Chapter I INTRODUCTION

1.0

Background of the study Human resource is the most important resource in any organization. As a result, it is considered as an asset of the organization. Therefore, organizations wish to have effective human resources. In this connection, for the organization success, it has to select the right person (i.e. qualified, experienced etc) for the right job. But from person point of view, he/she has to choice suitable career in order to achieve his/her career goals. Joblessness is increasing worldwide. Almost one third of the people are unemployed or underemployed. Therefore, now a days People may just be happy to have a job. Organizations wish to have proper person to perform their work effectively. This means that organization will be happy if they have the right person for the right job in order to provide well effective services. From the organization point of view, human resource affects overall organization performance. Therefore, organization should select the suitable person and should handle in a proper way. Nowadays competition is increasing, so every organization is trying to achieve competitive advantage which is easily achieve through the right human resources. One expert puts it: In a growing number of organizations human resources are now viewed as a source of competitive advantage. There is a greater recognition that distinctive competencies are obtained through highly developed employee skills, distinctive organizational cultures, management processes, and systems. This is in contrast to traditional emphasis a transferable resource such as equipment. Increasingly it is being recognized that competitive advantage can be obtained with a high quality work force that enables the organizations to compete on the basics of market responsiveness product and service quality differentiated product and technological innovation..(Gary Dessler 2001: P 21)

According to the above statement every organization should try to keep the right person for the right job. From the employees point of view they should select proper job, because in order to obtain opportunities for the career development and to satisfy with their career. Therefore their career path should be clear and effective. Jaffna District secretariat is selected to conduct researcher research effectively. Under the District secretariat, there are twenty departments and also hundred and seventy six employees are working there. Figure: 1 Effectiveness of the career choice

Organization

Recruit the right person for the right job.

Provide well effective service

People

Choice the right career

Career development and career satisfaction

Source : Researcher creation The above figure describes the effect of the career choice from both organization and people point of view. When people choice their proper career they will be able to provide well effective services to the organization

1.1

Identification of the problem Due to the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka, fraud and errors has been increasing up to last decades. Because government administration problem, even Sri Lankan effective administration were hesitated to welfare in Sri Lanka. Nowadays, people are very happy due to government implement new laws and regulations. Therefore, proper control system that was affected the organization performance.

Problem In this research, main problem is that lack of internal control system that affected the organization performance. The research problem can be given in the form of following research question. To what extent Internal control systems have influ ?

1.2

Objectives of the study In order to achieve organizational objectives, the firm should keep the right person for the right job. But to achieve person career objectives they should choice their proper career. This study is identified to achieve the following objectives. To identify the right person in the right job. To identify the right person not in the right job To identify the not right person not in the right job. To examine factors that determines career choice. To provide ideas to recruit the right person to fill up future openings. To give suggestion to choose suitable career of the people. To identify career satisfaction.

1.3

Significance of the study This study will discuss elaborately which type of person is suitable for the particular job. In this context this study attempts to find out whether the right person is in the right job and this study will help to select the right person for the right job. At the same time, findings will also provide career development opportunities to the employees. Further it helps to improve employees skill, ability, 3

knowledge if they are not the right person, in order to became the right person for the right job and provide better service to the organization and people. Therefore, findings will facilitate career satisfaction of the employees through selection of the right person for the right job.

1.4

Hypothesis of the Study Any research is conducted based on the hypotheses. Possible hypotheses are developed based on literature review and conceptualization of the research problem. Eventually hypotheses are tested whether it is acceptable or not. This research is carried out based on the following hypothesis.

H1: Proper career choice of the employees will lead to considerable career satisfaction.

1.5

Limitations of the study In practice, many difficulties have to be faced in the preparation of this research study. They are as follows. 1. This research only covers up the Jaffna District Secretariat. But conclusion and suggestions are given to the whole population. 2. Nowadays there are various factors affecting career choice of the employees such as unemployment level, financial position of family, reputation of the firm, availability of benefit etc. But research is considered only four variables; career stage, occupational orientation, skills and career anchors. 3. This research report should be submitted within short period of time. The limited time period may be burden to the study.

Chapter II

LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction The second chapter is to review existing Literature to determine what is already known about the concepts related to the research problem and the existing research finding on the theme of career choice and career satisfaction. The concept of career, Career planning, Career development, Career choice and career satisfaction will be identified. At the end of this chapter the following four major factors: Persons career stage, occupational orientation, skills and career anchors, which is determined a persons career choices will be discussed. Background of the study Choice of career of a person is a predominant activity, because advancement of person status depends on career choice. Therefore, Proper career choice provides career satisfaction to a person. Today unemployment or under employment is in high level. As a result not only getting proper career choice but also career satisfaction is questionable. People should try until getting suitable career. Nowadays people make career choice even in outside country. This leads to brain drain. That is loss intellectual Property that result, when competitors lure away key employees. In any circumstances people should try to make proper career choice in order to obtain higher career satisfaction. In choosing career, persons should aware of the following basic concepts; career, career development, career planning, career management and career path. Further career counseling and career development roles of manager organization and individual also help in selecting suitable career to a person. The process theories, developmental theories and personality theories of career also aid in making career choice. Above these theories were developed by career counseling experts. Thoroughly study of these theories, enable to a person selecting a proper career that is three theories say that how to a person can choice their career through variety of views. In developing a person career, managers and employments have several responsibilities. When managers and employees perform their career management responsibilities, this will help a persons career advancement. In this connection, 5

responsibilities of manager and employer about the career management are related to the career choices and career satisfaction. Knowledge gained through above the three theories, a person career choice is determined by four factors. Persons career stage. Occupational orientation. Skills. Career anchors.

Figure:2 A persons effective career choice Career Management responsibilities

Role of career development Career Career Planning Career Management Career Development Career Path Career counseling e c i o h c r e e r a C Persons career stage

Occupational Career Skills Anchors

Career Choice

Theories Process theories Personality Theories Developmental Theories

Factors in

Career management responsibilities

Career Satisfaction

Source: Researcher Creation In this context, proper Career choice of a person determines career satisfaction. That is degree of satisfaction depends on effective career choices. Definition of Career concepts The definition of career concepts includes definition of career, career development, career planning and career management.

Definition of Career The employer has an obligation to utilize their employees abilities to the fullest and to give all employees a chance to grow and to realize their full potential and to develop successful careers. A career is a series of work related positions, paid or unpaid, that help a person grow in job skills, success, and fulfillment. [Dessler 2001: P 384] A broader view defines career as an individually perceived sequence of attitudes and behaviors associated with work related activities and experiences over the span of a persons life. In other words the term career has an internal focus and refers to the way an individual views his or her career, as well as an external focus that refers to the actual series of job positions held by the individual. [Bernardin and Russell 1993: P 340] Definition of career development Persons are under a lot of pressure because of the need to decide on the career. In this connection following concepts are closely related to this study Career development is the life long series of activities (such as work shop) that contributes to a person career exploration, establishment, success, and fulfillment [Dessler 2001: P 384]. The career development process is shown as follows

Figure:3 Career development process Assessment Phase Direction Phase

Development Phase

Source: Mejia, Balkin and Cardy 2002: P 300 Definition of career Planning Career planning is the deliberate process through which someone

becomes aware of personal skills, interests, Knowledge, motivation, and other characteristics; acquires information about opportunities and choices; identifies career related goals; and establishes action plans to attain specific goals [Dessler 2001: P 384]. Career planning is the process through which individual employees identify and implement steps to attain career goals [milkovich and Boudreau 2000: P 492] Definition of career management Next the most important concept is the career management career management is the process through which organizations select, assess, assign, and develop employees to provide a pool of qualified people to meet future needs [milkovich and Boudreau 2000: P 492] In other words, Career management as the design and implementation of organizational process which enable the careers of individuals to be planned and managed in a way that optimizes both the needs of the organization and the preferences and capabilities of individuals.[Towers 2000: P 64]

Figure:4 A model of career management

HRD Support through Training Coaching Employees Career Interests Aspirations Attitudes Competencies

Organizations plans, options, Needs for human resources VS its strategy

Career Counseling Session

Managers personal Competency in Career counseling

Source: Bernardin and Russell 1993: P,138 Theories of Career Management The following three types of theories are related to persons career management. a) The process theories b) The developmental theories c) Personality theories [Trait and factor theory ]

The process theories The process theories state that occupational choice and eventual entry is a process consisting of stages or steps that the individual will go through. For example, Ginzberg, gainburg, Axelrod, and Herma(1951) analyzed the process of occupation decision making in terms of three periods fantasy choices, tentative choices and realistic choices. This theory suggest a process that moves increasingly, toward realism in career decision making, as one becomes older. In 1972, Ginzberg modified the original theory to suggest that the process of vocational choice and development is life long and open ended. In the process, achieving the optimum is more appropriate to describe the on going effort of persons as they seek to find the most suitable job. Ginzgergs revised theory also placess considerable weight on constraints such as family income and situation, parental attitudes and value, opportunities in the world of work, and value orientations. [Gibson, mitchell 1984: P 312 ] Osipow (1983) noted that four important ingredients contribute to the adequacy of an individuals occupational choice process during adolescence. These are reality testing, the development of a suitable time perspective, the ability to defer gratification, and the ability to accept and implement compromises in vocational plans.[osipow 1983: P 199] Blau, Gustad, Jesjor, pames and wilcock(1956) conceived of occupational choice as a process of compromise, continually modified, between preferences for and expectations of being able to get into various occupations. They identify eight factors determining entry into an occupation. Four of these characterize the occupation demand, technical [functional] qualifications, personal (non functional) qualifications, and rewards. Those characterizing the person were information about an occupation, technical skills, social characteristics and value orientations. [Osipow 1983: P 123] The developmental theories The developmental theories, relevant to career planning, view career development as one aspect of a persons total development donald super formulated

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a theory of career development in 1953. He said a persons career passing through the stages of growth, exploration, establishment, maintenance and decline. The current propositions of supers theory are as follows. People differ in their abilities, interests, and personalities [super 1984: P 194] The occupational level attained, and the sequence, frequency and duration of trial and stable jobs, is determined by the individuals parental socioeconomic level, mental ability, and personality characteristic, and by the opportunities to which he or she is exposed (super 1984: P 195) Development through the life stages can be guided, partly by facilitating the maturing of abilities and interests and partly by aiding in reality testing and developing self concepts [super 1984: P 195] Work and occupation provide a focus for personality organization for most men and many women, although for some persons this focus is peripheral, incidental, or even non existent, and other face, such as leisure activities are central (super 1984: P 196) A series of developmental stages comprise the life maxi cycle (super 1984: P 200) Coping behaviors relevant to vocational development tasks are described as drifting, floundering, trial, instrumentation, establishment, stagnation and disengaging. A verity of determinants affects the career decision process. Self concepts are critical to vocational development, with occupational choice being the expression of the self [Super 1984 ] Career maturity involves readiness to meet vocational development tasks [Super 1984 ] Salience of the various life roles determines the impact of one role upon another [Super and Dunn 1988: P 14 ]

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Personality theories Next, personality theories view vocational preferences as expressions of personality. They suggest that much career seeking behavior is an outgrowth of efforts to, in effect matches ones individual characteristic with these of a specific occupational field. First Holland development theory of personality types and environment models. This theory is based on major assumptions regarding personality types, their determination and relation to various outcomes and vocational choices. The concepts and assumption that underline the theory are as focus. The choices of vacation are an expression of personality. Interest inventories are personality inventories. Vocational stereotypes have reliable and important psychological and sociological meanings. The members of a vocation have similar personalities and similar histories of personal development. Because people in a vocational group have similar personalities, they will respond to many situation and problems in similar ways, and they will create characteristic inter personal environments. Vocational satisfaction, stability, and achievement depend on the congruence between ones personality and environment in which one works. Another personalities theory developed by Roe (1956) and more recently modified by Roe as Lunneborg (1984) suggests that there are relationship between the psychic energy, genetic propensities, and childhood experiences that shape individual styles of behaviors and that the impulse to acquire opportunities to express these individual styles is inherent in the choices made, and the ensuring career behaviors. A personality theory insinuates that career choice is a rational process --- what the thinking man would do It is therefore very easy to understand. Its main focus lies in getting enough information and work through it, so that at the end of this process follows the appropriate decision for a career path.

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Factors that affect career choice During the life time of a person career choice is an essential decision making. Generally a persons career choice is determined by four major factors. They are Persons career stage Occupational orientation Skills Career anchors Super (1975) pointed out each persons career passing through the stages of growth, exploration, establishment, maintenance, and decline. The main stages of this career cycle follows * Growth stage The growth stage lasts roughly from birth to age 14 and is a period during which the person develops a self concept by identifying with and interacting with other people such as family, friends, and teachers. [Dessler 2001: P 385] Toward the beginning of this period, role playing is important, and children experiment with different ways of acting: this helps them to form impression of how other people react to different behavior and contributes to their developing a unique self concepts or identify. Toward end of this stage the adolescent begins to think realistically about alternative occupations [Dessler 2001: P 385 ]

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* Exploration The period from around ages 15 to 24 during which a person seriously explores various occupational alternatives, attempting to match these alternatives with his or her interests as abilities from school, leisure activities, and work. [Dessler 2001: P 385 ] At the beginning of this period tentative occupational choice are made. And at the end of this period, appropriate choice is made and the person tries out for a beginning job. Jobs may be tried and rejected, false starts may occur; but throughout all these searching activities, the young adult is gaining knowledge and developing a self image in terms of possible career goals and directions. This leads to the third stage, establishment. * Establishment stage The establishment stage spans roughly ages 24 to 44 and is the heart of most peoples work life [ Dessler 2001: P 386 ] During this period, the person engages in getting a permanent place in a suitable position. During this period, the person is continually testing his/her capabilities and ambitions against the initial occupational choice. The establishment stage is comprised of three sub stages. The trail sub stage The period from about age 25 to 30 during which the person determines whether or not the chosen field is suitable: if it is not, several changes might be attempted.[Dessler 2001: P 386 ] Stabilization sub stage The period roughly from age 30 to 40, during which firm occupational goals are set as more explicit career planning is made to determine the sequence for accomplishing these goals [Dessler 2001: P 386 ]. Mid career crisis sub stage The period occurring between the mid thirties and mid forties during which people often make a major reassessment of their progress relative to their original career ambitions and goals. It is often during this mid career sub stage that the person is faced for the first time with difficult choices between what he or she really wants, what really can be critical to achieve it. [Dessler 2001: P 386 ] 14

* Maintenance The period from about ages 45 to 65 during which to person secures his or her place in the world of work [Dessler 2001: P 386]. Here the individual has become an important member of the organization. Work assignments are of a more vital nature. The organization draws on the individuals accumulated wisdom and perspective. [ milkovich and Boudreau; 2000: P 496] * Decline As retirement age approaches, the people accept reduced levels of power and responsibility. They accept new roles nods mentor as confidante for younger. After more or less inevitable retirement, person finds alternative uses for the time as effort formerly expended and his or her occupation. [ Dessler 2001: P 386 ]

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 Occupational orientation Career counseling expert John Holland says that a persons personality (including values, motives, and needs) is another important determinant of career choices [Dessler 2001 386 ] The following statements summarize the major assumptions of Hollands theory. In our culture: most person can be categorized as one of six types: realistic intellectual, social, conventional, enterprising and artistic There are six kinds of environments Realistic, intellectual, social conventional, enterprising, and artistic People search for environment and vocations that will permit them to

exercise their skill and abilities, to express their attitudes and values to take an agreeable problems and roles as to avoid disagree able ones. A persons behavior can be explained by the interaction of his

personality, and his environment Based on research with his vocational preference test (VPT), Holland found six basic personality types or orientations.

Most people have more different orientation for example a person may have social, artistic and enterprising orientation. Holland believes that when a person has similar or compatible orientation, he will have less internal conflict in making a career choice. Figure: 7 Realistic (R) Investigative (I)

Choosing an occupational orientation Artistic (A)

(C) Conventional

16 (E) Enterprising (S) Social

Source: Dessler 2001: P 387 The above model has six corners and each represents are personal orientation. According to Hollands research the closer two orientation are in this figure. The more compatible they are. Thus two orientations fall side by side in the figure, he will easily choose a career. If two orientations fall in opposite direction in the figure, he may experience internal conflict in making a career choice because his interests are driving him toward very different types of careers. For example if a person has realistic and social orientation, he/she many feel internal conflict in making career choice. Skills The skills needed to successfully in a particular occupation. According to the dictionary of occupational titles, occupational skills breaks down into three groups depending on whether they emphasize data, people, or things [Dessler 2001: P 380] Successful performance depends on ability also A person may have conventional orientation. But he may not have the skills to be and accountant or banker. Therefore the person will choose based on these skills. So a person has to identity his/her skills for the career planning purposes, a persons aptitudes are usually measured with a test battery such as the general aptitude test battery [GATB]. These aptitudes include intelligent and mathematical ability. Career Anchors A famous author Edger Schein says that as you learn more about yourself it becomes apparent that you have a dominant career anchors, a concerned or value that you will not give up if a choice has to be made. A person becomes conscious of them as a result of learning about his or her talents and abilities 17

motives and needs, and attitudes and values. Based an his research at the mass a chusetts institute of technology, and chain believes that career anchors are difficult to predict a head of time because they are evolutionary and a product of a process of discovery [ Dessler 2001: P 389] Schein identified five different career anchors. * Technical / functional career anchors. People who had a strong technical / functional career anchors is the actual work they do, and they wish to continue using their existing skills. They avoid position which removes them from area of established competence or push them into general management. These people define growth as increasing skills, rather than increasing organizational level. * Managerial competence as a career anchors The primary work good for this group is to develop the managerial abilities of (a) interpersonal competence (ability to influence, supervise, lead, manipulate, and control people at all level): (b) analytical competence (ability to identify, analyze, and solve problems under conditions of incomplete information and uncertainty); and (c) emotional competence required at the highest levels of management. * Creativity as a career anchors An orientation toward creating something that is entirely their own whether it is a product, a company, or a personal fortune. * Autonomy and independence as career anchors These persons do not adapt well to working under the constraint of organization life. Many leave it to become consultant or to start their own business or they become professors of business free lance writers, and proprietors of a small retail business. * Security as a career anchors: Some of the people were concerned with long run career stability and job security. They also expect job security, a decent income, as a stable future in the form of a good retirement program and benefits. In making a career choice, geographic security and organizational security play an important role. 18

For those interested in geographic security, maintaining a stable, secure career in familiar surroundings was generally more important than was pursuing superior career choices, if choosing the latter meant injecting instability or insecurity in to their lives by forcing them to pull up roots and moves to another city. For others security meant organizational security. They might today Opt for government jobs, where tenure still tends to be away of life. Therefore, with these career anchors, they decide what their career should be. (Dessler 2001: P 390)

Career satisfaction Normally career satisfaction is defined as a persons general attitude toward his/her career. That is, to what extent a person feeling of pleasure with their career. This career satisfaction may be influenced by several factors some of them are salary, motivation, working condition, rewards, relationship with others etc. But for research study, the career satisfaction indicates to what extent a person satisfies (feeling of pleasure) with their career choice. This means that choosing a career leads to persons career satisfaction. Summary In this chapter, concepts relating to the present study have been discussed. It has been found that what factors determining career choice and career satisfaction. The next chapter will discuss the methodology in relation to this study. Chapter III METHODOLOGY Introduction This third Chapter defines the methodology that has been followed throughout the research. In this chapter, the research problem will be conceptualized based on literature. It explains the sample of the study, data collection techniques and data analysis techniques. Although there are many organizations to make research, Jaffna District secretariat was selected. Based on the selected organization, samples were selected. 19

Conceptualization of the research problem The research problem Today, every person is likely to have any job, which is available. In this research, the problem is that career choice of the employees affects their career satisfaction. The research problem can be given in the form of following research question. Are the career choices of employees determining their career satisfaction?

Conceptual model This research problem has been conceptualized based on literature. Conceptual model can be developed as follows.

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Figure:9 Conceptual model Career choice Career stage Occupational Orientation Skills Career Anchors Independent variable Career choice Dependent variable Career satisfaction According to the above model career choice can be determined by four variables. 1. Career stage A persons career stage passes through the following stages. Growth stage Exploration stage Establishment stage Maintenance stage Decline stage Therefore, the above stages will influence knowledge of and preference for various occupations. 2. Occupational orientation The theory developed by John Holland that says there are six basic personal orientations that determine the sort of careers to which people are drawn. These six basic personality orientations are Realistic orientation Investigative orientation Social orientation Conventional orientation Enterprising orientation Artistic orientation. 21 Career Satisfaction

Holland explained that how to these basic six types of orientation determined career choice. 3. Skills Skill is one of another factor that determines persons career choice. The skills needed to be successful in a particular occupation. According to the dictionary of occupational titles occupational skills break down into three groups depending on whether they emphasize data, people, or things. 4. Career Anchors The fourth variable of the career choice is the career anchors. Career anchors means that a concern or value that you will not give up if a choice has to be made. Schein identified following five types of career anchors. 5. Technical / functional career anchors Managerial competence as a career anchors Creativity as a career anchors Autonomy and Independence as career anchors Security as a career anchors. Career satisfaction Career satisfaction is more of an attitude, an internal state. It could, for example, be associated with a personal feeling of achievement, either quantitative or qualitative. This career satisfaction can be measured by level of absenteeism, commitment, tardiness, involvement etc. Following hypothesis is formulated for the purpose of this study.

H1: Proper career choice of the employees will lead to considerable career satisfaction. Operationalization Concept Variable Indicator measurement

Career choice Career stage

calculating the right 22

Person with the right job Occupational Orientation Skill Categorizing types with Orientation Calculating Career performance

Q5 S1, Q1.2.12S2 Q9,10,11,S1 Q6S1,Q,3,14,15 S2 With volume of service

Career anchors Career Satisfaction Involvement

Degree of valve

Q9,10,11,12,13,S1 Q17,S2

Degree of job both organization & employees

Percentage of involvement Q4,5,6,7,10,&14S2 Percentage of Commitment Q 8,9,11,S2

Commitment

Level if output

Absenteeism Research sample

No of days.

Records

This study is concerned with career choice and career satisfaction. The problem of career choice may affect most of the people. Therefore, it facilitates to select several organizations. But it was decided to study only one organization, Jaffna District secretariat. There are 176 employees working, out of this only 52% of the sample (82 employees) is selected at various levels. In this research, employees from various departments in Jaffna District secretariat was selected as sample in order to affect various levels from top level to low level. Here, the number of employees selected as sample for the research is shown in the following figure.

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Data collection techniques Data was collected through Questionnaire For the research purpose, questionnaire has been used. The questionnaire was divided into two sections, first and second. (See appendix). In the first section, personal details of the selected employees and the variable in the career choice were collected. Employees were required to write the answer in to the section I questionnaire. The section II questionnaire was used to find out to what extent the career satisfaction of the employees exists in the selected organization. Further, this section is also designed to find out how to variable affect in the career choice. This section carries eighteen questions in which selected employees were asked to make one of them in the following Strongly agree Agree No options Disagree Strongly disagree Based on the answered questions, the researcher can be able to identify what variable affect in the career choice and to what extent career satisfaction of selected employees exists. Interviewing Through interviewing selected employees from various level data was obtained. The employees answered the question in an independent manner. By these answers research can identify the employees who properly choice their career and are in career satisfaction. This interview method could help researcher to collect reliable and accurate data. Observation By observing employees it helped to find out employees behavior in relation to career satisfaction and their skills related to their field (How to easily do their work). Observing records brought several data related with career satisfaction.

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Methodology of the research Methodology in research is a vital part. In this, there are several statistical tools are used one of them is correlation. If a change in the value of one variable it accompanied by change in the value of another variable, the two variables said to be correlated. The degree of correlation between two variables can be measured, and using actual results in the form of pairs of data, whether two variables are perfectly correlated or partially correlated. In order to carryout the research technique that correlation co-efficient analysis are being used to find out the relationship between variables Through correlation co-efficient analysis, the strength of relationship between variable is found. In order to find out the nature of relationship between two variables regression analysis is carried out. Furthermore, other statistical package was used to find out relationship. F test and t test are used to test formulated hypothesis. In the f test, it can be found that whether career choice of the employees (independent variables) has impact on their career satisfaction or not. It is tested with 5% of significations level. T test is also used to test hypothesis with 5% of signification level (one tail test). Summary This chapter is devoted to conceptualizing and operationalizing the research problem and to discussing the method of data collection technique and data analysis techniques. To test the hypothesis, samples, were taken from various departments including top to low level and data was collected through questionnaire, which contained two-section, interviewing and observation method. In the next chapter an attempt is made in relation with data presentation and analysis.

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