THROUGH THE EYES OF OUTSOURCED WORKERS:

A STUDY ON THE CORRELATION BETWEEN IMMERSION INTO THE CORPORATE

CULTURE OF COMPANY X AND JOB SATISFACTION

An Undergraduate Thesis Proposal

Presented to the Faculty of the

Department of Arts and Communication

College of Arts and Sciences

University of the Philippines Manila

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Degree of

Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication

MARWELL LEIGH B. EBLACAS

2012-24401

MAY 2016

E B L A C A S | ii

Approval Sheet

This undergraduate thesis, entitled Through the Eyes of Outsourced Workers: A Study on

the Correlation Between Immersion into the Corporate Culture of Company X and Job

Satisfaction, presented by Marwell Leigh B. Eblacas in partial fulfillment of the requirements

for Organizational Communication 200, is accepted:

________________________________

Prof. Chadwick Co Sy Su Adviser

_________________________________ _________________________________

Alice B. Adeva, M.A. Leonardo R. Estacio Jr., Ph.D.

Chair, Department of Arts and Communication Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

E B L A C A S | iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

There is a verse found in the book of Philippians that says, “I can do all things

through Christ who strengthens me.” It was because of this that I was able to get through

the four most challenging years of my life. Being in UP was more than a privilege. It opened

my eyes and showed me the real world. It was here where I lost and found myself, where I

grew and became better, where I learned to be strong despite the obstacles that are the four

years of blood, sweat, and sleepless nights. I wouldn’t be able to make it without the people

mentioned in this section. To all of you who were God’s instruments of my growth, I owe you

my love and lifetime of gratitude.

To Mama Marie, Tita Babi, Mama Joyce, and Mama Paz, who have instilled in me

the values of hard work, humility, and education, I would not have made it this far without

their love and support. I thank them for being both my toughest critics and loving mentors at

the same time. I am forever grateful for them serving as my source of strength amidst all the

trials of life.

To Tito Jong, Iani, and Ian, for the unwavering support and prayers in all my

academic endeavors. Their love and words of encouragements will always be treasured for

these have served me well in my toughest times here in the academe.

To my brother, Mark, may he learn from the life experiences I have shared and may

he use these as his guide to conquer life. I hope that I inspire him as much as he inspires

me.

Professor Chadwick Sy Su, my thesis adviser, for his time and effort in the

accomplishment of my study. His invaluable knowledge and passion for research and

statistics have taught me that one can never learn enough. My college life would not be as

E B L A C A S | iv

meaningful as it was if it were not for his dedication as an esteemed educator in this

university.

To the employees of Company X, for their willingness to lend me their valuable

time and insights that made the accomplishment of my study possible.

To IRDK, my college friends, I would not been able to survive the harshness of UP

without all of them. I am eternally grateful for their support and words of encouragement.

To the Lord Almighty, who I owe my wisdom, patience, and knowledge. I thank Him

for continuously and abundantly showering me with His love and protection. I may not know

what is in store for me yet but through Him, I can do all things!

E B L A C A S | v

Eblacas, M. (2015). Through the Eyes of Outsourced Workers: A Study on the Correlation

Between Immersion into the Corporate Culture of Company X and Job Satisfaction.

Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis. University of the Philippines Manila.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to provide quantitative proofs with support from the conducted

interviews of the nature and significance of the relationship between immersion into the

corporate culture of companies and job satisfaction when taken from the perspective of

Company X’s outsourced workers. Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory and Schein’s

Model of Organizational Culture stand as the foundations of this study. Herzberg’s Two-

Factor Theory is proposed to be relating to factors that directly affect outsourced workers.

These factors, in turn, are generally believed to have an effect on the overall satisfaction in

jobs of an outsourced employee. Schein’s Model, on the other hand, is used to explain how

culture is affected by behavior through the process of immersion.

Moreover, the undertaken research intended to discuss and analyze how putative

variables related to immersion such as such as Level of Immersion, Reasons for Immersion,

and Perceived Importance of Immersion affect job satisfaction in the workplace. Methods

included a survey questionnaire administered to 35 purposively selected call center agents

from Company X’s pool of outsourced employees. Findings from this tool were analyzed

through the use of statistical tests, such as Pearson’s R, Measures of Central Tendency,

and Frequencies. Personal interviews were also conducted with four key informants in order

to substantiate the quantitative findings.

Conclusions of the study show that there is a moderately high correlation between

immersion and job satisfaction. These statistical correlations were verified and elucidated by

the findings from the conducted interviews.

Keywords: job satisfaction, corporate culture, motivation, outsourcing, outsourced employee

E B L A C A S | vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page i Approval Sheet ii Acknowledgments iii Abstract v Table of Contents vi List of Tables viii List of Figures ix

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study 1 Significance of the Study 6 Delimitation of the Study 8 Statement of the Problem and Objectives 9

II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Outsourcing 11 Corporate/ Organizational Culture 28 Immersion 30 Job Satisfaction 31 Related Studies and Gaps in Current Literature 33

III. STUDY FRAMEWORK Theoretical Framework 38 Conceptual Framework 45 Operational Definitions 47 Assumptions and Hypotheses 49

IV. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Research Design and Methods 50 Variables, Measures and Indicators 51 Sampling Frame and Procedure 54 Research Instrument 55 Data Collection and Analysis Procedure 56 Limitations 57

V. DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION Putting It All In Context 58 Descriptive Statistics of Respondent Scores 63 Immersion as a Coping Mechanism 65 Immersion as a Motivation to Adapting in Organizations 74 Extent of Influence and Impact of Immersion to Job Satisfaction 80 Metrics for Job Satisfaction 84 Relationship between Level of Immersion and Overall Job Satisfaction 97

E B L A C A S | vii

VI. SUMMARY, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary and Conclusion for Quantitative Findings 104 Summary and Conclusion for Interview Results 105 Implications 107 Recommendations 109

REFERENCES 112 APPENDIX A: SURVEY INSTRUMENT 118 APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW SCHEDULE 129 APPENDIX C. LETTER OF REQUEST TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AND INTERVIEW 130 APPENDIX D. The SAS System (CORR Procedure Analyses) 131 APPENDIX E. SCORES AND RANKINGS FOR THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE 134 APPENDIX F. SCORES AND RANKINGS FOR THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE 135 APPENDIX G. Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 14 137 APPENDIX H. Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 12 141 APPENDIX I. Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 26 144 APPENDIX J. Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 22 148

E B L A C A S | viii

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE PAGE

1 Summary of the Variables, Measures, and Indicators Used in the Study 51

2 Summary of Demographic Information of Respondents 62

3 Interviewee Profiles and Justification for their Selection as Key Informants 62

4 Ratings and their Corresponding Scores for Level of Immersion 66

5 Descriptive Statistics of Scores on a Per-item Basis for Level of Immersion 66

6 Descriptive Statistics of Survey Responses to Level of Immersion 70

7 Summary of Results for Reasons for Immersion 74

8 Descriptive Statistics of Scores on a Per-item Basis for

Reasons for Immersion 75

9 Descriptive Statistics of Scores on a Per-item Basis for

Perceived Importance of Immersion 81

10 Descriptive Statistics of Overall Scores for Categories

of Metric for Job Satisfaction 84

11 Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:

Relationship with Supervisor 85

12 Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:

Relationship with Coworkers 87

13 Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:

Quality of Work Life 88

14 Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:

Conditions of Work 91

15 Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:

Remuneration and Rewards 93

16 Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:

Professionalism 95

17 Correlation Findings Between Immersion into the Corporate Culture and

Overall Job Satisfaction 98

E B L A C A S | ix

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE PAGE

1 Proposed Model of Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory 40

2 Model of Schein’s Organizational Culture 42

3 Explanation of how immersion into the corporate culture of companies

affect job satisfaction of outsourced employees 44

4 Conceptual Framework of Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory

and Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture 46

5 Descriptive Statistics of Survey Responses for Years in the Profession 64

6 Descriptive Statistics of Survey Responses for Years in Company X 64

7 Correlation between Level of Immersion into the Corporate Culture

to Overall Job Satisfaction 131

8 Correlation between Reasons for Immersion into the Corporate Culture

to Overall Job Satisfaction 132

9 Correlation between Perceived Importance of Immersion into the Corporate Culture to Overall Job Satisfaction 133

E B L A C A S | 1

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the development and impact of outsourcing from different

industries and organizations in various countries. In turn, these findings provide bases and

justifications for further research on the correlation of job satisfaction to immersion into the

corporate culture of companies. Finally, this section expounds on the main problem,

significance and specific objectives needed in attaining the study.

A. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Outsourcing has proven to be an essential business strategy in various industries

and has gained ground this 21st century. It is a growing phenomenon that is continually

adopted by modern day organizations (Tinselboer, 2005). It has continually evolved through

the years, not just in countries such as India and America but also in the Philippines

(Manabat, 2011).

1. Outsourcing in Other Countries

Today’s industries harness their workforce by outsourcing their employees.

Outsourcing, as defined by Marvin (2011), is a “function that combines complexity of

logistics, investing, and contract management” (p. 3). According to Harper (2003),

companies are now looking for new ways to thrive in an unstable and turbulent economic

climate; and strategic outsourcing of large scale business operations up to the level of core

functions is gaining its popularity.

India

With its recent government initiatives, strong economic growth, and an educated

workforce with over 2 million IT graduates each year, India is now a preferred choice when it

E B L A C A S | 2

comes to outsourcing (Vagadia, 2007). Beares (2010) reports that the rapid growth of

outsourcing in India is attributed to the availability of educated and skilled workers they

produce. To date, India’s most common forms of outsourcing comprise that of the

Information Technology (IT) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industries (Hillary,

2013). Information Technology (IT) has been a growing industry in India with a Compound

Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 28%. Its GDP doubled from 2.9% in 2002 and 4.8% in 2006

(Vagadia, 2007).

United States

In a survey conducted by Deloitte & Touche (2012), findings show that 60% of the

respondents agreed that outsourcing has become a standard operating practice in their

respective companies. Businesses, firms, agencies, and all corporate money-making bodies

are now using outsourcing as an effective business strategy. Moreover, Corbett (2004)

found in his study that many manufacturers outsource 70% to 80% of the content of their

finished products and more than 90% of companies say that outsourcing is an important part

of their growth and development strategy. Today, companies of all sorts outsource even

their entire back office operations such as payroll and accounting, and human resources, to

name a few. As a matter of fact, large companies and corporations commonly hire

outsourced workers for half of their IT operations. At this pace, Corbett (2004) claims that

“companies may soon be more outsourced than in-sourced, signifying a fundamental

reorganization that will affect employees, managers, customers and executives” (p. 2).

Consumer choices will increase, product costs will rise and drop, and workers’ roles will

change – that is the reality of today’s economy.

E B L A C A S | 3

It is of particular importance to note that in this era, outsourcing is no longer just

about cost saving; but a strategic tool that powers the twenty-first century global economy.

Pearlstein (2012) notes that:

“Today, some of the world’s largest companies and biggest employers are the product

of this outsourcing trend: Sodexo in food service; IBM in information technology;

Wackenhut, now known as G4S, in security services; UPS and FedEx in logistics;

Foxconn and Lenovo in computer manufacturing. Instead of the Rouge plant, the new

model of industrial organization has become Nike, which outsources the making of all

of its shoes, clothing and sporting equipment so it can concentrate on design and

marketing, and Apple, which outsources all of its hardware manufacturing.” (p. 2).

Evidently, countries such as India, China, and America are becoming economic

powerhouses because of this unstoppable trend (Bhide, 2004). This alone justifies that

outsourcing workers have not only boosted the economy of these companies, but are also

emerging to shape and revolutionize the working industry.

2. Outsourcing in the Philippines

The Philippines has tagged its outsourced sectors as the “government’s newest

sunshine industry” (Manabat, 2011, p. 2). A report from the Joint Foreign Chamber of the

Philippines (2012) shows that the Information Technology and Business Process

Outsourcing (IT-BPO) is the fastest-growing employment and one of the highest revenue

generating economic sector in the Philippines today due to of its current size, high growth

rate, and potential to employ millions of Filipinos. .

In a review by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (2012), it was only in the new

millennium that the Philippines gained ground in outsourcing. Manabat (2011) claims that

E B L A C A S | 4

the massive expansion brought about by outsourcing over the last 10 years have generated

thousands of jobs in various growing sectors in the Philippine economy. Ramon (2007, in

Medina & Remulla, 2012, p. 13) reports that “from P2 billion in 2000, investment in the BPO

industry rose to P11 billion in 2001, then settled to about P5–7billion annually in the next 4

years.”

Overtime, government support to the BPO industry is increasing, with the Philippines

dubbed as the “primary destination for voice services and the second most preferred

destination for Information Technology-Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) and global

in-house center (GIC) complex, non-voice services after India” (Medina & Remulla, 2012, p.

2).

In the same review, reports showed that:

“The country’s IT-BPO industry continued to exhibit double-digit positive annual growth

rates in revenues generated from 2004 to 2011. The industry posted US$12.1 billion

of revenues in 2011, about nine times the US$1.3 billion level realized in 2004. This in

turn shows how outsourcing has impacted not only the business economy but also

that of the workers as well. The industry’s growth over the years was due to the

continued demand for offshore call or contact centers. According to the IBM’s Global

Locations Trend, the Philippines ranked number one in the shared services and BPO

categories in the world in 2010. The country overtook India as the contact center

capital of the world, outperforming the latter in terms of revenue and employment

generation” (Medina & Remulla 2012, p. 6).

Presented with these figures, it is evident that outsourcing is fast becoming a

strategy of various companies and organizations not only to minimize costs, more so, to

maximize results. It has generated thousands of jobs for the past 10 years alone; that is why

the researcher believes that exploring job satisfaction of outsourced workers is an

E B L A C A S | 5

interesting area of study. Given the status quo, the researcher thinks that it is imperative to

explore their needs that lead to job satisfaction by considering their immersion into a

company’s culture.

3. Outsourcing in relation to Corporate Cultures and Job Satisfaction

There has not been a lot of literature written about how outsourced employees’

immersion into a company’s corporate culture can affect his or her job satisfaction. Given

the fact they are still considered more of outsiders to the organization’s core functions,

outsourced workers are presumed to immerse into the culture that permeates their working

environment. However, it must be made clear that outsourcing is merely an extension of

services that a company makes use of; therefore, cultural compatibility and adjustment of

outsourced workers take an increased importance (Harper, 2003). Unlike that of regular

employees who embody and personify the company’s vision and mission, outsourced

employees might as well be considered as a separate case. Since most of these workers

are bounded to a project-based contract, immersion to the company culture may or may not

be impeded.

It is imperative to establish that the company has its own formal culture – the written

mission, vision, practices, norms, and policies that separates them from other organizations

– what separates regular employees from outsourced workers. However, it is the informal

culture where the differences between that of the management and outsourced workers may

be perceived.

Company immersion has long been interpreted from a viewpoint of a regular

employee who operates within the organizations’ primary functions. This study seeks to

explore how things would differ if taken from an outsider’s perspective and how this

difference could impact their job satisfaction. Generally, further studies are required to better

E B L A C A S | 6

cater the needs of outsourced employees that is why it is of importance to know how these

workers identify and associate themselves with the company that hired them. This will in

turn, be a factor of determining their satisfaction towards their job that would generate

sufficient data to be used in the milieu of this study.

B. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

To Outsourced Workers

Outsourced employees may be assigned to handle an organization’s core functions

and activities but if there is one inevitable reality that is evident until now, it is that they are

still considered outsiders. The results that will be yielded by this study would benefit them,

above all. This would be beneficial to outsourced employees who feel dissatisfaction in their

jobs, and who seek to find answers from their perspective. This is a research that attempts

to present the point of view of outsourced employees. Furthermore, this would aid both the

management and the outsourced employees to have a better understanding of each other;

thus mutually catering to their needs.

To Company X and organizations that outsource

As mentioned earlier, further studies on how companies cater to the needs of its

outsourced workers will aid the management team of companies in improving job

satisfaction among their employees. The results that this study will yield could be of use to

Company X’s management, human resource department, and decision-making bodies in

analyzing the possible benefits of job satisfaction to an outsourced employees’ immersion

into their corporate culture. Assessing and determining the relationship of these two

variables could provide the organization with fresh and credible guide on crafting their work

relationships with these outsourced employees. In addition, HR professionals and

communication specialists of Company X and of other similar organizations could find the

E B L A C A S | 7

results and recommendations of this study beneficial in learning how immersion to a

company’s corporate culture affects an outsourced worker’s overall performance, job

satisfaction, and work productivity.

To scholars of the social sciences and students of the academe

The findings and recommendations for this study would contribute to their pursuit of

wisdom and academic endeavors not only in the field of business administration but of

sociology and communication, as well.

Outsourcing in the business world has proved to be an unstoppable trend in the 21st

century. Findings in this study could contribute to the existing literature on how immersion

into a certain culture of a corporate company could influence an outsourced employee’s job

satisfaction. Companies of all sizes and orientations are embracing this phenomenon

because it has proven to be strategic and efficient.

It is, of course, beneficial to sociology as outsourcing continues to shape the

interactions in today’s organizations both in the local and foreign markets. Furthermore,

since the researcher intends to explore outsourcing through the eyes of an outsourced

worker, it is of particular importance to note its effect on a person’s attitude and self-

perception, as a whole.

To the general public

It is of importance to be aware of the status quo in today’s business economy since

this impacts both the local and global market. Outsourcing is a phenomenon that has

generated both positive and negative feedback through the ages. It has resulted in being

one of the most sought after business strategy all over the world. The public’s perception of

outsourcing is also valued. Moreover, findings obtained from this study could be of

E B L A C A S | 8

significance to all individuals, may it be outsourced workers, young professionals, or even

CEOs.

C. DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study aims to describe the nature and extent of the relationship between job

satisfaction and an employee immersion into a company’s corporate culture. It also seeks to

shed light on the correlation of job satisfaction to immersion into a company’s culture by

taking first and foremost, into consideration the views and perception of outsourced workers.

The study is limited to the examination of Company X’s corporate culture and its hired

outsourced employees only. Moreover, this intends to provide a fresh perspective on

company immersion and job satisfaction.

Immersion into the company’s corporate culture referred in this study is limited to the

outsourced workers’ adjustment period, and interpersonal and work relationship with

colleagues for the duration of stay as specified in the contract. The independent variable,

outsourcing, shall be inclusive of all workers employed in the company that will also depend

on the duration of their contract. This is to ensure that the results would not be monopolized,

as such.

Other individual-related factors, such as age, sex, and years working for Company X

will also be considered. Moreover, an outsourced employees’ perceptions on the quality of

work life, relationships with their supervisors and co-workers, conditions of work,

performance in the company, and immersion into corporate culture are putative variables for

the correlations being established in this study. For the purpose of this study, the questions

that are used in the survey are focused on and limited to an outsourced worker’s needs.

Furthermore, the research methodology will only be limited to 35 respondents given that

Company X may or may not employ on a large scale.

E B L A C A S | 9

Lastly, the findings that this study present cannot be generalized to be true of other

organizations that outsource, given the differences in individual and company-influenced

factors that would be pertinent in the research.

D. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM AND OBJECTIVES

This study examines the problem: How is employee immersion into a company

corporate culture related to job satisfaction?

In line with this, it is guided by the following specific objectives:

1.) To measure how these variables are related to the job satisfaction of employees:

a. Level of Immersion

b. Reasons for Immersion

i. Socializing or Belonging

ii. Productivity

iii. Self-fulfilment

iv. Commitment and Identification

c. Perceived Effect of Immersion

Dimensions of Job Satisfaction

1. Relationship with Supervisor

2. Relationship with Co-Workers

3. Quality of Work Life

4. Conditions of Work

5. Remuneration and Rewards

6. Professionalism

2.) To give a quantitative view on how these variables are related to an employee’s

job satisfaction through interviews and surveys.

3.) To determine which of the variables have the strongest effect on job satisfaction

4.) To measure how these variables correlate with one another; and

E B L A C A S | 10

5.) To define the relationship that is present between job satisfaction and company

culture immersion.

E B L A C A S | 11

CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter discusses the history, development, and impact of outsourcing which

distinguished it from other existing economic trends in the 21st century. Definitions of

outsourcing, organizational culture, immersion, and job satisfaction shall also be explored.

Lastly, the following section discusses the results of studies on outsourcing and how this

research will attempt to fill the gaps in the current literature.

A. Outsourcing

Globalization has provided organizations with more economic, efficient, and effective

options than before. Business tycoons and leaders are encouraged to strategically improve

and adapt processes and approaches to keep up with the ever changing market trends.

Today’s economy seeks after what provides the highest revenues with much less costs

which has inspired management to explore emerging strategies and techniques. One rising

trend in the advent of global markets is outsourcing (Schillen & Steinke, n.d.).

1. Outsourcing Through the Years

It is important to know the history of outsourcing because it shows the progression

and development of this emerging business trend. There is a growing apprehension among

business leaders, economists, and ordinary workers that we are witnessing the age of

sourcing out jobs (Bardhan and Kroll, 2003).

1.1. History

Dating back to the time of the Romans and gaining its popularity in eighteenth

century England notably through the sourcing out of tax collection, outsourcing has been in

continuous use in a variety of forms ever since (Duffy, 2001, as cited in Tompkins, 2007).

E B L A C A S | 12

Kalamu (2009) reports that the term dates back as early as the 1970s, when manufacturing

companies seeking efficiency began hiring outside firms to manage less-than-essential

processes. When large and diverse companies were considered to be underperforming in

the 1970s, outsourcing gained greater impetus. This eventually became a trend that became

more pronounced in the early 1980s with the onset of global recession (Kakabadse &

Kakabadse, 2000, as cited in Kalamu, 2009). With the beginning of 1980s, the business

sectors witnessed a change of direction in business strategy thinking. Instead of directing

their resources elsewhere, they started to focus on fewer activities that are both beneficial to

the company and its people (Peters & Waterman, 1982, as cited in Kalamu, 2009).

Maynard (n.d.) wrote that the first wave of outsourcing began during the onset of the

Industrial Revolution which was then fueled by large-scale growth of services in insurance,

tax, accounting, engineering, and legal affairs, among others. This was supported by a study

by Bardhan and Kroll (2003), which stated that the first wave of outsourcing began with

manufacturing. Bardhan and Kroll (2003) wrote that:

“Between 1987 and 1997, the share of imports in inputs used in US manufacturing

increased from 10.5% to 16.2% and in high-tech manufacturing, such as computers

and electronics, from 26 to 38%. These data continue a long history of foreign

outsourcing in US manufacturing and the associated loss of blue-collar jobs in many

industrial sectors.” (p. 1)

In the same study, Bardhan and Kroll (2003) stated that what motivated US firms to

outsource was driven by the: “(1) low costs of manufacturing; (2) the availability of skilled

labor primarily in different East Asian Countries such as Taiwan, China, South Korea,

Malaysia and others; (3) the availability of skilled labor; (4) the promotion of a business-

E B L A C A S | 13

friendly environment; and (5) the existence of production and supply networks in the

aforementioned countries” (p. 1).

Furthermore, Maynard (n.d.), reported that more recently, outsourcing has “moved

into the world of information technology, data transcription, and call center operations” (para.

6). In addition, Maynard (n.d.) stated that today’s realm is made more and more possible by

continued investment in education, improved information technology, the wide adoption of

the Internet, and the broad, but still emerging, availability of low cost telecommunications

and data communications in third world countries.

Bardman & Kroll (2003) wrote that today, the new wave of outsourcing now thrives in

the sourcing out of white collar jobs. To put into context:

“In addition to cost advantages similar to those offered by the manufacturing centers

of East Asia, the ongoing outsourcing of business services jobs to India, Malaysia,

Philippines and South Africa among others is also due to the widespread acceptance

of English as a medium of education, business and communication in these

countries and a steady and copious supply of technically savvy graduates. While it is

difficult to estimate the exact number of jobs created in these countries in these

sectors, let alone those transplanted and created by US firms, tentative evidence

collected by the authors suggests that business process outsourcing and software

outsourcing have together generated, at the very least, over a million jobs in the

1990s and hundreds of thousands more since the turn of the century” (p. 2).

Furthermore, Mullin (1996, as cited in, Kalamu, 2005) stated in his study that

because of the onset of outsourcing, corporate managers have resorted to reassessing the

concept that organizations need to be vertically integrated and self-sufficient. Thus,

E B L A C A S | 14

corporations invested in “peripheral or supplementary” businesses in order to focus on their

“core” business and, in turn, become “de-integrated” by increasingly outsourcing their

requirements for components and business services (Grant, 1995, p. 381, as cited in

Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2005, p. 183).

The Rise of Outsourcing

The agenda was set in the 1990s, with the growing belief that quick wins could be

achieved by pursuing core strategies. (Prahalad & Hamel, 1990, as cited in Kakabadse &

Kakabadse, 2005). Thus, many firms began reengineering, which in turn led to embarking

on a search for new ways of organizing various elements of work. These “new beginnings”

led to the rethinking of a design of business processes that would enable companies to

achieve vast and dramatic improvements in critical areas of performance such as: cost,

quality, service, and speed (Gamble, 1995, as cited in Kakabase & Kakabadse, 2005).

In the 21st century, outsourcing is at a crossroads. Corbett (2004) wrote that

companies do not only outsource vertical business units, but the new “cross-functional”

approach follows a horizontal process throughout the whole organization – this is the so

called Business Process Outsourcing or BPO. As a result, more companies are seeking

strategic advantages based on outsourced alliances. The driving force behind outsourcing is

the relentless push to operate more efficiently. Through this, outsourcing has also become a

strategic and competitive marketplace tool – allowing companies to develop and improve

(Corbett, 2004).

1.2. Impact

It is of importance to note the history of outsourcing and how it has traversed various

sectors of the business industries. It has, through the years, made tremendous contribution

to the local and foreign markets. Nag (2004) wrote that after over a decade of booming

E B L A C A S | 15

economy, the recent global economic turndown has significantly accelerated and intensified

market competition pressures, causing many corporations to seek innovative ways to deal

with the changed economic landscape. He also mentioned that in the process of

outsourcing, an increasing number of organizations worldwide have turned to BPO, which

has significantly lower overhead costs without sacrificing quality and productivity levels. Nag

(2004) also reasoned that the state of BPO today is considered not only as a simple cost-

cutting mechanism but also as “a strategic initiative, which is expected to shape and prepare

the organization for future business dynamics” (p. 62). Lastly, Nag (2004) reiterates that

apart from cost-cutting, BPO saves “precious management time and resources by allowing

companies to concentrate on core competencies” (p. 62).

On Businesses

DeLoria (2001), reported that outsourcing projects can yield both positive and

negative impacts on business performance. This was supported by Sweeney & O’Riordan

(2006), who said that the outcome, may it be positive or not, “ultimately depends on the way

the company goes about the outsourcing project and what support the project receives from

top-level management” (p. 8). If the outsourcing project goes well, outsourcing can help

improve business performance by enabling a company to focus on its core competency and

getting back to what it does best. Another reason is that by transferring non-core activities to

a specialized vendor, it can help to reduce the cost, and ultimately improve the performance

of the activity (Barthèlemy, 2003, as cited in Sweeney & O’Riordan, 2006).

Kletzer (2004, as cited in Sweeney & O’Riordan, 2006) goes as far as saying

outsourcing “brings real, solid benefits to the economy” (p. 9). To illustrate, the Outsourcing

Institute highlighted the fact that “companies can gain a nine percent cost saving, and a

fifteen percent increase in capacity and quality, on average, through outsourcing” (p. 9).

E B L A C A S | 16

On Employees

More than contributing to the business economy, outsourcing also impacts the lives

of both the regular and outsourced employee. Today large enterprises in the developed and

emerging economies are increasingly adopting “limited-term contracts, associate-like

relationships, and home-based teleworking as standard contractual relationships with

employees” (Standen, Daniels, & Lamond, 1999, as cited in Kakabadse & Kakabadse,

2005, p. 191). However, Tregaskis (1999, as cited in Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2005)

discussed that:

“The advantages are not all one-way, as the individual is also considered to benefit

from the more flexible arrangements, allowing for greater disposable time. In the

European Union in 1998, there were 1.1 million people, approximately 0.8% of the

workforce, employed according to such arrangements, and by the year 2000, this

figure was estimated to stand at 4.4 million people, or 3.1% of the workforce” (p. 191)

On the other hand, the outsourcing trend affects employees through the “loss of

fixed-employment opportunities and results in an increasing number of part-time and

contract workers typically earning less pay than permanent workers and without health, life,

short- and long-term disability, and retirement benefits” (Charara, 2004; Crolius, 2006, as

cited in Abebe, Elmuti, & Grunewald, n.d., p. 180).

Moreover, Khan (2004, as cited in Abebe, Elmuti, & Grunewald, n.d.) states that

outsourcing also implies a gradual structural change whereby a significant part of the

workforce will be made up of part-time, temporary, freelance, or independent contractors.

This was supported by Dobbs (2004, as cited in Abebe, Elmuti, & Grunewald, n.d) who

argue that the overall economic impact of outsourcing at are the expense of outsourced

workers.

E B L A C A S | 17

1.3. Trends and Outcomes

Most corporations believe that in order to compete globally, they have to look at

efficiency and cost containment rather than relying strictly on revenue increased (Bartlett,

2004; Drezner, 2004; Farrell & Rosenfeld, 2005; Jasper, 2003, as cited in Abebe, Elmuti, &

Grunewald, n.d.). With its continuous development, outsourcing has become more common

in Information Technology (I.T.) and other industries and is regarded as an intrinsic function

to managing businesses. Sriwongwanna (2009) states that:

“In general, outsourcing can be defined as an organization delegating their non-core

functions to an external organization that provides a particular service, function or

product (Hansen, 2009; Lawler & Mohrman, 2003). Some authors observe that

outsourcing is no longer confined to information technology (IT) services, but has

expanded to financial services, banking services, engineering services, creative

services, data management services, hospitality and clinical laboratories or

laboratory medicine, and human resource management (HRM) (Bielski, 2007;

Bossuyt, Verveire & Blanckaert, 2007; Schultheis & Summer, 1998). Outsourcing the

Human Resource (HR) function is one of many ways to improve an organization’s

efficiency (Lawler & Mohrman, 2003)” (p. 3).

As companies seek to enhance their competitive positions in an increasingly global

market place, they are discovering that they can cut costs and maintain quality by relying

more on outside service providers for activities viewed as supplementary to their core

businesses (Baily & Farrell, 2004; Cassale, 1996; Donahoe & Pecht, 2003; Irwin, 2004; Li &

Barnes, 2008, as cited in Abebe, Elmuti, & Grunewald, n.d.)

Over the last 10-15 years, global outsourcing activities have continued to increase.

Research suggests that this trend is expected to continue. (Kakabadse & Kakabadse 2005).

E B L A C A S | 18

A review of the literature emphasizes that “now and into the future, determining what is core

to the organization so that those processes and activities considered peripheral can be

passed over to an external service provider will continue to be a prime consideration”

(Chalos & Sung, 1998; Currie & Willcocks, 1997, as cited in Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2005,

p. 187). There is a strong presence of outsourcing functions in today’s business economy.

Continued outsourcing growth presents a need for the development of expertise around

successful outsourcing management and a comprehensive understanding of relevant trends

and issues (Schillen & Steinke, n.d.).

Outsourcing often increases an organization’s ability to focus on their core

competencies. Furthermore, companies may notice increased productivity in terms of: (1)

access to new technologies; (2) improved quality in work outcomes; (3) increased speed of

task and product completion; (4) increased ability to respond to customer needs, and the (4)

ability to establish a smaller core workforce (Elmuti, 2003; Elmuti & Kathawala, 2000; Walsh

& Deery, 2006, as cited in Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2005, p. 190). Outsourcing can also

increase an organization’s access to innovation and improve their flexibility. This is often

accomplished through “access to new skills of offsite personnel, increases in organizational

competitiveness and the ability to gain in markets that might otherwise be inaccessible or

uneconomical” (Elmuti, 2003, as cited in Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2005 p. 190).

Outsourcing, however, is not without its challenges. In fact, “75% of U.S. managers

admitted that outsourcing initiatives do not necessarily fulfill all their expectations”

(Barthélemy, 2009, p. 87, as cited in Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2005 p. 192). Elmuti (2003,

as cited in Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2005) reasoned that:

“55% of outsourcing relationships fail with the first five years of implementation, and

of the remaining 45%, 12% are unhappy and regret the decision to outsource in the

first place. To add to these bleak statistics, it is often the case that customers

E B L A C A S | 19

express dissatisfaction with such outsourcing decisions as well. Inevitably, a host of

factors play into the lack of success in outsourcing endeavors.” (p. 194)

1.4. Pitfalls

Despite the evident benefits of sourcing out jobs and hiring outsourced workers,

there are still skeptics of this emerging trend. Mussell (1987, as cited in DeLoria, 2001)

wrote that with the onset of outsourcing, comes potential pitfalls. These include: (1) less-

than-quality vendor service; (2) vested contractor interests; (3) loss of control; (4) inflexible

long-term contracts; and (5) reduced accountability. DeLoria (2001) reported that critics

express concern that employers may suffer if employees do not feel a connection to the

mission of the organization. This alone supports that outsourced workers, too, are as

valuable as any regular employee. Just like any new hire, outsourced employees would

likely feel more committed and satisfied if they feel that they are not outsiders but genuine

members of the organization.

In the same study, DeLoria (2001), mentioned that employee commitment may be

difficult to obtain when loyalty is unreciprocated by the organization. This was supported by

Nollen and Axel (1996) who reasoned that employers may feel fear and suffer if they

populate their organizations with individuals who have little or no attachment to their jobs,

noting that some workers do not want to be so unattached. DeLoria (2001) reported that

reciprocated commitment may be difficult to obtain because, by definition, no employment

relationship with contract employees exists. She stated that one characteristic of the

contingent employee is the lack of attachment to the organization.

According to Nollen and Axel (1996, as cited in DeLoria, 2001):

“Contingent workers do not belong to the company as regular employees do; they

are not expected to be as committed to the company’s mission. They may be as fully

E B L A C A S | 20

committed to the work they do as regular employees are, especially among highly

skilled professional and technical people. But they do not have the same ties to the

company where they do the work” (p. 1).

Pfeffer & Baron (1988, as cited in DeLoria, 2001) wrote that doing a task as part of

an organization that does contract and outsourced works may not provide the same form of

identification that allows regular employees to relate strongly to an organization’s goals.

They also wrote that one implication is that a person doing a task will have feelings of

commitment and satisfaction that depend on the individual’s relationship to the organization

and the organization’s principle mission. Thus, this justifies the need to know how immersion

may help outsourced workers attain satisfaction in their jobs.

Pfeffer & Baron (1988, as cited in DeLoria, 2001) note that the literature suggests

that:

“Employees’ organizational positions and how work is structured impacts their place

in and relationship to the process of production, implying that externalization has

profound implications for individuals’ orientations to their jobs. This new relationship

is important to understand. If externalization reduces workers’ odds of becoming

attached to a large, unionized employer, the practice may have consequences for

their labor market outcomes and experiences” (p. 5).

Another study conducted by KPMG International Research (2009) found that many

problems can occur when organizations introduce outsourcing processes. Sriwongwanna

(2009) wrote that the research found that “52 percent of the respondents said outsourcing

providers are lacking in knowledge, 47 percent of respondents said outsourcing providers

are non-responsive, and 35 percent of respondents said outsourcing providers have low

E B L A C A S | 21

performance standards” (p. 25). Therefore, contrary to popular belief, outsourcing can also

lead to serious downfalls.

British Telecom and Accenture’s ePeopleServe

An example of an organization disappointed with the decision to outsource is the

case study of British Telecom and Accenture’s ePeopleServe, provided by Robinson and

Kalakota (2004, as cited in Sriwongwanna, 2009). Accenture, having the reputation of being

a leading outsourced provider, provides outsourcing HR services to many organizations,

with ePeopleServe as one of its services. Another company, British Telecom, is branded as

one of the world leaders in communication services and operates in various countries from

Europe to Asia. ePeopleServe was outsourced by Accenture to the British Telecom for $75

million dollars. Evidently, this cost the British Telecom, having to pay an additional $5 million

dollars for other costs; thus leading to the conclusion that the services provided by

Accenture were overpriced.

Robinson and Kalakota (2004, as cited in Sriwongwanna, 2009) commented that

there are many hidden costs behind the outsourcing agreement which organizations might

not be able to control. These include: “(1) expenditure for upgrading the system due to the

rapid improvement in computer reliability and functionality; (2) expenditure for training costs

due to a lack of skilled employees; and (3) the expenditure for incomplete projects due to

the inability of some outsourcing providers to effectively transfer their knowledge” (p. 26).

1.5. Examples of BPO Providers

Having presented the impact, pitfalls, trends, and outcomes brought about by

outsourcing, it is of high importance to illustrate examples of how it performs today.

E B L A C A S | 22

Latin American Countries

A study by Kearney (n.d., as cited in Nag, 2004) reported that Latin American

countries are fast becoming popular primarily because of their low labor costs, time zone

difference, and proximity to the United States. Companies such as Xerox and Unisys have

committed to outsourcing in Brazil. AOL Time Warner has opened call center services for its

Spanish-speaking customers in Mexico.

Central European Countries

Biswajit Nag (2005), reported that Central European countries are fast becoming a

popular source for outsourcing activities because of their high record of technical

capabilities, cultural and linguistic similarities. General Electric (GE) has invested

significantly in Hungary over the past 12 years and across Western Europe. The Russian

Federation, too, has a large pool of technical talent. Particular of which are its Russian

Aeronautics Specialist in seven cities who are responsible for designing 777 aircrafts.

India

Armed with its skilled English speaking workforce and educated professionals, India

has captured a dominant share of the international outsourcing market (Kakabadse &

Kakabadse, 2005). It has, through the years, become the primary center for outsourcing

software contracts. According to NASSCOM (n.d., as cited in Nag, 2004), more than 200

companies are directly involved in the outsourcing business in 2003-2004 alone. This

registered a growth of 54% and a total revenue of $3.6 billion.

E B L A C A S | 23

Philippines

It is of particular importance to note that the Philippines is also into the outsourcing

trend. In Measuring the Contribution to the Philippine Economy of Information Technology-

Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) Services by Grace Medina and Marriel Remulla

(2015), it was reported that:

“The country’s IT-BPO industry continued to exhibit double-digit positive annual

growth rates in revenues generated from 2004 to 2011. The industry posted US$12.1

billion of revenues in 2011, about nine times the US$1.3 billion level realized in 2004.

Amid the global financial crisis experienced in 2007 to 2008, the local IT-BPO

industry remained resilient, although growth in revenues was slightly lower compared

to previous years. Top officials of different outsourcing companies and associations

continued to be optimistic on the prospects of the industry, suggesting that

multinational firms keep on outsourcing services to cheaper locations, including the

Philippines, to cut costs. The growth in the industry’s revenues further declined in

2009 as most of the industry’s outsourcing clients were from the advanced

economies, where recovery remained slow in the latter part of the year. (p. 4)

This was supported by a report by Manabat (2011), which says:

“According to the IBM’s Global Locations Trend, the Philippines ranked number one

in the shared services and BPO categories in the world in 2010. The country

overtook India as the contact center capital of the world, outperforming the latter in

terms of revenue and employment generation. The Philippines is a favored BPO

location due to its workforce, armed with good English conversational skills as well

as deeper understanding and appreciation of the Western culture. The multilingual

skills of the Filipinos also add to the country’s competitive edge as many call center

E B L A C A S | 24

outsourcing firms in the country capitalize on the multilingual Filipino workforce to

serve the Hispanic, Japanese and European population. Contact Centers remained

the biggest contributor in terms of revenues for the years covered by the survey. The

sector’s contribution to the industry’s total revenues has increased from 44.4 percent

(or US$5.9 billion) in 2004 to 56.5 percent (or US$6.8 billion) in 2010” (p. 2).

Given the current state of outsourcing in the Philippines and other parts of the globe,

it is of high importance to be acquainted with the emerging workforce: the Outsourced

Workers.

2. Outsourced Workers as an “Extended Workforce”

In Accenture: The Rise of Extended Workforce, Yaarit Silverstone, Himanshu Tambe

and Susan M. Cantrell (2015) wrote that:

“To compete in the future, organizations will need to push talent management

beyond the confines of the enterprise wall to include the new extended workforce: a

global network of outside contractors, outsourcing partners, vendors, strategic

partners and other nontraditional workers. By maximizing the potential of both an

extended workforce and permanent employees, companies can gain critical

advantages—including agility and access to valuable talent. Today, companies are

no longer using outsourcing just for augmenting staff who perform administrative

processes. In addition, they’re using it strategically, to gain staff who can handle

higher-level, knowledge-related processes” (p. 2).

In a survey conducted by Accenture and the International Association of Outsourcing

Professionals, 40-plus percent of respondents indicated that outsourcing at their

organizations was increasingly focused on knowledge-based activities. Likewise, the sort of

E B L A C A S | 25

work done by the contingent workforce is changing. With the increase of specialization in the

workplace and the heavy reliance on project work in knowledge-based organizations,

Cantrell, Silverstone, & Tambe (2015) reported that highly educated specialists and

professionals are serving as contingent workers in positions as varied as engineer,

information technologist, healthcare worker, and accounting and finance professional,

among others.

Cantrell, Silverstone & Tambe (2015) illustrated the case of Procter & Gamble. The

case indicates that more than 50 percent of product initiatives and outputs at P&G involve

significant collaboration with outside innovators. They note that through its “Connect and

Develop program,” the company has forged more than 1,000 agreements with innovation

partners. Cantrell, Silverstone, & Tambe (2015) wrote that:

“The company has also tapped into a wide range of outside individual contributors

through new crowdsourcing models by challenging them to solve R&D problems or

to come up with new product ideas. Workers outside of P&G have helped develop

hundreds of successful offerings, such as Swiffer Dusters, the Crest SpinBrush, and

Olay Regenerist” (p. 3).

The Rising Tide of the Just-In-Time Worker

The extended workforce is expanding fast and its efforts are becoming essential to

organizations’ competitive success. Economists project that the extended workforce will

continue to increase as part of a long-term trend. Cantrell, Silverstone, & Tambe (2015)

reported that:

“By various estimates, 20-33 percent of today’s US workforce now comprises

independent workers (freelancers, contractors and temps), up from 6 percent in 1989

(1) Worldwide, companies now spend an estimated $300 billion dollars per year on

E B L A C A S | 26

such contingent labor (2) Indeed, temporary and contract labor is one of the fastest-

growing line items on corporate operating statements.”(Human Capital Institute,

2011, as cited in Cantrell, Silverstone, & Tambe, 2015, p. 4)

According to Cantrell, Silverstone, & Tambe (2015):

“The recent emergence of online independent contractor talent platforms that enable

companies to access “talent in the cloud”—like Elance, oDesk and TopCoder—is a

rapidly growing market, with more than 1 million workers having earned $1- 2 billion

over the past 10 years in this industry (Moyer & Stock, 2011, as cited in Cantrell,

Silverstone, & Tambe, 2015).

In some industries, such as oil and gas, 77 percent of the workforce now reportedly

reside outside of the core organization (Moyer & Stock, 2011, as cited in Cantrell,

Silverstone, & Tambe, 2015).

Outsourcing contracts with Fortune 100 companies have more than doubled since

2000. According to some studies, about 20 percent of global companies have

outsourced or offshored workers (Smith, Leon, Marshall & Susan Cantrell,

Accenture, 2011 as cited in Cantrell, Silverstone, & Tambe, 2015).

Outsourcing is now an estimated $6 trillion global industry and is expected to keep

growing” (Human Capital Institute, 2011, as cited in Cantrell, Silverstone, & Tambe,

2015, p. 4)

3. Motivations for Using Outsourcing in Companies

Given the surge of outsourced workers and the emergence of outsourcing trends, the

researcher then sees that it is of high importance to explore what motivates businesses and

companies around the world to source out jobs. There are a number of reasons, at both the

strategic and operational level, why firms want to outsource workers for specific core

E B L A C A S | 27

activities in their organizations (Hussain & Sulatana, 2006). Bajpai and Nirupam (2003, as

cited in Dad & Iqbal, 2013) conducted a survey at the Earth Institute at Columbia which

shows that about 70% of the firms outsource to cut cost. According to Kumar and Eickhof

(2006, as cited in Dad & Iqbal, 2013), there are several factors that motivates companies to

outsource:

3.1. Cost Reduction and Economies of Scale

Kakabadse and Kakabadse (2005, as cited in Dad & Iqbal, 2013), reported that

economies of scale and cost reduction are among the most cited reasons to outsource.

Furthermore, they also agree that prime motive of most companies is short-term cost

saving. Kakabadse and Kakabadse (2005) added that there are a number of reasons

and motivators that influence outsourcing but to achieve operational cost efficiency is the

most considered factors so far by companies.

3.2. Technology Advancements

Sahgal and Malhotra (2005, as cited in Dad & Iqbal, 2013) argued that, “the

globalization and technology advancements created a global workforce, with a blend of

different cultures and nationalities working for the common objective across the globe”

(p. 96). Leavy (2004, as cited in Dad & Iqbal, 2013) states that the “control of outsourced

BPOs will most likely be central to the organization’s core functions and risks brought

about by this phenomenon must be taken into account for the success of projects” (p.

97). Dad & Iqbal (2013) reports that outsourcing has been adapted in almost every

sector – from NGOs to bank institutions to health sectors in different countries.

E B L A C A S | 28

3.3. Focus on Core Competencies

The recent trend to outsource non-core business is motivated by the competence

based view (Kakabadse and Kakabadse 2005; Sparrow 2005; Mehta et al. 2006;

Sangeeta and Bharadwaj 2009; Mahmoodzadeh et al. 2009; Choudhuri et al. 2009, and

Wu & Park 2009, as cited in Dad & Iqbal, 2013, p. 97). The driving forces of outsourcing

or offshore outsourcing are most primarily lower labor cost and also firm’s motives to

focus on core business competencies. These, are however, not easy to identify and

would most likely affect the organization’s overall performance.

B. Corporate/Organizational Culture

Much like regular employees, outsourced workers will eventually be immersed into

an organization’s corporate culture. The researcher thinks that it is necessary, more so,

important to explore the underlying themes that could affect an outsourced employees’ over-

all perception of his or her place in the company.

Each organization has its own way, customs, and rules in achieving the goals and

organizational mission. The life is based on the belief, a philosophy of life based on human

relationships with the environment. The belief is used as a basic assumption underlying all

programs, strategies and action plans which raise a high value when the activities are

carried out is not violate on what has been programmed, and vice versa. (Gani, Ismail,

Mapparenta, & Sinring, 2015)

The concept of ‘organizational culture’ has become popular since the early 1980s.

Along with the growing interest in the topic, there seems to be little agreement within the

literature as to what ‘organizational culture’ actually is and, therefore, there are different

definitions and perspectives on this topic. In Measuring Core Dimensions of Organizational

E B L A C A S | 29

Culture: A Review of Research and Development of a New Instrument by Nathalie Delobbe

and Robert Haccoun (n.d.) they wrote that some define organizational culture as “(1) the

observable behavioral rules in human interaction (Van Maanen 1979); (2) some as the

dominant values in an organization (Deal & Kennedy 1982); (3) others as a consistent

perception within an organization (Robbins 1998)” (p. 2).

Cameron and Quinn (2011, as cited in Adulwaihi, 2013) argued that organizational

culture has a strong association with the organization’s sense of uniqueness, its values,

mission, aims, goals and ways of building shared values. Moreover, Schein (1992, as cited

in Adulwaihi, 2013) reported that organizational culture represents ‘a system of intangible

and unquestionable beliefs that justify how organizations behave. These beliefs, however,

are taken for granted and are rarely stated or discussed openly” (p. 19).

\.

Delobbe & Haccoun (n.d.) noted that:

“There is considerable overall agreement as to the general definition of

organizational culture and most questionnaires define culture as: "a set of cognitions

shared by members of a social unit" (O'Reilly, Chatman, & Caldwell, 1991, p. 491),

or more fully: "a system of shared values and beliefs that produces norms of

behavior and establish an organizational way of life" (Koberg & Chusmir, 1987, p.

397). This latter definition is important because it pinpoints that the culture construct

can be equivocally understood to deal with "major beliefs and values” (or

alternatively as “norms and patterns of behaviors” (p. 3).

Previous research has shown that organizational culture does have an impact on several

key organizational variables (Cameron & Freeman, 1991, as cited in Adulwaihi, 2013). In

the same report, it was showed that:

E B L A C A S | 30

“Many other studies reported a profound impact of organizational culture on

organizational performance and effectiveness (Cameron & Quinn, 2011; Deal &

Kennedy, 2000; Frost, Moore, Louis, Lundberg, & Martin, 1985; Schein, 1985). In

addition to the reported impact of organizational culture on overall organizational

performance, the literature suggests that organizational culture affect individual

attitudes and behaviors (Macintosh & Doherty, 2010). Therefore, employees'

perceptions of the nature of organizational culture is a critical element in human

resource management, change management and leadership”. (p. 10)

C. Immersion

Much like regular new hires, outsourced workers go through the process of

immersion. In The New Hire Experience when Onboarding in an Outsourced Recruiting

Environment conducted by Tedlie (2009), she wrote that more than just the process of

immersion, “onboarding is the most critical time period for a new hire of an organization and

is comprised of the first 90 days after hire” (p. 4). During this time, it is important to regularly

meet with the new hire, set reasonable goals, provide positive feedback, and offer coaching

as needed. From the organizational perspective, onboarding involves informing new

employees about policies and assists them in adapting to requirements (D'Aurizio, 2007, as

cited in Tedlie, 2009, p. 4).

According to Employee Insights (2008, as cited in Tedlie, 2009):

“Onboarding is part of the recruitment process and is defined as the transition point

into the organization. During this time, new employees are brought into the company

and learn about the job, the culture, and the expectations. This is a critical period

when employees form beliefs about what it is like to work for a company. First

E B L A C A S | 31

impressions matter with new hires, and implementing a program that demonstrates

to them that the organization cares enough to ensure they have a great experience

during their first few months goes a long way to fostering enthusiastic, loyal

employees, may it be regular or outsourced employees” (p. 6).

Tedlie (2009) reports that the first few days and weeks on the job can have a

significant influence on a new employee's attitude and engagement level. Moreover, their

initial exposure can even determine how likely they are to become an asset to the company.

While immersion requires having a formal onboarding experience, it is important to note that

this is a critical time of transition for the employees to the organization. (Philips, 2001, as

cited in Tedlie, 2009). Successful immersion into a company and its corporate culture will

most likely yield the attainment of satisfaction just as onboarding serves as a direct bridge

between as the promise of new talent and the attainment of actual productivity.

In Successful Onboarding: How to Get Your New Employees Started Off Right by

David Lee (2005), he illustrated that “simply bringing a new employee in to work on the first

day without appropriate support and coaching is one of the most common, and damaging,

mistakes organization can make” (p. 5). This then justifies the importance of onboarding and

immersion into a company. Therefore, Lee (2005) reiterated that companies should be sure

to keep in touch with new hires as they integrate into the organization.

D. Job Satisfaction

One variable of this study is the relevance of job satisfaction to an outsourced

worker’s immersion into a certain company. Having discussed immersion and outsourcing, it

is of high importance to explore one of the distinguishing forces behind every worker’s

performance.

E B L A C A S | 32

Outsourcing options can certainly affect job satisfaction. (Schillen & Steinke, n.d.).

Job satisfaction or “the pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of

one’s job and job experience” (Locke, 1976, as cited in Valentine, Godkin, Fleischman, &

Kidwell, 2010, as cited in Schillen & Steinke, n.d, p. 22) is an important component of the

employee’s perception. In addition, overall job satisfaction has also been linked to

“profitability, turnover intentions, customer satisfaction, and productivity” (Judge et al., 2001;

Valentine et al., 2010, as cited in Schillen & Steinke, n.d., p. 23). Farndale, van Ruiten,

Kelliher, & Hope-Hailey (2011, as cited in Schillen & Steinke, n.d.) added that increased

organizational commitment is also an “important outcome of job satisfaction as committed

employees are more likely to accept and invest in organizational change” (p. 23).

In a literature review by Amjad, Ilyas, & Sabri (2011), it was reported that:

“Researchers link job satisfaction with many factors such as fairness of rewards,

growth opportunities, participation in decision making, supervisory support and

compensation, among others. A large number of researchers, however, link job

satisfaction with organizational culture. Some examples are works, journals, and

theses by Taber (1975), Jiang and Klen (2000), Mckinnon (2003), Navaie & Waliser

(2004), Rad (2006), Arnold (2006), Chang and Lee (2007), and Mansoor and Tayib

(2010)” (p. 122).

E. Gaps in Current Literature

Current studies on outsourcing and job satisfaction explored on how regular

employees perceived outsourcing and how it has affected their satisfaction in jobs. It would

be an interesting point to note that ever since the onset of outsourcing began, job

satisfaction among outsourced employees was never truly investigated. Lack of related

E B L A C A S | 33

studies on the research has become a gap in the current literature given the state of

outsourcing around the globe.

In Mitigating the Adversity of Outsourcing: Outsourcing from the Employee’s

Perspective, authored by Sarah Schillen & Gerhard Steinke, the study showed that

understanding the employee perspective facilitates job satisfaction. Findings showed that:

“Managers must pursue a true understanding of employee perceptions and fear

around outsourcing and display acts of commitment to those remaining employees.

Such an understanding will allow managers to address such concerns as they arise

throughout the transition process (Logan et al., 2004)” (p. 68).

This study seeks to shed light on outsourcing through the eyes of regular employees

obtained by generating their opinions of outsourcing implementation. Findings also suggest

that working toward realignment of company and employee goals, vision, and values may

be a useful tool in this process. Collins (2009, as cited in Schillen & Steinke, n.d.)

suggested making innovative steps toward motivating purpose in your employees. He notes

that:

“Creating a higher purpose for employees, as opposed to numbers-driven

accomplishments, provides employees with the opportunity to give meaning to their

work and also unifies the organization. Organizations can also consider aligning the

business strategy and goals with the employee vision by measuring success through

client satisfaction and service levels” (p. 68).

Moreover, Elmuti & Kathawala (1993, as cited in Schillen & Steinke, n.d.) reiterated

that, “establishing a strong corporate culture with visible top management support is

expected to assist in effectively restructuring the organization” (p. 69). Simply put,

outsourcing workers will have an effect on the company’s operations. Restructuration may

E B L A C A S | 34

be deemed imperative when the need arises. Barthélemy, (2003, as cited in Schillen &

Steinke, n.d.) stated that it is important to maintain the key employees who remain even

after outsourcing because they hold “firm-specific knowledge” about how to make operations

run smoothly. This study also found out that understanding the regular or key employees’

perspectives necessitate that of providing higher salaries and benefits. Cameron (1994, as

cited in Schillen & Steinke, n.d.) reasoned that:

“Training, retraining, and cross-training will aid in employee adaptation to

downsizing. Furthermore, the management must treat employees remaining within

the organization as assets whose ideas and contributions are respected by

encouraging and offering ongoing career development opportunities. The extent to

which employees feel like valued assets in the company’s pursuit for change, largely

determines the extent to which those employees remain satisfied of their role within a

greater purpose” (p. 69).

Evidently, the first study focused on how the remaining employees at a certain

company perceived job satisfaction after an outsourcing decision. This, however, failed to

shed light on how outsourced employees would cope with the present corporate culture the

company practices. Current literature would put into consideration the well-being of internal

employees but there are no present studies exploring job satisfaction among outsourced

workers.

In another study, entitled, Outsourcing From the Employee Perspective by Kessler,

Shapiro, and Purcell (1999, as cited in Sriwongwanna, 2009), examined the impact of

external activities (outsourcing) on employment relations from the point of view of the

employee. The results from this survey revealed that employees reported greater

satisfaction with their job if three factors were present: (1) career development opportunities;

(2) reward and training assessments; and (3) organizational respect.

E B L A C A S | 35

Conversely, the survey found that a negative attitude from employees stemmed

from new career development stress, primarily because the employees, truck drivers and

supervisors, were unable to adapt to the new environment and technology. Kessler,

Shapiro, and Purcell (1999, as cited in Sriwongwanna, 2009) reported that this survey

indicated that when outsourcing occurs, “internal employees may feel less trust in the

organization. This leads to reduced levels of employee performance and cooperation” (p.

37). Outsourcing providers may also find it difficult to adapt to the new social and

organizational culture. This mismatch can end with conflict between internal employees and

the external providers. Hence, the relationship between internal employees and external

providers seems critical in ensuring the successful implementation of outsourcing decisions.

Specifically, Kessler, Shapiro, & Purcell (as cited in Sriwongwanna, 2009) stated that

the research identified:

“Communication regarding the outsourcing process; the choice of outsourcing

partner or process and the relationship between this provider and internal

employees; and the benefits that employees see as an outcome of the decision

making process all play an important role in determining the success of the

outsourcing decision” (p. 37).

This study, on the other hand, sheds light on how the current employees were

unable to adapt to outsourcing environment and how their level of trust is affected with the

decision to outsource. Much like the first study, this only focuses on the internal employees

of the organization.

Cameron & Freeman (1991, as cited in Adulwaihi, 2013) wrote that Organizational

Culture has a profound influence on several key organizational variables. The current

literature suggests that organizational culture affects individual attitudes and behaviors

E B L A C A S | 36

(Lund, 2003; Schein, 1992). One of these main individual attitudes and behaviors is job

satisfaction which was shown to be directly impacted by organizational culture (MacIntosh &

Doherty, 2010, as cited in Adulwaihi, 2013).

In a compiled report by Amjad, Ilyas, & Sabri (2011), various studies proving the

relationship between organizational culture and job satisfaction were discussed:

“Hoppock (1935), Navaie-Waliser (2004) and Rad, (2006) report that job

satisfaction of the employees is affected by the culture of the organization” (p.

122).

“Robbert & Reilly (1979), Kram (1985), Greenhaus (1990) and Gorris (2006)

find that various forms of the communication in the organization and the

relationship between the employee and the employer have positive impact on

the job satisfaction of the employees” (p. 122).

“McHugh (1993) argue that bad and poor culture of the organization will lower

the level of job satisfaction and lower productivity from the employees, and

finally all these factors contribute to decrease the efficiency and performance

of the organization” (p. 122).

“Hansen & Wernerfelt (1989) describe that the behavior of the employees

towards their mode of thinking whatever they think intentionally or

unintentionally is strongly influenced by the culture of the organization” (p.

122).

“Jiang & Klein (2000) argue that supportive culture of the organization

increases the satisfaction level of the employees and decreases the turnover

ratios from the organization” (p. 122).

E B L A C A S | 37

“Taber (1975), Johnson (2004) and Chang and Lee (2007) conclude that

organizational culture has a positive impact on the job satisfaction of the

employees” (p.123).

“Yousaf (1998), Mckinnon (2003), Arnold (2006) and Mansoor & Tayib (2010)

observe strong positive impact of organizational culture on the job

satisfaction” (p. 123).

“Johnson (2004) opines that some component of the organizational culture

may not be positively associated with the job satisfaction” (p. 123).

“Navaie-Waliser et al. (2004) conclude that there is no single measure to find

out the level of job satisfaction and the impact of the organizational culture on

the job satisfaction of the employees” (p. 123).

“Aoms & Weathington (2008) argue that the organization with strong and

suitable culture positively affects not only the satisfaction of the employees

but also the job commitment of the employees with the organization” (p. 124).

“Chang & Lee (2007) emphasize over the group oriented culture in the

organization for raising the employees‟ job satisfaction. However, they find a

positive relationship between the culture of the organization and job

satisfaction” (p. 124).

Evidently, there is a lack of exploratory studies that concerns that of the outsourced

workers. Given the current predicament of outsourcing around the globe, it is of particular

interest to note that there is a scarcity of related studies concerning the correlation of

immersion to corporate culture and job satisfaction of outsourced employees. The gap in the

current literature only suggests that further studies must be conducted – not on internal

employees, but on outsourced workers.

E B L A C A S | 38

CHAPTER III. STUDY FRAMEWORK

This chapter presents the theoretical and conceptual frameworks as informed by

the literature review and guided by the study’s objectives. Furthermore, it provides

assumptions, hypotheses, and operational definitions of relevant variables and related

concepts in the research.

A. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory and Schein’s Model of Organizational

Culture stand as the foundations of this study. In this particular framework, Herzberg’s Two-

Factor Theory is proposed to be relating to factors that directly affect outsourced workers.

These factors, in turn, are generally believed to have an effect on the overall satisfaction in

jobs of an outsourced employee. Schein’s Model, on the other hand, explains how culture is

affected by behavior through the process of internal integration. Through an exploration and

analysis of these theories, the researcher examines and determines the correlation of job

satisfaction and immersion to the corporate culture of companies.

1.1. Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory

Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory proposed that there are two different

categories of needs, which are intrinsic (motivators) and extrinsic (hygiene) factors. This

theory postulates that job satisfaction and/or is dissatisfaction is the function of two need

systems. Intrinsic factors are related to the job itself and seem to positively influence job

satisfaction.

According to Herzberg (1959, as cited in Riley, 2007), satisfaction is caused by what

he called "motivators". These factors include achievement, recognition, work itself,

responsibility, advancement, and growth. On the contrary, extrinsic factors are closely

E B L A C A S | 39

related to the environment and condition of the work. Dissatisfaction is caused by problems

that Herzberg called "hygiene factors". These include company policy and administration,

supervision, relationship with supervisor, work conditions, salary, relationships with peers,

personal life, relationships with subordinates, status, and security.

Herzberg (1959, as cited in Riley, 2007) also reported that the absence of motivators

will not lead to dissatisfaction, it would only lead to no satisfaction. On the other hand, job

satisfaction can't be improved by improving any of the hygiene factors, but by improving

motivators.

Apparently, Herzberg's Motivator-Hygiene theory has caused a “great controversy in

the fields of psychology and organizational behavior” (Khalifa, Hossam, & Truong, 2010, p.

143). This study aimed at testing Herzberg's theory in another context – that of outsourced

workers. Since Herzberg (1959, as cited in Riley, 2007) found out that improvement in

hygiene factors would not lead to improvement in job satisfaction, then it is logical to expect

that immersion to corporate culture will not have a significant relationship with job

satisfaction when the outcome in the comparison is one of what Herzberg called "hygiene

factors". On the contrary, considering the findings of researches on the relationship between

immersion to corporate culture and job satisfaction (positive relationship) and considering

Herzberg's findings of the effect of improving "motivators" on job satisfaction (positive

effect), one should expect a positive relationship between immersion and job satisfaction

when the outcome in the comparison is one of what Herzberg called "motivators".

For this study, the researcher focuses on Herzberg’s motivation factors since these

are said to lead to job satisfaction. The researcher has also taken the liberty to add

immersion to the existing pool of motivators as a putative variable that links organizational

culture and job satisfaction. Immersion will act as the transition through which an outsourced

worker attains or achieves job satisfaction. The more an outsourced worker penetrates an

E B L A C A S | 40

organization’s corporate culture, the higher the satisfaction in his or her job. It is presumed

that a directly proportional relationship occurs between job satisfaction and company

culture, made possible by immersion.

Figure 3.1 illustrates the Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory with Immersion as an added

factor

This study primarily considers the importance of motivation needs of outsourced

workers with the onset of his or her transition as a newcomer into an organization. As

depicted in the model, a typical worker will focus on factors that will account for his or her

satisfaction. Hygiene factors are considered as maintenance needs only and does not

necessarily mean an absence of satisfaction.

Figure 3.1. Proposed Model of Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory (Fast Pitch

(n.d). Retrieved from http://fastpitchwoody0.tripod.com/theories_of_motivation1.htm)

E B L A C A S | 41

1.2. Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture

Schein (1984) presents culture as a series of assumptions a person makes about

the group in which they participate. For the purpose of this study, outsourced workers make

assumptions about the group they belong in. The researcher sees this as a crucial transition

into an organization given that these workers are more often than not, considered as

outsiders in an organization. These assumptions are grouped into three levels, each level

becoming more difficult to articulate and change. These assumptions can be seen through:

(1) artifacts (experiences with senses, such as language, styles, stories, and published

statements); (2) espoused beliefs and values (ideals, goals and aspirations); and (3) basic

underlying assumptions (taken for granted conditions)

Schein (1984, p.3) defined organizational culture as the “pattern of basic

assumptions that a given group has invented, discovered or developed in learning to cope

with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration”. These “valid” behaviors are

therefore taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to

problems, issues and decisions. Schein (1984) maintains that in order to understand the

culture of the organization, researchers need to delve into the underlying assumptions of the

organization.

Organizational culture is “deeply rooted within the organizational system, as it is a

process, which evolves over a long time” (Sempane, Rieger, & Roodt, 2002, p. 22). An

organization’s culture determines the way the organization conducts its business, and as a

result also influences its processes. Because of its deep- rooted nature, the culture of the

organization is difficult to change, as there is often resistance against giving up something,

which is valued and has worked well in the past. Some researchers (Desatnick, 1986;

Schneider, 1990; Balkaran, 1995; Al – Shammari, 1992; Van der Post, de Coning & Smith,

1997) referred to culture as the “personality” of the organization, while Gutknecht & Miller

E B L A C A S | 42

(1990) described it as the organization’s soul, purpose and foundation. According to

Schneider (1983) it is viewed as the organization’s value systems and assumptions which

guide the way the organization runs its business. Schein (1984) on the other hand, referred

to it as a “glue” which serves as a source for identity and strength, while Gutknecht & Miller

(1990) viewed it as an “oil” for lubrication of organizational processes” (Sempane, Rieger, &

Roodt, 2002, p. 24).

As it is pervasive, Schein (1984) suggests there are, in fact, three levels on which

organizational culture makes its presence felt. The first level constitutes the typical

organizational behaviors or artifacts form the most observable level of culture, includes all

the phenomena that one sees, hears, and feels when one encounters a new group with an

unfamiliar culture. Artifacts, according to Schein (1984) include the visible products of the

group, such as the architecture of its physical environment; its language; its technology and

products; its artistic creations; its style, as embodied in clothing, manners of address,

emotional displays, and myths and stories told about the organization; its published lists of

Figure 3.2. Model of Schein’s Organizational Culture (Adapted from Schein, E.

(1984) Organizational Culture & Leadership)

E B L A C A S | 43

values; its observable rituals and ceremonies; and so on. Artifacts also include, for purposes

of cultural analysis, “the organizational processes by which such behavior is made routine,

and structural elements such as charters, formal descriptions of how the organization works,

and organization charts. The most important point to be made about this level of the culture

is that it is both easy to observe and very difficult to decipher” (Schein, 1984, p. 25)

The second level pertains to the espoused values underlie and, to a large extent,

determine behavior, but they are not directly observable as behaviors are. Organizational

values are frequently expressed through norms–characteristic attitudes and accepted

behaviors that might be called “the unwritten rules of the road”–and every employee is

assumed to quickly adjust to it. Schein (1984, p. 29) explains that “beliefs and values at this

conscious level will predict much of the behavior that can be observed at the artifacts level.”

If the espoused beliefs and values are reasonably congruent with the underlying

assumptions, then the articulation of those values into a philosophy of operating can be

helpful in bringing the group together, serving as a source of identity and core mission.

Lastly in order to understand culture, one has to get to the third deepest level: the

level of Fundamental or Basic Underlying Assumptions. Schein (1984) expounds that “basic

assumptions, like theories-in-use, tend to be non-confrontable and non-debatable, and

hence are extremely difficult to change” (p. 31). These exist largely at an unconscious level

yet these provide the key understanding as to how and why things happen in a particular

way. Moreover, Schein (1984) reiterates that these assumptions grow out of values, until

they become taken for granted and eventually drops out of a person’s awareness. These

basic assumptions from around deeper dimensions such as nature of humans, human

relationships and activity, reality, and truth.

E B L A C A S | 44

The previous chapters state that new employees have to go through a socialization

process to adapt to the organization culture. For the purpose of this study, socialization

process has been renamed immersion by the researcher since it is more encompassing and

has a clear connotation that pertains to culture. Thus, it then follows than an outsourced

worker must go through the process of immersion to adapt to a company’s corporate culture.

How immersion comes into play into the whole process is crucial because it operates on the

principle that the more an outsourced worker penetrates an organization’s culture, the

higher his or her satisfaction will be.

A. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

To conceptualize the theoretical frameworks presented, immersion to corporate

culture is set as a motivator that affects job satisfaction. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory and

Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture illustrated above provide an explanation on how

immersion of outsourced workers to a company’s corporate culture affect job satisfaction.

The extrinsic and intrinsic factors provided by Herzberg, along with the researcher’s added

Figure 3.3. Explanation of how immersion into the corporate culture of companies

affect job satisfaction of outsourced employees

E B L A C A S | 45

variable, immersion, are presented as reasons and motivations for the attainment of

satisfaction of an outsourced employee’s job. The two theories will be integrated into a

single framework, wherein immersion plays a vital factor in reaching satisfaction in an

outsourced employee’s job.

As stated earlier, job satisfaction is influenced by immersion to a company’s

corporate culture. But, it is also of great importance to note that there are other factors that

may affect an outsourced worker’s immersion into an organization. These factors, which are

either personal or organizational in nature, are outside the purview of this study.

Job satisfaction and adjustment to an organization’s corporate culture has always

been taken into the context of a regular employee. This study, however, sheds light on

outsourced employees. The researcher integrated into this model other employee-related

factors such as Level of Immersion, Reasons for Immersion, and Perceived Effects of

Immersion that are considered as pertinent variables in the relationship between immersion

to corporate culture and job satisfaction, as guided by the literature review, objectives set by

the researcher, and because of practical considerations.

The researcher also took the liberty to deviate from the traditional model as

illustrated in the theoretical paradigm. Through Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture,

the researcher showed that outsourced employees enter into a reciprocal relationship with

both the client organization and the employment agency. Both organizations offer support to

the outsourced employees so that they can perform at the work place. According to Fisher

(2008, as cited in Adoyo, Ochieng & Oima, 2014), effective socialization process helps an

employee transition to a new work place and learns how to function in the work

environment. This is in line with Schein’s model in such a way that once a newcomer

(outsourced worker) enters an organization, members of the group are expected to help him

or her in the immersion and socialization process. The outsourced worker is presumed to go

E B L A C A S | 46

into the different levels until he or she gets to the heart of the culture – one that is subjected

to reveal deeper underlying assumptions. In this level, it is also presumed by the researcher

the outsourced worker has gained optimum satisfaction in his or her job and has also

identified himself or herself as an insider in the organization.

As two theories were combined to develop a conceptual framework, these

assumptions were also formulated: (1) The more immersed an outsourced worker is into the

different levels of organizational culture, the higher the perceived job satisfaction; and (2)

the more an outsourced worker immerse through the three levels of organizational culture,

the notion of being outsiders is replaced with the notion of belonging. Figure 3.4 illustrates

the conceptual framework designed for this study.

Figure 3.4. Conceptual Framework of Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory and

Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture

E B L A C A S | 47

B. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS

As stated in the objectives and illustrated above in the framework, the research

works toward attaining the objectives of the study stated earlier. An outsourced worker’s

immersion to corporate culture is posited to influence job satisfaction, along with a host of

other factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic. The definitions of the variables in the study’s

context are as follows:

Outsourced worker – refers to a person who is hired from third party organizations

on a project-based contract.

Immersion – refers to the process through which outsourced employees learn and

adapt to the norms and expectations of the organization to gain satisfaction in their

jobs. It is also a process in which employees are transformed through an interactive

process between newcomers and their organizations from organizational outsiders to

effective insiders (Feldman, 1981, as cited in Bauer, Perrot, & Roussel, 2012)

Corporate culture – is defined as a pattern of basic assumptions that are found,

invented or developed by one particular group in order to learn and deal with the

problem, so it needs to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, to

think, and to feel. It includes components of organization, including values, beliefs,

assumptions, perceptions, and behavioral norms that reflected in behavior of each

organization member (Schein, 1984).

Job Satisfaction – results from the best fit among job requirements, wants and

expectations of an employee. It is used to express the extent of match between the

employees' expectation of the job and the rewards that the job provides. It has

important implications on quality of work, experience, employees' mental health and

physical adjustment. Ultimately, it may have a direct or indirect effect on

organizational effectiveness influencing productivity, absenteeism, turnover and

E B L A C A S | 48

other aspect of employees’ behavior. (Shodhganga, n.d.) There are eight (8) metrics

for job satisfaction designed by the researcher which was based on Herzberg’s

Motivation-Hygiene Theory of Job Satisfaction: (1) Relationship with Supervisor;

(2) Relationship with co-workers; (3) Quality of Work Life; (4) Conditions of

Work; (5) Remuneration and Rewards; and (6) Professionalism

Level of Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture – refers to the extent

by which an outsourced worker has immersed into a company. This will be

determined through the respondent’s composite score in the survey instrument.

Reasons for Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture - refers to an

outsourced worker’s need to immerse in an organization. This will be determined

through the respondent’s composite score in the survey instrument. These can be

categorized into four clusters:

Socializing or Belonging – refers to the sense of affinity to a certain

community or organization (i.e. members of the company); satisfies the need

for interpersonal communication and social interaction

Productivity – refers to the overall effectiveness of an outsourced worker in

his or her job; satisfies the need for achievement and responsibility

Self-Fulfilment – refers to the accomplishment and realization not only of the

respondent’s personal goals, but that of the organization as well; satisfies the

need for growth

Commitment and Identification –refers to the extent to which organizational

membership is incorporated within the individual’s self-concept and therefore

entails a strong cognitive component (Herrbach, 2006, as cited in Adoyo,

Ochieng & Oima, 2014)

E B L A C A S | 49

Perceived Importance of Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture –

refers to an outsourced workers perceptions and opinions of the importance of

immersion to job satisfaction. This will be determined through the respondent’s

composite score in the survey instrument.

C. ASSUMPTIONS AND HYPOTHESIS

As informed by the literature review and basic assumptions of its theoretical

foundations, this study aimed to prove that there is a significant relationship between an

outsourced worker’s immersion to a company’s corporate culture and job satisfaction. This is

due to the nature of Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory and Schein’s Model of

Organizational Culture which stresses the importance of the human variable, immersion to

corporate culture, as well as personal attitudes when it comes to how they adjust in the

organization.

Also consistent with the fundamental assertion of this theory, this paper aimed to

provide quantitative proofs with support from the conducted interviews to the claim that the

outsourced workers experience satisfaction in their jobs if they successfully immerse to the

company’s corporate culture. The former data set is viewed as a means to accurately gauge

how the variables correlate. The latter data set is viewed in the context of the business

environment from which it was gathered. Furthermore, outsourced employees are presumed

to be fully aware that through immersion, the notion of being “outsiders” may be truly

eradicated. The outsourced workers rely not just on the intrinsic and extrinsic factors; more

so, immersion as a motivator for job satisfaction.

E B L A C A S | 50

CHAPTER IV. METHOD AND PROCEDURES

This chapter discusses the research design, method and procedures that will be

used for gathering and interpretation of data. In addition, certain considerations will be

clarified and limitations of the study will also be expounded on.

A. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHOD

` The researcher used a sequential exploratory research design. Company X served

as the site in which the study was conducted due to the evident lack of literature and related

studies performed in organizations of this nature. The researcher made use of two different

methods pertained to in this paper as Phase 1 (quantitative aspect) and Phase 2

(substantiated by the conducted interviews), respectively. A survey questionnaire that

included 82 items in the form of a Likert Scale was used for the first phase of the study. The

data that was gathered from this method was analyzed and substantiated by conducting

personal interviews with four (4) key informants during the second phase of the study. This

is to provide the researcher with pertinent and more in-depth information which could

otherwise not be reflected through the use of survey questionnaires. These methods will be

expounded on in the succeeding sections.

B. VARIABLES, MEASURES AND INDICATORS

The following table presents the summary of the variables, measures and indicators

the researcher used in the study. All of these were answered in the quantitative portion of

the study in accordance with Objectives 1, 2 and 3 (refer to Chapter 1). This is supported by

the conducted interview as it provided discussions, clarifications, and answers to Objectives

4 and 5 of the study.

E B L A C A S | 51

TABLE 1. Variables, Measures, and Indicators Used in the Study

VARIABLES

MEASURES

INDICATORS

Putative Independent Variable: Immersion

Level of Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture

As determined by the respondents in 23 specific questions in the survey instrument

Examine the depth in which an outsourced employee has immersed into an organizations corporate culture and how this affects job satisfaction; will also include questions that will help determine how aware they are of what organizational culture the company they work in has

Reasons for Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture

As determined by the respondent in nine (9) specific questions in the survey instrument

Examine which among the four given categories of reasons for immersion (refer to Chapter III) is related to job satisfaction, and how these are related

Perceived Importance of Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture

As determined by the respondent in eight (8) specific questions in the survey instrument

Examine how the perceived importance of immersion into the company’s corporate culture is related to job satisfaction

Putative Dependent Variable: Job Satisfaction

Metrics for Job Satisfaction

Relationship with Supervisor

As determined by the respondents in six (6) specific questions in the survey instrument

Show of positive relationship with his or her supervisor through display of cooperation, respect and open communication

Relationship with co-workers

As determined by the respondents in nine (9) specific questions in the survey instrument

Show of positive relationship with his or her co-workers through display

E B L A C A S | 52

of cooperation, respect, and open communication

Quality of Work Life

As determined by the respondents in the five (5) specific questions in the survey instrument

Perceived favorableness or unfavorableness of job environment; perception of the culture, people, work, and the organization as a whole;

Conditions of Work

As determined by the respondent in the five (5) specific questions in the survey instrument

Presence of adequate working equipment, respect for subordinates and supervisors; safe working conditions, approachable and helpful supervisor and co-workers

Remuneration and Rewards

As determined by the respondent in the five (5) specific questions in the survey instrument

Includes monetary and nonmonetary rewards and other benefits received by an outsourced employee, if any

Professionalism

As determined by the respondents in the 12 specific questions in the survey instrument

Observance of rules and compliance to policies, regulations of the company; interest in own professional growth, immersion to the company’s organizational culture, engagement in activities which promote professional growth, wearing of prescribed uniforms, embodiment of the vision, philosophy, and mission of the company,

Overall Satisfaction

Average of scores in Relationship With Co-Workers, Relationship with Supervisor, Quality of Work Life, Conditions of Work, Professionalism, Remuneration and Rewards, and Performance in the Company

Show of positive relationship with his or her supervisor through display of cooperation, camaraderie, and open communication; Show of positive relationship with his or her co-workers through display of cooperation,

E B L A C A S | 53

camaraderie, and open communication; Perceived favorableness or unfavorableness of job environment; perception of the culture, people, work, and the organization as a whole; Presence of adequate working equipment, respect for subordinates and supervisors; safe working conditions, approachable and helpful supervisor and co-workers; Includes monetary and nonmonetary rewards and other benefits received by an outsourced employee, if any; Observance and compliance to policies, regulations, and procedures of the company; interest in own professional growth, immersion to the company’s organizational culture, engagement in activities which promote professional growth, wearing of prescribed uniforms, embodiment of the vision, philosophy, and mission of the company; Performance of work responsibilities that are relevant an necessary to the organization’s core functions

E B L A C A S | 54

C. SAMPLING FRAME AND PROCEDURE

The sampling frame of the study was derived through purposive sampling, and

included 35 outsourced BPO employees of Teletech Holdings Inc. who are currently working

for Company X. These employees perform tasks that are beneficial to the organization’s

core functions.

The researcher made use of purposive sampling during the second phase of the

study due to the research design. Personal interviews were conducted with four (4) key

informants from Company X. The interviewees were composed of four call center agents.

This is to validate and ensure the reliability of data from the survey questionnaires, and

enrich the information through the existence of nonverbal and the presence of follow-up

questions that will be pertinent once the interview schedule is conducted.

D. RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

The researcher administered a survey questionnaire that comprises 82 questions for

the quantitative aspect or Phase 1 of the study. The questions that were used are a

combination of questionnaires that the researcher made and found online. The

Organizational Culture Assessment Questionnaire by Cameron & Quinn (2010), Quality of

Work Life: Scale and Validation Questionnaire by Nanjundeswaraswamy, Rashmi & Swamy

(2015), and the Peer Advisor Network Organizational Assessment Questionnaire (2010) will

be utilized by the researcher for the study but with minor modifications. The survey was

divided into three (3) main parts: (1) Level of Immersion; (2) Reasons for Immersion; and

(3) Perceived Importance of Immersion. Questions pertaining to the Metrics for Job

Satisfaction were also devised and divided into six (6) parts: (1) Relationship with

Supervisor; (2) Relationship with Co-Workers; (3) Quality of Work Life; (4) Conditions

of Work; (5) Remunerations and Rewards; and (6) Professionalism. The first 23

E B L A C A S | 55

questions focused on how well or how deep in level an outsourced worker has adjusted to

the company’s corporate culture and how this impacts job satisfaction. It aimed to know the

assessment of the organization they are working in. The next nine (9) questions revolved

around the reasons behind an outsourced workers immersion into the company’s corporate

culture and how this is posited towards job satisfaction. The third part, comprising of eight

(8) questions, sought to know how an outsourced worker’s perception of immersion affects

his or her job satisfaction. Metrics for Job Satisfaction were also devised in order to help

substantiate the findings. Six (6) questions that revolved around an outsourced worker’s

relationship with his or her supervisor were also explored. Another nine (9) delved into an

outsourced workers relationship with his or her co-workers. Five (5) questions were

formulated to explore an outsourced worker’s quality of work life while ten (10) questions

were focused on the conditions of work. In addition, five (5) questions were constructed for

the remunerations and rewards an outsourced worker receives, if any. Lastly, 12 questions

were formulated to address professionalism in the workplace. The respondents answered

these 82 items in the form of a Likert Scale (Appendix A).

For the Phase 2, the researcher formulated and conducted one interview schedule

for four (4) key informants, a copy of which is provided in Appendix B. The participants were

chosen based on the scores of the conducted survey during the Phase 1 of the study. Those

who obtained the highest and the lowest scores from both the independent and dependent

variables were chosen. Detailed profiles of these respondents are presented in the

succeeding chapters.

The interview schedule with four (4) informants included fifteen (15) guide questions.

The first five (5) centered on the employee’s perception of job satisfaction through the

process of immersing into the company’s corporate culture. The final (10) expounded on the

E B L A C A S | 56

perceived importance of immersing into the corporate culture of company X, level by level,

as prescribed by Schein, and its relation and effect on job satisfaction.

E. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

The researcher requested information on the complete roster of the outsourced

employees of Company X, which included their names and job description. The metrics for

job satisfaction, and the respective scores of each respondent in each metric formulated

were also gathered. The survey questionnaires were administered to the chosen sample

(n=35) for this study. The accomplished forms were saved in a Microsoft Excel® file. The

two (2) respondents who gained the lowest and highest scores in all independent and

dependent variables served as part of the key informants in the study. This is to ensure that

the information gathered are rich in both substance and content. Quantitative data gathered

from these respondents included from correlation analyses which were done through the

use of Statistical Analysis System (SAS) which utilized the CORR Procedure. Pearson’s r at

the 95% confidence level (p <= 0.05) served as baseline for the analyses of the data.

For the second phase of the study, four (4) key informants were personally

interviewed using the guide questions that were formulated by the researcher. From the

respondent’s answers, the researcher asked follow-up questions and subsequently, derived

plausible conclusions. Findings from this interview expounded on the data that were

gathered from the survey questionnaires.

The researcher made use of the SAS System, specifically the CORR Procedure. As

for the four (4) informants that were chosen for the scheduled interview, they paved the way

for substantiating the numerical findings and other pertinent details that were asked for in

the study.

E B L A C A S | 57

F. LIMITATIONS

As made clear in the first few chapters of the study, this dealt with how immersion

into the corporate culture of companies correlates with job satisfaction, through interviews

and survey. It did not look on other factors such as the quality of relationships an outsourced

worker must have with his or her co-workers. It also did not look on the degree by which

companies are affected by this immersion. Moreover, the researcher cannot assure that

such sample can assure the well-representation of the entire population being studied,

particularly because a majority of the questions are centered on opinions and personal

characteristics. As mentioned in the first chapter, findings generated by the study could not

be generalized as true or valid for other companies. This is due to the fact that it heavily

deals with individual-related variables which evidently vary from one subject to another.

E B L A C A S | 58

CHAPTER V. DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION

In this chapter, the main problem of the study which is to determine how immersion

into the corporate culture of companies is related to the job satisfaction of employees is

answered through the presentation and analyses of obtained quantitative data, as

substantiated by the interviews. Correlations among the variables as stated in the fourth

objective of the undertaken research (refer to Chapter 1) were also discussed.

A. PUTTING IT ALL IN CONTEXT

Teletech Holdings, Inc., established on December 22, 2004 in the Philippines, is a

leading global business processes outsourcing (BPO) company that provides full range of

front-to-back office outsourced solutions. With operations in over 18 countries and on nearly

every continent, Teletech Holdings, Inc., manages over 3.5 million interactions in over 29

languages around the world via phone, internet, e-mail, and other media. They perform all

of the business critical support processes which include: complex customer management,

direct sales and marketing, training development and delivery, recruiting, staffing, and

workforce management, loan processing, benefits and claims administration, vendor

management, payroll administration, and e-commerce. Teletech provides outsourced

solutions to the following outsourced industries: (1) Healthcare; (2) Retail; (3) Financial

Services; (4) Communications and Media; (5) Government; (6) Travel and Hospitality; and

(7) Automotive.

Over the years, Teletech has seen periods of explosive growth, with a continuous

increase in clients, branches, and employees here in the Philippines. Presently, it still

functions as a 24/7/365 operation since 2004. Currently, Teletech has 14 locations across

the Philippines and serves around 100 clients with approximately 48,000 employees in 18

E B L A C A S | 59

countries. Teletech in the Philippines uses English and Spanish as their primary medium of

communication.

The study’s milieu is centered on an inbound call center program for Company X.

Company X is a client of Teletech Holdings, Inc. This particular client is one of their oldest,

being in business with them since 2005. Teletech Holdings, Inc. supplies this client with

project-based contract employees, assigned to four distinct departments: Classic Email,

Digital Chat, Customer Service, and Digital Support Team. Among the four departments, the

respondents all came from the Digital Support Team whose role is to give instructions on

troubleshooting solutions to their customers, To elaborate, the Digital Support Team handles

inbound calls to help customers navigate their way on their devices, most especially how to

download or purchase an electronic book (E-book). Most of the calls received by the Digital

Support team are from adults in the United States, with ages ranging from 43 years old – 65

years old.

Phase 1 (Quantitative Aspect)

The sample was comprised of 35 purposively selected individuals from Company X.

Of this group, 13 are males, and 22 are females. All are under the Digital Support Team.

The average age of the informants is 24.94 with the youngest informant being 19 years old

and the oldest, 38. Majority of the respondents belongs to the Millennial generation or those

belonging to the age range 21-35. Moreover, the respondents’ average score for their length

working for Company X is expressed in years is at 1.84. Save for three, the rest had prior

call center experience even before working for Company X.

Out of the 35, four (4) were selected to be the key respondents of the study.

Justifications for choosing will be explained later in the study. The key informants’

backgrounds are a mélange. One is a fresh graduate of BA Office Administration from the

E B L A C A S | 60

Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP); one respondent has a degree in BA

Organizational Communication from the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM); the

other has a degree of BS Mechanical Engineering at the Technological Institute of the

Philippines; and one is still an undergraduate student at the University of the Philippines

Manila (UPM). Three out of four informants have been employed in another call center

located in Manila prior to their stint as an agent working for Teletech. One of the

respondents have been working for Teletech’s client, Company X for five years, and is now

on tenure. One of the key informants has described herself as a “call center virgin” meaning

that she has no prior experience at all when it comes to how things are done in a BPO

company. They heavily rely on their coworkers and supervisors for guidance. Two of the key

informants have held blue-collar jobs prior to their present employment, with the gamut of

jobs ranging from a service crew at a fast food chain, to a department store clerk.

Table 2 presents the summary of the demographic profile of the respondents.

AGE (in years)

Frequency

Distribution

Mean

Standard Deviation

18-22 15 20.87 0.99

23-28 14 25.64 1.45

29-36 4 31.75 1.26

37-42 2 37 0

Number of Years in

the Profession

Frequency

Distribution

Mean

Standard Deviation

Less than a year 10 0.63 0.39

1-2 years 8 1.77 0.37

3-5 years 13 3.45 0.51

5 years or more 4 5 0

Number of Years

Working For Company X

Less than a year 15 0.53 0.19

E B L A C A S | 61

1-2 years 9 1.74 0.43

3-5 years 9 3.44 0.53

5 years or more 2 5 0

Table 2. Summary of Demographic Information of Respondents (N=35)

Phase 2 (As supplemented by interviews)

The researcher supplemented information from the administered survey

questionnaires for the study‘s second phase through conducting personal interviews (refer

to Chapter 4). In order to do such, four (4) informants were purposively selected: three (3)

were derived through the initial phases of data gathering from the total sample while the

remaining one (1) was chosen due to her length of stay and knowledge of how the

workplace operates.

The four (4) informants who were derived from the sample, and shall be referred to

as Respondent # 12, Respondent # 14, Respondent # 22, and Respondent #26 in the

SEX

Percent

Male 13 37.14

Female 22 62.86

Educational Attainment

Frequency Distribution

PERCENT

Elementary Graduate 1 2.86

High School Diploma 3 8.57

Vocational 5 14.29

College Graduate 26 74.29

I live

Alone 11 31.43

with wife/husband 11 31.43

with wife/ husband & children

10 28.57

With Extended Family/relatives

2 5.71

Other 1 .86

E B L A C A S | 62

succeeding sections of the study, were chosen for their scores in the immersion part of the

survey, and their overall scores for the metrics of job satisfaction which are considered to be

outstanding among their respective age groups and colleagues. Furthermore, Respondent #

12 and Respondent # 22 prove to be the youngest and oldest serving employees of

Company X, respectively. Such was done to enable the researcher to gain perspectives

regarding the matter from both the youngest (18-25) and oldest (37-42). Respondent #14

was chosen since he has one of the highest scores for immersion and the metrics for job

satisfaction, respectively. Respondent # 26 was chosen due to her length of stay and

knowledge of how the workplace operates.

Table 3 below shows the profiles of all five (5) informants of the study, and the main

justification for their being selected.

INFORMANT

AGE

JUSTIFICATION FOR

INTERVIEW

Respondent # 12 19 Has the shortest time working for Company X (8 months)

Scored high in the level of immersion part of the survey

Has a high score in the metrics for job satisfaction

Youngest employee

Respondent # 14 23 Has a high score on all metrics for job satisfaction

Has a moderately high score on the immersion part of the survey

Respondent # 22 38 Has an average score on Immersion

Has an average score on all metrics for job satisfaction

E B L A C A S | 63

Table 3. Interviewee Profiles and Justification for their Selection as Key Informants

B. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS OF RESPONDENT SCORES

Other information regarding immersion obtained in the study include the length of time

(expressed in years) in the profession as call center agents. This was deemed important by

the researcher since this will shed light on how their experiences affect the immersion

process, and in turn, have an effect on job satisfaction. In addition, this part will also talk

about the length of time the respondents have been working for Company X. This

information will be vital in identifying how deep in level the agents are when it comes to

immersing into the company’s corporate culture. Some descriptive statistics are presented

below to provide background about the characteristics of the data gathered:

A majority of the study participants have been working for Company X longer than most

of their coworkers. 13 respondents or 37% of the total sample, have been in service for 3-5

years. 10 respondents or 29% of the study answered that they have been working for less

than a year for Company X.

Figure 5 below summarizes the results of the findings.

Oldest employee

Respondent # 26 27 Exhibits adequate knowledge of how the workplace operates

Has the longest time working for Company X (5 years)

Has a high score in the immersion part of the survey

Has a high score in job satisfaction

E B L A C A S | 64

Figure 5. Descriptive Statistics of Survey Responses for Years in the Profession (N=35)

Moreover, findings show that 43% or 15 respondents have been working for Company X

for less than a year. Only 2 respondents or 6% of the study sample have been working for

Company X or more than 5 years. The average mean score of the length working for

Company X is 1.85 years.

Figure 6 below summarizes the results of the findings.

.

Figure 6. Descriptive Statistics of Survey Responses for Years in Company X (N=35)

E B L A C A S | 65

C. IMMERSION AS A COPING MECHANISM

To reiterate, there are three (3) independent variables examined in the study: 1)

Level of Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture; 2) Reasons for Immersion

into the Company’s Corporate Culture; and 3) Perceived Importance of Immersion into

the Company’s Corporate Culture.

1) Level of Immersion

Schein (2004) explains that though the essence of a group's culture is its pattern of

shared, basic taken for granted assumptions, the culture will manifest itself at the level of

observable artifacts and shared espoused values, norms, and rules of behavior.

Furthermore, in analyzing cultures, it is important to recognize that artifacts are easy to

observe but difficult to decipher and that espoused beliefs and values may only reflect

rationalizations or aspirations. To understand a group's culture, one must attempt to get at

its shared basic assumptions and understand the learning process by which such basic

assumptions evolve. This attempt is explained through the level by level design of

immersion made by the researcher.

For the first independent variable, the researcher has formulated the following matrix

which presents the ratings and their corresponding scores that shall be used in the study.

Table 4. Ratings and their Corresponding Scores for Level of Immersion

RATING

SCORE

REMARKS

High 3.10-4.0 Able to clearly tell/identify the corporate culture of the

company; sees immersion as a need for job satisfaction;

Medium 2.20-3.09 Has a fairly adequate knowledge of the company’s

E B L A C A S | 66

corporate culture; sees immersion as merely a factor that influence job satisfaction;

Low Below 2.20 Has a basic, although not substantial understanding of

the company’s corporate culture; sees immersion as a need to only be acquainted of the organization’s functions;

A majority of the respondents scored between the ranges of 3.29-3.69, an overall

rating of high. Table 5 below presents the summary of responses on a per-item basis of

the questionnaire for Level of Immersion.

STATEMENTS

N

Frequency Distribution

Descriptives

SA

A

D

SD

Mean

Standard Deviation

1. The organization is a very personal place. It is like an extended family. People seem to share a lot of themselves

35

25 9 1 0 3.69 0.53

2. The goals of this organization are clearly stated.

35 19 15 1 0 3.51 0.56

3. This organization’s leaders effectively help fulfill our goals

35 15 20 0 0 3.43 0.50

4. The organization is very results oriented. A major concern is with getting the job done. People are very competitive and achievement oriented.

35 20 15 0 0 3.57 0.50

5. The organization is a very controlled and structured place. Formal procedures generally govern what people do.

35 21 13 1 0 3.57 0.56

6. The leadership in the organization is generally considered to exemplify mentoring, facilitating, or nurturing

35 19 14 2 0 3.49 0.61

E B L A C A S | 67

7. The leadership in the organization is generally considered to exemplify a no-nonsense, aggressive, results-oriented focus

35 15 20 0 0 3.43 0.50

8. The leadership in the organization is generally considered to exemplify coordinating, organizing, or smooth-running efficiency

35 14 19 1 1 3.31 0.68

9. The management style in the organization is characterized by teamwork, consensus, and participation.

35 16 17 2 0 3.4 0.60

10. The management style in the organization is characterized by individual risk-taking, innovation, freedom, and uniqueness

35 19 14 2 0 3.49 0.61

11. The management style in the organization is characterized by security of employment, conformity, predictability, and stability in relationships.

35 16 14 4 1 3.29 0.79

12. The glue that holds the organization together is loyalty and mutual trust. Commitment to this organization runs high.

35 16 17 2 0 3.4 0.60

13. The glue that holds the organization together is commitment to innovation and development. There is an emphasis on being on the cutting edge

35 18 15 2 0 3.46 0.61

14. The glue that holds the organization together is the emphasis on achievement and goal accomplishment. Aggressiveness and winning are common themes

35 18 17 0 0 3.51 0.51

15. The glue that holds the organization together is

35 18 17 0 0 3.51 0.51

E B L A C A S | 68

formal rules and policies. Maintaining a smooth-running organization is important.

16. The organization emphasizes human development. High trust, openness, and participation persist.

35 17 16 2 0 3.43 0.61

17. The organization emphasizes acquiring new resources and creating new challenges. Trying new things and prospecting for opportunities are valued.

35 17 15 3 0 3.4 0.65

18. The organization emphasizes competitive actions and achievement. Hitting stretch targets and winning in the marketplace are dominant.

35 14 19 2 0 3.34 0.59

19. The organization emphasizes permanence and stability. Efficiency, control and smooth operations are important

35 16 15 4 0 3.34 0.68

20. The organization defines success on the basis of the development of human resources, teamwork, employee commitment, and concern for people.

35 13 20 2 0 3.31 0.58

21. The organization defines success on the basis of having the most unique or newest products. It is a product leader and innovator

35 21 12 2 0 3.54 0.61

22. The organization defines success on the basis of winning in the marketplace and outpacing the competition. Competitive market leadership is key.

35 18 17 0 0 3.51 0.51

23. The organization defines success on the basis of

35 19 15 1 0 3.51 0.56

E B L A C A S | 69

efficiency. Dependable delivery, smooth scheduling and low-cost production are critical.

COMPOSITE

35

3.45

0.59

Table 5. Descriptive Statistics of Scores on a Per-item Basis for Level of Immersion (N=35)

The per-item analysis above shows that majority of the respondents are able to

clearly tell the corporate culture of Company X as an organization with clearly defined goals,

and has a management style that is characterized by security of employment, predictability,

conformity, and stability in work relationships. Item # 11 is has the most varied response

since it has a Standard Deviation of 0.79. Moreover, the results show that the respondents

are able to tell that Company X is a very controlled and structured place and that formal

procedures generally govern what people do. The leadership in the organization is generally

considered to exemplify coordinating, organizing, or smooth-running efficiency as validated

by Respondent #26 who said:

“Very relaxed. Mayroon kasi kaming open door policy na tinatawag. Yung Admin offices…wala actually na offices, cubicles lang…nasa same level as all the employees in the production floor. So ineencourage talaga open communication. Bukod pa dun, may [we have] weekly business reviews, sessions and huddles, open forums, tapos [and also,] weekly scheduled meetings. [Very relaxed. We have what we call, an “open door” policy. Instead of the usual office, our Admin Offices are usually just composed of cubicles. These are in the same level as all the employees in the production floor. That’s why they highly encourage open communication. In addition to that, we have weekly business reviews, sessions and huddles, open forums, and also weekly scheduled meetings.]”

Table 6 below summarizes the results for the mentioned variable with its

corresponding value in the matrix provided.

E B L A C A S | 70

scorers Respondent #

lowest 2.5455 4th

highest 4.0000 10th

medium 3.5000 2nd, 9th, 12th, 25th, 34th

Frequency according to ratings %

Low 0 0

Medium 5 14.29

High 30 85.71

Table 6. Descriptive Statistics of Survey Responses to Level of Immersion (N=35)

From the results above, 85.71% of the respondents have scored high in the level of

immersion. This means that 30 respondents consider themselves as able to clearly

tell/identify the corporate culture of the company; sees immersion as a need for job

satisfaction and are in the third level of the proposed conceptual framework. Five (5)

respondents or 14.29% scored Medium meaning they have a fairly adequate knowledge of

the company’s corporate culture; see immersion as merely a factor that influence job

satisfaction, and are in the second level of the proposed framework. Surprisingly, none of

the respondents scored low in this part of the survey. Thus, this goes to say that their length

of time working for Company X has no relationship with their level of immersion into the

corporate culture of Company X. The number of years working for Company X is just a

number for this does not affect the quality of immersion. Respondent # 12, who has only

been working for 8 months, validates this claim. She responds:

“Ay, no. For me po kasi wala talagang effect yung length. Nasa gaano ka kadalas siguro mag-effort mag-immerse. Kasi for me, 8 months on the job per I can say na nakaadapt na ako sa culture ng company – pero syempre ongoing process pa rin With regard sa the higher the level, the higher the job satisfaction, para sa akin, oo Mas satisfied ako kapag alam kong alam ko how the way things are in the organization. Simpleng goals and objectives, pag-observe sa rules, pagsunod sa instruction ng TL mo, that it in itself for me is immersion. And yes, tumataas job satisfaction. Pero sa ngayon, since 8 months pa lang ako di pa siya ganun katas. Alam kong may itataas pa Depende yan eh. [No. For me, the length has no effect. It’s probably based on how I frequently put an effort to immerse. Because for me, 8 months on the job but I can say that I have adapted into the culture of the company –

E B L A C A S | 71

but of course, an onging process. With regard to the assumption, the higher the level, the higher the job satisfaction, for me, I do agree with that. I am more satisfied if I know how the way things are in the organization. Simply adhering to the goals and objectives, observation rules, and following the instruction of your TL, that it in itself for me is immersion. And yes, job satisfaction increases. So far, since I have only been working here for 8 months, it’s not yet that high. I know that it is bound to increase. It really depends.]”

Respondent # 14, who has the highest score in the level of immersion, has been a

call center agent for 3 years and has been working for Company X for one year, says that:

“My experience and yung panahon na nagtatrabaho ako para sa client are merely factors lang siguro for my immersion. Hindi talaga siya depende sa hinaba or iniksi Para sa akin, sa isang taon ko dito, yung pag-immerse ko sa corporate culture combined efforts ko, ng mga katrabaho ko, at ng kumpanya. If you feel valued – na ramdam ko naman dito—then everything follows. And siguro dahil second call center job ko na to in two years, mas nadadalian ako. Oo, magkakaibang kumpanya, magkakaibang corporate culture, pero para sa akin, same process – ganun lang. At, oo for me the higher the level, higher the satisfaction. I love my job maski paulit-ulit. Maganda trato sayo ng katrabaho mo, Malaki sweldo, maraming incentives. Nakakagana magtrabaho. [My experience and the time I have spent working for the client are merely factors for my immersion. It doesn’t depend on how long or short a time I’ve worked here. For me, in my one year of working here, my immersion into the to the combined efforts that I make, my coworkers make, and that of the company’s. If you feel valued –which I feel here —then everything follows. And since this is my second call center job in two years, things are easier for me. Yes, different companies, different corporate cultures, but for me, it’s the same process – as simple as that. And yes, I personally believe that the the assumption, the higher the level the higher the satisfaction is true. I love my job even if sometimes the tasks get a bit monotonous and repetitive. They treat me nicely here. The pay here is nice, and we get a lot of incentives. It makes me want to work better.]”

Respondent # 26, who has five (5) years of call center experience, has been working

for company X for five (5) years, and who has already acquired her tenure, scored medium

(3.5) in the level of immersion part of the survey. She says:

“Five years is a long time in call center life and masasabi ko namang I have completely immersed with the corporate culture of our client because I do it every single day. Nagmamatter yung time for me, it’s just that for me, I tend to be completely focused in my work rather than in my surroundings. As for the satisfaction I job, I can say that it fluctuates. May araw na super motivated ako, super satisfied pero parang monotonous na yung ginagawa mo. May human variable pa rin talaga yan. Walang problema sa pag-immerse sa corp culture ng client, madali na lang yun for me. Pero to sustain one’s satisfaction in their jobs, in my case, siguro depende talaga. Don’t get me wrong – I like working here. I like the people here, the

E B L A C A S | 72

environment, yung sahod…pero siguro over the years, standards changes. Natural lang naman yun sa tao, lalo na I’ve been here for 5 years. Regardless of that naman, I can honestly say na I’m familiar with the SOPs here, protocols, jargon, ganyan….mga bawal, pwede – dress code – lahat – even with my eyes closed. [Five years is a long time in call center life and I can say that I have completely immersed with the corporate culture of our client because I do it every single day. Length of time working here matters for me. It’s just that, I tend to be more focused in my work rather than my surroundings. As for the satisfaction I job, I can say that it fluctuates. There are days when I feel really motivated and super satisfied but I also feel that what I do here is becoming monotonous. The human variable will always be present. There is no problem when it comes to immersion into the corporate culture of the client, that’s easy for me. But to sustain one’s satisfactions in their jobs, in my case, it really depends. . Don’t get me wrong – I like working here. I like the people here, the environment, the pay…but probably over the years, standards changes. I think that’s very natural, especially I have been working for this client for 5 years. Regardless of all these, I can honestly say that I’m familiar with the SOPs, protocols, jargon, among others. I am knowledgeable of what is allowed and what isn’t – may it be in wearing the proper dress codes or other things – even with my eyes closed.]”

From the quantitative results above, we can infer that the length of time working for

Company X is not related to the level of immersion. As supplemented by the interviews, the

level of immersion increases because of the quality of the working environment, relationship

with coworkers and supervisors, and cannot be solely attributed to how long or how short

the time working for Company X is. As substantiated by the respondents’ answers, they view

their level of immersion as merely a factor in adapting to their jobs. Immersion is their way of

coping with their environment and the people in it. Moreover, this section proves that

regardless of the length working for Company X, they are bound to immerse, no matter

what. It can be said that this is a natural phenomenon that is happening in all organizations,

not just in Company X.

Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture, as mentioned in Chapter 3, explained how

culture is affected by behavior through the process of internal integration. This internal

integration process, as reiterated in the previous chapters, is immersion. Because corporate

cultures are pervasive and subterranean, the levels designed by the researcher aim to know

if these are applicable in the BPO industry. Results show that the employees exhibit the first

E B L A C A S | 73

level of culture, artifacts, which are the visible organizational structures and processes such

as dress codes, names and titles of people, formality or informality in speaking, working

hours, level of technology utilized, and the physical layout of workspaces. Going deeper to

the second level, are the underlying values that help determine behavior. These are the

unwritten rules in the organization, which, as supplied by the interviews, are pervasive in the

organization and that the outsourced workers are able to quickly pick up. Examples are

slogans and mottos, mission statement or code of ethics, statement about commitment to

excellence (customer service, etc.) and overt and professed beliefs about how employees

and customers are treated. The deepest level, which consists of the fundamental

assumptions, are values that become taken for granted. This is the core and essence of

cultures in organizations. Insofar as the quantitative findings and information obtained from

the interviews suggest, the outsourced employees of Company X seem to be well-grounded

in the organization’s culture regardless of the length of time spent working for the company.

This is very interesting since quality is given much more importance than the quantity (i.e.

how long or how short).

More than immersing level by level into the organization, the interview results yield that

immersion is used by the agents as their coping mechanism to the corporate environment of

the company. Respondent #22, who has prior experiences as an agent in other BPO

companies explained that:

“This is the third BPO Company I have worked in. I’ve been in the business since 2008. Every organization has a different culture and sometimes you can’t help but mix it all up. Immersing became my coping mechanism…it made things easier, but it’s not something that just happens. You have to make it happen.”

E B L A C A S | 74

Respondent #14 adds:

“…there are some days when you feel overwhelmed by the clientele’s rules and specific policies…add the cultural barriers between you and the client then that makes it more challenging. Immersion eased it for me…I was able to cope, little by little.”

D. IMMERSION AS A MOTIVATION TO ADAPTING IN ORGANIZATIONS

Reasons for immersion into the corporate culture of companies are further categorized

into four (4), as presented in the statement of the problem and objectives (refer to Chapter

1). These are: 1) Socializing or Belonging; 2) Productivity; 3) Self-fulfillment; and 4)

Commitment and Identification. They are grouped into different items in the survey

questionnaire, and were rated in the form of a Likert Scale (see Appendix A). Items 1 and 2

fall under Socialization and Belonging Category while items 5 and 8 belong to the

Productivity Category. Items 4, 7 and 3, 6 belong to the Self-fulfilment and Commitment and

Identification categories, respectively.

Among the four (4), Productivity and Socialization or Belonging motivations gathered the

highest average scores of responses. The mean score for both is 3.53 – figures that are not

considerably high in comparison to 3.52 for Commitment and Identification and 3.34 for Self-

fulfilment. Table 7 below summarizes the results.

CATEGORY

MEAN

STANDARD DEVIATION

Socialization or Belonging 3.53 0.53

Productivity 3.53 0.56

Self-fulfillment 3.39 0.52

Commitment and Identification 3.52 0.51

Table 7. Summary of Results for Reasons for Immersion

E B L A C A S | 75

For this part of the survey item 7, “Overall, I immerse into the corporate culture of the

company I work in because it makes me feel satisfied with my job garnered the highest SD

of 0.61 which means that this is high. Therefore, it can be derived from the data below that

all the provided motivations for immersion lead to job satisfaction. Apart from this, the

researcher thinks that based from the quantitative findings, all reasons provided are vital for

a person’s immersion into the corporate culture of companies. Table 8 below presents the

summary of responses on a per-item basis of the questionnaire for Reasons for Immersion

STATEMENTS

N

Frequency Distribution

Descriptives

SA

A

D

SD

Mean

Standard Deviation

Socialization or Belonging

1. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in to feel connected with my boss or supervisor

35 22 13 0 0 3.63 0.49

2. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in to feel connected with my co-workers

35 16 18 1 0 3.43 0.56

Commitment and Identification

3. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because I want to feel acquainted with how they do things here

35 19 16 0 0 3.54 0.51

4. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it eradicates the notion of outsourced workers being outsiders

35 17 18 0 0 3.49 0.51

E B L A C A S | 76

Self-Fulfilment

5. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it gives me a sense of purpose (i.e. to work harder, work smarter)

35 12 23 0 0 3.34 0.48

6. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work because it allows me to feel that my work and contributions are valued

35 16 18 1 0 3.43 0.56

Productivity

7. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it helps me accomplish my personal, professional, and organizational goals

35 22 12 1 0 3.6 0.55

8. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company because it allows me to feel empowered

35 17 17 1 0 3.46 0.56

9.

9. Overall, I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it makes me feel satisfied with my job

35 19 14 2 0 3.49 0.61

COMPOSITE

35

3.49

0.54

Table 8. Descriptive Statistics of Scores on a Per-item Basis for Reasons for

Immersion (N=35)

These figures prove that immersion has more or less been the respondent’s way of

adapting into the culture of corporate culture of companies. The researcher deems this

E B L A C A S | 77

highly significant in the BPO context where the notion of outsiders is still prevalent. These

numbers are verified and expounded by statements from the informants. In response to the

question, “Why is there a need to immerse into the corporate culture of organizations?”

Respondent # 26 said:

“In order to have an understanding how things are done here, how the system operates, you need to immerse into the culture, the affairs of the organization. Why? It’s because of things: First, to learn. Second, to work better and feel satisfied…that’s how I see it.”

Respondent # 14 adds:

“I personally think that to immerse is not just to adapt – but to learn. And yes, I agree na need siya. Pero bakit nga di ba? Sa akin kasi ang nakikita ko, you need to not because you should but you must. Must yan sa bawat companies – lalo na sa BPOs. You won’t survive a year kapag wala yan or kapag di mo ginawa. [I personally think that to immerse is not just to adapt – but to learn. And yes, I agree that it is needed. But why? From what I can see, you need to not because you should but you must. That [immersion] is a must in every company – especially BPOs. You won’t survive a year if you don’t make an effort or at least try to do it.]”

Respondent #22 replied with a similar answer:

“Basically, it’s needed because it helps life easier for us outsourced workers. Lalo na our client is from the US, the rules there apply to us here. May dress code sa mother company sa US so dito sa branch sa Pilipinas ganun din. Hindi naman ganun kastrict si client, unlike sa Verizon or Amazon. Pero we need to immerse – we need to adapt not just for our sake pero for the client na rin. Para productive ako, para naman naipapakita kong I am doing my part. [Basically, it’s needed because it helps life easier for us outsourced workers. Most especially our client is based in the US, the rules there apply to us here. The mother company has a dress code branch here in the Philippines must adhere to this rule. The client I work for isn’t very strict, unlike that of Verizon or Amazon. Regardless of that, we need to immerse – we need to adapt not just for our sake, but for the client’s as well. This effort (to immerse) makes me feel productive. It enables me to show that I am doing my part.]”

He adds as a response to the succeeding question of “What benefits do you get from

immersing into the corporate culture of company X?”:

“Siguro sa professional benefits, marami. Example na lang is when it comes to my work ethics. I tend to align it with that of the client’s. Kay client kasi, they put a high

E B L A C A S | 78

regard for quality – both on how we treat our customers and sa calls that we make. It has a very big influence on how I do my job. Nadala ko na over time. Sa personal benefits, I could say na mas naramdaman kong part ako ng organization – na I belong. It’s both an individual and organizational effort eh. You immerse because you need to, para naman di ka loner di ba. And sa amin kasi, the client we work for helps us adapt sa through culture orientation. Hindi lang kami basta nagtatrabaho. Parte na kami ng organization. [I can say that there are a lot of professional benefits. An example is when it comes to my work ethics. I tend to align it with that of the client’s. The client company puts a high regard for quality – both on how we treat the customers and on the calls that we make. It has a very big influence on how I do my job. It has since been a part of how I go about my job. For the personal benefits, I could say that I felt that I was part of the organization – that I belong. It’s both an individual and organizational effort. You immerse because you need to. No one wants to be a loner, right? The client we work for helps us adapt through culture orientation. We don’t just work there. We are part of the organization.]”

Respondent # 12 responds with similar statements:

“Benefits…sa pampersonal siguro I feel that I belong. Hindi na ako nahihirapan makitungo sa mga tao, sa supervisor, sa rules, sa kung how they operate… More than that, self fulfilment na rin siguro. I feel that I don’t work well if I am left out. So conscious effort rin talaga on our part – on my part, since 8 months pa lang ako dito. I know I still have a lot to learn. [For the personal benefits, I can say that it helped me feel that I belong. I don’t experience any difficulties when it comes to interacting with the people, my supervisor, the rules and how the company operates. More than that, I’d say part of the personal benefits is a sense of self-fulfillment. I feel that I don’t work well if I am left out. So, it is really a conscious effort on our part – on my part since I have only been here for 8 months. I know I still have a lot to learn.]”

Respondent #26 was asked the question, “How does immersion impact your job

satisfaction?”

“Medyo agree ako sa binigay mong reasons for immersion because ang endgame niya for me is satisfaction, nonetheless. You belong, you identify yourself with the group, you socialize, you become productive…and you feel fulfilled if you immerse – yes, in my case kuha mo siya. Siguro immersion impacts job satisfaction by becoming itself the end. Gets ba? I mean, ako for example, I immerse sa corporate culture ng company kasi it gives me the satisfaction I need to go about the daily volume of calls – which is 120, on average. Dami ‘di ba? Alam ko naman yung reason bat ako nandito and dahil siguro yun so effort ko na maging part ng organization – di madali yun ha lalo na BPO ‘to... Pero so far, masasabi ko Malaki ang impact. Super. [I do agree with the given choices for the reasons for immersion because the endgame of this for me is satisfaction, nonetheless. You belong, you identify yourself with the group, you socialize, you become productive…and you feel fulfilled if you immerse – yes, in my case, you got it right. I think that immersion impacts job satisfaction by becoming in itself the end. Do you get me? I mean, take me as an example, I immerse into the corporate culture of the company because it gives me the satisfaction I need to go about the daily volume of calls – which is 120,

E B L A C A S | 79

on average. That’s quite a lot, right? I know the reason why I’m here and that’s probably because I made an effort to be part of this organization –and that’s not easy, especially I work in a BPO company. But so far, I can say that it has a very big impact.]”

Respondent # 12 adds:

“For newcomers in the BPO industry such as myself, I’d say that it has helped me a lot…adapt to the norms...expectations. Sa satisfaction in jobs, yes, it had a huge effect. Medyo acquainted na ako sa company culture so it’s easier. A lot easier. [“For newcomers in the BPO industry such as myself, I’d say that it has helped me a lot…adapt to the norms...expectations. For the satisfaction in jobs, yes, it also has a huge effect. I am now acquainted with the company culture so it’s easier. A lot easier.]”

Based from the quantitative findings and the interview results above, all the provided

motivations or reasons for immersion are necessary factors of the agents’ satisfaction in

their jobs. Apart from these, the interview questions revealed that immersion, more than just

a process, is seen as their way of adapting to the company’s corporate culture. The four

aforementioned categories are more or less the reason why they immerse into the

organization. Through this process of internal integration and external adaption, job

satisfaction is achieved.

Although varied answers were obtained, this section of the survey generally yielded

a positive result. Findings also revealed that immersion into the corporate culture of

Company X has with it personal and professional benefits, based from the key informants’

answers. Overall, the respondents seem to project affirmative responses for both the phase

1 and phase 2 of the study.

E B L A C A S | 80

E. EXTENT OF INFLUENCE AND IMPACT OF IMMERSION TO JOB SATISFACTION

Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory proposed that there are two different

categories of needs, which are intrinsic (motivators) and extrinsic (hygiene) factors. This

theory postulates that job satisfaction and/or is dissatisfaction is the function of two need

systems. Intrinsic factors are related to the job itself and seem to positively influence job

satisfaction.

For this study, the researcher focused on Herzberg’s motivation factors since these

are said to lead to job satisfaction. The researcher took the liberty to add immersion to the

existing pool of motivators as a putative variable that links organizational culture and job

satisfaction. Immersion, as proven in the results above, serves as the transition through

which an outsourced worker attains or achieves job satisfaction.

Findings for the third dimension of the independent variable, “Perceived Importance of

Immersion” is deemed as significant. The composite mean of respondent scores is at 3. 51

which indicates a high score. Most of the items gathered a significant amount of responses

for Strongly Agree (SA) and Agree (A) in comparison to Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree

(SD). Table 9 below presents the summary of responses on a per-item basis of the

questionnaire for Perceived Importance Immersion.

STATEMENTS

N

Frequency Distribution

Descriptives

SA

A

D

SD

Mean

Standard Deviation

1. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel productive

35 21 14 0 0 3.6 0.50

2. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in gives me a sense of belonging

35 19 15 1 0 3.51 0.56

E B L A C A S | 81

3. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel satisfied with my job

35 16 17 2 0 3.4 0.60

4. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel comfortable

35 20 14 1 0 3.54 0.56

5. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to work well

35 24 10 0 1 3.63 0.65

6. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel connected with the organization’s mission, vision, and goals

35 18 16 0 1 1.46 0.66

7. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to have a healthy relationship with my co-workers and supervisors

35 18 17 0 0 3.51 0.51

8. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel satisfied with my job

35 21 13 1 0 3.57 0.56

COMPOSITE

35

3.53

0.58

Table 9. Descriptive Statistics of Scores on a Per-item Basis for

Perceived Importance of Immersion (N=35)

The extent of influence can be seen in both the quantitative findings and interview

results of the study. The responses are generally positive, implying that immersion is

perceived by the informants as an important factor that influences their job satisfaction.

34/35 respondents agreed that Immersion into the corporate culture of Company X allows

them to feel satisfied with their jobs. The extent of this influence can be supported by

Respondent #14 who said:

E B L A C A S | 82

“Probably it is evident in our daily lives to the extent that it has become some sort of an unspoken rule – nobody has to tell you to do it but when you’re there…you’re on the floor, it just happens.”

Respondent # 12 adds:

“For me, the extent of influence, nakikita mo yun na parang natural na lang na gawin mo. Parang despite the cultural barrier, you immerse kasi para sa’yo din. Importante yun, lalo na project-based pa lang po ako. [For me, the extent of influence is seen when what you do just instantly becomes natural. Despite the cultural barrier, you immerse because you know it’s also for yourself. I do think that’s important, especially since I am still a project-based employee.]”

Respondent # 26 supplied the statement by saying:

“Immersion, well, I’ve to say it’s very important. It influences not only your disposition towards your work but also with how you interact with other people and how you do your job. It’s something that is engrave in our daily life as outsourced employees – mga ganung extent siguro, para sa akin. [that’s the extent of influence for me.]”

Respondent # 22 adds:

“The extent of influence is evident sa pagiging satisfied ko sa trabaho ko. So far, so good. Yun yung maganda dito kay Client, it’s not awkward despite the different cultures [The extent of influence is evident in my being satisfied with my job. So far, so good. That’s one of the best things about the client, it’s not awkward despite the different cultures.]”

Based from the interview results, we can see that Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory

is at play. Aside from the intrinsic factors such as achievement, recognition, work itself,

responsibility, advancement, and growth; and extrinsic factors such as company policy and

administration, supervision, relationship with supervisor, work conditions, salary,

relationships with peers, personal life, relationships with subordinates, status, and security,

they also consider the perceived importance of immersion to have an effect on job

satisfaction. Referring to the conceptual framework proposed in Chapter 3, this seems to be

consistent and yields a positive perception of immersion as a motivator for job satisfaction.

Aside from these, one assumption of the research is: the more an outsourced worker

E B L A C A S | 83

immerse through the three levels of organizational culture, the notion of being outsiders is

replaced with the notion of belonging. This, too is supported by the interview results of the

study. When asked the question, “Did immersion help you change the usual notion of

outsourced workers as outsiders to becoming effective insiders who embody the company’s

corporate culture?”

Respondent # 26 answered with:

“Yes, it betrays you as an outsourced worker – which is something not a lot of clientele approve of – as an outsider. The more immersed you are with the culture affects performance and consequently recognition. Thus, affecting appraisal and career growth and therefore, job satisfaction.”

Respondent # 14 supports this by saying:

“Yes, of course! It certainly has affected my old perception of outsourced workers as outsiders. The more you immerse, the less of this perception strikes you as true.”

Respondent # 12 had a similar response:

Yes po, sobra. [Yes, very much!] It made me feel like an insider na [already] – not the lonely outsider I was months ago!”

Respondent # 22 answered:

“Definitely, yes. Immersion has done me good. Bukod pa diyan, I’d say it help me grow as a person, both sa personally and professionally…pati na rin maturity sa workplace. [Definitely, yes. Immersion has done me good. Aside from that, I’d say it help me grow as a person – both personally and professionally. It also has an effect on my maturity in the workplace.]”

From the responses above, it is quite evident the extent of influence and impact of

immersion to job satisfaction is immense – affecting both the mindset and attitude of the

agents towards their work. Moreover, it is very interesting to note that immersion does

indeed eradicate the notion of being outsiders and has a positive effect when it comes to job

satisfaction.

E B L A C A S | 84

F. METRICS OF JOB SATISFACTION

The metrics of job satisfaction were categorized into six (6) dimensions. These are: 1)

Relationship with Supervisor; 2) Relationship with Co-workers; 3) Quality of Work Life; 4)

Conditions of Work; 5) Remuneration and Rewards; 6) Professionalism. They are grouped

into different sections in the survey questionnaire, and were rated in the form of a Likert

Scale (see Appendix A).

Among the six (6) dimensions, Relationship with Coworkers and Quality of Work Life

garnered the highest average scores of responses. The mean for the former is 3.69 and

3.53 for the latter - figures that are considerably high in comparison to 3.05 for

Remuneration and Rewards and 3.43 for Conditions of Work. Table 10 below shows the

summary of results of the aforementioned metrics for job satisfaction.

CATEGORY

MEAN

STANDARD DEVIATION

Relationship with Supervisor 3.46 0.64

Relationship with Co-workers

3.69 0.49

Quality of Work Life 3.53 0.49

Conditions of Work 3.43 0.50

Remuneration and Rewards 3.05 0.82

Professionalism 3.50 0.51

Table 10. Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction

In order to have a clear understanding of clear understanding of the results, a per-item

basis analysis will we utilized.

E B L A C A S | 85

1. Relationship with Supervisor

Items #1 (My supervisor regularly lets me know what is expected of me in doing my job

effectively) and #6 (My work relationship with my supervisor is factor of satisfaction in my

current job) garnered the most SA and A responses for this particular section. The mean

score for the former is at 3.57 while the latter is at 3.37, which denotes a moderately high

score. Table 11 below shows the summary of responses and scores for Metric for Job

Satisfaction: Relationship with Supervisor

STATEMENTS

N

Frequency Distribution

Descriptives

SA

A

D

SD

Mean

Standard Deviation

1. My supervisor regularly lets me know what is expected of me in doing my job effectively.

35 22 11 2 0 3.57 0.61

2. My supervisor is approachable. S/he guides me on how I go on about my job

35 17 18 0 0 3.49 0.51

3. I get along well with my supervisor

35 19 14 2 0 349 0.61

4. My supervisor gives me the individual help and support I need to do my job effectively

35 18 14 3 0 3.43 0.65

5. Both I and my supervisor respect each other’s opinions.

35 16 18 1 0 3.43 0.56

6. My work relationship with my supervisor is a factor of my satisfaction in my current job

35 20 10 3 2 3.37 0.88

COMPOSITE

35

3.46

0.64

Table 11. Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:

Relationship with Supervisor (N= 35)

E B L A C A S | 86

These figures prove that the agent’s work relationship with their supervisor has an

impact on their job satisfaction. These numbers are verified and expounded by statements

from the four informants. In response to the question, ― Why is it important to have a work

relationship with your supervisor? Respondent # 14 said:

“Mahalaga talaga yan for me kasi I tend to work better—I mean if you now that your supervisor does her job of guiding us agents, panatag loob namin. [I think that’s very important since I tend to work better – I mean if you know that your supervisor does her job of guiding us agents, we feel that we are in good hands.]”

This is also supported by Respondent # 22 who answered,

“Oo, it’s important. Partly because she sees to it that we are guided accordingly…mahirap din kapag wala kang healthy relationship with the people around you – lalo na sa supervisor mo. Yung iba nga sa amin dito, pakiramdam nila na di sila well-guided. I think that’s probably because may something sila against or may issue sila sa kung paano yung approach ng supervisors – lalo na pag one-on-one coaching. [Yes, it’s important. Partly because she sees to it that we are guided accordingly. It’s hard if you don’t have a healthy relationship with the people around you – most especially your supervisor. The others here, they feel that they are not well-guided. I think that’s probably because they have something against or ma have an issue on the supervisor’s approach – especially during our one-on-one coaching sessions.] ”

Respondent # 22 validates this by saying:

“I have to agree with the results no. Kasi, bukod sa coworker mo, importanteng maayos ang work relationship mo sa supervisor, TL, operations manager or sa kung sino man for that matter because working here—working at teletech….working for this client means working with people from all walks of life. Tignan mo dito sa floor namin, may 57 years old, may 20, may single, may married—you don’t choose the people you work with eh. Supervisor man siya o hindi, it is best to always be professional. [I have to agree with the results because aside from your coworkers, it important that you have a healthy work relationship with your supervisor, TL, operations manager or anyone for that matter since working here, working at Teletech, and working for this client means working with people from all walks of life. In our floor, we have coworkers ranging from ages 20-57. Some are married and most are single – you don’t choose the people you work with. He or she may be your supervisor or not, it is best to always be professional.]”

2. Relationship with co-workers

This section yielded generally positive results. Most of the respondents ticked Strongly

Agree (SA) and Agree (A). Their relationship with their coworkers prove to be a vital factor in

E B L A C A S | 87

their satisfaction in their jobs as they each help other adjust in the organization. Table 12

below shows the summary of responses and scores for Metric for Job Satisfaction:

Relationship with Coworker

STATEMENTS

N

Frequency Distribution

Descriptives

SA

A

D

SD

Mean

Standard Deviation

1. My co-workers are very approachable.

35 30 5 0 0 3.86 0.36

2. My co-workers don’t treat me as an outsider even if I am an outsourced employee

35 29 6 0 0 3.83 0.38

3. My co-workers and I share the same interests, personal values, and beliefs

35 26 8 1 0 3.71 0.52

4. I rarely have conflicts with my co-workers

35 22 12 1 0 3.6 0.55

5. Both I and my co-workers and I respect each other’s opinions.

35 22 12 1 0 3.6 0.55

6. I have interactions with my co-workers even outside of work (e.g. going to parties)

35 22 13 0 0 3.63 0.49

7. My co-workers do his/her best in helping me cope with the company’s corporate culture

35 25 8 1 0 3.71 0.52

8. My co-workers and I can talk about anything (e.g. anything outside of work)

35 21 14 0 0 3.6 0.50

9. My work relationship with my co-workers is a factor of my satisfaction in my current job

35 25 10 0 0 3.71 0.46

COMPOSITE

35

3.69

0.49

Table 12. Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:

Relationship with Coworkers (N= 35)

E B L A C A S | 88

Aside from having a healthy work relationship with their supervisors, these agents give

importance on maintaining the bonds they have formed at work. Respondent # 14 said when

asked the question, “How often do you interact with you coworkers?”

“Madalas, lalo na kapag sabay kami ng end ng shift. Gagala kami, iinom, kakain…these are the persons na tumutulong sa’yo sa pag-adjust sa org. Lalo na may mga baguhan pa sa amin, so parang support group kami, ineenourage namin sila. [Very often, especially if our shifts start and end at the same time. We would hangout, eat, and drink. The person I interact with are the people who helped you adjust in the organization. Right now, there are a number of us who are new in the industry so we are like a support group. We encourage them.]”

Respondent # 12 adds,

“Usually after shifts or in our case, pag weekends, magmo-mall, magkakaraoke. They’re more than your coworkers na rin eh. Karamay mo sila sa frustrations mo dito sa trabaho. [Usually after shifts or in our case, during weekends, we go to the mall and bond over karaoke sessions. For me, they are more than just your coworkers. We help each other deal with the frustrations of work.]”

3. Quality of Work Life

Quality of work life is defined as the perceived favorableness or unfavorableness of job

environment; perception of the culture, people, work, and the organization as a whole. Table

13 below shows the summary of responses and scores for Metric for Job Satisfaction:

Quality of Work Life

STATEMENTS

N

Frequency Distribution

Descriptives

SA

A

D

SD

Mean

Standard Deviation

1. The organization offers me opportunities to grow and learn new skills

35 25 9 1 0 3.69 0.53

2. I am given a lot of work empowerment to decide about my own style and pace of work.

35 18 17 0 0 3.51 0.51

3. People have an equal chance to get ahead in

35 19 12 3 1 3.4 0.77

E B L A C A S | 89

this organization regardless of sex, age, religion, racial or ethnic background, or other factors not related to their work performance

4. I believe the work I am assigned to do makes good use of my knowledge and skills.

35 16 19 0 0 3.46 0.51

5. This organization operates according to honest, ethical business values

35 20 15 0 0 3.57 0.50

COMPOSITE

35

3.53

0.58

Table 13. Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:

Quality of Work Life (N= 35)

Item # 1 (The organization offers me opportunities to grow and learn new skills)

garnered the highest mean score with x = 3.69, SD = 0.53. When asked the question, “How

does this help you perform in your work? Respondent # 14 said:

“It helps in a way that it satisfies me. Oo, there is always room for improvement eh, and they always remind us na, oo, trabaho lang ’to pero every day is something new…I feel satisfied kasi sa totoo lang, kapag one-on-one caching na, yung coach ko, na TL ko din at the same time, may iniimpart na knowledge, experience, lalo na kung paano pa kami babawi sa QAs namin. For the client na rin siguro, since graded kami dito sa Pilipinas at meron din sa States. You need to grow and excel – and hinahasa naman nila ‘yun. [It helps in a way that it satisfies me. Yes, there is always room for improvement. They also remind us that this is just work but every day is something new. To be honest, I feel satisfied because during our one-on-one coaching sessions, my coach, who is also my TL imparts her knowledge, and experience. She also encourages us and gives us tips on how to do better on our QAs. You need to grow and excel – and they help you improve.]”

Respondent # 22 supports this by saying:

“There are days when you feel like you’re doing the same thing over and over and over again – and that makes you frustrated. Paring routine soya: Gissing kea ng 11PM, bathe kea for one hour, tapes you wait para magistrate young shift mo. – media gamin Pero regardless of that, there are wide arrays of opportunities an in

E B L A C A S | 90

offer ng org—in client. If Matias score mo. as QA…nag passing Kasi as Amin 92%, it lets me work better, improve more…for me, gamin Lang naan Yun. Tapes Kung cross-skilled kea pa, e ‘di advantage mo. din Yun. [There are days when you feel like you’re doing the same thing over and over and over again – and that makes you frustrated. It becomes a routine: wake up at 11PM, travel time is an hour, then wait for your shift to start. Regardless of that, there are wide arrays of opportunities that the organization and the client is offering. If I have a high score in your QA, our passing score is 92%, it lets me work better and improve more. For me, that’s how I see it. And if you’re a cross-skilled agent, then that’s an advantage.]”

Respondent # 26 had a different answer, she said:

“Para sa akin, kulang…I mean it’s enough but for someone who has been working for five years sa workplace na 24/7/365 yung operations, dapat mas madami pang opportunities para sa mga tao…what made me stay siguro is more of a personal factor – yung tao, and yung sweldo na rin. Tenured na ako dito. [For me, it’s not enough. I mean it’s enough but for someone who has been working for five years in workplace with a 24/7/365 yung operations, there should be more opportunities for the people. What made stay is probably very personal factor – the people, and the salary I get here. I am already tenured.]”

When asked to describe their quality of work life, Respondent # 12 states:

“Overall, maganda. Nakakaffect siya sa trabaho namin. The client ensures naman that we feel welcomed sa company. May tiwala sila…we make sure din, at least for me, ha, na I do my job well – taasan sa QAs kasi di naman strict si client sa approach naming when we take calls – basta maresolve yung problem ng caller. [Overall, it’s great. It affects how we work. The client ensures that we feel welcome in the company. They trust us and we make sure, at least for me, that I do my job well by scoring high in my QAs. The client’s not that strict with our approach in taking calls. What’s important is that we resolve the problem of the caller.]”

Respondent # 22 says:

“Simple lang yan for me e. If you are able to work well – walang masyadong problema sa trabaho, sa tao, sa environment, sa culture nga, gaya ng sabi mo, mataas ang quality ng work life. Para sa akin, ha. Di naman kasi complicated dito eh, basta alam mo yung ginagawa mo. Basta nakikinig ka sa TL mo, basta mahal mo trabaho mo. [It’s very simple. For me, if one is able to work well, has no problem with work, the people, and the environment, and in the culture, like what you said, then the quality of work life is high. That’s how I see it. It’s not that complicated here if you know what you’re doing, if you listen to your TL, and if you love your job.]”

E B L A C A S | 91

4. Conditions of Work

Conditions of Work is defined as the presence of adequate working equipment, respect

for subordinates and supervisors; safe working conditions, approachable and helpful

supervisor and co-workers. For this particular dimension, item # 1 (My company is good and

highly motivating) garnered the highest mean score of 3.63 and SD of 0.49. Table 14 below

shows the summary of responses and scores for Metric for Job Satisfaction: Conditions of

Work

STATEMENTS

N

Frequency Distribution

Descriptives

SA

A

D

SD

Mean

Standard Deviation

1. My company work environment is good and highly motivating

35 22 13 0 0 3.63 0.49

2. My company offers sufficient opportunities to develop my own abilities

35 15 20 0 0 3.43 0.50

3. I am given a lot of work empowerment to decide about my own style and pace of work.

35 15 20 0 0 3.43 0.50

4. There are much defined channels for information exchange and transfer.

35 10 25 0 0 3.29 0.46

5. Conditions on my job allow me to be as productive as I could be

35 12 23 0 0 3.34 0.48

COMPOSITE

35

3.42

0.50

Table 14. Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:

Conditions of Work (N= 35)

E B L A C A S | 92

Based from the quantitative findings, it can be inferred that Company X does

possess a good and highly motivating environment since this statement has obtained 22

responses for Strongly Agree and 13 responses for Agree. This means that the corporate

culture of Company X is perceived as something generally pleasant and this in turn, has an

effect on their job satisfaction. Moreover, working conditions at Company allows the agents

to be productive. Respondent # 22 validates this claim:

“…oo, very productive ako. Nakakamotivate yung taong katrabaho mo. Ganito kasi kay client – you pull each other up. If you have bad calls, let it go. If your coworkers have bad calls, be a friend, ganun turo sa amin. Hindi naman very strict yung setting – yung culture kaya hindi ako nahirapan mag-immerse. And provided din naman lahat ng kailangan naming malaman and it’s not that hard to follow their rules. [Yes, I am very productive. My coworkers motivate me. This is how it works with the client: you pull each other up. If you have bad calls, let it go. If your coworkers have bad calls, be a friend – that’s why they taught us. The setting and the culture isn’t very strict that’s why I didn’t have any difficulty in immersing. The client company provided us with everything we need to know that’s why it’s not hard to follow their rules.]”

Respondent # 14 elucidates this by saying:

“Tingin ko it’s nice to know that the company makes sure that you are working in a place where you can be productive and satisfied at the same time. Oo, stressful but that’s part of every job. [I think that it’s nice to know that the company makes sure that you are working in place where you can be productive and satisfied at the same time. Yes, it’s stressful but that’s part of every job.]”

Evident from the answers above, the respondents have an overall perception of the

conditions as satisfactory. There were no respondents who answered D or SD which only

denotes that that the company is perceived as generally positive by the respondents.

5. Remunerations and Rewards

This section has the most varied responses from the respondents. For item 2, 11 agents

have ticked D or disagree and 1 SA or strongly agree to the statement, “The company I work

in does a good job of linking rewards to job performance”. This has also the lowest mean

E B L A C A S | 93

score of 2.77, which is considerably low in comparison to the dimensions discussed above.

Table 15 below shows the summary of responses and scores for Metric for Job Satisfaction:

Remuneration and Rewards.

STATEMENTS

N

Frequency Distribution

Descriptives

SA

A

D

SD

Mean

Standard Deviation

1. I feel that I am given an adequate and fair compensation for the work I do

35 12 17 4 2 3.11 0.83

2. The company I work in does a good job of linking rewards to job performance

35 5 18 11 1 2.77 0.73

3. When I do my job well, I am rewarded by my supervisor

35 9 17 7 2 2.94 0.84

4. I feel that I deserve the rewards I receive, may it be monetary or nonmonetary

35 17 14 4 0 3.37 0.69

5. The rewards I receive contribute to my satisfaction in doing my job

35 11 17 4 3 3.03 0.89

COMPOSITE

35

3.05

0.82

Table 15. Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:

Remuneration and Rewards (N= 35)

From the results above, it can be inferred that while the company ensures a

generally productive environment and a satisfactory quality of work life, some respondents

think that the rewards and compensation they receive are not enough despite the volume of

calls and the demands that go along with it. This is validated by Respondent # 14 who said:

“Para sa akin, maliit pa rin. Pero kapag i-cocompare mo siya sa sweldo ng ibang call center agents, it’s fairly big. May mga incentives naman. For example, sa pasko, may ham na binibigay si Client. May tablets din na pinoprovide si client, May

E B L A C A S | 94

bonuses din. Pero kung sweldo lang, maliit talaga. [For me, it’s still quite small. But if we are to compare the salary with the other call center agencies, it’s fairly big. There are incentives. For example, during Christmas, the client company would give us ham as their present. They also provide tablets and there are bonuses, too.]”

Respondent # 12 adds by saying:

“Sa amin kasi, Php 14,000 ang sweldo. Tapos may narereceive kaming incentives kapag maganda yung scores namin sa QA. Makikita mo yun after every shift, yung performance mo, yung grade mo so may idea ka. Pinakamataas na nakuha kong incentive, last November ay Php 3,000. Pero kung wala yun, maliit pa rin. [Our monthly salary is Php 14,000. We do receive incentives if we have high scores in the QA. We can see our performance every shift, expressed in grades, so we have an idea. The highest incentive I received was Php 3,000 last November. But if I were to subtract that, the salary is still small.]”

Respondent # 26 has a different response. She said:

“For me, Malaki na yung natatanggap ko, partly siguro tenured na ako. Maraming bonuses. Tulad na lang ng medical, dental insurance, holiday pay, accident insurance – iilan lang yan. [For me, my salary’s quite big. Partly because I’m already tenured. There are a lot of bonuses. Some of which are medical, dental, accident insurance, and holiday pays.]”

6. Professionalism

For the last dimension of job satisfaction, Professionalism is defined as the observance

of rules and compliance to policies, regulations of the company; interest in own professional

growth, immersion to the company’s organizational culture, engagement in activities which

promote professional growth, wearing of prescribed uniforms, embodiment of the vision,

philosophy, and mission of the company. Generally, professionalism in the organization is

high, with a composite score of 3.50 and an SD of 0.51. This denotes that the respondents

denote Professionalism as a significant factor for job satisfaction. Table 16 below shows the

summary of responses and scores for Metric for Job Satisfaction: Professionalism.

E B L A C A S | 95

STATEMENTS

N

Frequency Distribution

Descriptives

SA

A

D

SD

Mean

Standard Deviation

1. There is cooperation

among all the departments for achieving the goals.

35 23 12 0 0 3.66 0.48

2. I am proud to be working for my present Company because it is at par with my professional goals

35 15 20 0 0 3.43 0.50

3. I am discriminated on my job because I am an outsourced employee

35 21 14 0 0 3.6 0.50

4. The company communicates every new change that takes place and this makes my adjustment period shorter and easier

35 16 19 0 0 3.46 0.51

5. There is a strong sense of belongingness in my organization (can be seen in artifacts e.g. wearing of uniforms; espoused beliefs e.g. embodies the companies culture, among others)

35 16 19 0 0 3.46 0.51

6. I know about my companies policies, vision, mission, and philosophy

35 16 19 0 0 3.46 0.51

7. In my organization, people help each other learn

35 11 24 0 0 3.31 0.47

8. In my organization, people give open and honest feedback to each other.

35 24 11 0 0 3.69 0.47

9. In my organization leaders ensure that the organization’s actions are consistent with its values.

35 21 14 0 0 3.6 0.50

10. My organization gives people control over the resources they need to accomplish their work.

35 18 17 0 0 3.51 0.51

E B L A C A S | 96

11. In my organization, people give open and honest feedback to each other.

35 13 21 1 0 3.34 0.54

12. In my organization, whenever people state their view, they also ask what others think

35 14 20 1 0 3.37 0.55

COMPOSITE

35

3.50

0.51

Table 16. Descriptive Statistics of Scores for Categories of Metric for Job Satisfaction:

Professionalism (N= 35)

This part of the survey is perceived by the respondents as generally positive. Save

for two questions, all consist of responses which range from Strongly Agree (SA) to Agree

(A), which means that professionalism in the organization runs high. This is substantiated by

the interview results in the Phase 2 of the study. Respondent # 22 elucidates this finding:

“Wala pa naman akong nawitness kung saan naging problema sa workplace ang lack of professionalism. We respect each other, regardless kung senior namin sila or not. Yes, may cultural boundaries, personal and organizational but we strive to work it out…di siya issue for me. [So far, I haven’t witnessed a scenario in the workplace where lack of professionalism became a problem. We respect each other, regardless of their position in the organization. Yes, there are cultural boundaries, as well personal and organizational differences but we strive to work it out. It’s not an issue for me.]”

Overall, the respondents acknowledges the importance of all dimensions of job satisfaction

being vital to their immersion into the organization. Respondent # 12 validates this claim by

saying:

“Yes, I think all of the dimensions are important. Because each requires immersing into the org culture. How would I forge healthy work relationships kung [if] I don’t make an effort to immerse? How do I become acquainted dito sa [here in the] company kapag [if] I’m not aware of how they do things…oo [yes], agree po ako sa immersion [I agree with immersion.]”

E B L A C A S | 97

Respondent # 22 adds:

“Depende pa rin sa bawat tao, syempre. For me, I agree na needed yung dimensions since, essentially, you do all these to identify yourself as someone who works for the company. Partida, we are outsourced so immersion, yan…kelangan talaga yan. [It really depends on each and every one. For me, I agree that the dimensions are needed since, essentially, you do all these to identify yourself as someone who works for the company. Also, given that we are outsourced workers, we really need that.]”

The dimensions of job satisfaction are merely measures to obtain the overall score for

the dependent variable. This will not be correlated with the three independent variables: 1)

Level of Immersion; 2) Reasons for Immersion; and Perceived Importance of Immersion

because this will increase the margin of error. Instead, the averages of all the dimensions

will be used since this makes more sense and is what the researcher is after.

G. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IMMERSION AND OVERALL JOB SATISFACTION

To reiterate, the first specific objective of this study is to measure how the three (3)

dimensions of the independent variable namely, Level of Immersion, Reasons for

Immersion, and Perceived Importance of Immersion are related to the level of job

satisfaction. For the correlation part of the study, the dependent variable, will now pertain to

the overall job satisfaction; that is, the average score of all the six dimensions in the

previous section. This is done to reduce the margin of error. The six dimensions are only

used to measure job satisfaction while the overall score for the job satisfaction will be used

to correlate the data. The researcher utilized the non-parametric statistical tool Pearson’s R

in order to answer such objective. Results gained and summarized from the Statistical

Analysis System (SAS) using the CORR Procedure are presented below to elucidate on the

findings for the first objective.

E B L A C A S | 98

A correlation is considered to be significant if its p-value is less than what the researcher

set as the confidence level or the level of significance. For this study, it is set at is 5% or

0.05. The p-value measures how compatible the data is with the null hypothesis in this

study. In this case, the null hypothesis states that there is no correlation between immersion

and Job Satisfaction. On the other hand, the alternative hypothesis is that there is

correlation between immersion and Job Satisfaction

Table 17 below illustrates the correlation between immersion and overall job satisfaction.

Variable Correlation p-value Description

Level of Immersion and Job Satisfaction

0.531 0.0001 Moderately High Correlation

Reasons for Immersion and Job Satisfaction

0.556 0.0001 Moderately High Correlation

Perceived Importance of Immersion and Job

Satisfaction

0.500 0.0002 Moderately High Correlation

Table 17. Correlation Findings between Immersion and Overall Job Satisfaction

(N=35)

On the Relationship Between Level of Immersion and Overall Job Satisfaction

The table above shows the correlation between level of immersion and overall job

satisfaction. Analyzing these results, one could conclude that there is a significant

relationship between the two. Since the p-value is 0.001, there is sufficient evidence to

reject the null hypothesis. This means that there is a significant correlation between level of

Immersion and Job Satisfaction. This indicates that when the level of immersion is

increasing, the overall Job Satisfactions also increases and vice versa. It has a medium

correlation since it has a value of 0.531. Under the 0.05 level of significance, it is clear that

aside from the interviews, the numbers prove that such relationship exists. Consistent with

E B L A C A S | 99

the results from the quantitative findings and interview results, the assumption by the

researcher that the deeper the level, the higher the job satisfaction proves to be true.

Respondent #26 validates this claim:

“The more immersed you are with the culture affects performance and consequently recognition. Thus, affecting appraisal and career growth and therefore, job satisfaction.”

Respondent #22 supports this by saying:

“With regards to the assumption, the higher the level, the higher the job satisfaction, for me, I do agree with that. I am more satisfied if I know how the way things are in the organization.

Immersion, as supplemented by the interviews, is seen as a motivators that links

organizational culture and job satisfaction. Immersion acts as a transition through which an

outsourced worker attains or achieves job satisfaction. The more an outsourced worker

penetrates an organization’s corporate culture, the higher the satisfaction in his or her job.

Based from the results, there is a directly proportional relationship that occurs between job

satisfaction and company culture, made possible by immersion. Therefore, the more

immersed an outsourced worker is into the different levels of organizational culture, the

higher the perceived job satisfaction.

The previous chapters stated that new employees have to go through a

socialization process to adapt to the organization culture. This study has renamed

socialization into immersion since it has proven to be more encompassing and has a clear

connotation that pertains to culture. The results of the correlation implies that the more an

outsourced worker penetrates an organization’s culture, the higher his or her satisfaction is.

E B L A C A S | 100

However, as mentioned in the previous sections, it is important to note that the

length of time working for Company X is deemed as negligible and has no effect on the level

and does not affect job satisfaction.

On the Relationship Between Reasons for Immersion and Overall Job Satisfaction

As mentioned, most commonly found motivations or reasons for immersion are those

under Productivity and Socialization or Belonging motivations which are necessary to attain

job satisfaction. All were significant as none reached a score of below 3.0. These 4

aforementioned clusters (Socialization or Belonging, Productivity, Self-Fulfilment, and

Commitment and Identification) are merely measures set by the researcher to gauge the

agents’ perception of immersion. As a whole, these clusters are referred to as Reasons for

Immersion as designed by the researcher.

Under the 0.05 level of significance, the p-value, 0.001 suggests that there is

sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means that there is a significant

correlation between Reasons of Immersion and Job Satisfaction. This indicates that when

the agent can clearly tell or identify the reasons why he or she immerses into the corporate

culture of the organization, the overall Job Satisfaction also increases and vice versa. It has

a medium or a moderately high correlation since it has a value of 0.556.

The key informants that were interviewed for the Phase 2 of the study gave a

generally positive answer with regard to this part of the interview schedule. Respondent # 26

explains: I do agree with the given choices for the reasons for immersion because the

endgame of this for me is satisfaction, nonetheless. You belong, you identify yourself with

the group, you socialize, you become productive…and you feel fulfilled if you immerse –

yes, in my case, you got it right. I think that immersion impacts job satisfaction by becoming

in itself the end.

E B L A C A S | 101

Among three correlations in the study, the relationship between Reasons for

Immersion and Overall job satisfaction yielded the highest result. This implies that the

respondents give more importance to their motivations on why they immerse rather than

immersing level by level. This is unsurprising since most of the key informants scored high in

this part of the survey. Moreover, this makes more sense since most of the respondents are

after their growth, both professionally and personally, as this makes them more satisfied.

Basing it from the proposed conceptual framework, the reasons for immersion have indeed

made a significant impact on the respondents’ job satisfaction. Although it had the strongest

correlation of 0.556, the other independent variables also have a relatively strong impact on

the respondents’ satisfaction in their jobs. Immersion into the corporate culture of Company

X entailed a level by level immersion, as supported by both the quantitative findings and the

interview results. Aside from this, the reasons or the motivations behind these immersions

are seen as more in-depth and personal, thus having a slightly stronger correlation than the

level of immersion. It can be inferred that from these results, the distinct personal element

on their motivations to immerse still prevailed as more important than the level by level

immersion. While each informant prioritized one motivation over the other, the four clusters

are deemed necessary to their job satisfaction as shown in the interview results and

quantitative findings.

While the assumption, the deeper the level, the higher the satisfaction, is proven to

be true, it cannot be denied that the personal motivations of the agents on why they

immerse have a bigger and greater bearing on their job satisfaction. The correspondence, or

lack thereof of the numbers to that of the interviews can further be explicated by delving into

one’s personal perception of the concept of job satisfaction. As far as numbers and the

interviews are concerned, the human variable and one’s preference over the other factors

seem to have contributed to this result.

E B L A C A S | 102

On the Relationship Perceived Importance of Immersion and Overall Job Satisfaction

Among the three independent variables, the perceived importance of immersion has the

lowest correlation to job satisfaction with a score of 0.500 in comparison to the level (0.536)

and reasons (0.556) for immersion. While the difference may not be significant, results from

the interview put a greater importance on the reason for immersion as opposed to the

aforementioned variable. In totality, all are seen by the agents as vital sources of their

satisfaction in jobs.

Since the p-value is 0.002, there is sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis.

This means that there is a significant correlation between Perceived Immersion and Job

Satisfaction. This indicates that when the perceived importance of immersion is increasing,

the overall Job Satisfaction also increases and vice versa. It has a medium or a moderately

high correlation since it has a value of 0.500.

Basing it from the both quantitative findings interview results above, the Perceived

Importance of Immersion also had a generally positive response. Most of the key informants

share the same sentiments with regard to they perceive the importance of immersion into

the corporate culture of Company X. To reiterate, not only do the agents feel productive but

they do feel that immersion affirm their sense of belonging. This finding is elucidated by

Respondent # 22 who said, “I could say that I felt that I was part of the organization – that I

belong. It’s both an individual and organizational effort. You immerse because you need to.

No one wants to be a loner, right? The client we work for helps us adapt through culture

orientation. We don’t just work there. We are part of the organization.”

Moreover, immersion into the corporate culture of Company X allowed them to feel

satisfied with their jobs, thus the relationship between the two can be inferred as true – as

supported by the correlations, survey, and the interview schedule. Respondent # 14

E B L A C A S | 103

elucidates the findings by saying, “I am more satisfied if I know how the way things are in

the organization. Simply adhering to the goals and objectives, observing rules, and following

the instruction of your TL, that it in itself for me is immersion. And yes, job satisfaction

increases.”

Although it had the weakest correlation when compared to the first two independent

variables, 0.500 denotes a moderately high or medium correlation. Since this part of the

survey is subjective and has an innate appeal to the agents’ emotions, it too, has varied

results.

Overall, it can be concluded that this variable indeed affects job satisfaction. Basing

it from the proposed conceptual framework (Chapter 3), immersion, in totality, has an effect

on job satisfaction: 1) level by level; 2) influenced by their own personal motivations; and 3)

the effect by which they perceive the importance of immersion. While the second and third

independent variables, Reasons for Immersion and Perceived Importance for Immersion,

respectively, are highly subjective and open to various interpretations, as far as this study is

concerned, all are vital factors for job satisfaction.

E B L A C A S | 104

CHAPTER VI. SUMMARY, IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter provides a condensed discussion of the findings and answers to the

objectives yielded by the study. In addition, it details such findings' implications and

recommendations to the examined organization, and future academic efforts in the field of

the BPO industry.

A. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION FOR QUANTITATIVE FINDINGS

In line with the objectives of the study, the three (3) independent variables: (1) Level

of Immersion; (2) Reason for Immersion; (3) Perceived Importance of Immersion were

correlated with the overall job satisfaction. Findings support the research hypothesis that the

higher the level an outsourced worker is into the corporate culture of Company X, the higher

the job satisfaction. Statistical relationships between the different variables of immersion and

overall job satisfaction have a medium correlation and are positive. Furthermore, this study

yield statistically or practically significant proofs that immersion into the corporate culture of

companies eradicates the notion of being outsiders. As such, it can be deduced that the

relationship between immersion and job satisfaction is significant, on the quantitative, as

supplemented by the interviews

Other findings that could be significant use for academic endeavors of this nature

include:

Length of time working for the company (client) has little to no effect on the

level of immersion attained.

Socialization or Belonging and Commitment and Identification are the primary

motivations of the agents when immersing into the corporate culture of the

company (client), which eventually leads to job satisfaction.

E B L A C A S | 105

The perceived importance of immersing into the corporate culture of

companies is the agent’s satisfaction in his or her job

Interactions with their coworkers greatly affect the immersion process

There is a medium or a moderately high correlation between immersion and

job satisfaction

B. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION FOR THE INTERVIEW RESULTS

Common themes gained from the conducted interviews with four (4) key informants

include openness to change of the agents in the workplace despite the cultural barriers, trust

that the management does well in developing their skills and potentials, and sense of

identification despite the notion of outsiders still exists. Though not validated by any

statistical proof, these could be verified as probable factors in the nature of the results of the

study through direct interview statements.

Presently, there are few related studies and current literature with regard to this

research. This study, however, shed light that immersion is a process as perceived by

employees in order to adapt the organization's culture and communication climate. Today's

members of the BPO industry have stronger preference for a corporate environment that

entails both productivity and satisfaction; and one that acknowledges them as part of the

organization and not thought of as outsiders. The outsourced workers favor an environment

wherein they feel most satisfied and productive and agree that these are attained through

immersion into the corporate culture of the company they work in. This is proven by the

study as a shared belief across different age groups, and sexes. Other insights that may be

beneficial to further studies regarding the matter are as follows:

Length of time working for the company (client) matters little to the process of

immersion and is a negligible factor of job satisfaction

E B L A C A S | 106

The agents tend to work better if they feel that they are aware of the corporate

culture and are identified with the group

Apart from the shifting schedules, there is a constant need for top-down and bilateral

communication in this nature of work.

Cultural barriers were also addressed through the process of immersion and culture

orientation

This study revealed that there is no significant difference in the norms but there is

still a need to adopt certain practices, jargon, and demands.

Despite being outsourced workers, the agents do not feel discriminated in the

workplace.

BPO employees are much like any other regular employees – they adjust, strive to

be productive, and adapt to the company culture of the company they work in.

C. IMPLICATIONS

Theoretical Issues

The study’s related literature while lacking due to its unexplored nature, appears to

be consistent with the findings of the study but this can be improved further. Schein’s Model

of Organizational Culture was well incorporated with the framework and was designed by

the researcher into three levels: Low, Medium, and High. The assumption that the deeper

the level of immersion, the higher the satisfaction is also consistent with how the framework

is designed. The dimensions of job satisfaction, namely: 1) Level of Immersion; 2) Reasons

for Immersion; and 3) Perceived Importance of Immersion greatly played an important part

in helping the agents attain satisfaction in their jobs. The dimensions of job satisfaction were

also consistent with the employee’s personal perception of the concept. All the

E B L A C A S | 107

aforementioned concepts remain consistent with the proposed framework. The 3

independent variables have a medium or moderately high correlation with job satisfaction.

However, reasons for immersion seem to affect the level of job satisfaction the most with a

correlation of 0.556. This, however, does not exhibit a very significant difference since the

correlation between level of immersion and overall satisfaction is at 0.531. Looking at the

figures, it can be implored that the agents value the reason why they immerse rather than

what level they are in. They perceive the human element of comfort, belongingness, self-

fulfillment, commitment and identification, and productivity as factors that have more bearing

to attain job satisfaction. Apart from this discovery, all elements of the framework applies to

a great extent in the milieu of this study.

Methodological Issues

While this study was able to answer its research questions, it could not be denied

that its answers yielded more questions to be answered by conducting further research for

studies of this nature. One finding in this study is that immersion is a continuous process.

Therefore, more questions will arise as to how this further affects affect job satisfaction or

even work performance. Changes in the method and procedures of further subsequent

studies may serve to validate the results that this study had yield. It may also open these to

debate and argumentation. This study can certainly be duplicated by using Spearman’s Rho

and the SPSS Statistical Package to further prove if the correlations do exist. Moreover, it is

suggested that a longitudinal study be implemented so that future researchers may be able

to track the various variables used in this research. It is also of great importance to note that

the milieu of the study was set in an inbound program, i.e. a program where agents receive

calls from the customers. An outbound program, or one where the agents call the customers

may provide a new set of variables and considerations. It would be very interesting to see

what findings will hold true in an outbound program.

E B L A C A S | 108

All of the variables used in the study framework turned out to be beneficial and has a

medium or a moderately high correlation with job satisfaction. But future researchers may

choose to add or revise certain portions of the survey instrument and add more in-depth

questions to the interview schedules.

Practical Issues

Currently, there are core skill trainings and culture orientation generally touching on

the serviced demographics of the company’s client, and there are also introductions to

client-specific policies provided by the BPO Company (Teletech). Because of these, the

intended effect of immersion as a motivator for job satisfaction seems to be very evident and

is made possible through the combined efforts of Teletech, the employee, the coworkers,

and the Team Leaders (TL). While the direct involvement by company X may hasten the

immersion process, its indirect approach (using the BPO Company as means to let the

agents know about the policies, among others) proves to still be effective, nonetheless.

Presently, the company and its employees seem to be generally contented with how

immersion process is handled in the company. Moreover, the outsourced employees

understand their roles in the organization and this in turn contribute to fostering a corporate

environment that leads to job satisfaction. However, the agents’ expressed their concern

that, if possible, the management could provide more support on the job since they

encounter different cases every day. While the feeling of belongingness in the work circle is

major driving force to immerse themselves in the culture, it is also important to note there

are other practical considerations that are in effect but are outside of the purview of this

study.

E B L A C A S | 109

D. RECOMMENDATIONS

To Company X (client)

While there are core skill trainings and culture orientations provided by the BPO

Company, the outsourced employees shall perform much better with the client company

initiating actual efforts in the formulation of a formal immersion program to make the agents

feel more welcomed and acquainted with the organization’s core functions. Based from the

interview results, the researcher noticed that there is a subtle disagreement in terms of

perceptions or attitudes towards how they are treated in the organization. These

disagreements, while harmless at first glance, could possibly be magnified and cause

unnecessary effects whenever such arise in the future.

Findings of the undertaken study prove that immersion does affect job satisfaction.

The extent of these effects greatly depend on the level they are in, their reasons for

immersing, and their perceived importance of immersion, and by the organization itself in

formulating a sort of a program that could maximize the benefits and potential of these

workers. As such, the researcher highly recommends that the client company does it part

by ensuring that their outsourced employees are not discriminated nor treated merely as

cogs in the organization.

These could be carried out through in-depth studies of the discourse and

consultations with experts such as the Human Resources practitioners. As outsourcing is a

booming industry in the Philippines, the company could also find it beneficial to seek the

professional opinions of researchers or scholars in the field of business management. The

formulation of comprehensive communication plan for the proposed immersion program,

may prove beneficial for the organization, the outsourced employees, and the client

E B L A C A S | 110

company as a whole. It can also be used for the improvement of internal communication, in

general.

To further studies

After analyzing the results, the researcher forwards five (5) recommendations for the

undertaking of future studies of this nature. First, the findings may be enriched through an

enhancement of research design. A different research design may yield results that have

more reliability and external validity as it is open to quantitative comparisons of pertinent

variables that were not thoroughly explored in the study.

Second, the researcher encourages that companies of this nature that shall serve as

the site of research for future studies increase their sample to a minimum of 50 individuals

(N=50). The key informants should also be increased to 15 as this would yield more

substantial results. This larger and more diverse population may allow the use of a more

complex statistical method that could explain further the effects of the moderating variable

that was not expounded in the study.

Third, the study can be improved by measuring the immersion level of the employees

or at least set a baseline (85% immersed) that shall serve as the foundation for the

quantitative part of the study. This would entail a much reliable and stronger statistical basis

for the correlation between immersion and job satisfaction. Moreover, the interview

questions used could also be enhanced by

Fourth, the length of time working for the company that outsource can be used as a

vital variable in the analysis of the data. Instead of just being part of the descriptive statistics

needed to support study, it can be an avenue to generate substantial information for

researches of this nature.

E B L A C A S | 111

Fifth and lastly, the researcher recommends the conducting of future studies of this

nature in other major industries in the country like manpower service companies, security

agencies, information technology, computer manufacturing, and logistics. This is to ensure

that 1) further studies could account for a much reliable result; and 2) the population, while

relatively more diverse and larger, could be said to represent today’s workforce.

E B L A C A S | 112

REFERENCES

Abebe, D., Elmuti, D., & Grunewald, J., (n.d.). Consequences of Outsourcing Strategies on

Employee Quality of Work Life, Attitudes, and Performance. Retrieved November 12,

2015 from http://www.izt.uam.mx/sotraem/Bibliografia/Elmuticonsequences.pdf

Adulwaihi, A. (2013). The Influence Of Organisational Culture On Job Satisfaction,

Organisational Commitment And Turnover Intention: A Study On The Banking Sector

In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia. Retrieved November 29, 2015 from

http://vuir.vu.edu.au/22019/1/Abdullah%20Aldhuwaihi.pdf

Adoyo, P., Ochieng, I., & Oima, D. (2014). Influence of Socialization on Commitment ad

Identification of Outsourced Employees in Companies Listed at the Narobi Securities

Exchange – Kenya. Retrieved November 19, 2015 from

http://www.ijern.com/journal/May-2014/20.pdf

Amjad, Z., Ilyas, M., Sabri, P. (2011). Organizational Culture and Its Impact on the Job

Satisfaction of the University Teachers of Lahore. Retrieved November 12, 2015 from

http://ijbssnet.com/journals/Vol_2_No_24_Special_Issue_December_2011/13.pdf

Bardhan, A. & Kroll, C. (2003). The New Wave of Outsourcing. Retrieved September 17,

2015 from http://sandovalhernandezj.people.cofc.edu/index_files/egl_32.pdf

Bauer, T., Perrot S., & Roussel P. (2012). Organizational socialization tactics: Determining

the relative impact of context, content, and social tactics. Retrieved November 23,

2015 from https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00743179/document

Beares, M. (2010). Top Outsourcing Countries. Retrieved August 26, 2015 from

https://clutch.co/outsourcing-location/india

Bhide, A. (2004). Missing the True Significance of Outsourcing. Retrieved August 23, 2015

from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB108794373176844610

E B L A C A S | 113

Cameron, K., & Quinn, R. (2010). Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument.

Retrieved November 30, 2015 from

http://my.ilstu.edu/~llipper/com435/survey_ocai_culture.pdf

Cantrell, S., Tambe, H., & Silverstone Y. (2015). In Accenture: The Rise of Extended

Workforce. Retrieved September 15, 2015 from https://www.accenture.com/us-en/

Corbett, M. (2004). The Outsourcing Revolution: Why It Makes Sense and How to Do it

Right. Retrieved August 22, 2015 from

http://www.economist.com/media/globalexecutive/outsourcing_revolution_e_02.pdf

Dad, A. & Iqbal, Z. (2013), Outsourcing: A Review of Trends, Winners & Losers and Future

Directions. Retrieved September 14, 2015 from

http://ijbssnet.com/journals/Vol_4_No_8_Special_Issue_July_2013/9.pdf

Delobbe, N. & Haccoun, R. (n.d.). Measuring Core Dimensions of Organizational Culture: A

Review of Research and Development of a New Instrument. Retrieved September

16, 2015 from

https://www.uclouvain.be/cps/ucl/doc/iag/documents/WP_53_Delobbe.pdf

DeLoria, J. (2001). A Comparative Study Of Employee Commitment: Core And Contract

Employees in Federal Agency. Retrieved September 15, 2015 from

http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-10212001-

152609/unrestricted/dissdf8.pdf

Deloitte & Touche LLP. (2012). Outsourcing, today and tomorrow: Insights from Deloitte’s

2012 global outsourcing and insourcing survey. Retrieved August 20, 2015 from

http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/de/Documents/human-

capital/outsourcing-today-and-tomorrow.pdf

Fast Pitch (n.d). Retrieved November 29, 2015 from

http://fastpitchwoody0.tripod.com/theories_of_motivation1.htm

E B L A C A S | 114

Gani, M., Ismail, R., Mapparenta, A., Sinring, B. (2015) Factors Influencing Job

Satisfaction: A Conceptual Framework. Retrieved November 12, 2015 from

http://www.ijhssi.org/papers/v4(5)/Version-1/D0451028031.pdf

Harper, P. (2003). Use Your Organization’s Reality to Maximize Strategic Outsourcing.

Retrieved August 24, 2015 from http://businessadvance.com/articles/self-sabotage/

Hillary, M. K. (2013).Outsourcing to India: The Offshore Advantage. Retrieved August 25,

2015 from

https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=DjDwCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA108&dq=state+of

+outsourcing+in+India&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBWoVChMIxcSJmpfLxwIVh

TmICh2ZJgBk#v=onepage&q=state%20of%20outsourcing%20in%20India&f=false

Joint Foreign Chamber of the Philippines. (2012). BPO. Retrieved November 12, 2015

from: http://www.investphilippines.info/arangkada/seven-winners/business-process-

outsourcing/background-bpo/

Kakabadse, A. & Kakabadse, N. (2005). Outsourcing: Current and Future Trends.

Retrieved September 15, 2015 from

http://www.researchgate.net/publication/227659911_Outsourcing_Current_and_Futu

re_Trends

Kalamu, P. (2009). Challenges of Outsourcing Strategy By Mobile Phone Operators In

Kenya Retrieved September 16, 2015 from

http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/11295/12742/Challenges%20of%20o

utsourcing%20strategy%20by%20mobile%20phone%20operators%20in%20Kenya?

sequence=4

Kessler, I., Shapiro, J.C. & Purcell, J. (1999). Outsourcing and the employee perspective.

Human Resource Management Journal, 9(2), 5-20

Khalida, E., Hossam, M., & Truong, Q. (2010). The Relationship between Employee

Perceptions of Equity and Job Satisfaction in the Egyptian Private Universities.

http://ejbe.org/EJBE2010Vol03No05p135KHALIFA-TRUONG.pdf

E B L A C A S | 115

Lee, D. (2005). Successful Onboarding: How to Get Your New Employees Started Off

Right. Retrieved September 22, 2015 from

http://www.humannatureatwork.com/SuccessfulOnboarding.pdf

Manabat, S. (2011). The Philippines – Outsourcing’s New Destination.

Retrieved August 25, 2015 from

https://www.kpmg.com/PH/en/PHConnect/ArticlesandPublications/Documents

/The%20 Philippines-%20Outsourcing's%20new%20destination-

%20Guide%20for%20Businessmen%20and%20Investors%202011-

2012%20Digital%20Edition.pdf

Marvin, K. T. (2011). Global Trends in Outsourcing and their Impact (Unpublished

undergraduate thesis). Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Retrieved August 24, 2015

from https://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-042711-

161931/unrestricted/MarvinIQP.pdf

Maynard, A. (n.d.), Outsourcing 101. Retrieved September 17, 2015 from

http://www.reliabilityweb.com/art04/outsourcing_101_1.htm

Medina, G. & Remulla, M. (2012). Measuring the Contribution to the Philippine Economy of

Information Technology-Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) Services. Retrieved

August 20, 2015 frohttp://www.bsp.gov.ph/downloads/publications/2012/BS2012.pdf

Nag, B. (2004). Business Process Outsourcing: Impact and Implications. Retrieved

September 17, 2015 from

https://www.academia.edu/298424/Business_Process_Outsourcing_Impact_and_Im

plications

Nanjundeswaraswamy, T., Rashmi, S., & Swamy, D. (2015) Quality of Work Life: Scale and

Validation. Retrieved November 30, 2015 from

www.internationaljournalofcaringsciences.org

E B L A C A S | 116

O’Riordan, A. & Sweeney, E. (2006). Outsourcing in Ireland: A literature review, survey and

case study perspective. Retrieved September 18, 2015 from

http://arrow.dit.ie/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1017&context=nitlcon

Pearlstein, S. (2012). Outsourcing: What’s the True Impact? Retrieved August 22,

2015 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/outsourcings-net-

effect-on-us-jobs-still-an-open-ended-question/2012/07/01/gJQAs1szGW_story.html

Rieger, H., Roodt, G. & Sempane, M. (2002). Job Satisfaction in Relation to Organizational

Culture.Retrieved November 18, 2015 from

https://ujdigispace.uj.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10210/1059/job%20satisfaction%20in%

20relation%20to%20organisational%20culture.pdf?sequence=1

Riley, S. (2005). Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of Motivation Applied to the Motivational

Techniques within Financial Institutions. Retrieved November 7, 2015 from

http://commons.emich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1118&context=honors

Schein, E. (1984). Organizational Culture & Leadership. Retrieved November 27, 2015

from

http://elibrary.kiu.ac.ug:8080/jspui/bitstream/1/484/1/Organizational_Culture_and_Le

adership,_3rd_Edition.pdf

Schillen, S. & Steinke, G. (n.d). Mitigating the Adversity of Outsourcing: Outsourcing from

the Employee’s Perspective. Retrieved September 21, 2015

from http://www.iima.org/index.php?option=com_phocadownload&view=category&do

wnload=319:mitigating-the-adversity-of-outsourcing-outsourcing-from-the-employee-

s-perspective&id=55:2011-volume-11-issue-1&Itemid=68.

Shodhganga (n.d.). Chapter - II Conceptual Framework of Job Satisfaction And Review Of

Literature. Retrieved November 29, 2015 from

http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/20919/7/07_chapter%202.pdf

E B L A C A S | 117

Sriwongwanna, J. (2009). Understanding the Impact of Outsourcing Human Resource

Activities on Employee Attitude and Behaviors. Retrieved September 22, 2015 from

http://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/11233514.pdf

Tedlie, L. (2009). The New Hire Experience when Onboarding in an Outsourced Recruiting

Environment. Retrieved September 24, 2015 from

http://www2.uwstout.edu/content/lib/thesis/2009/2009tedliel.pdf

Tinselboer, K. (2005). The Present and Future of Outsourcing: Theory Meets Practice.

Retrieved November 12, 2015 from

http://referaat.cs.utwente.nl/conference/3/paper/7109/the-present-and-future-of-

outsourcing-theory-meets-practice.pdf

Tompkins (2007). Outsourcing And E Learning Development Information Technology

Essay. Retrieved September 16, 2015 from

http://www.ukessays.com/essays/information-technology/outsourcing-and-e-learning-

development-information-technology-essay.php#ixzz3mvL8e6FN

Vagadia, B. (2007). Outsourcing to India – A Legal Handbook. Retrieved August 25, 2015

from

https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=YvZOD39BVHwC&pg=PA7&dq=outsourcing+

in+India&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAWoVChMIuJqlwpfLxwIVBpeICh36XQE0#

v=onepage&q=outsourcing%20in%20India&f=false

E B L A C A S | 118

APPENDIX A

SURVEY INSTRUMENT

Good day! I am Marwell Leigh B. Eblacas, 4th year BA Organizational Communication student from the University of the Philippines Manila. As part of the completion of our final requirement, I am currently working on my thesis which aims to seek if immersion into a corporate culture of an outsourced worker affects his or her job satisfaction. It would be of great help to the accomplishment of my study if you answer this survey completely and honestly.

Rest assured that all information that you shall provide in this survey will be treated with utmost confidentiality and will be used for academic purposes only. Thank you very much!

Should you have additional concerns and inquiries, you may reach me at mbeblacas@up.edu.ph or 0915-652-3327. For questions about the study, please contact my adviser, Prof Chadwick Co SY SU at 0915-855-0685 or ccsysu@up.edu.ph

Legend: * - required

Name*: __________________________________________ Sex: _____________

Age*:_______________ Mobile number*: ______________________________ E-mail address: ________________________________

No. of months/years in the profession*: _____ No. of mos./yrs. working for Company X*: ____

Educational attainment (please check applicable)* ( ) Elementary graduate ( ) High school diploma ( ) Vocational ( ) College graduate Marital Status (please check applicable)* ( ) Single ( ) Married ( ) Widow/er ( ) Separated I live*….. ( ) alone ( ) with wife /husband and children ( ) with wife/ husband & children and with extended family (relatives/ siblings/parents) ( ) Others please specify: ___________

E B L A C A S | 119

A. Level of Immersion In this section, I would like to gain information on how well or how deep in level you have adjusted to the company’s corporate culture. I would also like to know your assessment of the organization you are working in. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1- Strongly Disagree (SD) *Please note that the term immersion refers to the process through which you learn and adapt to the norms and expectations of the organization to gain satisfaction in your jobs.

STATEMENTS

SA

A

D

SD

1. The organization is a very personal place. It is like an extended family. People seem to share a lot of themselves

2. The goals of this organization are clearly stated.

3. This organization’s leaders effectively help fulfill our goals

4. The organization is very results oriented. A major concern is with getting the job done. People are very competitive and achievement oriented.

5. The organization is a very controlled and structured place. Formal procedures generally govern what people do.

6. The leadership in the organization is generally considered to exemplify mentoring, facilitating, or nurturing

7. The leadership in the organization is generally considered to exemplify a no-nonsense, aggressive, results-oriented focus

8. The leadership in the organization is generally considered to exemplify coordinating, organizing, or smooth-running efficiency

E B L A C A S | 120

9. The management style in the organization is characterized by teamwork, consensus, and participation.

10. The management style in the organization is characterized by individual risk-taking, innovation, freedom, and uniqueness

11. The management style in the organization is characterized by security of employment, conformity, predictability, and stability in relationships.

12. The glue that holds the organization together is loyalty and mutual trust. Commitment to this organization runs high.

13. The glue that holds the organization together is commitment to innovation and development. There is an emphasis on being on the cutting edge

14. The glue that holds the organization together is the emphasis on achievement and goal accomplishment. Aggressiveness and winning are common themes

15. The glue that holds the organization together is formal rules and policies. Maintaining a smooth-running organization is important.

16. The organization emphasizes human development. High trust, openness, and participation persist.

17. The organization emphasizes acquiring new resources and creating new challenges. Trying new things and prospecting for opportunities are valued.

18. The organization emphasizes competitive actions and achievement. Hitting stretch targets and winning in the marketplace are dominant.

19. The organization emphasizes permanence and stability. Efficiency, control and smooth operations are important

20. The organization defines success on the basis of the development of

E B L A C A S | 121

human resources, teamwork, employee commitment, and concern for people.

21. The organization defines success on the basis of having the most unique or newest products. It is a product leader and innovator

22. The organization defines success on the basis of winning in the marketplace and outpacing the competition. Competitive market leadership is key.

23. The organization defines success on the basis of efficiency. Dependable delivery, smooth scheduling and low-cost production are critical.

B. Reasons for Immersion In this section, I would like to gain information on what are the reasons behind your immersion into the company’s corporate culture. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1- Strongly Disagree (SD) *Please note that the term immersion refers to the process through which you learn and adapt to the norms and expectations of the organization to gain satisfaction in your jobs.

STATEMENTS

SA

A

D

SD

24. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in to feel connected with my boss or supervisor

25. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in to feel connected with my co-workers

26. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because I want to feel acquainted with how they do things here

27. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it

E B L A C A S | 122

gives me a sense of purpose (i.e. to work harder, work smarter)

28. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it helps me accomplish my personal, professional, and organizational goals

29. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it makes me feel satisfied with my job

30. I immerse into the corporate culture of the company I work in because it eradicates the notion of outsourced workers being outsiders

C. Perceived Importance for Immersion In this section, I would like to gain information on your perception of immersion’s importance and how it is related to job satisfaction. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1- Strongly Disagree (SD) *Please note that the term immersion refers to the process through which you learn and adapt to the norms and expectations of the organization to gain satisfaction in your jobs.

STATEMENTS

SA

A

D

SD

31. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel productive

32. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in gives me a sense of belonging

33. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel empowered

34. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel satisfied with my job

35. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel that my work and contributions are valued

E B L A C A S | 123

36. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel comfortable

37. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to work well

38. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel connected with the organization’s mission, vision, and goals

39. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to have a healthy relationship with my co-workers and supervisors

40. Immersion into the corporate culture of the company I work in allows me to feel satisfied with my job

D. Metric for Job Satisfaction: Relationship with Supervisor In this section, I would like to gain information on your perception with your relationship with your supervisor and how this affects job satisfaction. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1-Strongly Disagree (SD)

*Please note that Relationship with Supervisor refers to the demonstration of positive relationship with your supervisor through display of cooperation, camaraderie, and open communication

STATEMENTS

SA

A

D

SD

41. My supervisor regularly lets me know what is expected of me in doing my job effectively.

42. My supervisor is approachable. S/he guides me on how I go on about my job

43. I get along well with my supervisor

44. My supervisor gives me the individual help and support I need to do my job effectively

45. Both I and my supervisor respect each other’s opinions.

E B L A C A S | 124

46. My work relationship with my supervisor is a factor of my satisfaction in my current job

E. Metric for Job Satisfaction: Relationship with Co-Workers In this section, I would like to gain information on your perception with your relationship with your co-workers and how this affects job satisfaction. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1-Strongly Disagree (SD) *Please note that Relationship with Co-Workers refers to the demonstration of positive relationship with your co-workers through display of cooperation, camaraderie, and open communication

STATEMENTS

SA

A

D

SD

47. My co-workers are very approachable.

48. My co-workers don’t treat me as an outsider even if I am an outsourced employee

49. My co-workers and I share the same interests, personal values, and beliefs

50. I rarely have conflicts with my co-workers

51. Both I and my co-workers and I respect each other’s opinions.

52. I have interactions with my co-workers even outside of work (e.g. going to parties)

53. My co-workers do his/her best in helping me cope with the company’s corporate culture

54. My co-workers and I can talk about anything (e.g. anything outside of work)

55. My work relationship with my co-workers is a factor of my satisfaction in my current job

E B L A C A S | 125

F. Metric for Job Satisfaction: Quality of Work Life

In this section, I would like to gain information on the quality of your work life in the company you work in. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1-Strongly Disagree (SD)

*Please note that Quality of Work Life refers to the perceived favorableness or unfavorableness of job environment, and how you view the people, culture, and the organization as a whole

STATEMENTS

SA

A

D

SD

56. The organization offers me opportunities to grow and learn new skills

57. I am given a lot of work empowerment to decide about my own style and pace of work.

58. People have an equal chance to get ahead in this organization regardless of sex, age, religion, racial or ethnic background, or other factors not related to their work performance

59. I believe the work I am assigned to do makes good use of my knowledge and skills.

60. This organization operates according to honest, ethical business values

G. Metric for Job Satisfaction: Conditions of Work In this section, I would like to gain information how work conditions affect your job satisfaction. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1-Strongly Disagree (SD)

*Please note that Conditions of Work refer to presence of adequate working equipment, respect for subordinates and supervisors; safe working conditions, approachable and helpful supervisor and co-workers

E B L A C A S | 126

STATEMENTS

SA

A

D

SD

61. My company work environment is good and highly motivating

62. My company offers sufficient opportunities to develop my own abilities

63. I am given a lot of work empowerment to decide about my own style and pace of work.

64. There are much defined channels for information exchange and transfer.

65. Conditions on my job allow me to be as productive as I could be

H. Metric for Job Satisfaction: Remuneration and Rewards In this section, I would like to gain information on how remuneration and rewards affect your satisfaction in your job. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1-Strongly Disagree (SD)

*Please note that Remuneration and Rewards refer to monetary and nonmonetary

rewards and other benefits received by an outsourced employee, if any.

STATEMENTS

SA

A

D

SD

66. I feel that I am given an adequate and fair compensation for the work I do

67. The company I work in does a good job of linking rewards to job performance

68. When I do my job well, I am rewarded by my supervisor

69. I feel that I deserve the rewards I receive, may it be monetary or nonmonetary

70. The rewards I receive contribute to my satisfaction in doing my job

E B L A C A S | 127

I. Metric for Job Satisfaction: Professionalism In this section, I would like to gain information on your perception with your relationship with your supervisor. For the succeeding items, please choose from the following: 4- Strongly Agree (SA) 3- Agree (A) 2- Disagree (D) 1-Strongly Disagree (SD) *Please note that Professionalism refers to the observance and compliance to policies, regulations, and procedures of the company; interest in own professional growth, immersion to the company’s organizational culture, engagement in activities which promote professional growth, wearing of prescribed uniforms, embodiment of the vision, philosophy, and mission of the company

STATEMENTS

SA

A

D

SD

71. There is cooperation among all the

departments for achieving the goals.

72. I am proud to be working for my present Company because it is at par with my professional goals

73. I am discriminated on my job because I am an outsourced employee

74. The company communicates every new change that takes place and this makes my adjustment period shorter and easier

75. There is a strong sense of belongingness in my organization (can be seen in artifacts e.g. wearing of uniforms; espoused beliefs e.g. embodies the companies culture, among others)

76. I know about my companies policies, vision, mission, and philosophy

77. In my organization, people help each other learn

78. In my organization, people give open and honest feedback to each other.

79. In my organization leaders ensure that the organization’s actions are consistent with its values.

E B L A C A S | 128

80. My organization gives people control over the resources they need to accomplish their work.

81. In my organization, people give open and honest feedback to each other.

82. In my organization, whenever people state their view, they also ask what others think

E B L A C A S | 129

APPENDIX B.

INTERVIEW SCHEDULE

1) How often do you interact with your co-workers?

2) How often do you interact with your supervisor/s?

3) How did you adjust and fit in into the company’s corporate culture?

4) Describe your adjustment period on the job.

5) Did you have any difficulties adjusting? What are these?

6) How did immersion into the corporate culture affect your performance in doing your

job?

7) How did immersion into the corporate culture of Company X affect your job

satisfaction?

8) What is your personal perception of job satisfaction?

9) Do you think immersion plays a vital factor in your job satisfaction? Why or why not?

10) What are the benefits you derive from immersing into the corporate culture of the

company you are currently working in?

11) What is your perception of your company’s organizational/corporate culture?

12) How open are you to coping with the changes in the organization?

13) How applicable is the statement, “The more I immerse into the company’s corporate

culture, the more I feel satisfied with my job”? Rate it with 5 being the highest and 1

being the lowest.

14) What is your reason for immersing into your company’s corporate culture?

15) Did immersion help you change the usual notion of outsourced workers as outsiders

to becoming effective insiders who embody the company’s corporate culture?

E B L A C A S | 130

APPENDIX C.

LETTER OF REQUEST TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AND INTERVIEW

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES University of the Philippines Manila

The Health Sciences Center Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila

Telefax No. 524-6798 Trunkline No. 525-4980 loc. 102 and 104

DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND COMMUNICATION

Date Name Title Organization X Office Address of Organization X Dear Mr/Ms.: I am a graduating BA Organizational Communication student from the University of the Philippines Manila, and currently working on my thesis with the proposed title, Through the Eyes of Outsourced Workers: A Study on the Correlation Between Immersion Into the Corporate Culture of Company X and Its Effect on Job Satisfaction. This study aims to provide quantitative proofs, supplemented by the interviews, of the nature and significance of the relationship between immersion into the corporate culture of companies and job satisfaction, when it taken into the perspective of outsourced workers. In this regard, I would like to ask for your permission in obtaining your company’s participation in conducting my research. Methods will include a survey administered to 30 purposively selected employees and brief interview with five (5) key informants. These shall be carried on between February and March 2016. Rest assured that all the data gathered will be treated with utmost confidentiality and for academic purposes only.

I hope to receive your response on or before [date] given class deadlines. To discuss the arrangement further,

you may contact me at 0915-652-3327. You may also send me an email at mbeblacas@up.edu.ph. Alternatively, I can contact you on or before [date] as I understand that you have a busy schedule. Thank you very much and I look forward to your positive response. Sincerely,

Marwell Leigh B. Eblacas BA Organizational Communication University of the Philippines Manila

Noted

Chadwick Co Sy Su Assistant Professor

E B L A C A S | 131

APPENDIX D.

The SAS System

CORR Procedure Analyses

Fig. 7. Correlation Between Level of Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture to

Overall Job Satisfaction

E B L A C A S | 132

Fig. 9. Correlation Between Reasons for Immersion into the Company’s Corporate Culture to

Overall Job Satisfaction

E B L A C A S | 133

Fig.9. Correlation Between Perceived Importance of Immersion into the Company’s

Corporate Culture to Overall Job Satisfaction

E B L A C A S | 134

APPENDIX E.

SCORES AND RANKINGS FOR THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLES

Table 18. Level of Immersion

Scorers Respondent #

Lowest 2.5455 4th

highest 4.0000 26th

Medium 3.5000 2nd, 7th, 12th, 14th, 22nd

Frequency accdg to ratings %

Low 0 0

Medium 5 14.29

High 30 85.71

Table 19. Reasons for Immersion

Scorers Respondent #

Lowest 2.7143 8th

highest 4.0000 3rd, 10th, 15th, 22nd, 26th

medium 3.5714 2nd, 6th, 12th, 14th, 18th, 29th

Frequency accdg to ratings %

Low 0 0

Medium 8 22.86

High 27 77.14

Table 20. Perceived Importance Immersion

Scorers Respondent #

Lowest 2.5000 8th

Highest 4.0000 3rd, 14th, 26th, 29th

Medium 3.6000 6th, 12th, 15th, 18th, 22nd, 27th

Frequency accdg to ratings %

Low 0 0

Medium 5 14.29

High 30 85.71

E B L A C A S | 135

APPENDIX F.

Scores and Rankings for the Dependent Variables

Table 21. Relationship With Supervisor

Scorers Respondent #

Lowest 2.5000 16th

highest 4.0000 2nd, 3rd, 12th, 10th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 35th

medium 3.5000 1st, 14th, 26th, 32nd, 34th

Frequency accdg to ratings %

Low 0 0

Medium 9 25.71

High 26 74.29

Table 22. Relationship With Co-Workers

Scorers Respondent #

Lowest 2.8750 30th

Highest 4.0000 2nd, 4th, 6th , 7th, 8th, 9th, 14th, 17th, 21st, 22nd, 32nd, 35th

Medium 3.7778 12th, 24th, 26th, 28th

Frequency accdg to ratings %

Low 0 0

Medium 2 5.71

High 33 94.29

Table 23. Quality Of Work Life

Scorers Respondent #

Lowest 2.8000 4th, 15th, 34th

highest 4.0000 3rd, 6th, 7th, 8th, 14th, 23rd, 26th

medium 3.6000 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 24th, 25th, 28th

Frequency accdg to ratings %

Low 0 0

Medium 6 17.14

High 29 82.86

E B L A C A S | 136

Table 24. Conditions Of Work

Scorers Respondent #

Lowest 3.0000 1st, 3rd, 4th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 28th, 30th, 35th

Highest 4.0000 2nd, 7th, 15th, 22nd, 34th

Medium 3.4000 26th, 33rd

Frequency accdg to ratings %

Low 0 0

Medium 10 28.57

High 25 71.43

Table 25. Remuneration And Rewards

Scorers Respondent #

Lowest 2.0000 8th, 9th

Highest 4.0000 7th, 26th, 31st

Medium 3.0000 1st, 12th, 14th, 22nd, 27th, 29th

Frequency accdg to ratings %

Low 2 5.71

Medium 17 48.58

High 16 45.71

Table 26. Professionalism

Scorers Respondent #

Lowest 3.0000 1st, 22nd

highest 4.0000 12th, 26th

medium 3.5833 14th, 20th, 28th

Frequency accdg to ratings %

Low 0 0

Medium 5 14.29

High 30 85.71

E B L A C A S | 137

APPENDIX G

Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 14

Date: March 19, 2016

Interviewee Profile:

Age: 23

Has an average score on all metrics for job satisfaction

Has a moderately high score on the immersion part of the survey ________________________________________________________________________

How often do you interact with your co-workers?

I interact with my coworkers daily, especially we have the same shift. We go out for lunch, and minsan sabay-sabay din kaming umuuwi since maraming [umuuwi] near the area lang. How often do you interact with your supervisor/s?

Madalas din. Lalo na if you have questions or if one-on-one coaching session na. Nung una medyo nakakailang pa kasi you felt inferior tapos di pa sila mukhang approachable. Nung kinalaunan, okay na. Madalas na. How did you adjust and fit in into the company’s corporate culture?

My adjustment period was not toxic naman. The people here are very welcoming. Uhm, they’ll help you learn. When it comes to fitting in, we have a culture orientation bago kami isabak sa floor so I didn’t have much of a problem fitting and blending in with the company’s culture. There are struggles because you need to be accustomed to the culture here – sa culture ni client. But overall, I was able to adjust because I was very willing to immerse and learn about how they do things here.

Did you have any difficulties adjusting? What are these?

Hmm. Yung gising ka sa gabi pero tulog ka after ng shift mo hanggang maghapon. That’s a a bit of a challenge for me since it’s kind of unusual than my previous job as a department store clerk. I was so used to getting off at 8PM. Ngayon kasi, 2AM-11AM ang shifting schedule ko so gigising ako ng 11 PM or minsan dito na ako matutulog kasi may lounge kami dito, parang hotel. So after ng shift ko, tsaka palang ako makakatulog. Big adjustment yun for me. And bukod pa dito yung dapat masanay ka na you’re always on avail – meaning on the phone. Di gaya dun sa dati kong trabaho, personal interaction talaga.

E B L A C A S | 138

How did immersion into the corporate culture affect your performance in doing your job? Uhm, in terms of job performance, I’d say it has a big effect. When you know how the org works, it follows na madali na lang para sayo.. thus, you perform well. Aside from that, madali na lang yung paghandle ng task...it helps in a way that it satisfies me. Oo, there is always room for improvement eh, and they always remind us na, oo, trabaho lang’to pero every day is something new…I feel satisfied kasi sa totoo lang, kapag one-on-one caching na, yung coach ko, na TL ko din at the same time, may iniimpart na knowledge, experience, lalo na kung paano pa kami babawi sa QAs namin. For the client na rin siguro, since graded kami dito sa Pilipinas at meron din sa States. You need to grow and excel – and hinahasa naman nila ‘yun.

How did immersion into the corporate culture of Company X affect your job satisfaction? Siguro nauna muna sa performance then satisfaction. Through immersion, I have learned to level with the client’s demands. Then through that, na alam kong tama yung ginagawa ko, I can say that it did make me feel satisfied with my job here.

Does the length of time working for company X have an effect on the quality of your immersion?

My experience and yung panahon na nagtatrabaho ako para sa client are merely factors lang siguro for my immersion. Hindi talaga siya depende sa hinaba or iniksi. Para sa akin, sa isang taon ko dito, yung pag-immerse ko sa corporate culture combined efforts ko, ng mga katrabaho ko, at ng kumpanya. If you feel valued – na ramdam ko naman dito—then everything follows. And siguro dahil second call center job ko na to, in two years, mas nadadalian ako. Oo, magkakaibang kumpanya, magkakaibang corporate culture, pero para sa akin, same process – ganun lang. At, oo for me the higher the level, higher the satisfaction. I love my job maski paulit-ulit. Maganda trato sayo ng katrabaho mo, Malaki sweldo, maraming incentives. Nakakagana magtrabaho.

Can immersion function as a coping mechanism? There are some days when you feel overwhelmed by the clientele’s rules and specific policies…add the cultural barriers between you and the client then that makes it more challenging. Immersion eased it for me…I was able to cope, little by little

To what extent has immersion influenced your life in the workplace? Probably it is evident in our daily lives to the extent that it has become some sort of an unspoken rule – nobody has to tell you to do it but when you’re there…you’re on the floor, it just happens.

E B L A C A S | 139

Describe your quality of work life. Tingin ko it’s nice to know that the company makes sure that you are working in a place where you can be productive and satisfied at the same time. Oo, stressful but that’s part of every job.”

Do you feel that you are well compensated by the company? Para sa akin,maliit pa rin. Pero kapag i-cocompare mo siya sa sweldo ng ibang call center agents, it’s fairly big. May mga incentives naman. For example, sa pasko, may ham na binibigay si Client. May tablets din na pinoprovide si client, May bonuses din. Pero kung sweldo lang, maliit talaga What is your personal perception of job satisfaction?

Personal perception ko kapag I feel at home, I feel that I belong, good compensation, and basta if I feel happy despite the stress. Do you think immersion plays a vital factor in your job satisfaction? Why or why not?

Yes, sobra. It plays a vital factor since I tend to do my job well and I strive to meet the expectations set by the client. Plus, you get to adapt with the changes easily. What are the benefits you derive from immersing into the corporate culture of the company you are currently working in? Siguro sa professional benefits, marami. Example na lang is when it comes to my work ethics. I tend to align it with that of the client’s. Kay client kasi, they put a high regard for quality – both on how we treat our customers and sa calls that we make. It has a very big influence on how I do my job. Nadala ko na over time. Sa personal benefits, I could say na mas naramdaman kong part ako ng organization – na I belong. It’s both an individual and organizational effort eh. You immerse because you need to, para naman di ka loner di ba. And sa amin kasi, the client we work for helps us adapt. Hindi lang kami basta nagtatrabaho. Parte na kami ng organization.

What is your perception of your company’s organizational/corporate culture?

For me, it’s not rigid. Very relaxed, smooth flowing, despite the cultural barriers

How open are you to coping with the changes in the organization?

Very open. Dapat open. Kami rin kasi kawawa if di kam makakasabay sa changes. BPOs are like that eh – it’s all about real-time change. So as employees, we have to cope and adapt.

E B L A C A S | 140

How applicable is the statement, “The more I immerse into the company’s corporate culture, the more I feel satisfied with my job”? Rate it with 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. Para sa akin, 4/5. May mga unforeseen factors din kasi na di maiiwasan. But I do agree with the statement. And it’s always an ongoing process for me. What is your reason for immersing into your company’s corporate culture?

To learn, earn, and to grow.

Did immersion help you change the usual notion of outsourced workers as outsiders to becoming effective insiders who embody the company’s corporate culture? Yes, of course! It certainly has affected my old perception of outsourced workers as outsiders. The more you immerse, the less of this perception strikes you as true.

E B L A C A S | 141

APPENDIX H

Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 12

Date: March 22, 2016

Interviewee Profile:

Age: 19

Has the shortest time working for Company X (8 months)

Scored high in the level of immersion part of the survey

Has a high score in the metrics for job satisfaction

Youngest employee _____________________________________________________________________

How often do you interact with your co-workers?

Madalas, lalo na kapag sabay kami ng end ng shift. Gagala kami, iinom, kakain…these are the persons na tumutulong sa’yo sap ag-adjust sa org. Lalo na may mga baguhan pa sa amin, tulad ko so parang support group naming ang isa’t-isa…ineenourage namin sila.

How often do you interact with your supervisor/s?

Everyday po.

How did you adjust and fit in into the company’s corporate culture?

May culture orientation bago pa man po kami sumabak sa floor. So medyo may idea na kami, tinutulungan naman nila kami pero most of the work, kami na. Diskarte na naming. Hindi naman super hirap dahil very relaxed ang environment dito. Did you have any difficulties adjusting? What are these?

Sa shifting schedules po. Nakakapanibago po kasi kailangan madaling araw pa lang nagtatrabaho ka na. It mean adjusting physically since 8 months pa lang po ako dito. How did immersion into the corporate culture affect your performance in doing your job? It helped me work better and I was more mindful po of the cultural barriers that exist. Malaki po yung effect niya in a way na dahil alam mo na kung paano yung culture dito, madali na lang sa’yo magcope and adapt so I tend to work better. I tend to perform better.

E B L A C A S | 142

How did immersion into the corporate culture of Company X affect your job satisfaction? So far po, masasabi kong may effect pero di pa masyadong significant since baguhan pa lang po ako. Pero so far I feel very satisfied. Does the length of time working for company X have an effect on the quality of your immersion? Ay, no. For me po kasi wala talagang effect yung length. Nasa gaano ka kadalas siguro mag-effort mag-immerse. Kasi for me, 8 months on the job pero I can say na nakaadapt na ako sa culture ng company – pero syempre ongoing process pa rin. With regard sa the higher the level, the higher the job satisfaction, para sa akin, oo. Mas satisfied ako kapag alam kong alam ko how the way things are in the organization. Simpleng goals and objectives, pag-observe sa rules, pagsunod sa instruction ng TL mo, that it in itself for me is immersion. And yes, tumataas job satisfaction. Pero sa ngayon, since 8 months pa lang ako, di pa siya ganun kataas. Alam kong may itataas pa. Depende yan eh

To what extent has immersion influenced your life in the workplace?

For me, the extent of influence, nakikita mo yun na parang natural na lang na gawin mo. Parang despite the cultural barrier, you immerse kasi para sa’yo din. Importante yun, lalo na project-based pa lang po ako.

Describe your quality of work life. Overall, maganda. Nakakaffect siya sa trabaho namin. The client ensures naman that we feel welcomed sa company. May tiwala sila…we make sure din, at least for me, ha, na I do my job well – taasan sa QAs kasi di naman strict si client sa approach naming when we take calls – basta maresolve yung problem ng caller.

Do you feel that you are well compensated by the company? Sa amin kasi, Php 14,000 ang sweldo. Tapos may narereceive kaming incentives kapag maganda yung scores namin sa QA. Makikita mo yun after every shift, yung performance mo, yung grade mo so may idea ka. Pinakamataas na nakuha kong incentive, last November ay Php 3,000. Pero kung wala yun, maliit pa rin.

What is your personal perception of job satisfaction? Malaking sweldo, relaxed working environment, friendly and productive coworkers

E B L A C A S | 143

Do you think immersion plays a vital factor in your job satisfaction? Why or why not? Yes, kailangan po. You need to immerse yourself in unfamiliar situations, jargon, and other practices. Plus kailangan din pong mameet ang expectations ni client. “For newcomers in the BPO industry such as myself, I’d say that immersion has helped me a lot…adapt to the norms...expectations. Sa satisfaction in jobs, yes, it had a huge effect. Medyo acquainted na ako sa company culture so it’s easier. A lot easier. And I think all of the dimensions [of job satisfaction] are important. Because each requires immersing into the org culture. How would I forge healthy work relationships kung I don’t make an effort to immerse? How do I become acquainted dito sa company kapag I’m not aware of how they do things…oo, agree po ako sa immersion.” What are the benefits you derive from immersing into the corporate culture of the company you are currently working in? Benefits…sa pampersonal siguro I feel that I belong. Hindi na ako nahihirapan makitungo sa mga tao, sa supervisor, sa rules, sa kung how they operate… More than that, self fulfilment na rin siguro. I feel that I don’t work well if I am left out. So conscious effort rin talaga on our part – on my part, since 8 months pa lang ako dito. I know I still have a lot to learn.

What is your perception of your company’s organizational/corporate culture? Very relaxed po. Smooth-flowing ang operations.

How open are you to coping with the changes in the organization? Very open po. Kailangan po eh para makasabay sa panahon, mameet ang expectations, at syempre para maganda ang performace at in the end, masatisfy sa trabaho. I am pretty open to anything. Plus I am flexible and ready to learn new things, How applicable is the statement, “The more I immerse into the company’s corporate culture, the more I feel satisfied with my job”? Rate it with 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. I’d rate it 4/5 po. Since mag-oone year pa lang po ako, Malaki ang possibility na mag 5/5 pa yan (laughs). What is your reason for immersing into your company’s corporate culture? I want to learn more about the company I am working for. Plus I want to grow both personally and professionally din po, since this is my first call center job. Did immersion help you change the usual notion of outsourced workers as outsiders to becoming effective insiders who embody the company’s corporate culture? Yes po, sobra. It made me feel like an insider na – not the lonely outsider I was months ago!

E B L A C A S | 144

APPENDIX I

Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 26

Date: March 25, 2016

Interviewee Profile:

Age: 27

Exhibits adequate knowledge of how the workplace operates

Has the longest time working for Company X (5 years)

Has a high score in the immersion part of the survey

Has a high score in job satisfaction ________________________________________________________________________

How often do you interact with your co-workers?

On a daily basis since we work very closely with each other. Usually after shifts or in our case, pag weekends, magmo-mall, magkakaraoke. They’re more than your coworkers na rin eh. Karamay mo sila sa frustrations mo dito sa trabaho. How often do you interact with your supervisor/s?

Daily din or as much as it is needed.

How did you adjust and fit in into the company’s corporate culture?

There were core skills training and culture orientation which generally touches on the companies serviced demographics so medyo di ako nahirapan. Inintroduce din sa amin yung client-specific policies. Syempre, iba yung kay Teletech, iba yung kay client. And through constant interaction with my coworkers and gauging a feel of the environment. Describe your adjustment period on the job.

Well, first, there had to be a shift in the interaction, language levels, and tone. Dagdag mo pa na night shift ako sa trabaho so that entailed both physical and mental challenges. Did you have any difficulties adjusting? What are these?

Hmmm. Bukod siguro sa shifting schedules, there was a constant need for top-down and bilateral communication. There were cultural barriers that needed to be addressed. Wala naming malaking difference sa norms pero kailangan pa rin naming mag-adopt ng ceratin practices, matutunan yung jargon, and mameet yung demands ng clientele. May training din kami sa history, common cultural norms, tulad ng humor kapag we’re on the phone.

E B L A C A S | 145

How did immersion into the corporate culture affect your performance in doing your job?

For me, immersion helped improve my performance. I felt better that I was able to handle tasks and understand the requirements as time went by. Syempre, I had my own working style. Pero in my 5 years of experience working for this client, I learned that any working style demands compromise. For someone who has been working for five years sa workplace na 24/7/365 yung operations, dapat mas madami pang opportunities para sa mga tao…what made me stay siguro is more of a personal factor – yung tao, and yung sweldo na rin. Tenured na ako dito.

How did immersion into the corporate culture of Company X affect your job satisfaction? Hmm. Siguro it affects me in a way na it helped leverage certain frustrations and even yung mga unmet expectations that I have gone through in the past 5 years. Para sa akin kasi, understanding the corporate culture leads to a rationalization…leads to a welcoming attitude lalo na sa mga unfamiliar processes, especially with regards sa performance appraisal. Does the length of time working for company X have an effect on the quality of your immersion? Five years is a long time in call center life and I can say that I have completely immersed with the corporate culture of our client because I do it every single day. The time matters for me, its’s just that for me, I tend to be completely focused in my work rather than in my surroundings.. As for the satisfaction in my job, I can say that it fluctuates. May araw na super motivated ako, super satisfied pero parang monotonous na yung ginagawa mo. May human variable pa rin talaga yan. Walang problema sa pag-immerse sa corp culture ng client, madali na lang yun for me. Pero to sustain one’s satisfaction in their jobs, in my case, siguro depende talaga. Don’t get me wrong – I like working here. I like the people here, the environment, yung sahod…pero siguro over the years, standards changes. Natural lang naman yun sa tao, lalo na I’ve been here for 5 years. Regardless of that naman, I can honestly say na I’m familiar with the SOPs here, protocols, jargons, ganyan….mga bawal, pwede – dress code – lahat – even with my eyes closed.

To what extent has immersion influenced your life in the workplace? Immersion, well, I’ve to say it’s very important. It influences not only your disposition towards your work but also with how you interact with other people and how you do your job. It’s something that is engrave in our daily life as outsourced employees – mga ganung extent siguro, para sa akin.

Do you feel that you are well compensated by the company? For me, Malaki na yung natatanggap ko, partly siguro tenured na ako. Maraming bonuses. Tulad na lang ng medical, dental insurance, holiday pay, accident insurance – iilan lang yan.

E B L A C A S | 146

What is your personal perception of job satisfaction? Siguro I would base it on Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs na I’m sure you’re very familiar with. Pero para sa akin, I would give a lot of importance on challenge and growth kasi a lot of jobs today—they could provide for base requirements. Tulad na lang ng financial security, stability, and also, a conducive environment for both professional and personal advancement.

Do you think immersion plays a vital factor in your job satisfaction? Why or why not? Yes, oo naman. You have to immerse yourself in unfamiliar practices and situations instead of turning away based pa lang sa first impressions. Otherwise, hindi ka makakapaghanap ng ways on how to deal with unmet expectations—kung mag-aagree or disagree k aba if may certain points that you find unsatisfactory, and also, to be in a place to maybe effect `changes in those points, kailangan mong intindihin kung ano ng amneabke and kung ano ang hindi and yung reason behind those. And medyo agree ako sa binigay mong reasons for immersion because and endgame niya for me is satisfaction, nonetheless. You belong, you identify yourself with the group, you socialize, you become productive…and you feel fulfilled if you immerse – yes, in my case kuha mo siya. Siguro immersion impacts job satisfaction by becoming itself the end. Gets ba? I mean, ako for example, I immerse sa corporate culture ng company kasi it gives me the satisfaction I need to go about the daily volume of calls – which is 120, on average. Dami ‘di ba? Alam ko naman yung reason bat ako nandito and dahil siguro yun so effort ko na maging part ng organization – di madali yun ha. Pero so far, masasabi ko Malaki ang impact. Super.

What are the benefits you derive from immersing into the corporate culture of the company you are currently working in? Para sa akin, it helped me touch base with the clientele. Yung tipong you can bring language down to service level or adapt accordingly sa higher levels of management. Sa BPOs kasi, you always have two employers – the outsourced company and the serviced clients. Yung Serviced clients, they have an external public, so basically, we have three publics to deal with. What is your perception of your company’s organizational/corporate culture? Very relaxed. Mayroon kasi kaming open door policy na tinatawag. Yung Admin offices..wala actually na offices, cubicles lang…nasa same level as all the employees in the production floor. So ineencourage talaga ang open communication. Bukod pa dun, may weekly business reviews, sessions and huddles, open forums, tapos weekly scheduled meetings. How open are you to coping with the changes in the organization?

Very, very open. I’d rate it a 10/10. Ang BPOs kasi deals with real-time adaptability dahil sa time zones between sa serviced client or client’s public at sa local employer. Dapat very open talaga. Yan yung nature ng trabaho eh!

E B L A C A S | 147

How applicable is the statement, “The more I immerse into the company’s corporate culture, the more I feel satisfied with my job”? Rate it with 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. Hmm. I’d say 4/5. Kasi may certain parts ang cultural sphere na we..na I can always disagree with, mapaforeign or native man yung corporate environment. What is your reason for immersing into your company’s corporate culture?

Bukod sa professional needs, syempre personal growth, satisfaction sa trabaho, and learning new things. Why is there a need to immerse into the corporate culture of organizations?

In order to understanding how things are done here, how the system operates, you need to immerse into the culture, the affairs of the organization. Why? It’s because of things: First, to learn. Second, to work better and feel satisfied…that’s how I see it.

Did immersion help you change the usual notion of outsourced workers as outsiders to becoming effective insiders who embody the company’s corporate culture?

Yes, definitely! It betrays you as an outsourced worker – which is something not a lot of clientele approve of – as an outsider. Para sa akin kasi, the more immersed you are with the culture affects performance and consequently recognition – thus, ripple effect, it affects appraisal and career growth and therefore, job satisfaction.

E B L A C A S | 148

APPENDIX J

Transcription of Interview: Respondent # 22

Date: March 27, 2016

Interviewee Profile:

Age: 38

Has an average score on Immersion

Has an average score on all metrics for job satisfaction

Oldest employee ________________________________________________________________________

How often do you interact with your co-workers?

A lot. Team lunch and team buildings are prevalent in the organization. We interact a lot since team stations are well established, and teammates are literally one step away from each other. How often do you interact with your supervisor/s?

Kung interaction by formal interaction like coaching [which is part of MTD (month-to-date) process, perhaps twice per working week is a must. Pero if its informal interaction like team lunches, yosi sessions, depends sa TL (jargon for team leader, or supervisor. There are tls na madaling lapitan, some are not. But generally in this company, i find TLs more involved in administrative tasks rather than managing teams unlike other companies ive work with.

How did you adjust and fit in into the company’s corporate culture?

I believe I adjusted from a formal work attitude to a casual one. I've worked with companies invested in formal relationship, and I can differentiate what we have here compared sa dati. The company culture is invested more in interpersonal relationship between agents and the company itself (Ironically, ni-uutilize sana ni company ang TLs to foster interpersonal relationship, pero I believe hindi) Describe your adjustment period on the job.

On the job itself, it is a baptism in fire. I found it hard since the account has more complicated security measures on its clients, and nahirapan akong mag-adjust dun. I seldom forgot some security measures, and even now nag-sslip padin ako to some guidelines.

E B L A C A S | 149

Did you have any difficulties adjusting? Here kasi, they are more invested in quality of calls rather than getting customer satisfaction. **One possible reason is Company X is catering into middle-class and above people in US, therefore assuring quality calls is the main thrust of its service. Also, nook devices are more of a luxury rather than a necessity, unlike financial services and internet service providers How did immersion into the corporate culture affect your performance in doing your job? A lot. Since mejo informal nga dito, mas feel at home ang mga employees sa job nila, and they can work with utmost comfort. But placing a relatively high metrics served as a counterbalance sa mga agents. There are days when you feel like you’re doing the same thing over and over and over again – and that makes you frustrated. Parang routine siya: Gising ka ng 11PM, biyahe ka for one hour, tapos you wait para magstart yung shift mo – medyo ganun pero regardless of that, there are wide arrays of opportunities na inooffer ng org—ni client. If mataas score mo sa QA…ang passing kasi sa amin 92%, it lets me work better, improve more…for me, ganun lang naman yun. Tapos kung cross-skilled ka pa, e ‘di advantage mo din yun.

How did immersion into the corporate culture of Company X affect your job satisfaction? A lot, din. It is a chain reaction. If you like your job and you are satisfied, you will perform well. Can immersion function as a coping mechanism? This is the third BPO Company I have worked in. I’ve been in the business since 2008. Every organization has a different culture and sometimes you can’t help but mix it all up. So, yes. Immersing became my coping mechanism…it made things easier, but it’s not something that just happens. You have to make it happen

To what extent has immersion influenced your life in the workplace? The extent of influence is evident sa pagiging satisfied ko sa trabaho ko. So far, so good. Yun yung maganda dito kay Client, it’s not awkward despite the different cultures

Describe your quality of work life. Simple lang yan for me e. If you are able to work well – walang masyadong problema sa trabaho, sa tao, sa environment, sa culture nga, gaya ng sabi mo, mataas ang quality ng work life. Para sa akin, ha. Di naman kasi complicated dito eh, basta alam mo yung ginagawa m. Basta nakikinig ka sa TL mo, basta mahal mo trabaho mo.

E B L A C A S | 150

Does immersion allow you to be productive?

Oo, very productive ako. Nakakamotivate yung taong katrabaho mo. Ganito kasi kay client – you pull each other up. If you have bad calls, let it go. If your coworkers have bad calls, be a friend, ganun turo sa amin. Hindi naman very strict yung setting – yung culture kaya hindi ako nahirapan mag-immerse. And provided din naman lahat ng kailangan naming malaman and it’s not that hard to follow their rules.

Is there a lack of professionalism in your workplace?

Wala pa naman akong nawitness kung saan naging problema sa workplace ang lack of professionalism. We respect each other, regardless kung senior namin sila or not.Yes, may cultural boundaries, personal and organizational but we strive to work it out…di siya issue for me.

What is your personal perception of job satisfaction?

When it suffice the following: (1) Home-like environment and (2) Good compensation. Do you think immersion plays a vital factor in your job satisfaction? Why or why not?

Yes. And mas friendly ang environment, you will feel like having fun while earning money. Pero “Depende pa rin sa bawat tao, syempre. For me, I agree na needed yung dimensions since, essentially, you do all these to identify yourself as someone who works for the company. Partida, we are outsourced so immersion, yan…kelangan talaga yan.

What are the benefits you derive from immersing into the corporate culture of the company you are currently working in? More support in the job, of course. We badly need support, since we encounter different cases every day. And of course, the feeling of belongingness in the work circle is major driving force to immerse yourself in the culture. Actually, kahit naman hindi mo pilitin, you will embrace the heat of the environment while working on it, and Ive never encountered anyone na hindi naging belong here. Siguro sa professional benefits, marami. Example na lang is when it comes to my work ethics. I tend to align it with that of the client’s. Kay client kasi, they put a high regard for quality – both on how we treat our customers and sa calls that we make. It has a very big influence on how I do my job. Nadala ko na over time. Sa personal benefits, I could say na mas naramdaman kong part ako ng organization – na I belong. It’s both an individual and organizational effort eh. You immerse because you need to, para naman di ka loner di ba. And sa amin kasi, the client we work for helps us adapt. Hindi lang kami basta nagtatrabaho. Parte na kami ng organization.

How open are you to coping with the changes in the organization?

I am really open, may it be a positive or a negative change. Changing environment means its culture is adopting to modes of the people na nagpapagalaw dito, putting balance on a

E B L A C A S | 151

negative and postive changes. And also, change is inevitable with a fast-paced company with fast-changing employees. How applicable is the statement, “The more I immerse into the company’s corporate culture, the more I feel satisfied with my job”? Rate it with 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest.

3 . Of course there’s negative sides of this culture that I am not really okay in dealing with. But since a lot are doing it, it is hard to keep yourself away from the norm. Example: If we are on avail (jargon sa bpos, which means walang tumatawag na customer) company will give EB (Extrabreak) or EL (extralunch) that are unpaid (basically, you will lose 100+ pesos in an hour that you will not work). Most of agents will take it, and if your circle will take it, they will force you to take it, too. And of course mahihiya ka sakanila, you will take it then. I am against it, but what can I do. Yan sometimes yung negative.

What is your reason for immersing into your company’s corporate culture?

Matututo and to grow both personally and professionally.

Why is there a need to immerse into the corporate culture of organizations?

Basically, it’s needed because it helps life easier for us outsourced workers. Lalo na our client is from the US, the rules there apply to us here. May dress code sa mother company sa US so dito sa branch sa Pilipinas ganun din. Hindi naman ganun kastrict si client, unlike sa Verizon or Amazon. Pero we need to immerse – we need to adapt not just for our sake pero for the client na rin para productive ako, para naman naipapakita kong I am doing my part.

Did immersion help you change the usual notion of outsourced workers as outsiders to becoming effective insiders who embody the company’s corporate culture? Definitely, yes. Immersion has done me good. Bukod pa diyan, I’d say it help me grow as a person, both sa personally and professionally…pati na rin maturity sa workplace.