Surveying the Relationship between Quality of Professional Life and
International Journal of Basic Sciences & Applied Research. Vol., 4 (2), 133-138, 2015 Available online at http://www.isicenter.org ISSN 2147-3749 ©2015 Surveying the Relationship between Quality of Professional Life and Organizational Trust Hassan Bagheri Nia1*, Taiba Nooradi2, Ali Rahimi3, Fariba Bagheri Nia4 1 Ph.D in Education, Faculty Member of Hakim Sabzevari University MA in Counseling, Consulting Psychologist at Esfarayen University of Technology 3 MA in Counseling, Consulting Psychologist at Esfarayen University of Technology 4 MA in IT management, Teaching Assistants at Islamic Azad University, Esfarayen Branch 2 * Corresponding Author Email: [email protected] Abstract Determining behavioral patterns of employees and the pertinent factors in employees’ occupational attitude help us notably to determine the extent to which an organizational can be successful. The present study is a survey of the relationship between quality of professional life and organizational trust among employees of Bojnord City Municipality (2013). The study was conducted as a descriptive-correlative work. Study population was comprised of all employees of Bojnord Municipality (permanent and contractual employees in 2013; n = 170). Based on Morgan and Krejecie’s table and random sampling, 120 employees were selected as sample group. The results showed significant and positive relationship between the elements of quality of professional life (adequate bonus, healthy and safe work condition, opportunity to develop talents, rule of law, growth opportunity, social solidarity, and social relationship of professional life) and organizational trust. Keywords: Quality of professional life, Organizational trust, Municipality. Introduction Many scholars believe that poor quality of professional life contributes greatly in distrust and low quality of product and services. Despite the traditional trend of focusing on personal life, recently, the concept of professional life has drawn great deal of attention. Ensuring quality of professional life is one of the best ways to attract, recruit, and keep talented employees, and consequently, improving performance of the organization. Keeping the working environment satisfactory to the eyes of the employees is one of the necessities of doing business by an organization. Proper work environment, also known as quality of professional life, boosts motivation and satisfaction of the employees and leads them to work harder and more efficiently. Additionally, several studies have shown that quality of professional life has notable effects on organizational identity, professional satisfaction, professional engagement, professional performance, and number of employees that leave the job, nervous pressure, absence from work, and other professional attitudes (Moshabak, 2001). Quality professional life highlights specific type of organizational culture and management style that convey the sense of autonomy, responsiveness, self-dignity, and ownership among the employees. Two general concepts are recognizable in this concept: first, quality of professional life refers to a set of results obtained by employees such as professional satisfaction, promotion opportunity, professional security, and psychological satisfaction, humanistic relationship with employer and employees, and lower rate of work accidents. Second, quality of professional life refers to a set of works or organizational performance such as common management, job enrichment, and realization of reliable work environment. Professional life programs, in this regard, can be taken as a human resources (HRs) management featured with higher performances of professional life, improvement of professional life quality, and improvement of performance in the organization. The figure below illustrates participation of the employees that leads to increase and satisfaction of their needs as a result of improvement of professional life quality. 133 Intl. J. Basic. Sci. Appl. Res. Vol., 4(2), 133-138, 2015 Employee’s satisfaction and welfare Attracting and keeping Improvement of professional life quality Participation of employees Improvement of performance Improvement of capabilities and skills Higher motiva tion Improvement of communication and coordination Figure 1. Participation of employee and quality of professional life. Professional life quality programs encourage the employee to cooperate with the management in making decision regarding issues and opportunities of work environment, which eventuates in higher organizational effectiveness, satisfaction, commitment, and performance. Granting authority to the employee and adopting cooperative management styles can be helpful in building trust among the employee (Jozei, 1996). Increase of trust within the organization leads to improvement of performance and welfare of the employees. Surely, employees and people in broader sense observer the managements and leaders’ measures and make judgment about them based on their deeds. On the other hand, employees barely know about challenges and problems in the way of doing fruitful measures by the management, while they keep demanding fast solutions for their problems. The trust between the management and employees and leaders and the public is threatened when such demands are not met. There is no need to say that expansion distrust in the organization and society leads to illegitimacy of the management and leadership. Therefore, when such situation emerges, it is the managers’ tasks to explain the situation and convince the employees about the reasons and rebuy their trust (Feghhi, 2002). One of the organizations that is directly deals with the public is municipality. It is a non-commercial and non-state organization that handles city management affairs using state and public resources. The organization is in charge of building and managing public installations, enforcing and executing urban regulation, and providing common local needs. The costs of the service are supposed to be supplied by the citizens and users of the services. Trust is a key variable to predict individuals’ reaction. When trust level in an organization and between the managers and employees is high, higher cooperation in the organization is expectable and the management makes decision with participation of the employee and more confidence about different organizational matters. Participation in making decision about the organization conveys the sense of being respected by the management (Mostafanejad, 2008). Hypothesis There is direct relationship between quality of professional life in general and its elements and organizational trust. Figure 2. Study variables. Methodology The study was carried using Pearson’s correlation method to measure the relationship between the variables. Study population was comprised of employees of municipality of North Kkorasan Province, Iran (n=107). As study 134 Intl. J. Basic. Sci. Appl. Res. Vol., 4(2), 133-138, 2015 population, 120 employees were selected through cluster random sampling method. Two questionnaires of Walton’s professional life quality inventory and Moghimi’s organizational trust inventory (designed based on Giddens) were used for collecting the data. Results Main hypothesis: there is a significant relationship between quality of professional life and organizational trust among the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Table 1. Correlation coefficients between quality of professional life and organizational trust. Quality of professional life Organizational trust The Pearson’s Correlation 0.634 Sig. 0.000 As listed in the table above (P=0.000, r = 0.634), there is a significant relationship between professional life and organizational trust of the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Hypothesis one: there is a significant relationship between adequate bonus and organizational trust among the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Table 2. Correlation coefficients between adequate bonus and organizational trust. Organizational trust The Pearson’s Correlation The Pearson’s Correlation 0.762 0.000 Adequate bonus As listed in the table above (P=0.000, r = 0.762), there is a significant relationship between adequate bonus and organizational trust of the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Hypothesis two: there is a significant relationship between healthy and safe work condition and organizational trust among the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Table 3. Correlation coefficients between healthy and safe work condition and organizational trust. healthy and safe work condition Organizational trust The Pearson’s Correlation The Pearson’s Correlation 0.385 0.000 As listed in the table above (P=0.000, r = 0.385), there is a significant relationship between healthy and safe condition and organizational trust of the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Hypothesis three: there is a significant relationship between opportunity to develop talents and organizational trust among the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Table 4. Correlation coefficients between opportunity to develop talents and organizational trust. Opportunity to develop talents Organizational trust The Pearson’s Correlation The Pearson’s Correlation 0.601 0.000 As listed in the table above (P=0.000, r = 0.301), there is a significant relationship between opportunity to develop talents and organizational trust of the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Hypothesis four: there is a significant relationship between growth opportunity and organizational trust among the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Table 5. Correlation coefficients between growth opportunity and organizational trust. Growth opportunity Organizational trust The Pearson’s Correlation The Pearson’s Correlation 0.535 0.000 As listed in the table above (P=0.000, r = 0.301), there is a significant relationship between growth opportunity and organizational trust of the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Hypothesis five: there is a significant relationship between social solidarity at work environment and organizational trust among the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Table 6. Correlation coefficients between social solidarity at work environment and organizational trust. Social solidarity at work environment 135 Organizational trust The Pearson’s Correlation The Pearson’s Correlation 0.581 0.000 Intl. J. Basic. Sci. Appl. Res. Vol., 4(2), 133-138, 2015 As listed in the table above (P=0.000, r = 0.581), there is a significant relationship between social solidarity at work environment and organizational trust of the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Hypothesis six: there is a significant relationship between rule of law at work environment and organizational trust among the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Table 7. Correlation coefficients between rule of law and organizational trust. Organizational trust The Pearson’s Correlation The Pearson’s Correlation 0.552 0.000 Rule of law As listed in the table above (P=0.000, r = 0.552), there is a significant relationship between rule of law and organizational trust of the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Hypothesis seven: there is a significant relationship between general work environment and organizational trust among the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Table 8. Correlation coefficients between general work environment and organizational trust. *** General work environment Organizational trust The Pearson’s Correlation The Pearson’s Correlation 0.535** 0.000 As listed in the table above (P=0.000, r = 0.385), there is a significant relationship between general work environment and organizational trust of the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Hypothesis eight: there is a significant relationship between social relationship at work and organizational trust among the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Table 9. Correlation coefficients between social relationship at work and organizational trust. Social relationship at work Organizational trust The Pearson’s Correlation The Pearson’s Correlation 0.540 0.000 As listed in the table above (P=0.000, r = 0.540), there is a significant relationship between social relationship at work and organizational trust of the employees of Bojnord Municipality Figure 3. Correlation coefficient of the hypotheses and organizational trust. Discussion and Conclusion As mentioned, hypotheses tests results showed that there is a significant relationship between quality of professional life and organizational trust in the study population. Tavakoli (2008) concluded in a study titled “trust in the organization from Islamic viewpoint” that realization of organization goals entails cooperation among the members of the organization; and that one way to facilitate cooperation is to improve mutual trust among the employees and between employees and the organization. Organizational structures are more flexible when the employees and the managers trust each other. Mutual trust between the employees and managers lessens control costs. One of the main goals of organizations is to improve quality of professional life of the employees; through this, the employees will be ready to work beyond the organizational definition of their tasks. Hypothesis one test showed that there is a direct and significant relationship between adequate bonus and organizational trust of the subjects. Adequate bonus is a reward for the good services by the employees. An adequate bonus means adequate salary so that it implies internal and external 136 Intl. J. Basic. Sci. Appl. Res. Vol., 4(2), 133-138, 2015 organizational equality. This prevents sense of loss and being treated unjustly among the employees when they compare themselves with their colleagues in and outside the organization. When people believe that their leaders respect their legal and legitimate rights and all are treated equally by the law and nobody enjoys exclusive privilege, they begin to build up trust. Likewise, observation of justice and fair treatment of the employees leads to development of trust between the employees and managers (Panjeband, 2006). The results supported hypothesis two, thus, there is significant relationship between safe and healthy work condition and organizational trust among the subject. The purposes of creating a healthy and safe work environment is to design reasonable work hours, proper physical work environment where risks of work accident are minimized, and imposing legal age for occupation (Walton, 2010). One of the measures of efficiency of employees’ affairs management is HR’s health and welfare. A safe and healthy work environment designed based on principle of ergonomic leads to growth of innovation and creativity at work and motivates work force toward increasing performance (Salmani, 2005). Results pertinent to hypothesis three showed that there was a significant relationship between opportunity to develop talents and organizational trust. One aspect of trust is in merits, knowledge, and skill as to technical matters and human relationship (Abdolbaghi & Delvi, 2007). Quality of professional life provides the opportunity of realization of personal needs of employees, higher professional security, and sense of usefulness and attachment. Consequently, employees can concentrate on improving their skills and knowledge. Ever increasing welfare and knowledge leads the citizens of industrial society to higher levels of Mazlo’s hierarchy of needs. Consequently, their increasing needs to self-discovery can be satisfied only at developed work environment. In addition, realization of independence and self-control is an opportunity for the employee. Hypothesis four stated that there was a significant relationship between growth opportunity and organizational trust in the study group. Quality of professional life program refers to any improvement in organizational culture, which leads to growth and development of the employees in the organization. Results of studies have shown that implementation of such programs to improve organizational culture attenuates complaints among the employee, rate of absence from work, breach of disciplinary codes, negative attitudes, and distrust. Consequently, tendency toward cooperation increases among the employees. On the other hand, realization of employees’ demand results in improvement and long-term performance of organization (Javadin, 2009). Occupational enrichment is one of the main issues in HR management. Employees that have to do simple and routine tasks usually have low motivation. To solve this, the tasks must be enriched reasonably by adding challenges to the job. Task enrichment needs deep changes in tasks. Management are expected to create growth opportunity for and motivate the employees by inducing the following changes in work process. Direct feedback: performance assessment must be timely and direct. Learning opportunity: a decent job conveys the sense of growth. All jobs must provide learning opportunities. Scheduling: the employees must have a role in planning for their tasks. Uniqueness: any job or tasks must be featured with unique features. Control over resources: the employees must have control over their tasks; Individual responsiveness: the employees must be responsive for the results of their works (Allameh, 2010). The results supported hypothesis five as to significant relationship between social solidarity and organizational trust of the participants. Solidarity in organization leads to removal or race and gender discriminations among the employees, higher motivation for promotion, expansion of the sense of social life in the organization, and freedom to express ideas and emotions. Increase of trust at organizational level increases performance and welfare experienced by the employees. By spotting responsive and trustable employees and recognizing their merits, the managers can support such attitudes all over the organization. This trend leads to higher organizational solidarity in the organization (Feghhi, 2002). Results regarding the hypothesis six (there is a significant relationship between rule of law at work environment and organizational trust among the employees of Bojnord Municipality) supported the hypothesis. The variable “rule of law” emerges as hope for realization of justice and fairness regarding promotion, freedom of speech (expression of opposition without fear), reserving the right of reaction to all issues including salary, bonus, job security, and to make sure no racial, gender, tribal, and religious discriminations. Organization with successful professional life improvement plans are usually featured with freedom of expression, questioning and criticizing process of improvement of organization by the employees. Dissatisfaction and expression of complaints, in these organizations, are regarded as a token of interest in organization’s future, rather than trying to halt normal process in the organization. Thereby, quality of professional life guarantees improvement of payment system, observation of employees’ rights, freedom thought and expression, realization of needs, and fair treatment. Loman argued although, trust organizes people’s expectations, behaviors, and deeds, it is worthy of attention that breaching the trust is not beyond imagination. That is, is some occasions a trusted person does not act as expected. He believed that enforcement of laws is one of the tools to attenuate risk of betraying trust. While trust is built up gradually and over time, it can be lost by abusing it once, which leads to long-term distrust (Abbaspour, 2003). Results regarding the hypothesis seven showed that there is significant relationship between general work environment and organizational trust among the participants. By general work environment, we refer to reaching balance between work and other aspects of life such leisure time, education, and family. Respecting and supporting 137 Intl. J. Basic. Sci. Appl. Res. Vol., 4(2), 133-138, 2015 self-dignity of employee by the managers can add trust to the work environment (Wane, 2008). Walking toward creating trust is the fate of modern management as the competitive market and demand for skillful employees leave no other choice. Rivals try to lure in skillful employees of other organizations by promising them better work conditions (trust, empowerment, welfare, higher salary& so on) (Philopo, 1987). The last, but not least, hypothesis of the study stated that there was a significant relationship between social relationship at work and organizational trust among the employees of Bojnord Municipality. Providing opportunity for developing social capabilities happens by developing individual opportunity for development and growth, job and income security, and ensuring permanent job. Surely, man is a social creature and has to deal with others in the society so that there is a powerful desire in man to communicate, sharing, and sympathizing with others. Sandra et al (2007) surveyed relationship between attitude toward common work values and inter-personal trust among people at work and concluded that trust is a critical factor in organizations as it leads to creation of interpersonal positive relationship such as group work, cooperation, and communication. Trust facilitates proper design of work and tasks flow. 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