Factors affecting job satisfaction of software engineers at Haveynash Vietnam

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC MỞ TP. HCM UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY SOLVAY BRUSSELS SCHOOL

MBAVB3

TRẦN QUỐC TRÍ

FACTORS AFFECTING JOB SATISFACTION OF

SOFTWARE ENGINEERS AT HARVEYNASH VIETNAM

MASTER PROJECT

MASTER IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

(PART-TIME)

Tutor’s Name: Dr. VŨ VIỆT HẰNG

Ho Chi Minh City

(2010)

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UNDERTAKINGS

I would like to undertake that, to carry out this thesis “Factors affecting job

satisfaction of software engineers at Harveynash Vietnam”, I have myself

studied and researched the project’s issue, applied the academic knowledge

obtained from the MBAVB program, and discussed with my supervisor.

I undertake that this is my own research project, all information, data and survey

results are true and never announced in any other research projects.

Ho Chi Minh City, 22 February 2011

TRAN QUOC TRI

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express the deepest appreciation to Dr. Vu Viet Hang for her time

and her valuable advice to help me to finish this project.

I would like to thank all professors from both Open University and

SolvayBusinessSchool who had given me the academic knowledge and shared with

me their practical experience.

I also would like to thank all employees at Harveynash Vietnam who help me to

join my survey for this project.

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TUTOR’S COMMENTS

It’s a pleasure to supervise Tran Quoc Tri for this final task forward completing his

master in business management. In the course of the project implementation, I’ve

formed a good impression of the preparatory work completed by Tri as well as his

responsibility and trustworthiness. I’d like to highlight key accomplishment of this

research report as follows

1. The author succeeded in maintaining cohesion between different parts of the

research, from the literature review, the status quo to solutions

recommendation.

2. The research was developed on the basis of modern and solid theories.

3. The author achieved the primary objective of doing a serious work of

collecting data and thoroughly analyzing them to provide meaningful

information and recommendations.

4. The results of this research can be applied in real life situations and address

them in a practical way.

I would encourage the management of the author’s company to adopt the

recommendations of the research to help improve the employee satisfaction at

Harveynash Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City, 22 February 2011

Dr. VU VIET HANG

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TABLE OF CONTENT

Chapter 1 Introduction ......................................................................................... 1

1.1 Overview ...................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Research problem and research objectives ................................................... 1

1.2.1 Research problem ................................................................................. 1

1.2.2 Research objectives ............................................................................... 2

1.3 Research questions and hypotheses .............................................................. 2

1.3.1 Research questions ................................................................................ 2

1.3.2 Research hypotheses ............................................................................. 3

1.4 Research methodology ................................................................................. 4

1.5 Delimitations ................................................................................................ 4

1.6 Structure of the study ................................................................................... 4

Chapter 2 Literature review ................................................................................ 6

2.1 Concepts and definitions of job satisfaction ................................................ 6

2.2 Theories relating to job satisfaction ............................................................. 7

2.2.1 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need (1943) .................................................... 7

2.2.2 Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory (1959) ................................................. 8

2.2.3 Vroom’s Expectancy Theory (1964) ................................................... 10

2.2.4 Hackman and Oldham's Job Characteristics Model (1974) .............. 11

2.3 The measurement of job satisfaction .......................................................... 12

2.4 Researches related to job satisfaction ......................................................... 17

2.4.1 Organizational factors and job satisfaction ....................................... 17

2.4.2 Demographic factors and job satisfaction .......................................... 20

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2.5 Developing the research model .................................................................. 21

Chapter 3 Research Methodology ..................................................................... 23

3.1 Research Process ........................................................................................ 23

3.2 Population and sample................................................................................ 24

3.3 Data collection ............................................................................................ 25

3.4 Questionnaire design .................................................................................. 26

3.5 Data analysis method.................................................................................. 28

Chapter 4 Data analysis and findings................................................................ 31

4.1 Profile of samples ....................................................................................... 31

4.2 Means of job satisfaction ............................................................................ 31

4.3 Reliability analysis ..................................................................................... 34

4.4 Factor analysis ............................................................................................ 36

4.5 Comparison of job satisfaction by demographic factors ............................ 38

4.5.1 Comparison of job satisfaction by gender and marital status ............ 38

4.5.2 Comparison of job satisfaction by years of experience ...................... 39

4.5.3 Comparison of job satisfaction by length of service and position ...... 40

4.6 Regression analysis .................................................................................... 41

4.6.1 Assumptions checking ......................................................................... 41

4.6.2 Model evaluation ................................................................................ 43

4.6.3 Evaluation of independent variables .................................................. 44

4.7 Summary of research findings .................................................................... 45

4.8 Revised research model .............................................................................. 48

Chapter 5 Conclusion and implication .............................................................. 49

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5.1 Conclusion .................................................................................................. 49

5.1.1 Means of job satisfaction .................................................................... 49

5.1.2 Personal antecedents of job satisfaction ............................................ 49

5.1.3 Organizational antecedents of job satisfaction .................................. 51

5.2 Recommendations ...................................................................................... 51

5.3 Contributions .............................................................................................. 52

5.4 Limitations and recommendations for future researches ........................... 53

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................. 54

APPENDIX 1 THE QUESTIONNAIRE .................................................................... 57

APPENDIX 2 PROFILE OF SAMPLES .................................................................... 64

APPENDIX 3 RELIABILITY ANALYSIS ................................................................ 65

APPENDIX 4 SUITABILITY ASSESSMENT FOR FACTOR ANALYSIS ............ 69

APPENDIX 5 FACTOR EXTRACTION ................................................................... 71

APPENDIX 6 FACTOR ROTATION ........................................................................ 77

APPENDIX 7 COMPARISON OF JOB SATISFACTION BY DEMOGRAPHIC

FACTORS ............................................................................................................. 79

APPENDIX 8 ASSUMPTIONS CHECKING FOR MULTIPLE REGRESSION ..... 86

APPENDIX 9 REGRESSION ANALYSIS ................................................................ 87

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

HVN Harveynash Vietnam

IT Information Technology

SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences

JDI Job Descriptive Index

JSS Job Satisfaction Survey

MSQ Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire

JIG Job in General

SD Standard Deviation

EFA Exploratory Factor Analysis

KMO Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin

VIF Variance Inflation Factor

QC Quality Assurance

CPI Consumer Price Index

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Outline of the thesis ..................................................................................... 5

Figure 2: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs ..................................................................... 8

Figure 3: Herzberg’s two factor theory ....................................................................... 9

Figure 4: Vroom expectancy theory .......................................................................... 10

Figure 5: Job Characteristics Model ......................................................................... 12

Figure 6: Six facial expressions from the Faces scale .............................................. 15

Figure 7: Proposed research model ........................................................................... 22

Figure 8: The research process .................................................................................. 23

Figure 9: Revised research model ............................................................................. 48