Researchbackground
Eachorganizationhasitsownassetswhich containstwomaincomponent s– lab o r and cap it al Ca p i t a l is so importantt o t h e achievementof t h e b usi ness, w h i l e l a b o r isthevitalfactorforcreatingprofitstoit.Thelabordoeseverythingdailyan dt he wholeexistingtimeoftheorganization.Therealityofworkinglifetodayisth atemployeesarefrequentlytryingtocontroltheirworkandpersonallives.
In the context of global economic integration, the emergence of numerous domestic and foreign petroleum companies has intensified competition for attracting high-quality human resources Consequently, it is crucial for leaders to focus on retaining current employees, as personnel stability can save organizations time and recruitment and training costs Research by Tett and Meyer (1993) indicates that job satisfaction is negatively associated with turnover intentions, meaning higher job satisfaction correlates with a decreased likelihood of employees leaving the company (Hom & Griffeth, as cited in Valentine et al., 2011; Jaramillo, Mulki & Solomon, 2006) Therefore, alongside strategies to enhance business efficiency and management effectiveness, improving employee job satisfaction has become a key concern for all organizations.
Thejobisconsideredanimportantpartofhumanlifesincethemajorityoftheirl i v e s i s d e v o t e d t o t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n Manyp e o p l e b e l i e v e t h a t t h e w o r k r e p r e s e n t s theirvalueinsociety.Therefore,thequalityoflifewilldependonthequalityofworkl i f e wh ichtheyhavebeenattheworkplaces.Improvingthequalityofworklifewillcontribu tetobringgoodqualityoflifeforeachindividual.
Qualityo f w o r k l i f e includingt h e l i f e a s p e c t s r e l a t e d t o t h e w o r k s u c h a s w a g e s , workinghours,workenvironment,benefits,careerprospects,thehuma nrelationship,t h e b a l a n c e b e t w e e n w o r k a n d l i f e T h e s e a s p e c t s c o n t r i b u t e t o t h e satisfactionandmotivationofemployees.Acc
1 ordingtoEfraty,SirgyandClaiborne( 1 9 9 1 ) , highqualityofworkliferesultsinan increaseinjobsatisfactionandperformanceofemployees,andatthesametime,causea decreaseinbothalienationa n d t u r n o v e r i n t e n t i o n F r o m t h a t , e m p l o y e e s a r e w i l l i n g t o c o n t r i b u t e t o a n
2 organization wherequalityofwork life exists becausetheyfeelthat their work fulfillstheirneeds(Cascio,ascitedinKoonmee,Singhapakdi,Virakul,andLee,2010).
Recent studies indicate that work-life quality is not the sole factor influencing employee job satisfaction; the institutionalization of ethics also plays a significant role According to Sims and Kroeck (1994), an ethical working environment is crucial in the person-organization fit, as employees prefer to work in organizations that align with their ethical values Consequently, those employed by organizations that prioritize ethics tend to report higher job satisfaction (Singhapakdi & Vitell, 2007) Furthermore, research by Valentine, Godkin, Fleischman, and Kidwell (2011) suggests that strong corporate ethical values are linked to lower turnover intentions among employees.
Therefore,itisnecessarytostudytheassociationbetweeninstitutionalizat iono f e t h i c s , q u a l i t y o f w o r k l i f e a n d j o b s a t i s f a c t i o n B e c a u s e o f i n p a r a l l e l t o t h e importanceofethicsinstitutionalization,bothqualityofworklifean djobsatisfactionh a v e beenimportanttopicsinhumanresourceandorganizational development(L e o p o l d , ascitedinKoonmeeetal.,2010).
Oil and gas companies are specialized enterprises engaged in petroleum exploration and production, often relying on a workforce that faces high-stress conditions, long hours, and hazardous environments Workers are exposed to various risks, including potential injuries from heavy machinery, gas eruptions, and other dangers despite strict safety regulations on-site To thrive in the petroleum sector, employees must possess a range of skills, including analytical thinking, teamwork, and good health, as well as intelligence for effective resource management Additionally, soft skills such as presentation, conflict resolution, and relationship-building are essential for success in this challenging industry.
2 t h colleagues;fast processing unexpectedproblems occur,e tc thosea re theim portant skillsw h i c h s t a f f s n e e d t o e q u i p t h e m s e l v e T h e r e f o r e , w h e n t h e r e i s a n em ployee
3 meetingtheaboverequirements, anypetroleumcompanywhichwishestomaint ainexistingstaffandmakethemmeetthejobsatisfaction toengagewiththe organizationinthelong- term,especiallyemployeeswithhightechnicalqualifications.Theresearcho f A l M u f t a h a n d
L a f i ( 2 0 1 1 ) r e l a t e d t o p e t r o l e u m i n d u s t r y i n Q a t a r s u p p o r t s t h a t q u a l i t y o f w o r k l i f e i s p o s i t i v e l y a n d s i g n i f i c a n t l y r e l a t e d t o employees’j o b s a t i s f a c t i o n Regarding theimportanceof ethicsandqualityof work lifeandtheeffectofthemonjobconsequencessuchajobsatisfactionofemployeean dspiritofteamwor k ,ChamesghaliandSalimiare(2014)consideredtherelation shipbetweenethicsinstitutionalization,qualityofworklifeandjob- relatedoutcomesintheformofcases t u d y ofemployeeofnationalIranianoilproductdistrib utioncompany.
Nowadays,thecommonproblemofthepetroleumcompanyistoimprovethej o b satisfactionofemployees,creatingincentivesforemployeestoworkeffecti velya n d e n g a g e l o n g - t e r m w i t h t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n T h e r e f o r e , thedeterminationo f t h e d e g r e e ofinfluenceoftheethicsinstitutionalizationandthequalityofworklifetothej obsatisfactionofpetroleumemployeesisanecessarymatter.
Researchproblem
Forthelastdecade,organizationshaveincreasedefforttoinstitutionalizeethics, pa rt ly because s u c h e ff or ts p os i t i v e l y affect employeeb e h a v i o r I n a d d i t i o n , g i v e n increasingethicalproblemsinbusiness,manyorganizationshavetriedtocontro ltheseproblemsbyinstitutionalizingethics.Therefore,ethicsi n s t it u t i o n a l i z at i o n i snotonlyaprocessdevelopedthroughcontinualethicaloperationbuta l s o a n i m p o r t a n t t o p i c i n b u s i n e s s e t h i c s r e s e a r c h a n d e t h i c s becomeinstitutionalized by“ t h e persistenceofspecificbehaviorsassociatedw i t h ano r g a n i z a t i o n anditsemplo yeesbehavingethically”(Sims,1991,p.494).
AccordingtoPurcell andWeber(1979),mechanism forethics institutionali zationwithinanorganizationistheutilizationofacodeofethics.Thisc o d e describesthegener alvaluesystemoftheorganization,definesthepurposeoftheo r g a n i z a t i o n , andprovides guidelinesfordecision-
3 makingconsistentwiththesep r i n c i p l e s Ethicsinstitutionalizationisapartoftheorgani zationalenvironment,anditis a lso ani m p o r t a n t d e t e r m i n a n t o f t h e de c i s i o n - m a k i n g p ro cesses o f employeesi n situationsinvolvingethicalissues(Hunt&V i t e l l , 1986;Ferrell&Gresham, 1985).
Inrecentyears,theethicsinstitutionalizationisalsoanimportantresponsibilityf o r org anizationsinordertoeffectivelycounteractthefrequentoccurrencesofun ethi cal andillegalbehaviorwithinorganizations.Anorganizationcanutilized iff er ent m ethodstocreateanethicalworkcultureforemployees,especiallyethicalp r a c t i c e s canbeapowerfultoolforenhancinganorganization.Oneofmethodsistoinstitutiona lizeethicsinbusinessorganizationsandKoonmee,Singhapakdi,Virakul,a n d Lee( 2010)emphasizedthatethics,qualityofworklifeandjob- relatedoutcomesa r e i d e n t i f i e d asp r o g r e s s i v e i n d i c a t o r s r e l a t e d t o t h e f u n c t i o n a n d s u s t a i n a b i l i t y o f b u s i n e s s organizations.
Muchresearchhasexpectedthatpeopleinorganizationswithahighdegreeofinstit utionalizationofethicswillbem o r e satisfiedw i t h t h e i r jobs.Suchas,S i n g h a p a k d i an dVitell
(2007,p.287)argue,“organizationsthatinstitutionalizeethicsappeartovalueintegritya ndtrustand,asaresult,oftentreattheiremployeesmorefairlyi n t e r m s o f compensation, performanceevaluation,promotiona n d c o n f l i c t resolution”.Accordingly,organizationsthatinstitutionalizeethicspayattent iontotheq u a l i t y oftheiremployeesworklifewillgettheadvantagesofhavingmorecommitte dw o r k f o r c e andmorecommitmentofworkforce.
Research has shown that the institutionalization of ethics significantly influences various job-related outcomes for employees Vitella and Davis (1990) established a direct connection between job satisfaction and ethical behavior, highlighting the importance of organizational culture in fostering ethical conduct Additionally, Turban and Greening (1996) found that ethics programs and perceived corporate social responsibility positively impact individual work attitudes, particularly job satisfaction Furthermore, Vitella and Singhapakdi (2008) examined how the institutionalization of ethics affects job-related outcomes, including job satisfaction, esprit de corps, and overall organizational commitment.
4 o m m i t m e n t ) f o r marketingp r o f e s s i o n a l s a n d r e v e a l e d t h a t implicitinstitutiona lizationisasignificant determinantofjobsatisfaction,butexplicit institutionalizationisnot.K a n g (2010)i n v e s t i g a t e d ther e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n job
5 satisfactiona n d e t h i c a l c o n f l i c t , e t h i c a l c o n f l i c t s c a u s e s a n d c o n s e q u e n c e s o f j o b dissatisfaction andcametothe conclusionthatmanyemployees confirmtheexistenceo fe t h i c a l c o n f l i c t i n t h e i r w o r k p l a c e V a l e n t i n e , G o d k i n , F l e i s c h m a n , a n d K i d w e l l (2011)e x a m i n e d t h e d e g r e e t o w h i c h p e r c e i v e d c o r p o r a t e e t h i c a l v a l u e s w o r k i n concert withgroupcreativityto influencebothjobsatisfactionandturnoverintention,andi n d i c a t e d t h a t c o r p o r a t e e t h i c a l v a l u e s i s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h i n c r e a s e d j o b s a t i sf a c t i o n
Muchresearch alsohasdocumentedthat institutionalizationofethicsis studiedi n variouscountrieswithdifferentfields.Suchas,Koonmeeetal.
(2010)investigatedt h e relationshipbetweeninstitutionalizationofethics,quali tyofworklifeandemployeejob- relatedoutcomesandconcludedthatimplicitinstitutionalizedethicshasa positiverelations hipwithqualityofworklife;implicitinstitutionalizedethicsandq u a l i t y o f w o r k l i f e h a v e p o s i t i v e i m p a c t s o n T h a i l a n d s t a f f w o r k i n g r e s u l t s (j obs a t i s f a c t i o n , t e a m w o r k i n g a n d o r g a n i z a t i o n a l c o m m i t m e n t ) F u r t h e r m o r e , b a s e d onthepreviousresearch,Marta,Singhapakdi,Lee,Sirgy,Koonmee,and Virakul(2013)examinedtheperceptionofinstitutionalization ofethicsandqual ityofworklifeforT h a i l a n d marketingmanagersversusAmericanmarketingmana gers,theresultss h o w e d thattheimpactofinstitutionalizationofethicsonthequalit yofworklifeforThaimanagersism o r e t h a n A m e r i c a n managersb e c a u s e T h a i l a n d c u l t u r e i s collective,whileAmericancultureisindividual.
Inaddition,Torlak,Tiltay,Ozkara,andDogan
(2014)analyzedtherelationshipb e t w e e n institutionalizationofethicsandqualityof worklifebymid- levelmanagersw o r k i n g i n t h e p r i v a t e s e c t o r i n T u r k e y a n d camet o t h e c o n c l u s i o n t h a t i m p l i c i t institutionalizationofethicsispositivelyrelatedtobothhighe randlowerneedsthatdeterminequalityofworklife.Lee,Yu,Sirgy,andSinghapakdi( 2015)investigatedt h e e f f e c t ofethicsi n s t i t u t i o n a l i z a t i o n o n employe e’sw o r k lifee x p e r i e n c e s
6 eeh a p p i n e s s ) , d a t a w e r e c o l l e c t e d througha s u r v e y ofmarketingmanagersinIt aly,andcametothec o n c l u s i o n t h a t implicitinstitutionalizationofethicshasa positivee f f e c t onnoto n l y employees’ qualityofworklifebutalsojobsatisfaction.
Ther e s e a r c h o f A l M u f t a h a n d L a f i ( 2 0 1 1 ) r e l a t e d top e t r o l e u m i n d u s t r y i n Q a t a r supports t h a t t h e ph ysi c al,psychological and so c i a l f ac t o r s ’ c e n t r a l i t y havea s i g n i f i c a n t relationshipwithqualityofworklifewhichindirectl yimpactemployees’s a t i s f a c t i o n T h e f i n d i n g i n d i c a t e d t h a t qualityof w o r k l i f e i s p o s i t i v e l y an ds i g n i f i c a n t l y r e l a t e d toemployees’job satisfaction.
Regardingthe importance ofethicsandqualityofworklifeandtheeffectofthemonoptimizedperformanceofano r g a n i z a t i o n andjobconsequencessuchajobsatisfactionofemployeeandspiri tofteamw o r k , C h a m e s g h a l i a n d Salimiare( 2 0 1 4 ) c o n s i d e r e d t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n e t h i c s institutionalization,qualityofwork lifeandjob-relatedoutcomesin theformofc a s e studyofemployeeofnationalIranianoilproductdistributioncompany.
Reichert,Webb,andThomas(2000)examinedtherelationshipsbetweene t h i c a l a n d i n d u s t r y t y p e I n d u s t r i e s , s u c h a s computers,e l e c t r o n i c s , s c i e n t i f i c a n d p h o t o graphicssectors,thatareinvolvedwithhighprecisionproductsandi ndustries;su c h a s mining,c r u d e o i l , a n d p e t r o l e u m r ef in in g, t h a t u t i l i z e n a t u r a l r e s o u r c e s a r e moreinclinedtohaveaformalwrittenacodeofethicsandsocialresponsibilit y.
The institutionalization of ethics is increasingly vital in the business world (Torlak et al., 2014) Understanding the significance of organizational ethics is essential, as it serves as a strategic advantage for companies (Purcell & Weber, 1979) However, research on this topic within the context of Vietnamese culture remains scarce, particularly concerning the relationship between ethics institutionalization and quality of work life, as well as job satisfaction (Koonmee et al., 2010).
Fromabovediscussions,itisnecessarytostudytheassociationbetweeninstitution alizationofethics,qualityofworklifeandjobsatisfaction.Becauseofinp a r a l l e l tothei mportanceofethicsinstitutionalization,bothqualityofworklifeandj obs a t i s f a c t i o n h a v e b e e n i m p o r t a n t t o p i c s i n humanr e s o u r c e a n d o r g a n i z a t i o n a l development (Leopold, ascitedinKoonmeeetal.,2010).Thus,themainissue ofthiss t u d y istounderstandtherelationship
7 betweeninstitutionalizationofethics,theperception ofthe qualityofwork life and jobsatisfactionofemployeesinVietnamese
Researchobjectives
Themainfocusofthestudyistoempiricallyexamineamodelthatfocusesont h e e f f e c t s o f e t h i c s i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z a t i o n o n e m p l o y e e s ’ q u a l i t y of w o r k l i f e a n d j o b satisfaction.Furthermore,thestudyalsoexaminesthemediatingeffectofq ualityofw o r k lifeonemployees’jobsatisfaction.
Researchscope
Thisresearchfocusesoninvestigating theimpact ofimplicitandexplicit ethicsinstitutionalizationonemployees’qualityofworklifeandjobsatisfaction,aswellast h e mediatinge f f e c t o f q u a l i t y o f workl i f e o n j o b s a t i s f a c t i o n o f employeesi n Vietnamesepetrol eumindustry.
Almosttheoilandgas companieshavelocatedin HoChiMinhCity,HanoiC ityandVungTauCity.Moreover,basingontheadvantagesofcommunicationwitht h e o i l a n d g a s c o m p a n y ’ s a u t h o r i t i e s , t h i s r e s e a r c hm a y c o n v e n i e n t l y c o n d u c t t h e s u r v e y questionnaireviapaperandonlineinthesecities.
Researchsignificance
Thisr es e a r c h c o n t r i b u t e s t o t h e u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f e t h i c s , q u a l i t y ofw o r k lifean d jobsatisfactionandespeciallytheimportantroleofinstitutionalizinget hics,thee x t e n t t o w h i c h i t s i m p a c t o n e m p l o y e e s ’ q u a l i t y o f w o r k l i f e a n d j o b s a t i s f a c t i o n with in t h e c o n t e x t o f Vietnameseb u s i n e s s o r g a n i z a t i o n s i n g e n e r a l l y a n d w i t h i n Vietnamesepetroleumindustryinparticularly.
Thef i n d i n g s p r o v i d e a s i g n i f i c a n t o p p o r t u n i t y f o r managersp e r c e i v e s t h a t someaspectsofemployees’qualityofworklifecanhaveapositive predictiveimpacto n t h e i r j o b s a t i s f a c t i o n B a s e d o n t h i s f i n d i n g , i t i s veryi m p o r t a n t f o r b u s i n e s s organizational managementtodesignworkre quirements,buildappropriatepolicyinordertoimproveemployees’qualityofwo rklife,aswellas,sothatemployeescanenhancejobsatisfactioninorganization,havea balancedlifeatworkandwithfamily.
Researchstructure
Thist h e s i s c o n t a i n s f i v e c h a p t e r s , i n c l u d i n g i n t r o d u c t i o n , l i t e r a t u r e r e v i e w , r e s e a r c h methodology,dataanalysisandresults,andconclusion.Sp ecifically:
Thisc h a p t e r p r e s e n t s r e s e a r c h b a c k g r o u n d oft h e study,a s w e l l a s , r e s e a r c h problems,r e s e a r c h o b j e c t i v e s , r e s e a r c h s c o p e s , r e s e a r c h s i g n i f i c a n c e a n d r e s e a r c h structure.
This chapter presents a comprehensive literature review and examines previous studies, clearly defining key constructs such as implicit and explicit ethics in institutionalization, quality of work life, and job satisfaction Additionally, it discusses the research model of the study and outlines the associated hypotheses.
Thischapterdescribesthemethodtoconductthestudy,includingtheresearchd e s i g n , measurementscalebuildingandthemainsurvey.Theprocessesofdoingthes t u d y arealsopresented.
Allofdatacollectedfromthesurveyareanalyzed.Thefinalmodelofthestudyi s builtba sedontheresultsofthoseanalyses.Dependingonoutputresultsfromtheanalyzing, therelationship ofthosefactorsasmentionedinthestudymodelwillbeexamined.
Thischaptergivesaspecificviewabouttheimportantconstructsofthestudy,pr esentsadiscussionofjobsatisfaction,qualityofworklifeandinstitutionalizationofet h i cs T h i s isf o l l o w e d byt h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f hypothesisa n d c o n s t r u c t i o n o f a conceptualm o d e l F i v e hypothesesa r e a l s o p r o p o s e d a f t e r b e i n g a r g u e d b a s e d onpreviou s researches.
Jobsatisfaction
AccordingtoSpector(1988),jobsatisfactionisimportantfromtwoperspectives: first,fromthehumanaspect,employeesshouldbetreatedfairlyandber e s p e c t e d S e c o n d , b e h a v i o r a l a s p e c t s , a t t e n t i o n t o j o b s a t i s f a c t i o n c o u l d d i r e c t t h e behavior o f e m p l o y e e s , s o t h a t i t w o u l d a f f e c t t h e p e r f o r m a n c e a n d o r g a n i z a t i o n a l responsibilitiesandleadtopositiveandnegativebehaviorfromthem.
Job satisfaction is a crucial factor for employee motivation and performance Hoppok and Spielgler (1938) describe job satisfaction as a combination of psychological, physiological, and environmental conditions that lead employees to feel content with their work Similarly, Locke (as cited in Valentine et al., 2011) defines it as a positive emotional state resulting from the evaluation of one’s job experiences When employees feel satisfied, they are more likely to engage positively in their work, enhancing their overall quality of life Furthermore, job satisfaction is linked to an organization’s ethical climate, especially when employees believe that their organization and leaders genuinely promote ethical behavior (Vitell & Davis, 1990).
Muchresearchalsohasdocumentedthatjobsatisfactionisstudiedinvario usrelationship withinanorganization.Suchas,therelationshipbetweenjobsatisfacti onandturnoverintentionhasbeenevaluatedextensivelyintheorganizationalliteratur e, andt h e r e s u l t g e n e r a l l y s h o w s t h a t j o b s a t i s f a c t i o n w a s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h d e c r e a s e d
1 1 ; Jaramillo,Mulki&Solomon2006);anotherfindingindicatesthatjobsatisfac tionisn e g a t i v e l y associatedwithturnoverintention(Tett&Meyet,1993).Finally,Valent inee t al.
( 20 11 )i nd ic at ed thatcor po ra te et hic al values and jo b satisfaction wer e ass o ciat ed withdecreasedturnoverintention.
Muchr e s e a r c h a l s o h a s d o c u m e n t e d t h a t j o b s a t i s f a c t i o n i s s t u d i e d i n t h e humanaspect.Forinstance,themotivationalfactors,suchasthe natureofwork,thes e n s e ofachievement,therecognition,theresponsibility,andopport unities,thathelpsemployeest o f i n d t h e i r w o r t h w i t h r e s p e c t tov a l u e g i v e n t o t h e m byo r g a n i z a t i o n ( B a a h &Amoako,2011).Further,thiscanincreasemotivati onallevelofemployeesw h i c h willultimatelyraiseinternalhappiness ofemployeesandtheinternalhappinessw i l l c a u s e s a t i s f a c t i o n T h u s , t h e r o l e o f e m p l o y e e s a t w o r k p l a c e ise m p h a s i z e d a s th er e i s a n i n f l u e n c e o f v a r i o u s e l e m e n t s ona n e m p l o y e e w i t h i n t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n (Raziq&Maulabakhsh, 2015).
Recent research highlights that job satisfaction is a positive emotional state and one of the most debated concepts in organizations It is crucial for employees and management alike, as emphasized by Etebarian and Yazdi (2016) Job satisfaction significantly boosts productivity, fosters a sense of belonging in the workplace, enhances both the quantity and quality of work, improves human relations, raises morale, sparks interest in tasks, and reduces stress Conversely, a decline in job satisfaction can lead to increased absenteeism, lower efficiency, and employee displacement or transfer.
Basedo n t h e a b o v e l i t e r a t u r e , i t i s n e c e s s a r y t o studythe i m p o r t a n c e o f j o b satisfaction ofemployeeswithinorganizations,especiallyexaminingthefactor sa f f e c t i n g onthejobsatisfaction.
Qualityofworklife
Inrecentyears,manybusinessorganizationsfailtounderstandtheimportanceo f workingenvironmentforemployees’jobsatisfactionandthusfacealotofd i f f i c u l t i e s duringtheirwork(Aiken,Clarke&Cloane,2002).Employeeisane s s e n t i a l compone ntintheprocessofachievingthemissionandvisionofabusiness organization.Employeesshouldmeettheperformancecriteriasetbytheorganizationt o en surethequalityoftheirwork.Inordertomeetthestandardsoftheorganization,employees n e e d a w o r k i n g e n v i r o n m e n t t h a t a l l o w s themt o w o r k f r e e l y w i t h o u t problemsthatmayrestraintheirworkingperformance.
Ina d d i t i o n , L a w l e r ( a s c i t e d i n N a r e h a n , H a i r u n n i s a , N o r f a d z i l l a h & Freziamella,2 0 1 4 ) r e f e r s t h a t q u a l i t y o f w o r k l i f e h a v e rela tionshipt o j o b c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s andworkingenvironmentbecause the whole qualityofwork life in theo r g a n i z a t i o n goalsistoimproveemployee’swell- beingandsupportfromproductivity.Thus,theobjectiveofthisresearchistoanalyzethe impactofworkinge n v i r o n m e n t aswellasqualityofworklifeonemployees’jobsatisfac tion.
Over the years, various studies have defined quality of work life (QWL) through different perspectives Shamir and Solomon (1985) describe QWL as a comprehensive construct that encompasses well-being related to rewarding and fulfilling work experiences that reduce stress Beukema (as cited in Narehan et al., 2014) emphasizes that QWL reflects employees' ability to tailor their jobs according to their interests and needs within the organization Additionally, Walker (as cited in Koonmee et al., 2010) highlights the importance of fostering a work environment that satisfies employees' needs Ultimately, quality of work life can be defined as employees' satisfaction derived from various needs met through resources, activities, and outcomes resulting from their workplace participation (Sirgy, Efraty, Siegel & Lee, 2001).
Quality of work life is defined by various factors, including job characteristics, the working environment, employee well-being, and the fulfillment of employees' needs and interests This study will explore the relationship between quality of work life and job satisfaction by adopting a needs satisfaction approach, which emphasizes employees' satisfaction with their diverse needs through resources, activities, and outcomes derived from their workplace participation.
According to the hierarchy theory proposed by Maslow and further explored by Si rg y et al (2001), the quality of work life can be assessed through the lens of employee needs, which encompass seven key dimensions These include health and safety needs, focusing on protection from illness and injury both at work and outside of it, as well as promoting good health Economic and family needs highlight the importance of fair pay, job security, and support for family responsibilities Social needs emphasize the value of collegial relationships and leisure time Esteem needs pertain to the recognition and appreciation of employees' contributions within and outside the organization Actualization needs involve realizing one's potential both professionally and within the organizational context Knowledge needs stress the importance of continuous learning to improve job skills, while aesthetic needs encourage creativity in the workplace and personal expression.
Accordingtotheirresearchintodifferentdimensionsofneed- basedqualityofw o r k life,Koonmeeetal.(2010)andMartaetal.
Lower-orderqualityo f worklife:Lower- orderqualityo f worklifeistheorganizationalprogramsdesignedtomeettheneedsrelatedtosecurity,h ealth,familyandeconomic.
Higher-orderqualityo f worklife:Higher- orderqualityo f worklifeist h e organizationalprogramsdesignedt o meett h e needsrelatedt o com munity,self-esteem,self-actualization,knowledgeandaesthetics.
Quality of work life significantly influences employee behaviors such as organizational identification, job satisfaction, job involvement, job effort, job performance, and turnover intention (Etebarian & Yazdi, 2016) Walton (as cited in Narehan et al., 2014) highlights the importance of work-life quality in preserving human and environmental values, which have often been overlooked due to technological advancements in economic growth and productivity When employees find joy in their work, they experience increased satisfaction and commitment to their daily tasks High-quality work life leads to enhanced job satisfaction and performance while reducing feelings of alienation and turnover intention (Efraty, Sirgy & Claiborne, 1991) Furthermore, the quality of work life has a significant societal impact, as happy employees tend to carry their positive feelings into their families and communities Given the stressful demands of modern life, fostering quality work life is crucial for supporting both individual responsibilities and societal well-being (Bagtasos, 2011).
Themainstream researchonqualityofworklifehasbeenlinkedtoemployees'job- relatedoutcomessuchasproductivity,jobsatisfaction,andemployees'c o m m i t m e n t Forexample,theresearch findingsfromLauandMay(1998)suggest t h at c ompanieswithhighqualityofworklife canalsohavehighcustomersatisfactionw h i c h , inturn,willprovidehighergrowthan dprofitabilitytothecompanies.G r e e n h a u s , B e d e i a n , a n d M o s s h o l d e r ( 1 9
8 7 ) s u g g e s t e d t h a t q u a l i t y o f w o r k l i f e isr el a t ed t o e m p l o y e e s ’ s a t i s f a c t i o n a n d w o r k r e l a t e d b e h a v i o r s C a s c i o ( a s c i t e d i n Koonmeeet al., 2
0 10 ) argues th at employees are wi ll in gt o co n t r i b u t e to anorganization wher equalityofwork life exists becausetheyfeelthat their work fulfillstheirneeds.
Quality of work life encompasses the ability to make decisions regarding employees' roles and the design of their workplaces Recent studies indicate that a high quality of work life positively influences job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and esprit de corps (Lee, Singhapakdi & Sirgy, 2007) Additionally, research by Koonmee et al (2010) highlights that quality of work life mediates the relationship between the institutionalization of ethics within firms and job-related outcomes.
Thesestudiesindicatethat,once qualityofwork lifeprogramsarepresentedina businessorganization,employeeswillfeelsatisfie dtowardstheirjob.Andso,thejobsatisfactionhasasignificantrelationshipwiththequali tyworklife.
Inf a c t , somee x p e r t s h a v e r a i s e d t h e q u a l i t y o f w o r k l i f e a s a h i e r a r c h y o f c o n c e p t s includinglifesatisfaction (onthetopofthehierarchy),jobsat isfaction(in themiddleofthehierarchy)andsatisfactionfromcertainaspectssuchaspays a t i s f a c t i o n , colleagues,andsupervisors(Champoux,1981).
Alargenumberofemployeesin theoil&gascompaniesin Qatar areplayingas i g n i f i c a n t r o l e f o r e c o n o m i c g r o w t h B a s e d o n t h i s c o n t e x t , A l M u f t a h a n d L a f i ( 2 0 1 1 ) f o c us oni d e n t i f y i n g th e f a c t o r s t h a t a s s o c i a t e d w i t h e m p l o y e e s ’ s a t is f a c t i o n an d t h e i r q u a l i t y o f w o r k l i f e M o r e s p e c i f i c a l l y thes t u d y i s h e l d t o i d e n t i f y t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p betweenq ualityofworklifeandemployees’satisfactions.Thisisespeciallytrueasqualityof worklife islessemphasizedinAsiaascomparedtoNorthAmericaa n d E u r o p e a n c o u n t r i e s ( B a g t a s o s , 2 0 1 1 ; Wyatt& W a h , 2 0 0 1 ) L o o k i n g b a c k atVietnam,Vietnamis alsoacountryinAsia,Vietnamisalsodevelopingoil a n d gasindustry,soitisneces sarytohaveastudyontherelationshipbetweenqualityo f worklifeandjobsatisfaction.
Basedontheabovediscussions,thisstudyaimstoexpectthequalityofworklif etohaveapositiveinfluenceonjobsatisfaction.Thus,thehypothesisisproposedas thefollowingbelow:
EthicsinstitutionalizationandQualityofworklife
Inrecentyears,duetoincreasingethicalproblems,manybusinessorganiz ationshaveestablishedethicsprogramstohelpimproveethicalbehaviorandt o h e l p p r e v e n t e t h i c a l problemsa m o n g t h e i r employees( V a l e n t i n e & F l e i s c h m a n , 2 0 0 8 )
Andrews( 1 9 8 9 , p 9 9 ) d e f i n e s t h e i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z a t i o n o f e t h i csa s “ a c t i o n s needed tomap ahighroad toeconomicand ethicalperformanceand tomountguardrailstokeepcorporatewayfarersontrack”.
GoodmanandDean(ascitedinSims,1991)referredaninstitutionalizedactas a behaviorthat is performedbytwomoreindividuals, persists overtime,and exists asapartofthedailyfunctioningoftheorganization.
Tomakepossiblethediscussionthatrelatesinstitutionalizationofethicsw ithq uali ty o fworklife,thisstudywilladapt“institutionalizationofethics”asthedegreet o whichan organizationexplicitlyandimplicitlyincorporatesethics intoitsdecision- makingprocesses,adefinitionbySinghapakdiandVitell(2007).
Accordingt o B r e n n e r ( 1 9 9 2 ) , t h e r e a r e t w o c a t e g o r i e s o f e t h i c s program si n o rg an iza t io n s — eitherexplicitlycreatedorimplicitlyinherited.Basedonhis r e s e a r c h , t h e e x p l i c i t c o m p o n e n t s i n c l u d e c o d e s o f e t h i c s , p o l i c y manuals,e t h i c s seminars,internalcontrolsystems,andethicsstaff.Theimplicitcomponentsincl udec o r p o r a t e culture,incentive systems,valuedbehaviors,promotion policies ,andm a n a g e m e n t behavior.
FollowingBrenner's(1992)explicitandimplicitcategorization,Singhapakdia n d Vi tell(2007,p.285)explainthat:
Implicitinstitutionalizationethicsmeansthatethicalbehaviori s implied,orn o t directlyexpressed, andisunderstoodto becrucial.
AccordingtoSims(1991),institutionalizationofethicsshouldbeexaminedinter mso f s p e c i f i c b e h a v i o r s o r a c t s a n d i t m a y varyi n t e r m s o f i t s p e r s i s t e n c e , t h e numberofpeopleintheorganizationbehavingaccordingtoitsethics,andthedegreet owhichitexistsaspartoftheorganization.
Whenorganizationscreateanenvironmentthatmakestheiremployeesbehavea n d actpersistentlyaccordingtotheirethicalvaluesandpolicies,thoseorganizationsar econsideredtohaveinstitutionalizedtheirethics(Koonmeeetal.,2010).
Thus,sinceethicalproblem isi n c r e as i n g int h e business o r g a n i z a t i o n , ethics institutionalizationisimportantasitisoneofthemosteffectivemethodsforbusines so r g a n i z a t i o n s toovercometheethicalproblemstheyhavefacedinoveryears.
Ethicsa n d t h e q u a l i t y o f w o r k l i f e a r e c l o s e l y related t o e a c h o t h e r S t u d i e s sh o w t h a t e t h i c s p o s i t i v e l y i n f l u e n c e t h e q u a l i t y o f w o r k l i f e a n d e m p l o y ees’j o b performance(Shaw,ascitedinTorlaketal.,2014).Besides,actinginaccordancewithe t h i c a l v a l u e s a n d p o l i c i e s i n a n o r g a n i z a t i o n , a n d c r e a t i n g ano r g a n i z a t i o n a l env ironmentpromotingthem,alsohasapositiveinfluenceonthequalityofworklife( F e r r e l l , Fraedric&Ferrell,ascitedinKoonmeeetal.,2010).
(2015)istoexaminetheeffectsofethicsinstitutionalizationonemployeeexperiencesinw orklifeandoveralllifesatisfaction.T h e resultsindicatethatimplicitethicsinstitutionalizat iondoesindeedhaveapositivep r e d i c t i v e effectonjobsatisfaction,espritdecorps,o rganizationalcommitmentandq u a l i t y ofworklife.
(2010)examinestherelationshipbetweeninstitutionalizationofe t h i c s , qualityofworklifean djob- relatedoutcomesandconcludesthatimplicitethicsinstitutionalizationhasapositiveassociatio nwithqualityofworklife.
( 2 0 1 3 ) c o m p a r e Americana n d T h a i marketingm a n a g e r s a n d f i n d t h a t T h a i b u s i n e s s e s o r g a n i z a t i o n s h a v e a h i g h e r t e n d e n c y t o w a r d s implici te t h i c s institutionalizationthanAmericanbusinessorganizations.Especially,theyhavefo undn o s i g n i f i c a n t d i f f e r e n c e s i n l e v e l s o f explicite t h i c s i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z a t i o n H o w e v e r , S i n g h a p a k d i , Sirgy,LeeandVitell(2010)havedocumented thatexplicitethicsinstitutionalizationhasa positiveeffectonimplicite t h i c s i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z a t i o n a n d , t h e r e f o r e , thiscouldhaveapositiveeffectonthequalityofworklife.
Ins u m m a r y , t h e a b o v e e v i d e n c e s s u g g e s t t h a t i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z a t i o n o f e t h i c s co uld becloselyassociatedwith thequalityofworklife(Martaetal.,2013;Koonmeee t al.,2010;Singhapakdietal.,2010;Vitell
Basedo n t h e a b o v e a r g u m e n t s , t h i s s t u d y aimstoe x p e c t t h e e t h i c s institutionalizationtohavea positiveinfluenceonqualityofworklife.Thus,thehypothesis isproposedasthefollowingbelow:
Ethicsinstitutionalization&Jobsatisfaction
Ino r g a n i z a t i o n a l w o r k i n g e n v i r o n m e n t , j o b s u i t a b i l i t y a n d a b i l i t y t o h a n d l e conf lict s atworkalsohaveapositiveimpactonanemployee’ssatisfaction (Dubinsky,H o w e l l , Ingram&Bellenger,1986).Accordingly,SimsandKroeck(1994)ar guethatethicalworkingenvironmentisanimportantfactorintheperson- organizationstudy.Th at is,employeesusually choosetoworkinorganizationswhoseethicalpreferencesf i t t h e i r o w n A n d s o , e m p l o y e e s w h o workf o r o r g a n i z a t i o n s thati n s t i t u t i o n a l i z e e t h i c s wouldte ndtobemoresatisfiedwiththeirjobs(Singhapakdi&Vitell,2007).
Oner e a s o n , w h i c h m a k e s a n o r g a n i z a t i o n i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z e e t h i c s , ist o v a l u e integrityandtrust.Infact,accordingtoastudybyMoorman(1991), thereisapositivec a u s a l relationshipbetweenperceptionsoforganizationaljusticean djobsatisfaction.M o r e recently,astudyofsalespeople bySchwepker(2001)indi catesthatthereisap o s i t i v e a s s o c i a t i o n b e t w e e n t h e i r p e r c e p t i o n s o f a p o s i t i v e e t h i c a l c l i m a t e a n d j o b sati sfaction
Organizationalcultureisconsideredasoneofthemostimportanttoolsinthest udyo f organizations(Schwartz&Davis,1981).Thereisadirectrelationshipb e t w e e n e t h i c a l b e h a v i o r i n o r g a n i z a t i o n s a n d c o r p o r a t e c u l t u r e s b e c a u s e c o r p o r a t e c u l t u r e s , oneofcategoriesofimplicitethicsinstitutionalization,setthemoraltoneforor g anizatio ns (Sims,1992).Ethicstraining,oneofcategoriesofexplicitethicsinstitu tionalization,isanothervaluablet o o l thatisusedtoraiset h e e t h i c a l c o n s c i o u s n e s s ofemployeesinorganizations(Callan,1992;Thompson,1990).
Research by Singhapakdi and Vitell (2007) highlights a significant relationship between the institutionalization of ethics and job satisfaction among American marketing practitioners Their findings suggest that organizations that prioritize ethics tend to foster integrity and trust, leading to fair treatment of employees The study further explores how two dimensions of ethics institutionalization—implicit and explicit—affect perceived ethics importance, job satisfaction, esprit de corps, and organizational commitment The researchers conclude that while implicit ethics institutionalization is a key factor in enhancing job satisfaction, explicit institutionalization does not have the same effect.
VitellandSinghapakdi(2008)findthatexplicitandimplicitethicsinstitution alizationisassociatedwithorganizationalcommitment,jobsatisfactionandt e a m spirit.
( 2 0 1 0 ) c l a i m t h a t t h e relationshipsbetweenethicsande m p l o y e e s ' job- relatedoutcomeshavebeenimportantissuesinadvancingknowledgei n humanresourcem anagement,organizationaldevelopment,andbusinessethics.
(2015)arguethatethicsinstitutionalizationhasapositiveeffectonj o b satisfa ctionforthefollowingreasons.Ethicsinstitutionalizationisanenvironmental factoraffectingindividualemployee’sethicaldecisionmaking.Ethicsinstitutionaliz ationfostersanethical workclimatewithintheorganization.Employeesarel i k e l y tob e s a t i s f i e d w i t h t h e i r j o b s w h e n theyareworkingf o r a n e t h i c a l firm(Chan & Lam,2 0 1 1 ; V a l e n t i n e &
F l e i s c h m a n , 2 0 0 8 ) T h u s , i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z a t i o n o f ethicss h o u l d r e d u c e t h e i n c i d e n t o f u n f a i r treatmentw i t h i n t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n a n d e n h a n c e employee’ss e n s e o f s e c u r i t y i n t h e w o r k p l a c e F e e l i n g s o f s e c u r i t y i n t h e w o r k placeshouldincreaseemployeejobsatisfaction.
Researchmodelandhypothesis
Thischapterpresentsadetailsaccountofaresearchmethodologyof thisstudy.F i r st , i t s t a r t s w i t h t h e r e s e a r c h d e s i g n , i n c l u d i n g q u a l i t a t i v e r e s e a r c h , mains u r v e y methodandresearchprocess.Afterthat,measurementscalesarepres entedtodevelopq u e s t i o n n a i r e , t h e p r e l i m i n a r y e v a l u a t i o n o f r e s e a r c h s c a l e s i s c o n d u c t e d toh e l p m e a s u r e m e n t scalesclearerandunderstan dable.Followedbysamplesizeandsamplemethod.Beside,thischapteralsointroducestheoffi cialmethodofresearch.
Theresearchdesign
Pilotstudy
Thepi lo t s t u d y wasco nd uc ted totes tt h e surveyquestionnairev i a u s i n g t h e qu alitat iv e r e s e a r c h m e t h o d d u r i n g t w o w e e k s w i t h t e n p e o p l e w h o a r e w o r k i n g i n petr oleu m industry inordertocheckwhethertheyunderstoodclearly aboutthescaleso r not.
Thisphaseaimedtoconsiderthesuitableofthecontentsofquestionnairewithf e a t u r e s oftheoilandgasindustryandensurethefinalquestionnairewouldbewellun derstood.Theprocedureofconductingin- depthinterviewsstartedwithspecifyingt h e objectivesoftheresearchintermsofwhatinf ormationwasneededtobecollected.T h e n t h e d e t a i l e d q u e s t i o n n a i r e w a s s h o w n t o t h e r e s p o n d e n t s f o r c h e c k i n g t h e i r understanding D u r i n g t h e i n t e r v i e w , t h e r e s e a r c h e r a l s o w a n t e d tof i n d o u t ift h e ch o sen measure mentscalewassuitableforconductingtheresearchinVietnam.Allt h e comments fromtheintervieweesweregatheredwiththeaim tomodifyt h e m e a s u r e m e n t scale.
Basedo n t h e f ee d b a c k o f r e s p o n d e n t s , t h e s u r v e y questionnaire w a s s l i g h t l y m o d i f i e d tomakeitclearerandmoreunderstandable(seeappendix1).
Mainsurveymethod
Themethodsofcollectinginformationwerepersonalinterviews,directlyfillingo u t thepa performand,also,indirectlyfillingviaonlineversionofquestionnaire.
Toa c c e s s t h e d e g r e e o f r e s p o n d e n t ’ s a n s w e r , L i k e r t s c a l e w a s u s e d i n t h e an s w e r sheet(from1-stronglydisagreeto5- stronglyagree).Thequestionnairefirstlyp r e p a r e d inE ng li sh, a n d t he nw a s t r a n s l a t e d V i e t n a m e s e ino rd er tomakes u r e t h e respondentscouldunderstandclearlyth osementionedconstructs.
In-depth interview – Qualitative research
Eliminating items had the low corrected item – total correlation.
Testing Exploratory Factor Analysis Eliminating low factor loading items
Eliminating items had low CFA coefficients
Check the suitability of model Check hypothesis
Measurementscalebuilding
Alltheconstructsinthemodelweremeasuredwithmultipleitems, whichwered e v e l o p e d byo t h e r r e s e a r c h e s a n d a l s o b a s e d o n t h e r e s u l t s o f qua litatives t u d y t o a d eq u a t e l y capturethedomainoftheconstructs.
;Vitell&Singhapakdi,2008;Koonmeeetal.,2010;Martaetal.,2 0 1 3 ; Torl aketal.,2014;Leeetal.,2015).
&Vitell,2007;Vitell&Singhapakdi,2008;Koonmeeetal.,2010;Martaetal.,2013;To rlaketal.,2014;Leeetal.,2015).
.,2010;Noor&Abdullah,2012;Martaetal.,2013;Torlaketal.,2 0 1 4 ; Leeetal.,2015).
Jobsatisfactionwasmeasuredbyfiveitems(Dubinsky etal.,1986;Paolillo&Vitell,2 0 0 2 ; V i t e l l & S i n g h a p a k d i , 2 0 0 8 ; Koonm eee t a l , 2 0 1 0 ; L e e e t a l , 2 0 1 5 )
Intheresearchmeasurementscale,implicitethicsinstitutionalization,exp liciteth i cs institutionalization,qualityofworklifeandjobsatisfaction,allw asthefirst- orderc o n s t r u c t s I n a d d i t i o n , q u a l i t y o f w o r k l i f e w a s alsot h e mediatingv a r i a b l e T o t a l 37questionswerepresentedinTable3.1.
2 Topmanagementbelievesthatethicalbehavi or,notjustlegalcompliance,isparamounttoth esuccessoftheorganization.
Bêncạnhviệctuânthủphápluật,lãnhđạoc ấ p c aotinrằnghànhvicóđạođứccũnglà yếutốrấtq uantrọngchosựthànhcôngcủacôngty.
Lãnh đạocấpcaocũngnhậnmộtphầntráchnhiệmđố ivớiviệcraquyếtđịnhtráiđạo đức&khôngtuâ n thủquyđịnh phápluậtcủanhânviên.
Cósựgiaotiếpcởimởgiữacấptrênvàc ấ p dướ ikhicùngtraođổi,thảoluậnvền h ữ n g tínhhu ốngkhóxử&nhữngtrườnghợp c ósựxungđộtđạođức.
Mộtsốnhânviêntrongcôngtyđượctraoquyề nđượcphépchấtvấnbởivìhọthànhc ô n g tron gviệcđạtđượcmụctiêumàc ô n g tyđề ra.
Trongcôngty,khôngcó chínhsáchkhenthưởngđốivớinhữngquyếtđị nhmangt í n h đạođức.
Lãnh đạocấpcaotinrằngcôngtysẽgiúpcả ithiệnch ấtlượngcuộcsốngcủa nhânviênvàphúclợichungcủaxã hội.
Côngtykhôngcómộthoặcnhiềungườiởc ấ p cao/ cấpquảnlýchịutráchnhiệmchocá cchươngtr ìnhtuânthủđạođức.
Lãnh đạocaonhất khôngthamgiavàoc á c chươngtrìnhđàotạo vềđạođức.
Côngtykhôngcó chươngtrìnhđàotạođểtruyềnđạtmộtcáchhiệ uquảvềchuẩnmực&nguyêntắc đạođức.
16 Inordertopreventmisconductwithinmyorgan ization,therearetrainingprogramstocreatean effectiveethicalculture. Đểngănchặnhànhvisaitráitrongcôngty,côn gtycó nhữngchươngtrìnhđàotạonhằm tạo ramộtvănhoáứngxửchuyênnghiệphiệuquả.
21 Ifeelthatmyjobissecureforlife Tôicảmthấycôngviệchiệntạibảođảmổn đị nh chocuộcsống.
22 Myjobdoeswellformyfamily Vớicôngviệchiệntại,tôicóthểtrangtrảic ho c uộcsốngcủagiađình.
Samplesizeandsamplemethod
Accordingt o H a i r , B l a c k , B a b i n , a n d A n d e r s o n ( 2 0 1 0 ) m e n t i o n e d t h a t t h e minimumsamplesizeneedstobeequalorgreaterthanfivetimesoft henumberofv a r i a b l e s However, it sh o u l d notbeless than100toguarantee the correctanalysisresult.Astheformulaisbelow:
Int h i s r e s e a r c h , k = 3 7 q u e s t i o n s T h e r e f o r e , t h e m i n i m u m n e e d e d f o r t h e r e s e a r c h is185answers.ToconductStructuralEquationModeling(SEM),Ga rverandMentserandHoelter(ascitedinMohamad&Mohamed,2012)proposeda“cri ticalsamplesize”of200.Thus,inthisresearch,200questionnaireswereessentialfor therequired samplesize.
Inassociationwiththetheoreticalliterature,otherresearchesandtheresultsofq u a l i t at i v e phase, the finalquestionnaire wasgivenoutto implicatingthemain survey( s e e appendix2&appendix3).
Toa d a p t t h e r e s e a r c h o b j e c t i v e s a s m e n t i o n e d a b o v e , t h e d a t a w a s o b t a i n e d fromtheemployeeswhoareworkingforthecompaniesrelatedtoVienam esepetroleumindustryandtherewereseveralcompaniestobechosenfromthree citiessuchasHanoi,HoChiMinh,VungTauduetotheconvenience.
Dataanalysismethod
TheSPSS(StatisticalPackageforSocialScience)version20.0andAmos20. 0w e r e usedinthisresearchforanalyzingprimarydata.TheresearcherranAmos20forSEMw ithpurposeofenhancingthevalueofthemodel.
Reliabilityanalysisisusedtoevaluatethereliabilityofthemeasurementscale;t h i s analysisr e q u i r e s c a l c u l a t i n g C r o n b a c h ’ s A l p h a C r o n b a c h ’ s A l p h a s h o u l d b e a b o v e o r a t l e a s t e q u a l 0 6 t o a d a p t i n t e r n a l r e l i a b i l i t y a n d t h e c o r r e l a t i o n o f e a c h specificitemwithtotaloftheotheritemsinthescalewasquit ehighorhigherthan0.3( N u n n a l l y &Burnstein,ascitedinNguyen,2011).
Aftere v a l u a t i n g t h e s c a l e reliability,t h e E x p l o r a t o r y F a c t o r A n a l y s i s ( E F A ) methodisappliedtoidentifyt h e numberofunderlyingfactorsthatexplaint hecorrelationsamonga s e t o f v a r i a b l e s a s wella s t o t e s t t h e c o n v e r g e n t v a l i d i t y a n d d i s c r i m i n a n t validity.Convergentvalidityshowsthedegreeinwhichtwom e a s u r e m e n t ofthesameconceptarecorrelated (Hairetal.,2010) while discriminantvalidity statesthattwomeasurementscalesareusedtomeasuretwodifferentcon ceptsneedtobediscriminantfromeachother.
TheC h i - s q u a r e t e s t i n d i c a t e s t h e a m o u n t o f d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n e x p e c t e d a n d ob served covariancematrices.AChi- squarevalueclosetozeroindicateslittled i f f e r e n c e be t w e e n t h e e x p e c t e d a n d o b s e r v e d co va ri ance matrices.I n ad d i t i o n , t he pr ob ab ilit y levelmustbe greate rthan0.05whenChi-squareisclosetozero(Hu& B e n t l e r , 1999).
TheComparativeFitIndex(CFI)isequaltothediscrepancyfunctionadjust edforsamplesize.CFIrangesfrom0to1withalargervalueindicatingbettermodelfit.A c c e p ta b l e modelfit isindicated byaCFIv a l u e of 0 9 0 orgreater(Hu& B e n t l e r , 1 9
Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is a comprehensive statistical approach used to test hypotheses regarding relationships among observed and latent variables It allows for the estimation of path coefficients for proposed relationships within a structural model SEM is defined as a methodology for representing, estimating, and testing theoretical networks of primarily linear relationships between variables.
Chi-square/df(Cmin/df)