Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Performance pay jobs'

Chapter 1 Over the last decade we have witnessed an improvement in the literature on how to measure and compare the well-being of individuals. While the standard approach in the analysis of individual well-being is based almost exclusively on a material dimension of income, there is a robust evidence that individuals care about non-income dimensions of life which accordingly should be included in such a measure. Nevertheless, even when the non-income dimensions of life are included in the analysis of individual well-being, a majority of studies are predominantly neglecting the notion of individual preferences in order to escape the problem of interpersonal comparisons of well-being. In this chapter we have employed an alternative welfare measure which takes into account income and non-income dimensions of life while at the same time the following measure is sensitive to the individual preferences. This is known as the equivalent income measure. We have compared the equivalent income and income measures over 25 countries of the European Union. The following analysis is done for 2007 and 2011, since these were the only available years that we could use. Our contribution to the literature is reflected in the fact, that to the best of our knowledge, there are no such studies in the literature that compares the well-being with the following two measures for such a large set of countries. Although we found that the welfare rankings across countries change to some extent between the average income and average equivalent income, in spite of that when we ranked countries according to the growth rates of income and equivalent income we observed a substantial change in the country rankings. The following evidence implies that the choice of the welfare metrics is empirically important. The previous results have been broadened by computing the welfare rankings across countries once we raise the concern about the egalitarian principle of justice. We observed that the welfare rankings across countries changed remarkably when we take into account distributional inequalities. The evidence we have found suggest that correlations of disadvantages between life dimensions matter since some countries have sufficiently larger inequalities of equivalent income than inequalities of incomes. The results we have found show that individuals across countries care about material dimension (income) but they also care much about the non-income dimensions. Relatively the most important non-income dimension for almost all countries is health while the least important non-income dimension concerns the (un)employment status. We have identified the worst off individuals according to each welfare measure and we have compared the socio-demographic characteristics of the worst off individuals. We have seen that different well-being measures will identify the worst off individuals with different socio-demographic characteristics. We have also observed that the worst off individuals considerably differ over countries with respect to their average income and non-income dimensions and average socio-demographic characteristics. Finally, we have illustrated the degree of re-ranking between income and equivalent income measures taking into account all individuals of a given country. While we found a similar pattern of re-ranking between income and equivalent income across countries, the degree of re-ranking differs across countries. The pattern that we have observed across all countries indicated that individuals who are income rich can end up as equivalent income poor while the opposite has not been found.
Chapter 2 An important role of social and public policies, among others, is to provide employment opportunities and to maintain the initiative of people to work. Yet, the role of these policies should not exclusively be concerned with the improvement of job quantity, such as ensuring the optimal employment rate but likewise these policies should be designed to improve the well-being of workers by enhancing job quality. Although, the precise definition of job quality is lacking in the literature, one can reasonably argue that job quality is a multi-dimensional concept which includes the wage dimension but also non-wage job dimensions such as job autonomy, job security, whether a job is interesting, challenging, whether it offers a good career opportunities, etc. Accepting the idea that a job quality is a multi-dimensional concept leads to the important question of aggregating various job dimensions into an overall index of job quality which can be used as a measure of well-being on the job. Moreover, if we agree on the notion that the preferences of workers over job dimensions should be respected, then we have to find a proper way to weight these various job characteristics such that the construction of weights is consistent with the preference orderings over different jobs. A measure that satisfies the previous two requirements is known in the literature as the equivalent wage measure. In this study we have applied the concept of equivalent wage to a specific sub-population of recent graduates (bachelor, master and doctoral students) who are currently participating in the labour market. In addition to the equivalent wage measure, we have used four other well-being measures which are wage, average preferences objective measure, equal weights objective measure and subjective job satisfaction measure. We have compared the job quality using a large scale survey which includes nineteen countries. We have found that individuals with various personal characteristics have different preferences over wage and non-wage job dimensions. This result underlines the importance of considering the heterogeneity of individual preferences seriously. We have shown that different measures of job quality will result in substantially different ranking of countries. In other words, the evidence we have found points out to the fact that the choice of well-being measure is utterly important for measuring job quality. Since, we have observed a considerable re-ranking of countries between different measures, we were encouraged to provide the evidence on the strength and direction of relationship between the ranking for all pairs of measures. We have found that the rank correlation is positive and statistically significant for almost all pairwise correlations. The lowest correlation has been found between pairs of wage and equal weights objective measure while the highest correlation has been found between subjective job satisfaction and average preferences objective measure. As one important issue in creating a reasonable public policies is to identify those individuals who are not faring well or those who are faring very well, we have decided to identify the individuals at the bottom and top end of the distribution according to different measures of job quality. The results have shown that the overlap of the worst off when we use two measures is lowest for wage and equivalent wage measures while the largest overlap occurs when we use two objective measures. These results should not be surprising since the informational requirements between two objective measures are more alike than the informational requirements between wage and equivalent wage. On the other hand, the largest overlap of the best off individuals for a pair of measures occurs between average preferences and equal weights measures while the overlap is lowest between wage and subjective job satisfaction. We have evaluated the gender differential in job quality across countries by using wage and equivalent wage measures. The evidence we have found indicate that in majority of countries, the average quality of jobs is higher for men than for women if we use the wage measure. While even if we use the equivalent wage measure, the quality of jobs are higher among men in most countries, still we have observed that women are either holding jobs of the same quality or they are even faring better than men in some countries. In addition, we have computed the willingness-to-pay for each non-wage job characteristic and we have compared the gender differences in the willingness-to-pay across and within countries. We have found that across almost all countries, the willingness-to-pay is higher among men, which indicates that they are suffering more not reaching the best possible values of non-wage job characteristics. Finally, we have presented the decomposition the total willingness-to-pay on the contributions attributed to each non-wage job characteristic. We have found that across countries for both men and women, having a good career prospect is relatively the most important non-wage job characteristic while job security is relatively the least important non-wage job characteristic.
Chapter 3 In recent decades there has been a growing number of studies that investigated the effects of personal and job characteristics on the subjective well-being on the job. Besides, the empirical findings reveal that workers who are paid on the piece rates exert more effort and earn more than those workers paid an hourly salary. Nevertheless, it is ambiguous what will be the effect of performance paying schemes, since the well-being on the job can increase in wage but it can decrease with higher level of excreted effort. Since the possible effect of performance paying jobs on the well-being of workers stay hidden, we have tackled the following issue in this chapter and we have provided the empirical evidence on these effects. This chapter contributes to the literature on the subjective well-being by providing the casual effects that the performance pay job schemes have on job satisfaction. We approximate the well-being on the job by the subjective job satisfaction reported by individuals. We have used the Korean Labour and Income Panel Survey which allowed us to distinguish between the workers who are paid by performance and those who are paid by fixed rate. In addition, we could exploit the information about the particular type of performance paying scheme that applies to the workers who are paid by performance. Since the personality traits are possibly correlated with the observed and unobserved explanatory variables, we have decided to estimate the job satisfaction regression using the fixed effects estimator. We have shown that workers in the performance pay job schemes have a higher subjective well-being on the job than workers who are using the non-performance pay job schemes. The following result holds true even after we have controlled for the level of earnings, attitudes toward risk and other personal and job related characteristics. This evidence is also confirmed for both men and women. When it comes down to the effect of wage on job satisfaction, we observe that the effect is not apparent as someone might expect. We have found that among all explanatory variables, health has the strongest effect on the well-being on the job. Finally, we have exploited the information on the type of performance pay schemes in order to analyse how different performance pay schemes affect job satisfaction. The results have shown that workers who are employed on the individual, group and company performance pay job schemes are more satisfied on their job than workers who are paid by the fixed amount. The later result remains even after we have controlled for the difference in earnings, personal and job characteristics.

Previous investigations regarding the health- and wellbeing-related outcomes of performance-based pay systems have been scarce and ambiguous so far. Considering the huge economic and organizational impact of stress-related health problems, it is important to further investigate this relation, including the impact of different variables that can help to explain the variation in the relationship between performance-based pay and job strain. The main purpose of this study is to challenge the research gap and to understand the effect of organizational justice and job control on the relation between performance-based pay and job satisfaction and stress. A quantitative research method in form of a survey is applied. To test the structural model and its hypotheses, the study uses an approach to partial least squares path modeling (PLS). The main results have shown that organizational justice moderates the relation between performance-based pay and stress. Moreover, performance-based pay increases job satisfaction when employees perceive high job control. It is furthermore revealed that gender, family responsibilities, experience and the type of performance evaluation can have an impact on the relationship as well. The study has contributed to fill the research gap above and has provided new, theoretical insight. Managers are recommended to provide organizational justice and to ensure high autonomy for employees. Instead of applying “one size fits all” solutions, managers should take demographic, organizational and situational factors into account when designing the compensation scheme.

Proponents of teacher pay for performance suggest that it reflects American values by rewarding student achievement and encouraging hard work. Supporters also say that pay for performance helps to recruit and retain teachers by increasing their compensation. Critics counter that pay for performance erodes teacher collaboration, is difficult to monitor, cannot be reliably linked to student achievement, leads to dishonest reporting of test scores, and is not a long-term solution to low teacher pay. Some researchers have found that extrinsic reward systems, such as pay for performance, can cancel the benefits that intrinsic motivation provides. As policy makers consider different pay for performance models, the link to teacher job satisfaction warrants investigation. This study examined pay for performance using the theoretical framework of Self Determination Theory. This theory suggests that employees find satisfaction when they have freedom in how they pursue organizational goals (autonomy), when they are given opportunities to improve job skills (mastery), and when employees feel they make a difference in the world (purpose). This study investigated pay for performance’s effect on teacher job satisfaction in a small, rural school district. An evaluation of both quantitative data and qualitative data determined that pay for performance can contribute to teacher job satisfaction, but only under the right conditions. This study concludes with a list of suggestions for implementing a pay for performance program that is likely to contribute to teacher job satisfaction.

Purpose: To critically investigate the effect/impact the implementation of both team and individual based pay has when responses are measured in terms of teamworking, job satisfaction, culture and commitment in 2 Nigerian financial institutions. Design/methodology/approach: The study presents the first empirical case-study research carried out in Nigeria. The data are based on 2 Nigerian financial institutions surveys from 2002 to 2006. The analysis addresses the impact of the introduction of PRP within these institutions. Questionnaires were sent out to the 226 employees. Interviews and focus groups were also carried out with both managers and employees across both organisations. Findings: The findings indicate the importance of valence for monetary incentives, the instrumentality of performance for the monetary incentives and clear individual and group objectives for improving performance. On the basis of the analysis of the data from employees covered by the scheme, the results suggests that there are clear indications that it has raised motivational levels, though employees prefer working with individual performance related pay than in teams, but would not mind working in teams if it is linked to a reward, but the responses indicate that individual performance related pay has damaged the concept of team working. The results indicated a positive link of PRP having a positive effect with employees on higher grade levels; this result support other results from a number of earlier UK studies. The results also indicate that the introduction of PRP can enhance culture change and enhanced performance but may not ultimately lead to commitment from employees. The findings also indicate a positive link between PRP, improved individual and organisational performance, change in culture and job satisfaction. Though the research indicates positive outcomes from one organisation it also indicates negative outcomes from the other organisation. Why would that occur, as both organisations operate the same form of individual PRP? It leads the researcher to conclude that PRP must be modified to take into account the cultural (national & organisational) implications of the transference western management practices into non-western organisations. The research finishes by listing out implications for management and recommendations. Research limitations: As this study utilises data from Nigerian financial institutions only, its results cannot be generalised to other sectors and countries characterised by different cultures and contexts. However, what is critical though is that the approach used to finding these results can be applied in a wide variety of situations, thus enabling the examination of external validity. ORIGINALITY/VALUE – This study is one of the first to explore the effect/impact of the introduction of performance related pay in Nigerian financial institutions and reflecting on the historic cultural context of gift giving and culture within organisations and the impact this has on the success or failure of PRP schemes. It also provides a new empirical evidence on the use of performance related pay. The results also show a link between the introduction of performance related pay and a change in the psychological contract from a relational contract to a transactional psychological contract, where commitment (bought) and loyalty is based on the monetary aspects of the relationship. The results supports an interpretation of incentive pay as motivated by expectancy theory and provides new evidence on the relationship between the success of performance related and its use by employees as a bargaining tool for salary increases and new job roles. Its implications should be of interest to human resource managers when designing reward strategies for their organisations.

For over 3 decades, the federal government has attempted to introduce pay-for-performance into the federal workforce. It is important for federal agencies to understand the impact of pay-for-performance, specifically pay banding, on job satisfaction and retention of frontline managers as agencies face the exodus of the retiring Baby Boomer generation. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of pay banding on job satisfaction and intention of frontline managers to leave the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The theoretical foundation for this study was Adams's equity theory as viewed through the lens of Mannheim's generational theory. The overarching research question was concerned with whether pay banding effects generational perceptions of job satisfaction and predicts turnover intention. This quantitative study used ANOVA, hierarchical multiple regression, mediation analysis, moderation analysis, and logistic regression to analyze the impact of pay banding on generational perceptions of job satisfaction and turnover intention among IRS frontline managers. The sample was limited to frontline managers of the Department of the Treasury (n = 2,525). Key findings indicated that pay banding was negatively associated with job satisfaction and that pay banded managers were 1.36 times more likely to leave the agency than managers who were not pay banded. Pay banding mediated the relationship between gender and job satisfaction. Positive social changes that may result from governmental policymakers applying the findings of this study are improved retention of highly skilled frontline managers, improved the efficiency and effectiveness of government services, and reduced cost of retraining managers due to attrition. These changes may improve the work environment for employees and improve governmental services provided to the citizenry.

Dans cette thèse, j’étudie l’impact des inégalités salariales horizontales sur la performance des commerciaux. J’explore plus particulièrement les coûts relatifs aux comparaisons dont sont l’objet ceux qui sont considérés comme des références dans la force de vente. Grâce à des données relatives à la rémunération et à la performance de plus de 34000 commerciaux, et aux marques qu’ils vendent, je montre que le pouvoir des marques peut se substituer à la rémunération et contrecarrer l’effet négatif des inégalités salariales sur la performance. Par ailleurs, mes résultats suggèrent que la qualité du travail commercial peut également remplacer la rémunération et ainsi influencer la relation entre inégalités salariales et performance. De plus, je décris l’effet de la structure du capital des entreprises sur la gestion de la performance des forces de vente. Je conclus cette étude en montrant comment les responsables devraient tirer partie de leurs marques et de leurs activités commerciales, puisque la manière dont de nombreuses organisations commerciales rémunèrent leurs talents commerciaux se traduit par une augmentation de la dispersion des salaires
This dissertation examines how horizontal pay inequalities in sales organizations impact salespeople’s performance. More specifically, I explore costs that arise through social comparisons with salient targets within sales organizations. I use compensation and performance data of more than 34,000 salespeople as well as data pertaining to the brands they sell, to show that brand power can substitute for pay and counteract the detrimental effect of pay inequality on performance. Moreover, my results suggest that job challenge can also act as a surrogate for pay, thereby affecting the relationship between pay gaps and performance. Further, I describe the effect of organizational ownership structure on salespeople’s performance management. Given that many sales organizations reward better performers by heightening pay dispersion, decision makers should carefully leverage their brand portfolio and sales team job assignments to soften the impact of pay gaps on salespeople’s performance

Pharmacists experience high levels of stress at work, especially from factors intrinsic to their jobs and management roles. In South Africa, the public sector is confronted with situational difficulties such as a shortage of staff and poor working conditions Accordingly, a comparative survey was conducted using a self–constructed questionnaire to obtain individual responses from the pharmacists in the public, as well as the private sector. The focus population was the pharmacists in the public, as well as the private hospitals in the North–West Province. The public sector consists of 30 hospitals and the private sector of 20. By using the convenient sampling method, 100 samples were taken. The questionnaire measured six factors of job satisfaction, namely: job design, salary/remuneration satisfaction, performance management, working arrangements, organisational climate, and professional development. The questionnaire was distributed to 100 pharmacists in total, and a response rate of 66% was obtained. The only medium practical significance shown in the results was between the averages of the private sector (2.89) in contrast with the public sector (3.38). This indicates that the public sector demonstrates less satisfaction with their performance management than the private sector. The data also indicated that the public sector pharmacists are less satisfied with job design, performance of management, professional development, and their working arrangements. The private sector showed only a small difference in the means, when compared to the public sector. It is clear that both sectors illustrate a moderate level of job satisfaction. Recommendations, therefore, included the revisiting of the job design by increasing job rotation and task identity. The need for self–actualization has to be acknowledged and the opportunity for promotion needs to be provided. The link between the actual activity and the bonus, with regards to performance management, has to be re–established, and there has to be transparency throughout. Decision–making control is extremely important and seeing that 82% of the pharmacists were female, the employer can consider accommodating family responsibilities, compressed working weeks, flexible working hours, job sharing, and part–time work. Professional development is also very important within any company and it is vital that the employer deposits time, money and skill into the staff.
Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Mestrado em Contabilidade, Fiscalidade e Finanças Empresariais
A intenção de saída (ou Turnover Intention - TI) é um fenómeno de grande relevância na gestão de recursos humanos, em particular, sentido nas firmas de auditoria que são marcadas pela existência de um elevado nível de rotação do seu staff. Desta forma, a identificação dos fatores indutores do TI torna-se um elemento fulcral no desenvolvimento de políticas ao nível do capital humano dessas empresas. O presente estudo analisa o efeito de cinco fatores (stress, suporte organizacional percecionado, sistema de incentivos, performance no trabalho e importância do cliente auditado) na TI dos colaboradores das firmas de auditoria portuguesas. Neste trabalho utilizámos o método PLS-SEM a uma amostra constituída por 83 individuos, cujos dados foram recolhidos através de um inquérito por questionário. Os resultados mostram que existe um efeito positivo do suporte organizacional na satisfação no trabalho e negativo da performance e satisfação no trabalho na TI. No entanto, os resultados sugerem uma relação negativa entre o stress e a satisfação no trabalho. Verificámos que o mesmo acontece dada a natureza jovem e pouco experiente da amostra, pelo que tarefas que induzem stress não são drivers de intenção de saída, mas sim oportunidades desafiantes e de crescimento para o jovem auditor. Concluímos também que não existem relações significativas entre a importância do cliente e satisfação no trabalho e TI.
Turnover intention (TI) is a phenomenon of great relevance in the management of human resources. Audit firms are marked by the existence of a high level of rotation of their staff. Thus, the identification of the factors that induce TI becomes a central element in the development of policies regarding the human capital of these companies. The present study analyzes the effect of five factors (stress, perceived organizational support, incentive system, job performance and client importance) on TI of employees of Portuguese audit firms. In this dissertation, we used the PLS-SEM method to a sample consisting of 83 individuals, whose data were collected through a questionnaire survey. The results show that there is a positive effect of organizational support on job satisfaction and a negative effect of performance and job satisfaction on TI. However, the results suggest a negative relationship between stress and job satisfaction. We found that the this happens due to the young and inexperienced nature of the sample. Therefore, tasks that induce stress are not drivers of intention to leave but challenging and growth opportunities for the young auditor. We also concluded that there are no significant relationships between client importance on job satisfaction and TI.
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

碩士
國立中央大學
人力資源管理研究所
105
This meta-analysis examines the relationship of pay for performance (PFP) and job performance. There is few meta-analysis which focuses exclusively on the effect of PFP on performance. Therefore, the purpose of this is to yield a generalized conclusion about the relationship between PFP and job performance. This study is done through meta-analysis method with results from domestic and foreign papers about PFP and job performance. 　　This study uses meta-analysis to examine: (1) the relationship between PFP and job performance; (2) the moderating effect of national culture on the relationship between PFP and job performance. 　　33 studies with a total sample size of 22,509 are selected after outlier identification. Further calculations are done to correct correlation coefficient of this relationship, estimate the sampling error and population correlation r, examine homogeneity, and identify the publication bias. The results show that: 1. PFP has a significant impact on job performance, where the effect size is .20 to .28 under 95% confidence interval. 2. National culture has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between PFP and job performance. Employees with PFP plans in high power distance culture, low uncertainty avoidance culture, collectivist culture, masculine culture, short-term-oriented culture, or indulgent culture will elicit better performance than in each opposite extreme culture dimension.

碩士
中華科技大學
經營管理研究所
102
The purpose of this research is to compare the differences that subjects match different shoe-pads in the steel head job shoes. The subjective and objective performance is assessed that simulated 3 kinds clasp weight and 3 kinds slope. Subjective performance assess by way of questionnaire to understand the comfortableness, soft hardness, fitness and activity of two kinds shoe-pads. However, objective performance is to use multi-functional measuring instrument and wireless physiological system to measure relevant data, and analyze these changes of muscular activity degree, heartbeat rate and truck angle. In the subjective assessing, the subjects think before the experiment that comfortableness and fitness of correcting shoe-pad all are superior to the general shoe-pad. However, the subjects think after the experiment that comfortableness, soft hardness, fitness and activity of correcting shoe-pad are superior to general shoe-pad. In the objective assessing, gastrocnemius all are the main motor groups when we sport at the different clasp weight and slope, and the muscular activity degree all are about 50%. On the whole, the heartbeat rate rises with clasp weight and slope increase. In addition, the changes of truck angles of correcting shoe-pad are greater than general shoe-pad. This research expects to set up the assessment model of ergonomics performance that subjects wear the job shoes shoe-pad. Owing to the experiment is to perform the ergonomics performance assessment to healthy subjects, so we will still remain to further assess the subjective and objective performance to the foot or vertebra pathological change person wears the correcting shoe-pad in the future.

M. Tech. (Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology
Organisations need employees who are willing to go beyond the requirements of the job to contribute to the organisation’s effectiveness. An evolving trend in the organisational behaviour literature indicates that job satisfaction (JS) and organisational commitment (OC) are attitudes that have a major impact on organisational outcomes such as productivity, job performance, turnover intentions and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB). Although the relationship between the aforementioned constructs is considered important, there is a paucity of research about the relationship between these constructs in the context of the water utility company. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the impact of organisational commitment and job satisfaction on organisational citizenship behaviour at the water utility company in Gauteng. A quantitative research approach and a survey-based descriptive research method were used to achieve the primary objective. A structured questionnaire was issued to 400 randomly sampled respondents. Furthermore, means and factor analysis were performed to determine the level of job satisfaction, organisational commitment and organisational citizenship behaviour of employees and to establish the underlying factors of the constructs respectively. Additionally, a correlation analysis was conducted to establish the strength and direction of the relationship between the factors. Finally, a regression analysis was performed to confirm the predictive relationship between factors. The findings of this study showed a positive correlation between affective commitment, indebted obligation and moral imperative; JS and OCB; and no predictive relationship was observed between continuance commitment and OCB. Based on the findings, it was recommended that JS should be improved through mechanisms such as job-fit, job enrichment and career advancement. Furthermore, performance-related pay and mentorship programmes should be introduced to improve employees’ organisational commitment. Finally, recognition should be given to employees to encourage them to maintain their willingness to display citizenship behaviours.

碩士
銘傳大學
風險管理與保險學系碩士在職專班
100
In response to the trend of financial liberalization and internationalization, China since 1987, foreign insurance companies to open Taiwan to open in 1992, foreign insurance companies into a more comprehensive, so that property and casualty insurance industry gradually approaches a perfectly competitive market, as of 2011 July, only a total of 23 domestic insurance companies, the domestic insurance 17 insurance companies, foreign property and casualty insurance industry, a total of six. According to the Foundation Insurance Institute statistics show that the overall property and casualty insurance industry written premiums in 1998 revenue of approximately1,018 million, compared with 1,077 one hundred million yuan the previous year''s 5.46% decline, which is income from property and casualty insurance industry for four consecutive years in 2006 to a recession. In the overall environment of great change, the insurance companies face competition for survival has begun to engage in corporate transformation, in addition to the impact of liberalization in response rates, the cost of the premise in the development of their own priorities prudent business and timely expand their market share, with a view to changing this situation, the business can be sustainable. The property and casualty insurance salesman in order to enhance competitiveness, must also strengthen their professional sales skills, keep abreast of product and industry information, as well as the challenge and learning personality traits in order to stabilize and expand their business development. Leading the field of education, goal-oriented has been seen as a personality trait, goal-oriented research has proven to predict performance. Higher degree of learning-oriented, the more sales on behalf of the challenge, job performance is relatively good; performance-oriented higher level of sales, representing more able to fight within its power to better job performance. Therefore, each individual goal-oriented nature of sales, should be closely related to their job performance.

碩士
長榮大學
企業管理學系碩士班
102
With the rapid development of Taiwan's economy, the enhancement of quality of life, as well as changes in eating habits, the people’s consumption patterns on dining have undergone a great deal of changes. As a consequence, more and more restaurant groups have established and provide a wide range of innovative food, beverage, and cuisine to satisify customers’ a variety of needs. High service quality can lead to customer satisfaction. Thus, many restaurant groups will pay great attentions to their employees’ service quality. To achieve service excellence, employees need to be well-trained and motivated. Pay and benefits can also encourage employees to demonstrate service consciousness and customer-oriented behavior. Having reviewed the domestic and western relevant literature, this study has not found the combination of these constructs (i.e., employee training, pay, self-efficacy, work motivation, and job performance) within one study. To bridge the gap, the social exchange theory will be used as a theoretical base to explain the relationships between these constructs. More specifically, employee training and pay perceptions will be considered as independent variables; sef-efficacy and work motivation will be considered as mediating variables; and job performance will be considered as an outcome variable. Employees who currently work for the A restaurant group will be used as study subjects.

This dissertation deals with the concept of corporate culture. The study is mainly based on a case study of Tetra Pak Tubex Portugal - where ethnographic work was carried out - and includes a comparison with two other institutions: an investment bank and Apple Computers. The method used to study Tetra Pak Tubex Portugal was mainly participant observation at the company’s premises in Lisbon for over six months. The conclusions reached regarding key aspects of the culture were then compared with two other ethnographies through bibliography. The main contribution of this study is the use of the ethnographic method to study corporate reality and provide a critical view of the method, as compared to methods pointed out by other disciplines such as Psychology and Sociology. On more practical terms, key aspects of the culture in three different settings will be described, giving the reader the opportunity to reflect on these differences.