Employee satisfaction with performance reviews at XYZ, Inc.

Employee Satisfaction with a Company's Review Process

The following research examines the reason for a decline in employee satisfaction regarding the review process at XYZ, Inc. The results of the survey revealed that sample biases may have confounded the results and that the survey will have to be re-administered to reflect the true attitudes and results of the preliminary research leading up to the current survey. The result showed a high degree of satisfaction with the quality and quantity of management feedback. The results of this survey are inconclusive and further research will need to be conducted to eliminate the possible effects of sample bias.

Delimitations (See Leedy)

Premise

Hypothesis

Research question(s)

Evaluation Objective

Development Objectives

Participants

Researcher

Survey Group(s)

Assistants

Site contact

Timeline

Chapter II

A. Literature Review

B. Introduction

C. General Management Issues

D. Project Related Issues

E. Conclusions

F. Definition of Terms

G. References

H. Project Submission

Chapter III

A. Proposal

B. Introduction

C. Population

D. Sampling

E. Variables and Measures Used

F. Data Collection

G.

Data Analysis Procedures

H. Alternative Methodology (see last page of Chapter III)

I. Data Type, Format, and scale

Chapter IV

A. Results and Discussion

B. Introduction

C. Discussion of the Process

D. Unantipated Occurrences

E. Statistical Results and Discussion

F.

Non-Statistical Results and Discussion

Chapter V

A. Conclusions and Recommendations

B. Introduction

C. Conclusions

D. Recommendations

E. Formal recommendations

F. Recommendations for further research

List of Tables & Figures

TABLES PAGE

Table 1. Completion of Objectives and Milestones

Table 2.

Table 3.

FIGURES PAGES

Figure 1. Organizational Chart of XYZ, Inc.

Chapter I

Proposal

Introduction

XYZ Inc. is a diversified, multinational company operating on a global scale in more than thirty countries, yet privately owned. It is deservingly considered to be a leading player in each of its main business segments of the packaged goods industry including: pet care products, main meal foods, organic food, snacks, soft drinks, electronics, and information. In each continent and in every unit company uses standard performance review form.

A certain degree of employee dissatisfaction has been discovered by using this review form. Employee dissatisfaction levels have been rising for some time. Employee dissatisfaction can lead to drops in production, employee longetivity, increased job stress, and consequentially a higher absence rate. This factors all have a negative financial and moral impact on the company and have the potential to jeopardize XYZs position in the packaged goods industry.

In this project analysis of the current performance review process will be conducted through use of historical data and a questionnaire distributed to the group of employees. The purpose of this project is to evaluate and analyze the current situation at the XYZ Incorporated and to propose a solution for recently discovered concerns over employee satisfaction. In the form of the report. After evaluation, possible causes will be determined and recommendations for improvement will be made.

Purpose of the Project

The purpose of this project is to evaluate and analyze the current situation at the XYZ Incorporated and to propose a solution for recently discovered concerns in the form of a report. This report has raised interest from one of the highest-level Personnel managers of XYZ Inc. Upon completion the report and recommendations will be presented to himself and other Human Resources managers. The report will identify major problems in manager/employee relationships, determine possible causes, and suggest corrective actions that should be taken to rectify the situation. Due to the time constraints, results of the taken actions will not be reported.

Statement of the Problem

The management structure at XYZ, Inc. consists of six levels of management with varying amounts of responsibility within the company. On average each manager has three to six people reporting into them and has to do performance reviews every six months for each person. In return, each employee would give feedback about their past months' development plan, how well it was managed, as well as their scalar's management style. This two way feed back in the hallmark of success at XYZ, Inc. It institutes the priniciple of Total Quality Management (TQM). Two way feedback has had the effect of maintaining a high level of Quality and job satisfaction at XZY, Inc. In recent year-and -- a half employee feedback has been more negative than in the past with a ratio of 3,2:1. This increased ratio is of great concern to the Personnel Department, which advocates the policy of mutuality in business relationships. The mutuality principal is among the number of the concepts inherent in the TQM protocols implemented at XYZ. This policy states: "A mutual benefit is a shared benefit; a shared benefit will endure."

Mutuality describes the standard to which everyone at XYZ Inc. aspires to achieve in all our business relationships. Enduring success is best built by sharing benefits: we want everyone to benefit from their contact with XYZ. Our associates make mutuality work in practice by their commitment to help all our shareholders succeed and their efforts are well rewarded by fair dealing.

One of the prinicple components of the policy is fair and honest feedback between managers and employees. This forum provides a tool with which to measure how the success of the principle of mutuality. The semiannual performance review form serves as a primary measurement tool. The current company management set a standard of 2,4:1. This means that no more than every 2,4 employees should indicate that they are not satisfied with the developmental plan and amount of feedback they receive from the line manager. The following research resulting report will attempt to find the causes of the current trend and suggests solutions to alleviate the problem.

Significance of the Problem

The concern is that the current trends in feedback satisfaction is an indicator of employee dissatisfaction. Employee satisfaction is a key in motivating employees to do their best. A drop in employee satisfaction could hinder the productivity and profitability of the company. It is important to determine the causes of this drop in satisfaction, so that it can be stopped before a measurable negative impact is seen in the overall company performance.

Research Category

Descriptive research will be used for this study. It is an appropriate method for the following reasons: currently existing situation will be described; past 5 years' performance reviews will be used and new survey will be conducted. In addition, when the specific problems and causes are identified, the material could be used for future experimental research. The research will describe the current situation and the factors that have led to it and allow for the formation of solutions.

Project Summary

The purpose of this project will be to determine the causes of a recent drop in employee satisfaction with the amount and type of feedback that they are receiving from their line managers. It will rely on historical data as well as a new survey. These techniques will be used to produce a report that entails the scope of the current situation, the causes that have led to the current situation and will suggest ways in which these problems can be rectified.

Major activities in the project will entail a review of semiannual review forms for the past five years. It will also involve the administration of an employee survey to determine the scope and causes of the current problem. Statistical analysis will be performed on past and current survey results in the hope of discovering the reason for the recent reversal in employee attitudes.

The evaluation plan will first entail identification and quantification of the problem. This will be accomplished through the employee survey. It is expected that certain trends and patterns will emerge through the survey. These trends will help to define the problem. Once the problem is defined, then past semiannual reports will be examined for the emergence of the problem or problems found in the survey. Particular attention will be paid to the timing of the beginning of the current trend to determine if it correlates with any particular even in company history. The types of events that will be closely observed will be the adoption of new policies, or a change in upper management, or perhaps a change in company policy. If a correlation to any particular event or policy is found, then the options for rectifying the situation will be explored. The results of this study will be presented in a report to the Human Resource Managers and staff.

Positive Reinforcement vs. Reverse Psychology in workplace

Delimitations

The pygmalion effect is subjective in nature and may be influenced by pre-existing attitudes that either the employee or manager previously holds. The overall level of an employee's self-esteem has an effect on how they perceive and respond to criticism or positive feedback from their mangers. Persons who already have low self-esteem may take critisicm from a manager more negatively than someone who has high self-esteem. A person with high self-esteem may take with a grain of self, whereas as the low self-esteem person may need more positive feedback to maintain and raise their self-esteem.

It also cannot be determined how other factors besides work are effecting the employee's work. Marital problem, financial problems, or other factors outside work may effect the person's self-esteem and that could effect their overall self-esteem, thus effecting their perceptions. Factors outside the home will not be a part of this study, therefore their effects will not be known.

Another variable that will not be included as a part of this study is the effect that certain personality traits will have on the pygmalion effects. Personality conflicts may have an impact on the effectiveness of manager/employee relations. In addition, it will not be known the level of personal skills that any subject possesses. Some people are excellent communicators and conflict solvers by nature, while some others are lacking in this area. Personality factors will not be included as a part of this report, but could have a potential effect on the results.

Scope of the Problem.

The XYZ company employs over 5,000 employees worldwide. Conducting a survey of this size and magnitude would take a very long time and by the time results are obtained, there may be other factors that may be in effect to influence the results. A study that takes more than six months to complete would no longer be relevant as circumstances may have changed by that time. In addition, it is suggested that the measures to correct the problems found in this report be implemented as quickly as possible. The purpose of this report is not to identify each and every situation where employees are dissatisfied with their feedback, but rather to spot general trends and discover the cause of these trends. Therefore, for the purposes of this report, a sampling of the employees encompassing all divisions of the company will be explored.

The setting for this study will be company wide and will take place in all of the locations and facilities in the company. This will encompass all foreign divisions as well. There are many things that may influence the outcome of this study. The first is that participation in the survey will be voluntary and it may not be possible to obtain a sufficient sample size to allow the results to be applied across the entire population that it represents. In addition, it may by that only employees who are satisfied or those who are dissatisfied will chose to respond to the survey. In some situations, employees may be unwilling to participate for fear of retaliation if they give their manager a bad review. External forces, such as political climates in some foreign locations may influence survey results as well, especially in countries where a more hierarchical structure exists.

Organizational Chart of XYZ, Inc.

Assumptions

There are certain assumptions associated with he conduct of this experiment. First it is assumed that the production workers will be honest in their answers. In this way the survey will express a true evaluation of worker attitudes and the true underlying conditions for their dissatisfaction will be discovered. Second, it will be assumed that the conditions described by the workers will be those that currently exist and will not reflect past or future events.

Premise, Hypothesis, and Research Questions

The expected out come of this study will be to determine what effect Pygmalion effect is having on employee attitudes and production. It will serve to identify the underlying causes a drop in worker satisfaction with manager feedback that has been on the increase in recent years. The hypotheses will center around the degree of this effect and the underlying causes and will test assumptions that will pose possible solutions to the problem. The research questions will be product oriented and directed at finding solutions to stop the trend of continuing dissatisfaction. The evaluation objectives will be to provide concrete solutions to the problems proposed.

Premise

This study will be conducted under several premises. The first premise is that a problem in supervisor feedback actually exists. This premise is assumed due to the declining satisfaction scores on semiannual review forms. The second premise is that the effect will be quantifiable in a way that will lead to the formation of a solution. The third premise is that the problem will be attributable to the pygmalion effect that manager attitudes have on employee performance.

It is expected that the outcome of this study will allow the identification of conditions that led to the employee dissatisfaction and that it will lead to the formation of a report. This report will define the problem art hand and offer possible remedies to the problems discovered.

Hypothesis thorough examination of the research problem has led to the formation of the following hypotheses.

H1: The drop in employee satisfaction scores, in relation to manager feedback, will be due to the expectations of the managers involved.

Alternate Hypothesis: The drop in employee satisfaction scores, in relation to manager feedback, will be due to some other factor not previously identified.

Null Hypothesis: The drop in employee satisfaction scores, in relation to manager feedback, will not be due to the expectations of the managers involved

H2: The drop in employee satisfaction will be correlated to the adoption of a "promotion from within" policy in recruiting managers.

Alternate Hypothesis 1: The drop in employee satisfaction will be correlated to another event in company history.

Alternate Hypothesis 2: The cause of the drop in employee satisfaction will not be found to be connected to any one event in company hsitory.

Null Hypothesis: The drop in employee satisfaction will not be correlated to the adoption of a "promotion from within" policy in recruiting managers.

H3: Increasing the amount and quality of management feedback will produce higher satisfaction scores among employees.

Alternate Hypothesis: Other factors will need to be explored to increase employee satisfaction.

Null Hypothesis: Increasing the amount and quality of management feedback will not produce higher satisfaction scores among employees.

Research questions

The research questions to be answered by this study are:

What is the level and scope of employee dissatisfaction associated with the quantity and quality of manager feedback to line workers.

What is the cause of this dissatisfaction?

What are possible solutions to this problem and how should they be implemented to increase employee satisfaction in the most thorough and efficient manner?

Evaluation Objective

The evaluation objectives will be to increase employee satisfaction scores through the identification and remedy of problems identified in the research questions. Success will be measured by the emergence and identification of trends and causes associated with the drop in employee satisfaction scores on semiannual reports. The results will be quantifiable using frequency distribution of answer regarding various factors associated employee satisfaction.

The finished production will consist a list of reasons for the employee drop, a report on the frequency and severity of employee satisfaction and a list of solutions to help combat the problem in the future. A plan to rectify the problem will be devised and implemented. The results of the plan will be evaluated using the next six-month semiannual report. Success will be measured by a return in satisfaction levels close to the levels that have been expected prior to the reported drop in satisfaction.

Development Objectives

The achievement of the objectives of this research study will be measured according to the following schedule. Progress will be evaluated by the accomplishment of a set of milestones related to the prescribed objectives. The schedule of milestones and objectives will be presented in the following Table.

Table 1.

Completion of Objectives and Milestones

Associated Research Chapter

Expected Completion Date

Objective 1. To devise a plan for evaluating and quantifying the drop in manager feedback to employees

Chapter 1

1. To assess the scores of the past six-month semiannual reviews

2.To identify research objectives and state hypotheses.

3.To complete the plan for assessment and evaluaiton.

4.To devise the research instrument.

Objective 2. To complete a literature review on past research in the area.

Chapter 2

1.To identify the potential source of feedback on employee performance.

2.To assess previous research on the Pygmalion effect as it relates to employee satisfaction.

3. To research possible solutions for correcting the problem.

4. To complete the literature review section of the report

Objective 3. To identify the current state of the employee satisfaction situation

Chapter 3

1, To administer a survey of employee dissatisfaction with management review.

2.To statistically evaluate the results of the survey.

October, 11, 2002

3. To determine the scope of employee dissatisfaction in regards to management review.

4. To present these findings in final report format.

Objective 4. To determine the cause of the problem.

Chapter 4

1. To evaluate the past five years of employee semiannual reviews for the identification of the correspondence of satisfaction rates in relation to a certain date.

2. To review company history, particularly concentration on the time frame in which the drop I satisfaction occurred.

3.To attempt to draw a correction between an event in company history and the drop in employee satisfaction.

4. Complete writign of Chapter 4.

Objective 5. To propose a plan to alleviate the problem and return employee satisfaction scores to those before the problem came into existence.

Chapter 5

1. Complete discussion of findings.

2.Evaluate possible solutions to the problem.

3.Devise a plan for implementing the remedies.

November, 8, 2002

4. Complete Chapter 5.

5. Complete final report in preparation for presentation to the Human Resource Director and CEO, and Board members.

The above timeline is considered to be reasonable for the amount of work involved in each step. It is the objective to have the final report presented to the Board at the Quarterly Board meeting, which will be held December 1, 2002. If the remediation plan is accepted and the budget approved. It is my hoep to begin implementation of the remediation steps in January of 2003, so that the semiannual reviews in June of 2003 can be used as tool to measure if the plan has had any immediate effects in correcting the employee feedback dissatisfaction scores.

After the June, 2003 evaluations, a review of the effects of the remediation plan will be performed and any adjustments that need made will be presented at that time. This process will be ongoing every six months until the problem is corrected and remains so for at least one year.

Follow-up and review are just as important in correcting the existing problems as designing and implementing the initial plan. From time to time the needs of the company may change or new circumstances may develop that require review. A system for review will be adhered to, in order to maintain the quality and integrity of the program.

Participants

This is an extensive project and will require the participation and cooperation of many individuals, from the research team to administrative staff to the employees themselves who fill out the survey. Every person will be involved in their own small portion. These portions may seem insignificant to them at times, but they all will add to a whole that will improve working conditions. These improvements will have a positive effect on the production of the company as a whole, and will lead to achieve higher levels of excellence than before.

Researcher

The primary research in this study will be myself. I am a Human Resource Management Graduate student. I have worked in a co-op program every summer since the summer between my Sophomore and Junior year as an undergraduate. I have worked for very large corporations in my local area and gained valuable experience into the operations of the Human Resource needs of a large corporation. This experience has allowed me to gain a real-world understanding of the concepts learned in college and allowed to apply some of the things learned in a job setting.

Survey Group

The survey group for this study will consist of 500 line production workers from all divisions of the company. The subjects will include hourly employees of varying longevity and demographics. The sample group will include representatives of every division around the world. It is the goal of the survey to assess the conditions effecting a majority of line workers and make the sample as applicable to the entire company population as possible. The sample will consist of all genders, ages, and the widest variety of workers possible to eliminate sampling biases that may be due to attitudinal differences among different demographic groups. All of the sample subjects will be production workers not involved in administrative positions. This was the group identified in the semiannual report as having the drop in manager dissatisfaction.

The sample will be a random sampling of production employees. Twenty-five surveys will be distributed to each of the twenty locations world wide. In cases where the native language is not English, translators will be provided to help administer the survey. The surveys will be distributed on a first come, first served basis among production workers. Workers who fill out the survey will be entered into a drawing for a prize of one day off paid for their participation. This will serve as an incentive for participation. As only twenty five surveys will be available at each location, this will also help to get the surveys returned in a timely manner.

The surveys will be mailed to the local Resources Department at each local plant location. This Human Resources Department will request participation in the survey and announce the drawing to the entire population of line workers in a manner appropriate to their facility. They will then collect the surveys and return them to me at the Corporate Headquarters.

Assistants number of assistants will be involved in the survey distribution, and collection of the surveys. These assistants will consist primarily of the Human Resource Departments at each location worldwide. Their primary function will be to distribute the surveys, collect the surveys and return them to Headquarters as well as the names of the employees who will be eligible for the drawing.

Other assistants from the corporate headquarters human resources department will used asked to assist in the mailing, of the surveys as well as the recording and tabulation of the results. They will report directly to myself and will have varied duties throughout the course of he survey. I will serve as site contact and will be responsible for all steps in the survey process.

Chapter II

Literature Review

Introduction

After the June, 2003 evaluations, a review of the effects of the remediation plan will be performed and any adjustments that need made will be presented at that time. This process will be ongoing every six months until the problem is corrected and remains so for at least one year.

Follow-up and review are just as important in correcting the existing problems as designing and implementing the initial plan. From time to time the needs of the company may change or new circumstances may develop that require review. A system for review will be adhered to, in order to maintain the quality and integrity of the program.

General Management Issues

Chapter IV

Results and Discussion

Introduction

As one will recall, the purpose of this research was to determine the quality and quantity of management feedback to employees and to determine the effects that it would have on employee motivation and production. It was expected that the Pygmalion effect would have a significant effect ot the survey results. This purpose of this research is to determine the reasons for a recent trend in which employees expressed dissatisfaction in quantity of feed back that they received from their managers. This research will result in a plan to mitigate the current situation and provide for a more productive feedback environment in the future.

Discussion of the Process

During the completion of the pbjectives fo this research, several unforeseen circumstances arose that were not accounted for in the original design process. In the competion of objective 1"To devise a plan for evaluating and quantifying the drop in manager feedback to employees." Everything went asplanned and on schedulr. Th completion fo objective 2, "To complete a literature review on past research in the area" proceeded as planned as well. The literature from past studies infdicated ath it would be highly likely that the hyprtheses would be proven and that it was likely that this research would yeild the expected results.

In the completion of objective 3, "to identify the current state of the employee satisfaction situation," survey results did not yeild the clear answers that we had bee looking for. Its seems that employees who took the survey did not express a particular problem in with the quality or quantity of management feedback. The current state fo the situation did nto reveal the same problem as the previous survey. The possible causes and implicaitons of this will be discussed later in the report.

The difficulties associated with objective 3, tie in closely with the problems with objective 4, "To determine the cause of the problem." The problem was not identified in obejctive three, therefor it was difficult to determine a cause. The cause fo the previous drop in employee satidfaction in relation to manager feedback seems to have started at the time of the upper managemnent change. However, accordign to these survey results it seems to have corrected itself. Or perhaps there was a flaw in the design or sampling pool of this survey.

The original objective 5 was, "To propose a plan to alleviate the problem and return employee satisfaction scores to those before the problem came into existence." This objective had to be modified to include a further evaluation of why actual results did not meet expectations. The survey techinques will be examined and another survey administered to validate or invalidate the results of the one presently being discussed.

Unanticipated Occurrences

The most significant problem was that the results fo the survey in ni manner matched the expected results. The survey indicated no problem existed. This caused to re-examination of the data on which this survey was based. It was found up on re-examination that the problem did indeed seem to exist prior to the administration of the current survey. The current survey is identical to the previous semiannual reports that were previously administered.

One possible cause for this phenomenon may be that the semi-annual report is administered to all employees. The purpose of this survey was to provide a quick snapshot fo the current situation. The sample size for the five years semi-annual reviews was close to 5,000 employees in each case. This survey sample only consisted of 500 employees. It may be that the employees who made up the bulk of the dissatisfied employees did not take the current survey. This would mean that the sample contained sample bias that impacted the result obtained as opposed the results expected. The solution to this problem will be that the survey will have to be re-administered and the entire employee population will have to be included.

The speed at which the surveys were returned was very fast. All surveys were returned to headquarters within two weeks. It is believed that the free day off with pay was responsible for this. However, this raises some other concerns about the quality of the answers. It cannot be known if the motivation of the survey respondents was purely financially motivated, and furthermore, it cannot be certain if this effected the attitudes expressed in the survey.

As with an y survey, it can only measure the current situation and emotion al state of the employee. It may be that offering a monetary reward had the effect to putting the employee in a temporary good mood and that effected his emotional state, and likewise this good mood was reflected in his reaponses.

The third problem with the survey was that demographic information was not included. This may have effected the results. The survey may have also had a different result when administered on different shifts. Divisional responses were kept separate. The purpose of the survey was to measure the response of the general employee population. Statistical analysis revealed that the results acros divisions may indicate that the results cannot be applied to the general employee population.

It appears that the primary problems incurred in reaching the objectives set forth were an all associated with potential sources of sampling bias. The only solution is to administer the same survey to the entire employee population as has been done with the past five years reviews. It is expected tah tif this is done, then the original research problem will re-appear and then a more specific reason for it can be determined.

Statistical Results and Discussion

Overall, 59% of the responding employees indicated that they were either "Satisfied" or "Very Satisfied" with the quality of feedback provided by their managers. Of those 97% were "Satisfied" or "Very Satisfied" with the quantity of feed back that they received from their managers.

A t-test was used to examine the difference in level of job satisfaction between division results. It was found that there was a significant difference between the divisions (t= -2.873, p

In an evaluation of performance, employees were asked to evaluate the manager's job performance in six categories: technical job skills, quality of management skills, quantity of feedback, attitude toward workers, cooperation with workers, and cooperation with other supervisors.

Employees gave high ratings to managers in these categories. Over 80% of employers rated mangers as either "Excellent" or "Good" in every category. This percentage was even higher in the quality of management skills category; 93% of employers rated graduates either "Excellent" or "Good."

Evaluation of Job Performance

Average

Category

No. %

General Management Skills

Quality of Management

Quantity of Feedback

Attitude Toward Workers

Cooperation with workers

Cooperation with Other Supervisors

To put these ratings in perspective, it is useful to compare these results to previous semiannual reviews. Table 3 compares the percent of "Excellent" and "Good" ratings for the June, 2002 survey to the average for the past five years.

Job Performance Rating Comparison

Category

2002 Ratings

5-Year Average

Difference

General Management Skills

Quality of Work

Quantity of management

Attitude Toward Workers

Cooperation with Workers

Cooperation with Other Supervisors

As can be seen in Table 3, 2002 managers received higher than average ratings in half of the job performance categories (quality of management +3.6%; quantity of feedback, +3.4%; and attitude towards work, +3.2%). The ratings in the 3 remaining categories fell only slightly below average (cooperation with other supervisors, -8.2%; general skills, -3.6%; and cooperation with workers, -2.6%).

Employees were also asked to evaluate the general skills of the managersv Overall, the ratings in these categories (technical skills, communication skills, time management skills, listening skills and social skills) indicate employees are satisfied with the general skills of their managers, as shown in Table 4. Three of four employees rated managers as either "Excellent" or "Good" in four of the general skills categories (social skills, 91.7%; communication skills, 87.0%; technical skills, 86.4%; and listening skills, 76.0%). In the time management skills category, two-thirds (66.7%) of employers rated graduates as "Excellent" or "Good."

Evaluation of General Skills

Average

Category

No. %

Technical Skills

Communication Skills

Listneing Skills

Time Management Skills

Social Skills

Again, interpretations of these ratings are more meaningful when they are compared to ratings of past semiannual reports. Table 5 shows the 2002 ratings compared with the 5-year average. The 2002 managers were rated above average in four of five general skills categories (social skills, +11.0%; communication skills, +13.3%; technical skills, +1.9%; and listening skills, +0.5%). The rating in the remaining category fell only slightly below average (time management skills, -3.7%).

General Skills Rating Comparison

Category 2002 Ratings

5-Year Average

Difference

Technical Skills

Communication Skills

Listening Skills

Time Management Skills

Social Skills

In addition to rating the 2002 managers in the areas of job performance and general skills, employers were asked to rate XYZ, Inc. In terms of the occupational training and education and general training it provided its employees. The results of this evaluation are shown in Table 6.

XYZ Evaluation

Average

Category

No. %

Job Specific Training & Education

General Educational programs and seminars

0% A As can be seen above, the employees surveyed reported being as satisfied with Employee training and educaitonal seminars and programs as they were with the general skills of their managers. In the category of occupational training and education, over 90% (92.3%) of employers rated the training as either "Excellent" or "Good." In terms of the general training and seminars, such as health and safety programs, provided to the employees, They were equally as satisfied (general training and seminars, 92.3%). In comparison with previous employee surveys, employees rated the general training provided by XYZ higher than average (+5.3%). The Job specific training and education was also rated "Excellent" or "Good" by more employees than in previous years (+3.1%).

Table 7:

Rating Comparisons

Category

2002 Ratings

5-Year Average

Difference

Job Specific Training & Education

General Educational Programs and Seminars

Unanticipated Occurrences

The most significant problem was that the results fo the survey in ni manner matched the expected results. The survey indicated no problem existed. This caused to re-examination of the data on which this survey was based. It was found up on re-examination that the problem did indeed seem to exist prior to the administration of the current survey. The current survey is identical to the previous semiannual reports that were previously administered.

One possible cause for this phenomenon may be that the semi-annual report is administered to all employees. The purpose of this survey was to provide a quick snapshot fo the current situation. The sample size for the five years semi-annual reviews was close to 5,000 employees in each case. This survey sample only consisted of 500 employees. It may be that the employees who made up the bulk of the dissatisfied employees did not take the current survey. This would mean that the sample contained sample bias that impacted the result obtained as opposed the results expected. The solution to this problem will be that the survey will have to be re-administered and the entire employee population will have to be included.

The speed at which the surveys were returned was very fast. All surveys were returned to headquarters within two weeks. It is believed that the free day off with pay was responsible for this. However, this raises some other concerns about the quality of the answers. It cannot be known if the motivation of the survey respondents was purely financially motivated, and furthermore, it cannot be certain if this effected the attitudes expressed in the survey.

As with an y survey, it can only measure the current situation and emotion al state of the employee. It may be that offering a monetary reward had the effect to putting the employee in a temporary good mood and that effected his emotional state, and likewise this good mood was reflected in his reaponses.

The third problem with the survey was that demographic information was not included. This may have effected the results. The survey may have also had a different result when administered on different shifts. Divisional responses were kept separate. The purpose of the survey was to measure the response of the general employee population. Statistical analysis revealed that the results acros divisions may indicate that the results cannot be applied to the general employee population.

It appears that the primary problems incurred in reaching the objectives set forth were an all associated with potential sources of sampling bias. The only solution is to administer the same survey to the entire employee population as has been done with the past five years reviews. It is expected tah tif this is done, then the original research problem will re-appear and then a more specific reason for it can be determined.

Statistical Results and Discussion

Unanticipated Occurrences

The most significant problem was that the results fo the survey in ni manner matched the expected results. The survey indicated no problem existed. This caused to re-examination of the data on which this survey was based. It was found up on re-examination that the problem did indeed seem to exist prior to the administration of the current survey. The current survey is identical to the previous semiannual reports that were previously administered.

One possible cause for this phenomenon may be that the semi-annual report is administered to all employees. The purpose of this survey was to provide a quick snapshot fo the current situation. The sample size for the five years semi-annual reviews was close to 5,000 employees in each case. This survey sample only consisted of 500 employees. It may be that the employees who made up the bulk of the dissatisfied employees did not take the current survey. This would mean that the sample contained sample bias that impacted the result obtained as opposed the results expected. The solution to this problem will be that the survey will have to be re-administered and the entire employee population will have to be included.

APPENDIX I

XYZ, Inc.

Employee Survey for the 2002 Management Staff

Instructions: Please check the appropriate box for each question. This information will be treated as strictly confidential with answers being combined for group analysis.

1. Compared to other managers in a similar capacity, how does your

Line Manager rate on each of the following job performance and general skill measures?

Average

General Management Skills

Quality of Feedback

Quantity of Feedback

Attitude toward cooperation with workers

Cooperation with other supervisors

Technical skills

Communication skills

Listening skills

Time management skills

Social skills

Please use the space below to make any written comments you think will be helpful to XYZ, Inc. In evaluating the success of its management feedback program.

CEO and Board of Directors

Floor Managers

Line Managers

Floor Managers

Division Managers:

Accounting

Human Resources

Production Manager

Administrative Staff

Computer Resources

Plant engineer

Division Director

Information Services

Division Director

Electronics

Division Director

Soft Drinks

Division Director

Snacks

Division Director

Organic Food

Division Director

Pet Care Products

Division Director

Main Meal Foods

Line Managers

Division Managers:

Accounting

Human Resources

Production Manager

Administrative Staff

Computer Resources

Plant engineer

Executive Administrative Support, Chief Engineer, Marketing Director, Human Resources Director, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Computer Engineer, Executive Administrative Staff