Jassem Abdulla, Ramdane Djebarni and Kamel Mellahi
The aim of this study is to identify the factors affecting job satisfaction in the UAE. Specifically, the study seeks to examine the relative effects of demographic and…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to identify the factors affecting job satisfaction in the UAE. Specifically, the study seeks to examine the relative effects of demographic and environmental factors on job satisfaction among Dubai police employees.
Design/methodology/approach
A scale development process was used. The first stage was a review of the literature on the determinants of job satisfaction in order to generate a pool of items that reflect the job satisfaction construct. A list of items was gathered to cover all aspects of job satisfaction. In‐depth interviews and a focus group were also used to generate additional items.
Findings
Overall, the findings show that, in a collectivist culture such as the UAE, both intrinsic and extrinsic factors can be a source of job satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
Originality/value
Given the importance of understanding the determinants of job satisfaction, and the paucity of research on the topic in the Middle East, this study is of great importance to both scholars and practitioners in the region.
Details
Keywords
Mohammad Rezaur Razzak, Suaad Jassem, Alima Akter and Syed Abdulla Al Mamun
The purpose of this research is to examine the interplay between family commitment as a family-centric resource and professionalization of the organization as a firm-centric…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to examine the interplay between family commitment as a family-centric resource and professionalization of the organization as a firm-centric resource to determine how the two phenomenon come together to enhance business performance in the context of privately held family firms.
Design/methodology/approach
Deploying the theoretical lens offered by the resource-based view, a conceptual link is developed between family commitment to the firm and firm performance with the potential moderating influence of firm professionalization. The hypotheses are tested using data collected from 357 privately held medium-to-large family-owned manufacturing companies in Bangladesh. The data are analyzed through structural equation modeling using SmartPLS (v.3.2).
Findings
The data analysis suggests that in absence of the moderator; professionalization, family commitment has a positive and significant association with firm performance. While in the presence of the moderator the above relationship is substantially stronger. The findings indicate that when family-specific resources and firm-specific resources are synchronized, it enhances performance of the family firm and puts it on a strong economic footing toward a more sustainable future.
Research limitations/implications
Cross-sectional nature of the study exposes it to the specter of common method bias despite the fact that procedural remedies were initiated to minimize the impact of such occurrence. Furthermore, data were collected from a single individual in each organization. Therefore, a longitudinal study with data obtained from multiple individuals at different levels of the organization would possibly yield more robust findings.
Practical implications
Leaders of family firms may find pertinent clues from the outcome of this study. Particularly, the confluence of family commitment to the firm as a family-specific resource and professionalization as a firm-specific resource can be valuable, rare, difficult to imitate and substitute source of competitive advantage for the family business organization.
Social implications
Survival of family businesses is vital to the global economy as one of the primary drivers of global gross domestic product growth and source of new employment. Policymakers can benefit from the findings of this study to customize policies to nurture growth of family enterprises and incentivize family firms to adopt professionalization through better governance and transparent managerial procedures.
Originality/value
A nuanced understanding of how family commitment and firm professionalization combine to significantly improve performance of family firms has not been dominant in the literature. Therefore, findings of this study carry special theoretical implications, because it suggests that both family-specific features and firm-specific features are necessary for enhanced levels of firm-centric business outcomes such as economic performance.
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Syed Awais Ahmad Tipu and James C. Ryan
The purpose of this paper is to extend the current debate on value-intention link by investigating the hitherto unexplored relation between the concepts of the multidimensional…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to extend the current debate on value-intention link by investigating the hitherto unexplored relation between the concepts of the multidimensional work ethic profile and entrepreneurial intentions (EIs). In addition, this research seeks to offer specific insight into the work values and EIs of United Arab Emirates (UAE) national youth in an effort to contribute to decision making and policy formation for enhancing entrepreneurship.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 309 UAE youth completed an Arabic version of the short form multidimensional work ethic profile (MWEP-SF) and a measure of EI.
Findings
Results confirm the value-intention link and support the view that values can direct work choices in entrepreneurship. The regression model identifies that the work ethics of wasted time, leisure, and self-reliance positively predict EI, while centrality of work is unrelated to EI.
Originality/value
The relation between work values and EI of youth is underexplored in the context of the UAE. The current extreme underrepresentation of UAE nationals in the private sector of the UAE economy highlights a significant problem for the UAE strategy of workforce nationalization. As the current findings reveal that the UAE youth possess work values which can predict EIs, the policy initiatives in the UAE may encourage Emirati nationals to more actively participate in the new venture creation and development. This will potentially facilitate the government to achieve the balance between public sector employability and self-employment contributions in the private sector.