This paper presents the methodology chapter of a mixed-methods study examining differences in job satisfaction and productivity between workers with and without disabilities in large and small firms in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The study employs a self-administered questionnaire grounded in Herzberg's two-factor theory and administered to 150 workers with disabilities using simple random sampling. The paper outlines four research questions and corresponding hypotheses, describes instrument design using a five-point Likert scale, and justifies the combined use of quantitative and qualitative approaches. Phenomenological methodology is discussed as a framework for understanding first- and second-order constructs drawn from the experiences of disabled workers.
This chapter discusses the methodology of the current study. Research design is addressed, followed by the research participants, instrumentation, and procedure. The purpose of this study is to fill a gap in information describing job satisfaction and productivity among workers with disabilities in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The purpose of providing this information is to enhance the ability of employers, job seekers, agencies, and vocational planners to achieve stable, fulfilling, and productive employment for workers with disabilities, and additionally to explore the potential utility of further research considering the performance of firms with fewer than 500 employees.
RQ1: Do workers with disabilities have higher, lower, or the same perceptions of job satisfaction at larger or smaller firms?
H0: Workers with self-perceived disability will report higher job satisfaction in small firms than in large firms.
RQ2: Do workers with disabilities have higher, lower, or the same perceptions of productivity at larger or smaller firms?
H0: Workers with self-perceived disability will report higher productivity in small firms than in large firms.
RQ3: Do workers with self-reported disabilities have higher, lower, or the same perceptions of job satisfaction than workers without disabilities in larger or smaller firms?
H0: Workers with self-reported disabilities will have higher perceptions of job satisfaction than workers without disabilities in small firms than in large firms.
RQ4: Do workers with self-assessed disabilities have higher, lower, or the same perceptions of productivity compared to workers without disabilities in larger or smaller firms?
H0: Workers with self-reported disabilities will indicate higher productivity than workers without disabilities in small firms than in large firms.
This research employs a mixed-methods design utilizing both qualitative and quantitative approaches to study job satisfaction. The target population was selected using simple random sampling. The sample will consist of 150 workers with disabilities employed in both large and small firms. The instrument will be tested for validity and reliability using the Cronbach alpha coefficient.
Quantitative research is most appropriate when large numbers of participants are involved; however, qualitative research, when utilized following survey data collection, assists in better understanding what the quantitative results actually mean. The most common form of quantitative research in this context is the employee satisfaction survey. The combination of quantitative and qualitative methods can be effectively applied in the study of employee satisfaction and engagement (Insight Communications, 2013, p. 1).
"Four-part Likert-scale questionnaire based on Herzberg"
"Philosophical basis for qualitative component using Schutz and Husserl"
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