EMPLOYEE LOYALTY March 31, 2008
Objective To understand perceptions and attitudes of Middle Eastern employees regarding their career, the work they do and the organization they work for. The findings will be used to analyse what this means for employers at large and compare levels of satisfaction with the employment market across countries in the region.
Project Background An organization bound by love is more powerful than one bound by fear Herb Kelleher, CEO, Southwest Airlines. With the economy improving, and more opportunities opening up, the temptation to transition to new opportunities could become strong. What safety nets do organizations have in place to prevent workers from straying? Keeping the lines of communication open and promoting a culture of mutual respect and loyalty could be the glue that reduces turnover and helps keeps the workforce in place. Employee loyalty is a measure of the well being of the job market and hence the economic condition within a country. If employees are happy with their work environment, it will in turn affect their loyalty & productivity. This will translate into stability, productivity & economic growth for the organization and the country as a whole. This information is useful for professionals, organizations, business people, recruitment consultants/agencies and the general public
Executive Summary Post war Lebanon & developing nation Pakistan came out really strongly as places where the employment market is now at its peak. Good scores on categories such as professional working environment, good management, scope of career recognition & enhancement, infrastructure and job security to name a few mean that these countries should be closely watched as employee satisfaction is linked to a boom in the economy. Pakistan reported the highest loyalty & long term retention rates. KSA achieved the lowest scores on many of the above factors. This indicates its attractiveness as a job market may be waning. Bahrain showed substantially lower satisfaction & loyalty levels to the organization. KSA was the second lowest amongst GCC countries. These two countries were even low on satisfaction & loyalty to the actual job and line of work.
Executive Summary What came out very strongly is that an employee s satisfaction and loyalty to their work and organization have a strong impact on their perceptions of the management, training and recognition, performance measurement, team work and working environment to name a few. This in turn will lead to longer retention, stable environments for organizations and the country as a whole. Given this, employers should try to work towards greater levels of satisfaction and loyalty by working on each of these individual factors. Given a good working environment and enough career enhancement opportunities, employees may not even be looking for a company that pays them top dollar. What this means for the UAE The UAE scored slightly lower than the average on satisfaction and loyalty to job and organisation. UAE supported the lowest agreement levels on motivation, commitment to the organisation and work-life balance. As a primarily expat job market, the UAE should be aware of these factors - if they are to continue to remain competitive against the economies from where they currently attract talent.
Respondent profile Age and Gender: Adult males and females Aged 20-62 years Nationalities Local Arab Expats Western Expats Asians Country of Residence GCC: UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman*, Qatar, Bahrain Levant: Lebanon, Syria*, Jordan North Africa: Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia* Subcontinent: Pakistan *low samples have not been presented Methodology: Online data collection was done between 6 th and 17 th March. The total number of respondents achieved was 9,760
Respondent profile Country Nationality Other 11% Gulf 9% Levant 21% Asian 33% 9 Westerner 3% North Africa 23% 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 5 6 11 15 22 20 UAE Saudi Arabia Other Country of residence Base: Total Sample N= 9760 Egypt Tunisia Syria Oman Bahrain Morocco Lebanon Algeria Qatar Kuwait Jordan Pakistan
Respondent profile Personal 16% 6% Age 43% 21 to 30 31 to 40 2% 1% Marital Status 37% Single Married 35% 41 to 50 50+ 60% Divorced Separated Base: Total Sample N= 9760 Base: Total Sample N= 9760 Monthly Household Income 12% 13% 4% 6% 5% 20% 19% Under $500 $500 to $1000 $1001 to $2000 $2001 to $3000 $3001 to $5000 $5001 to $7000 15% 7% 4% 18% No. of children None One Two Three 21% $7000+ Prefer not to say / Dont know 29% 27% Four More than four Base: Total Sample N= 9760 Base: Those who are married N= 6129
Respondent profile - Organizational Level at work 15% 22% 3% 5%1% 19% 11% 24% CEO/ President/ Chairman/ Owner/Self employed Director or Senior Manager Professional Middle manager Junior manager/ team leader Executive with no managerial responsibilities Clerical I do not work 4% 1% 3% 3% 16% 14% 3% Sector 25% 31% Private sector - Multinational company Private sector - Large Local company Private sector - Small or Medium Local company Private sector Self owned company Private sector- Family owned company [your family] Private sector- Family owned company [others] 1% 3% Working Time Private sector - other Public / Govt sector Working full time Part time 8 to 29 hrs/week Charity / Voluntary / Other 96% Part time - less than 8 hrs/week Base: Total Sample N= 9760
Take work home Slightly less than half (44%) of working people take work home. Of these, just over three quarters (77%) seem unperturbed by any inconvenience caused. 14% feel burdened by this responsibility. 25% 14% Take work home 10% 20% Attitude towards overtime 31% 9% Yes, most days Yes, once or twice a week Yes, occasionally Only in exceptional circumstances Never 14% 28% 25% 24% I don't need to take work home but, on the whole, I do so because I like to It's a necessary part of my job and, on the whole, I am pleased It's a necessary part of my job but, on the whole, I don't mind It's a necessary part of my job, and I wish it wasn't None of these Base: Total Sample N= 9760 Base: Those who take work home N= 4258
Current Job & Work GCC nationals have the least satisfaction and loyalty towards their current job & work. Westerners are substantially more satisfied than others. 4 4 4 5 2 3 24 34 29 25 21 18 Satisfaction 42 36 38 40 43 49 30 26 29 30 34 29 Total Gulf Levant North African Westerner Asian High Neutral Low Don t know/can t say Loyalty 8 18 25 24 64 55 8 10 11 4 24 24 25 28 67 64 63 65 Total Gulf Levant North African Westerner Asian High Neutral Low Don t know/can t say Base: Total Sample N= 9760
Organization Relatively lower organizational loyalty & satisfaction amongst GCC nationals. Westerners more satisfied than others Satisfaction 3 4 2 4 1 3 29 23 20 43 35 33 42 46 47 32 38 40 26 21 24 23 30 30 Total Gulf Levant North African Westerner Asian Loyalty 10 28 21 26 High Neutral Low Don t know/can t say 12 12 14 6 25 28 29 31 59 50 62 58 56 61 Total Gulf Levant North African Westerner Asian High Neutral Low Don t know/can t say Base: Total Sample N= 9760
Satisfaction with current job & work Lebanon & Morocco score higher on satisfaction. 4 24 8 35 3 4 5 3 5 17 21 26 22 29 14 25 5 2 3 3 20 24 30 28 42 30 53 46 40 41 37 26 49 44 38 42 30 28 28 29 26 30 36 35 26 30 28 27 Total Algeria Bahrain Egypt Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Morocco Pakistan Qatar Saudi Arabia UAE
Loyalty to current job & work The high satisfaction observed for Lebanon & Morocco probably impacts their loyalty. 2 3 3 2 2 2 2 8 9 7 3 8 6 12 17 6 4 2 2 2 4 8 8 14 10 25 15 34 28 25 29 14 26 25 24 28 64 69 56 63 63 62 78 72 67 65 61 60 Total Algeria Bahrain Egypt Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Morocco Pakistan Qatar Saudi Arabia High Neutral Low Don t know/can t say UAE Base: Total Sample N= 9760
Satisfaction with organization Relatively higher proportion of dissatisfied employees in KSA & Algeria Employees in Bahrain largely neutral to their organization. 3 6 29 38 1 3 4 3 5 19 29 23 34 34 12 29 4 2 3 2 19 30 34 40 42 34 60 45 39 38 38 30 47 43 37 40 26 23 19 23 23 26 34 29 30 25 20 24 Total Algeria Bahrain Egypt Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Morocco Pakistan Qatar Saudi Arabia High Neutral Low Don t know/can t say UAE Base: Total Sample N= 9760
Loyalty to organization Just as observed in work loyalty, Lebanon & Morocco display higher levels organizational loyalty. 2 10 28 6 3 2 2 2 2 4 8 10 12 11 12 21 22 31 38 30 33 7 4 3 2 1 4 12 13 8 17 18 29 26 29 26 59 61 51 57 56 53 73 66 62 59 54 56 Total Algeria Bahrain Egypt Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Morocco Pakistan Qatar Saudi Arabia UAE High Neutral Low Don t know/can t say Base: Total Sample N= 9760
Your work & Organization Levels of engagement, commitment, motivation, recommendation & loyalty are quite high which is good news. 2 2 2 5 2 5 3 4 7 6 3 9 12 8 9 12 10 14 13 14 16 18 12 12 13 15 20 24 21 16 22 19 36 22 24 43 24 80 76 74 74 73 26 66 62 60 23 52 49 43 24 18 I feel fully engaged in the work I do I feel c ommitted to the org anis atio... I feel motivated to perform well in t.. I would speak highly to people out... I feel loyal towards my current org... I would speak highly to people out... I am proud to work for my current... I feel th e org anisation I wo rk for d... I feel fully engaged by the org anisa... I am satisfied with my present job I would want to be working for my... I would want to be working for my... I would want to be working for my... Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree DK / NA Base: Total Sample N= 9760
Satisfaction with your organization Teamwork, effective communication & interaction with the line manager scored high. Rewards, training opportunities and career development opportunities scored lower with the incidence of dissatisfaction almost as high as the incidence of satisfaction in these categories. 1 2 3 15 16 18 13 12 12 70 69 68 8 2 3 5 3 2 2 5 3 4 3 7 3 8 6 15 21 21 18 22 26 24 24 31 28 33 28 36 38 37 16 16 15 18 17 17 18 17 16 19 18 22 18 16 18 61 61 61 60 58 55 54 54 50 50 46 43 42 39 39 Satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Dissatisfied NA / DK
Work life & your organization Most people believe their organizations DON T manage to keep the best talent. This could be potentially dangerous for employers. 3 3 4 3 4 3 5 21 21 18 25 32 36 42 20 21 25 21 23 23 22 57 55 54 50 41 38 32 I feel valued as an employee where I work I get the information I need to perform well in my current job My opinions really count where I work Communications across different parts of my organisation are good My organisation manages to ATTRACT the best talent My organisation manages to ENGAGE its employees so that they perform well My organisation manages to KEEP the best talent Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree DK / NA
Your work & organization Whether you look at the job and work or the organization, one thing comes out very strongly The higher your satisfaction & loyalty, the more engaged, satisfied, proud, loyal, committed & motivated you are and the longer you are likely to work for that organization. Thinking about your work and the organisation you work for... To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements: Satisfaction with current job & work Satisfaction with current organization Loyalty to current job & work Loyalty to current organization Positive Responses High Low High Low High Low High Low Base: 2900 2340 2556 2844 6280 801 5769 1016 I feel fully engaged in the work I do 95 57 93 63 89 37 89 48 I am satisfied with my present job 81 13 77 22 58 13 58 17 I feel motivated to perform well in the work I do 91 49 92 55 83 35 83 41 I feel committed to the organisation for which I currently work 89 58 92 58 87 33 91 31 I would speak highly to people outside the organisation about my organisation as an employer 80 46 85 44 74 33 77 29 I would speak highly to people outside the organisation about my organisation s products/service/brands 85 58 88 57 81 46 83 43 I am proud to work for my current organisation 84 32 90 30 72 24 75 21 I feel loyal towards my current organisation 88 49 94 49 87 19 91 15 I feel the organisation I work for deserves my loyalty 78 33 86 29 69 19 73 16 I would want to be working for my current organisation in...1 year s time 52 31 55 32 46 27 47 25 I would want to be working for my current organisation in...3 year s time 38 10 42 10 28 8 29 6 I would want to be working for my current organisation in...10 year s time 30 6 35 6 22 5 23 3 I feel fully engaged by the organisation I work for 71 26 78 27 62 14 65 15
Your organization Clearly, your satisfaction & loyalty to your work & organization have a strong impact on your perceptions of the management, training & recognition, performance measurement, team work & working environment to name a few. On the flip slide of the coin, it can be argued that these aspects result in satisfaction & loyalty. Given this, employers should clearly understand the relationship between these factors and strive to drive satisfaction & loyalty which will then lead to longer retention. And now thinking about some particular aspects of working at your organisation, to what extent are you satisfied or dissatisfied with each of the following? Satisfaction with current job & work Satisfaction with current organization Loyalty to current job & work Loyalty to current organization Positive Responses High Low High Low High Low High Low Base: 2900 2340 2556 2844 6280 801 5769 1016 Communications where I work 84 49 89 49 76 41 78 39 How my line manager treats me 83 46 86 46 73 39 75 42 How senior managers lead the organisation 68 22 80 17 57 17 59 14 The culture of the organisation I work for 72 28 84 23 61 23 65 20 The values my organisation works by 75 32 86 26 66 24 69 20 My work-life balance 73 29 78 32 61 26 63 26 How I am rewarded for the work I do 62 16 71 15 47 14 49 15 Recognition I receive for the work I do 67 18 76 17 52 16 55 15 My job security 69 34 75 34 59 32 60 31 The focus we have on customers and customer-service where I work 75 40 81 39 67 33 70 32 The way change is managed where I work 60 17 70 15 49 14 52 13 The training opportunities available to me 55 18 63 17 44 18 45 17 The career development opportunities available to me 58 16 65 16 44 15 45 15 My own understanding of our organisation strategy 77 39 83 37 67 32 70 30 How performance is managed where I work 69 25 78 22 57 18 59 17 Teamwork with my colleagues 86 51 88 54 77 42 78 47 My working environment 79 34 87 34 69 29 71 29
Your work & organization Clearly for organizations that are not in a position to offer the best salaries in the industry, there are other ways to keep your employees engaged and loyal. This will also serve to attract more talent to your organization. Finally, thinking about some specific aspects of your work life please tell us to what extent you agree or disagree with the following statements? Satisfaction with Satisfaction with current job & work current organization Loyalty to current job & work Loyalty to current organization Positive Responses High Low High Low High Low High Low Base: 2900 2340 2556 2844 6280 801 5769 1016 My organisation manages to ATTRACT the best talent 58 19 69 17 46 18 48 15 My organisation manages to ENGAGE its employees so that they perform well 57 14 69 10 44 11 47 9 My organisation manages to KEEP the best talent 50 11 61 9 38 9 40 6 My opinions really count where I work 75 28 80 30 61 23 64 23 I get the information I need to perform well in my current job 74 30 81 30 62 23 64 22 Communications across different parts of my organisation are good 66 28 77 27 57 23 59 22 I feel valued as an employee where I work 80 27 84 28 65 19 68 20
Your work & organization Pakistan scores highest on many dimensions. Morocco needs to take steps to increase loyalty & retention. UAE reported lower commitment & motivation figures. Note: Amongst those who agreed with each of the statements below, we ve highlighted the highest (in blue) and the lowest (in red). Thinking about your work and the organisation you work for, to what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements: Total Algeria Bahrain Egypt Jordan Kuwait Lebano n Morocc Pakista o n Qatar Saudi Arabia Base: 9760 181 108 1113 549 481 194 206 925 315 2099 1416 I feel fully engaged in the work I do 80 75 85 75 73 82 81 72 91 81 74 80 I am satisfied with my present job 49 46 48 53 47 47 47 38 48 48 48 42 I feel motivated to perform well in the work I do 74 74 71 78 76 74 73 83 78 73 71 65 I feel committed to the organisation for which I currently work I would speak highly to people outside the organisation about my organisation as an employer I would speak highly to people outside the organisation about my organisation s products/service/brands 76 74 78 81 72 75 81 75 80 75 76 71 66 56 72 69 70 63 74 55 69 67 63 63 74 58 81 76 73 72 78 59 79 73 70 74 I am proud to work for my current organisation 62 58 65 64 61 60 71 51 66 59 57 59 I feel loyal towards my current organisation 73 72 73 73 69 70 83 58 86 72 65 69 I feel the organisation I work for deserves my loyalty 60 55 56 56 54 55 68 47 76 63 50 56 I would want to be working for my current organisation in...1 year s time 43 35 45 40 44 47 40 29 47 52 43 45 I would want to be working for my current organisation in...3 year s time 24 20 24 21 24 25 24 13 30 27 24 25 I would want to be working for my current organisation in...10 year s time 18 19 17 16 18 17 19 9 22 17 18 15 I feel fully engaged by the organisation I work for 52 34 64 42 44 53 53 35 69 55 46 53 UAE
Your organization Lebanon and Pakistan are strong on most aspects. KSA scores poorly on nearly all. And now thinking about some particular aspects of working at your organisation, to what extent are you satisfied or dissatisfied with each of the following? Total Algeria Bahrain Egypt Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Morocco Pakistan Qatar Saudi Arabia Base: 9760 181 108 1113 549 481 194 206 925 315 2099 1416 Communications where I work 69 63 59 71 73 65 75 66 75 72 66 65 How my line manager treats me 68 66 73 71 72 63 77 67 73 70 62 64 How senior managers lead the organisation 50 49 49 45 43 41 61 49 62 49 38 48 The culture of the organisation I work for 55 53 55 50 55 51 68 52 61 54 45 51 The values my organisation works by 58 57 60 53 56 51 68 57 68 57 49 52 My work-life balance 54 52 53 55 52 53 52 51 61 57 50 47 How I am rewarded for the work I do 42 33 41 42 36 39 47 39 51 43 34 40 Recognition I receive for the work I do 46 42 45 44 42 43 54 43 56 46 38 42 My job security 54 60 57 50 53 54 64 49 56 51 48 53 The focus we have on customers and customer-service where I work 61 53 57 61 58 60 72 54 68 58 53 59 The way change is managed where I work 43 40 41 38 38 39 47 44 53 42 34 40 The training opportunities available to me 39 35 35 38 33 34 49 45 45 38 29 35 The career development opportunities available to me 39 34 36 36 43 36 47 45 44 36 32 38 My own understanding of our organisation strategy 60 55 62 58 64 58 72 61 66 60 52 56 How performance is managed where I work 50 48 52 49 51 45 63 52 54 47 41 44 Teamwork with my colleagues 70 77 63 70 68 66 72 72 80 72 63 66 My working environment 61 60 66 59 58 58 67 59 72 60 53 59 IT and systems where I work 61 61 58 61 66 61 62 57 67 57 53 55 UAE
Your work & organization As seen earlier, respondents in Pakistan are amongst the most optimistic. Lebanon is clearly working towards a stable and communicative environment. KSA needs to improve working conditions. Finally, thinking about some specific aspects of your work life please tell us to what extent you agree or disagree with the following statements? Total Algeria Bahrain Egypt Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Morocco Pakistan Qatar Saudi Arabia UAE Base: 9760 181 108 1113 549 481 194 206 925 315 2099 1416 My organisation manages to ATTRACT the best talent My organisation manages to ENGAGE its employees so that they perform well My organisation manages to KEEP the best talent 41 35 42 39 39 35 47 44 52 38 31 39 38 28 38 30 32 33 47 36 53 35 26 36 32 25 32 27 26 27 42 37 46 34 23 29 My opinions really count where I work 54 44 50 56 52 48 63 60 59 50 47 48 I get the information I need to perform well in my current job Communications across different parts of my organisation are good 55 51 52 55 55 52 63 59 67 53 45 49 50 41 47 49 54 45 65 46 63 45 43 45 I feel valued as an employee where I work 57 52 51 60 55 54 61 61 65 56 51 51
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