A Quantitative Study of the Relationship of Work Ethic, Worker
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2015 A Quantitative Study of the Relationship of Work Ethic, Worker Retention, and Job Satisfaction in the Native Hawaiian Population Donala Kahealani Kawaauhau Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, and the Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Management and Technology This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Donala Kawaauhau has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Jean Gordon, Committee Chairperson, Management Faculty Dr. Robert DeYoung, Committee Member, Management Faculty Dr. David Banner, University Reviewer, Management Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2015 Abstract A Quantitative Study of the Relationship of Work Ethic, Job Satisfaction, and Worker Retention in the Native Hawaiian Population by Donala Kahealani Kawa’auhau Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Applied Management and Decision Sciences Walden University August 2015 Abstract A number of publications on the well-being of Native Hawaiians report high unemployment levels, high poverty levels, and minimal educational achievement in the population with theoretical origins attributed to the advent of a Western market economy. However, there are no studies that analyze the relationship between work ethic and retention, or satisfaction and retention in the Native Hawaiians working in this economy. Understanding the aforementioned relationships could help state and federal agencies focus spending on interventions that lead to productive employment solutions for Native Hawaiians. This quantitative study tested Weber’s protestant work ethic theory to compare the work ethic of an individual to his or her retention at work, and Herzberg et al.’s motivation-hygiene theory to compare the job satisfaction levels of an individual to his or her retention at work. Data were collected from individuals 18 years and older who self-identified as Native Hawaiian. Six hundred survey responses were successfully collected from various members of the Native Hawaiian Civic Clubs, of which 419 were complete. Correlation analyses were conducted between the independent variable of work ethic and the dependent variable of worker retention, the independent variable of work ethic and the dependent variable of job satisfaction, and the independent variable of job satisfaction and the dependent variable of worker retention. While no significant relationships were found, this study successfully eliminated variables previously theorized as contributors to the population’s low employment rate, thus encouraging future exploration of applicable theories that can lead to more relevant and appropriate employment interventions for Native Hawaiians. A Quantitative Study of the Relationship of Work Ethic, Worker Retention, and Job Satisfaction in the Native Hawaiian Population by Donala Kahealani Kawa’auhau Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Applied Management and Decision Sciences Walden University August 2015 Table of Contents List of Tables ……............................................................................................................vi List of Figures ………………………………………………………………………….vii Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ...................…….…….….………………................1 Background of the Problem …...……..……….……….……………..………......2 Problem Statement …...………….…………………….………………................3 Purpose Statement ....…………….…………………….……………………........3 Research Question and Hypotheses …...……………………………...……....….4 Research Question .…...……………………......………....……………....4 Hypothesis …...........…………………………………………...................4 Theoretical Foundation of the Study …...………………………………...……....5 Protestant Work Ethic Theory ....................................................................5 Motivation-Hygiene Theory .......................................................................7 Conceptual Framework …...………………………….……………………...........8 Nature of the Study …...………………………………....….…………….............9 Definition of Terms …...…………………………………….……...…................12 Assumptions …...…………………………………………….…………..............13 Scope and Delimitations …...………………......……………….……………….14 Limitations …...……………………….………………………............................15 Significance of the Study …...………………………………….……………......16 Social Change Implication .……………………………………………………...16 Summary and Transition to Chapter Two ……..…………………………….......17 i Chapter 2: Literature Review ..............................…...…..………...…………...………..19 Introduction ...........................................................................................................19 Relevance of Problem …...……............…………….……………………...........20 Chapter Overview …....,,,,,,,,,,,………............……….......……………………...20 Literature Search Strategy …...……………………….………..………………...20 Theoretical Foundation .…...…………………………….…………………........21 Protestant Work Ethic Theory ..................................................................21 Analysis of Previous Theoretical Applications .....……………………....25 Rationale of Chosen Theory .....................................................................30 Relation of Chosen Theory to Present Study ............................................30 Origins of the Protestant Work Ethic ........................................................30 Research Review .…………………………………………………….................33 Work Ethic and Capitalism ..…………………………………………....35 Work Ethic and Religion …...…………………………………………..35 Work Ethic, Race, and Societal Views …...…………………..………...39 Work Ethic and Native Hawaiians …...………………………………....42 Summary and Conclusions ……………………………………………………...44 Filling the Gap and Extending Current Knowledge …...…..……...….....46 Transition and Connection to Chapter Three ............................................46 Chapter 3: Methodology ..….……………............……………………….………….......47 Introduction .………...…..…………………………………………….................47 Research Design and Rationale ..………………………….…………….47 ii Methodology …...……………………….………………………........................50 Population …...…………………………..……………………................50 Sampling and Sampling Procedures …...……………………..….……...50 Specific Strategies on how the Sample will be drawn ….……….50 Sampling Frame and Power Analysis ………………….………..50 Procedures for Recruitment ………………………………….…………..51 Recruiting Procedures …...…………………………….………....51 Informed Consent and Data Collection…………………………..51 Study Exit ……..………………………………………………....52 Instrumentation and Operationalization of Constructs …………..……....52 Reliability and Validity Value Relevant to the Study …...……....……....54 Threats to Validity …...……………………...……….………………..................55 Internal, External, and Statistical Validity …...………………….…….....55 Ethical Procedures …...…………………………………………….….................56 Treatment of Data …...…………………………………….……….….....57 Summary of Design …...………………………………………….……...............57 Chapter 4: Results ..............................................................................................................59 Introduction ............................................................................................................59 Data Collection .......................................................................................................61 Time Frame, Recruitment, and Response Rates .........................................61 Baseline Descriptive and Demographic Characteristics of Sample ............61 Representative Sample and Population of Interest ......................................62 Results ...................................................................................................................62 iii Descriptive Statistics and Sample Characteristics ....................................62 Descriptive Characteristics of Sample ..................................................... 65 Statistical Assumptions ............................................................................ 67 Statistical Analysis – Dependent Variable ............................................... 68 Statistical Analysis – Independent Variables ........................................... 69 Research Questions and Hypothesis Testing ....................................................... 73 Research Question 1 ................................................................................ 73 Research Question 2 .................................................................................76 Research Question 3 ................................................................................ 77 Summary .............................................................................................................. 78 Chapter 5: Discussion of Results ....................................................................................