometimes you can’t help but mix it all up. So, yes. Immersing became my coping mechanism…it made things easier, but it’s not something that just happens. You have to make it happen
To what extent has immersion influenced your life in the workplace? The extent of influence is evident sa pagiging satisfied ko sa trabaho ko. So far, so good. Yun yung maganda dito kay Client, it’s not awkward despite the different cultures
Describe your quality of work life. Simple lang yan for me e. If you are able to work well – walang masyadong problema sa trabaho, sa tao, sa environment, sa culture nga, gaya ng sabi mo, mataas ang quality ng work life. Para sa akin, ha. Di naman kasi complicated dito eh, basta alam mo yung ginagawa m. Basta nakikinig ka sa TL mo, basta mahal mo trabaho mo.
E B L A C A S | 150
Does immersion allow you to be productive?
Oo, very productive ako. Nakakamotivate yung taong katrabaho mo. Ganito kasi kay client – you pull each other up. If you have bad calls, let it go. If your coworkers have bad calls, be a friend, ganun turo sa amin. Hindi naman very strict yung setting – yung culture kaya hindi ako nahirapan mag-immerse. And provided din naman lahat ng kailangan naming malaman and it’s not that hard to follow their rules.
Is there a lack of professionalism in your workplace?
Wala pa naman akong nawitness kung saan naging problema sa workplace ang lack of professionalism. We respect each other, regardless kung senior namin sila or not.Yes, may cultural boundaries, personal and organizational but we strive to work it out…di siya issue for me.
What is your personal perception of job satisfaction?
When it suffice the following: (1) Home-like environment and (2) Good compensation. Do you think immersion plays a vital factor in your job satisfaction? Why or why not?
Yes. And mas friendly ang environment, you will feel like having fun while earning money. Pero “Depende pa rin sa bawat tao, syempre. For me, I agree na needed yung dimensions since, essentially, you do all these to identify yourself as someone who works for the company. Partida, we are outsourced so immersion, yan…kelangan talaga yan.
What are the benefits you derive from immersing into the corporate culture of the company you are currently working in? More support in the job, of course. We badly need support, since we encounter different cases every day. And of course, the feeling of belongingness in the work circle is major driving force to immerse yourself in the culture. Actually, kahit naman hindi mo pilitin, you will embrace the heat of the environment while working on it, and Ive never encountered anyone na hindi naging belong here. Siguro sa professional benefits, marami. Example na lang is when it comes to my work ethics. I tend to align it with that of the client’s. Kay client kasi, they put a high regard for quality – both on how we treat our customers and sa calls that we make. It has a very big influence on how I do my job. Nadala ko na over time. Sa personal benefits, I could say na mas naramdaman kong part ako ng organization – na I belong. It’s both an individual and organizational effort eh. You immerse because you need to, para naman di ka loner di ba. And sa amin kasi, the client we work for helps us adapt. Hindi lang kami basta nagtatrabaho. Parte na kami ng organization.
How open are you to coping with the changes in the organization?
I am really open, may it be a positive or a negative change. Changing environment means its culture is adopting to modes of the people na nagpapagalaw dito, putting balance on a
E B L A C A S | 151
negative and postive changes. And also, change is inevitable with a fast-paced company with fast-changing employees. How applicable is the statement, “The more I immerse into the company’s corporate culture, the more I feel satisfied with my job”? Rate it with 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest.
3 . Of course there’s negative sides of this culture that I am not really okay in dealing with. But since a lot are doing it, it is hard to keep yourself away from the norm. Example: If we are on avail (jargon sa bpos, which means walang tumatawag na customer) company will give EB (Extrabreak) or EL (extralunch) that are unpaid (basically, you will lose 100+ pesos in an hour that you will not work). Most of agents will take it, and if your circle will take it, they will force you to take it, too. And of course mahihiya ka sakanila, you will take it then. I am against it, but what can I do. Yan sometimes yung negative.
What is your reason for immersing into your company’s corporate culture?
Matututo and to grow both personally and professionally.
Why is there a need to immerse into the corporate culture of organizations?
Basically, it’s needed because it helps life easier for us outsourced workers. Lalo na our client is from the US, the rules there apply to us here. May dress code sa mother company sa US so dito sa branch sa Pilipinas ganun din. Hindi naman ganun kastrict si client, unlike sa Verizon or Amazon. Pero we need to immerse – we need to adapt not just for our sake pero for the client na rin para productive ako, para naman naipapakita kong I am doing my part.
Did immersion help you change the usual notion of outsourced workers as outsiders to becoming effective insiders who embody the company’s corporate culture? Definitely, yes. Immersion has done me good. Bukod pa diyan, I’d say it help me grow as a person, both sa personally and professionally…pati na rin maturity sa workplace.