Ethical Consideration

Ethics in research is defined by Saunders et al. (2009, p. 183) as, “the appropriate behaviour in relation to the rights of those who become the subject of your work, or are affected by it.”

“Ethical conduct should be considered throughout the research process, from accessing the individuals to collecting, analysing and reporting the data” (Saunders et al., 2009, p. 187).

The ethical standards of the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) were applied to this study. The respondents were advised that their participation was voluntary and that their anonymity would be guaranteed, as no names were recorded on the

questionnaires. The respondents were also given the right and opportunity to withdraw from the study at any stage.

CHAPTER 3 SUMMARY

The purpose of this chapter was to describe the research design and methodology selection of this study. Saunders et al.’s (2009, p. 108) layered approach towards research design, known as the “research onion”, was used to describe the research methodology.

In summary, this study is grounded in the positivistic paradigm and primarily follows a quantitative research strategy with the aim of deducing the factors which influence job performance.

The development and administration of the measuring instrument was explained. The nature of the study is explanatory with the aim of investigating the influence that trust, employee engagement, goal setting, training and job fit have on job performance. A survey strategy was deployed by collecting primary data with a self-administered questionnaire. A convenient sampling method was used to obtain responses from 50 employees in the Eastern Cape area from the MTN BRC stores. Statistical analysis such as correlation and multiple linear regressions facilitated the evaluation of the model.

Statistical analysis was used to verify the reliability and validity of the measuring instrument, as well as the descriptive statistics. The correlations, as well as the multiple linear regression analyses used to assess the influence of the independent variables on the dependent variables, were briefly discussed.

CHAPTER 4

EMPIRICAL RESULTS

INTRODUCTION

Chapter Three documents the research methodology employed in this study. The statistical methods and analyses used in the empirical phase of this study will now be discussed.

This chapter documents the demographic profile, followed by the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Thereafter, the descriptive statistics, such as means, standard deviations and frequency distributions, are tabled to summarize the sample data. The correlation analysis, showing the relationship between the variables and job performance is then discussed. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis theory, namely: Does employee engagement, trust, goal setting, training and job fit, affect job performance?

4.1 Demographics

The demographics of the respondents were gathered by recording their age, gender, qualification, employment status and province (area). Furthermore:

Table 4.1 shows the age distribution of the staff members in the eight MTN BRC stores in the Eastern Cape.

Table 4.1: Age profile of the respondents Table 4.1: Frequency distribution - Age Count Percentage 18 - 24 5 10 25 - 30 23 46 31 - 35 19 38 36 - 40 2 4 41 - 45 1 2 Total (N = 50) 50 100

Age

50 40 30 20 10 18-24 25-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 18-24 25-30 31-35 36-40 41-45

Source: Author’s own construction from statistical data Figure 4.1: Age profile of the respondents

Source: Author’s own construction from statistical data

Figure 4.1 shows that the majority of respondents (46%) are between 25 and 30 years old. The age profile is normally distributed, with the least number of respondents (2%) in the oldest age group, followed by the 36 to 40 age group (4%), the youngest age group of 18 to 24 (10%) and then the respondents in the age group 31 to 35 years (38%). The smallest number of respondents is older than 41 years (2%). The gender profile of the respondents is illustrated in Table 4.2 and Figure 4.2.

Table 4.2: Frequency Distribution - Gender Count Percentage Male 19 38 Female 31 62 Total 50 100

Gender

Male Female

Figure 4.2: Gender profile of respondents

Source: Author’s own construction from statistical data

Table 4.2 shows that more females (62%) than males (38%) participated in this study. The gender profile of the respondents is graphically depicted in Figure 4.2. The following table represents the qualification level of the respondents.

Table 4.3: Frequency distribution - Qualification Qualification

Count Percentage Less than high school

diploma 1 2

High School Diploma 23 46

National Diploma 20 40

Bachelor's Degree 6 12

Total 50 100

Figure 4.3: Qualification level of respondents

Source: Author’s own construction from statistical data

Table 4.3 and Figure 4.3 show that most of the respondents (46%) have a high school diploma. The qualification profile is normally distributed. Only two per cent of respondents do not have a high school diploma. Twelve per cent hold a Bachelor’s degree and 40 per cent have a national diploma.

Table 4.4 and Figure 4.4 show the employment status of the respondents i.e. - whether they are permanently or temporarily employed at MTN BRC stores in the Eastern Cape.

Table 4.4: Frequency distribution - Employment status Employment status

Count Percentage

Permanently Employed 14 28

Temporarily Employed 36 72

Total 50 100

Source: Author’s own construction from statistical data

Degree National Diploma Diploma School Diploma

Less than High High School

Less than High School Diploma High School Diploma

National Diploma Bachelor's Degree

Figure 4.4: Employment status of respondents

Source: Author’s own construction from statistical data

Table 4.4 shows that in the MTN BRC stores in the Eastern Cape, there are more temporary employees (72%) than permanent employees (38%). The respondents were also requested to indicate the province in which they are employed. Table 4.5 and Figure 4.5 illustrate the distribution of the participants.

Table 4.5: Frequency distribution - Region Region

Count Percentage

Eastern Cape 49 98

Kwazulu-Natal 1 2

Total 50 100

Source: Author’s own construction from statistical data

Employment Status

Permanently Employed Temporarily

Figure 4.5: Employment status of respondents

Source: Author’s own construction from statistical data

Table 4.5 and Figure 4.5 respectively show that the respondents are predominantly from the Eastern Cape (98%) and that only two per cent are from Kwazulu–Natal. The only respondent who indicated that he was from the Kwazulu–Natal area must have misunderstood the question, as the survey was only distributed in the Eastern Cape. However, for the purposes of this study, the response has been included.

In document Job performance and the relationship between employee engagement, goal setting, training, job fit and trust (Page 47-54)