The relationship between organisational culture and employee job satisfaction within the Botswana construction industry

Abstract

Problem Statement: Organisational culture determines employee remuneration, opportunities for promotion, interaction between employees and their job in general. It has a potential to affect the degree to which employees are satisfied with their jobs. If the impact is negative, this will create a problem of low employee morale, reduced performance, and hence low production levels. If this effect is positive, this may boost the morale of employees and increase performance and production. It is, therefore, important to understand the relationship between organisational culture and employee job satisfaction to maximize the benefits and reduce the negative impact. Purpose: The aim of this research was to find out if the prevailing organisational culture has an influence on employee job satisfaction with specific reference to the Botswana construction industry. The objectives of the research were to establish the prevailing and preferred organisational cultures, establish employee job satisfaction, and determine the relationship between organisational culture and employee job satisfaction. Methodology: Focusing on the Botswana construction industry and using a cross sectional study, two concurrent surveys were conducted to collect quantitative data for organisational culture and employee job satisfaction from three construction organisations selected to represent small, medium, and large organisations. Findings: The prevailing organisational culture in all the three organisations was found to be the market culture. The clan culture was found to be the preferred organisational culture in two of the organisations (the medium and large). The hierarchy culture was found to be the preferred organisational culture in the small organisation. Despite employees preferring different cultures (clan and hierarchy) to the prevailing culture (market), employees were generally satisfied with their current jobs, suggesting that there might be no relationship between organisational culture and employee job satisfaction and pointing to the possible existence of a third variable. Implications: The market culture which was found to be prevailing in all the three organisations is characterised by aggressive competition and a focus on winning a share of the market. This indicated that the construction industry was reacting to the current harsh economic conditions by adopting an aggressive survival strategy. By rejecting the prevailing market culture, employees might have felt neglected since the market culture does not focus on employees. Employees remained satisfied with their current jobs despite rejecting the prevailing organisational culture and this might be an indication that jobs are not available leaving employees with no option but to like the only jobs which they have.