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The impact of work overload on job satisfaction and employee performance in Mobile

Network Operator Y in Maldives.

Quantitative Research

Bachelor’s in Business Administration

Submitted To: Submitted By:

Name: Aishath Shibana Aseela Zihunee

Signature

Research Supervisor

MI College Hithadhoo Campus Addu City

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Above all, I would like to thank our creator Allah, for granting the opportunity to gain more

knowledge and wisdom. In addition, a heartfelt thanks to my supervisor for guiding, aiding and

refining this study to make it worthwhile. Also, all the knowledge that I have acquired from all

the lecturers at MI College, has greatly helped me to move forward with the study. I would also

like to thank my family for supporting me during the course of this study. Finally, I would like to

thank all the employees of Mobile Network Operator Y, who have participated and contributed

to this study.
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Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 6-9
1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................. 6-7
1.2 Statement of the problem ............................................................................................................. 8
1.3 Purpose statement ..................................................................................................................... 8-9
1.4 Research questions/hypothesis ..................................................................................................... 9
2. LITERATURE RIVEIW ............................................................................................................ 10-26
2.1 Review of previous research ................................................................................................... 10-16
2.2 Summary of major themes ..................................................................................................... 16-22
2.3 Theoretical and conceptual explanation ................................................................................. 23-26

3. METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................. 27-30

3.1 Population Sample and size.......................................................................................................... 27
3.2 Instruments and their reliability and validity............................................................................ 28-29

3.3 Rationale for quantitative approach ............................................................................................ 29

3.4 Procedures of data collection .................................................................................................. 29-30

3.5 Analysis of data ............................................................................................................................ 30

4. RESULTS .............................................................................................................................. 31-49

4.1 Descriptive analysis ................................................................................................................. 31-45
4.2 Inferential analysis to address questions or hypothesis ........................................................... 46-49

5. DISCUSSION......................................................................................................................... 50-54

5.1 Summary of major results ....................................................................................................... 50-51

5.2 Relationship of results with existing studies ............................................................................ 51-52

5.3 Limitations of the study ........................................................................................................... 52-53

5.4 Implications for future research ................................................................................................... 53

5.5 Overall significance of the study .............................................................................................. 53-54

REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 55-56
APPENDIX ........................................................................................................................................ 56-59
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List of Tables and Figures

Figure: 1.1 Conceptual framework.....................................................................................................26

Table: 4.1.1 Respondents personal profile.....................................................................................31-32

Table: 4.1.2 Work overload............................................................................................................33-34

Table: 4.1.3 Causes of work overload.............................................................................................37-38

Table: 4.1.4 Job satisfaction on their work.....................................................................................41-42

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The impact of work overload on job satisfaction and employee performance on Mobile
Network Operator Y in Maldives

ABSTRACT

Work overload and its consequences are an emerging global concern because of the major

economic implications for the organizations caused by it. Work overload leads to lowered

emotional and physical health along with employee dissatisfaction. This study is focused on the

telecommunication sector of Maldives, as there is tough competition between the network

operators due to the market saturation situation. It is necessary to study and understand the

overall impact of work overload on both employees and employer. Therefore, the purpose of the

study is to investigate the impact of work overload on job satisfaction and employee performance

in Mobile Network Operator Y in Maldives. The information for the study was collected through

questionnaires, and analysed using statistical tools such as frequency tables and mean. An

aggregate of 30 responses from employees working in Network operator Y were used for the

analysis.

ABBREVIATIONS:

Mobile Network Operator Y: MNO Y

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background
Maldives is a tropical nation in the Indian Ocean comprised of about 1190 islands categorized

into 20 administrative atolls (Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, n.d.). The geography of the

Maldives makes it difficult for the locals to connect with each other as all islands are separated

by the sea. This isolation of the islands has created a lot of difficulties for trade, health care,

education, agriculture, transportation and administration as well. Thus, the existence of a

telecommunication service is therefore vital for the smooth running of all these spheres of life in

these isolated islands. The businesses and trade activities need communication for buying and

selling purposes and to be in contact with customers. While healthcare needs communication to

enhance their services, be responsive in times of emergencies and be reachable to the public.

Education requires telecommunication to allow students to acquire more knowledge through

internet and facilitate e-learning for these islanders who wish to study online. As far as

agriculture is concerned, it needs communication for acquiring necessary fertilizers for growth of

crops, sell them to the buyers and be proactive about weather by being in contact with

metrological services. For transportation, communication is a major tool as it helps to control and

guide the vehicles over sea, land and air. For the proper functioning of the government, and

deliver their services throughout the nation, communication plays a huge role. Therefore, in

times of crisis and when help is needed, it is very important for there to exist telecommunication

services to communicate the necessary information among all the people. Also, in today’s

society telecommunication is involved in everything, as it connects us globally with everyone.

The introduction of the first telecommunication service provider, X was a major milestone

towards connecting the entire nation together and worldwide as well. Another
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telecommunication service provider Y was launched later, which brought an end to the

monopoly business of X. The locals there on enjoyed much cheaper voice, data, broadband and

roaming services. There has been advancement in this sector since then, and today it is

something that Maldivians cannot live without. From being able to be updated about all the

happenings around the world through social media, pay all the utility bills online, do electronic

banking, conduct virtual meetings, arrange business deals, do online shopping, to digitalizing and

centralizing databases of organizations, the telecommunication services has improved the lives of

the citizens very well and to the extent that it is almost impossible to live without it.

Today both mobile network operators compete neck to neck with each other to provide

innovative and beneficial services to the customers and gain more market share, in a situation

where most of the market is saturated. Like every other organization, the work is carried out by

the employees of either operators. In this competitive world, success of any organization depends

on its human resources. The same applies to both these network operators as well. As mentioned

earlier the market is at the saturation point, which means that the volume of the service has been

maximized. In turn, this has led to fierce competition between the operators. Therefore, the

employees have to work extremely hard to gain new customers and maintain the existing ones in

order to retain their respective market shares. This must be putting a lot of pressure on the

employees demanding more work from them. In this situation and otherwise as well, it is very

important for the employees to be well satisfied with their work for them to be able to show

maximum productivity and commitment.

In the case where the employees are highly satisfied, they will produce more, boosting the

profitability of the organization. Job satisfaction is an integral component of organizational

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climate and an important element in the management-employee’s relationship. Job satisfaction is

low among workers where work stress is significantly high. (Steijn, 2002).

Therefore, this study investigates the impact of work overload on job satisfaction and employee

performance on Mobile Network Operator Y (MNO Y) in the Maldives.

1.2 Statement of the problem

Work overload is a raising global concern due to its numerous effects on both employees and the

employer. The on-going tough competition between the network operators will demand more

from their employees. These employees will be required to work longer hours and achieve more

targets in order to retain their market. This will definitely be different from previous times as

now the market is saturated. Therefore, it is necessary to study and understand its overall impact

on both the employer and employees.

Symptoms of work overload include long work days, unwanted overtime either paid or unpaid,

inability to meet goals within the available time and resources, difficulty in getting vacation time,

responding to work problems during non-work time including taking work home, assignment of

additional tasks making it difficult to focus on the core job, missing work due to illness and

frequent interruptions (Gryna, 2004). This more or less applies to almost all the organizations.

There can be more causes of work overload leading to different effects on employee job

satisfaction.

Thus, this study tries to assess the effect of work overload on employee satisfaction and

performance in MNO Y in the Maldives.

1.3 Purpose statement

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- To assess the main causes of work overload in MNO Y.

- To assess the level of work overload influence on job satisfaction.

- To assess the network operator’s employee perception of work overload and their level of job

satisfaction.

1.4 Research questions/ hypothesis

The comprehended hypothesis for this research is as follows:

Null hypothesis H0: There is an indirect or negative relationship between work overload and job

satisfaction.

Alternative hypothesis H1: There is no relationship between work overload and job satisfaction.

Following are the questions I am hoping to answer with this study:

• What are the main causes of work overload in MNO Y of Maldives?

• Does work overload have influence on job satisfaction?

• Is there any relationship between work overload and job satisfaction according to employees?
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2. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Review of previous research

Work overload
Work overload is generally defined as a higher than normal load of work. Rizzo, (1970)

conveyed that work overload is defined as a mismatch among the requirements, time constraints

and resources related to work existing to comply with these requirements. Overloading

employees with unreasonable work expectations is a form of workplace bullying or abusive

supervision. It commonly involves placing undue pressure on employees, setting impossible

deadlines for the completion of work, or excessive unnecessary disruptions (Alemu, 2014). The

weight of the negative implications of burdening employees is huge. For instance, overloaded

employees are more likely to make mistakes, feel anger or resentment toward their employers or

co-workers, experience high levels of stress, have poorer health and work family balance, and

seek employment elsewhere (Derek et al., 2010).

Assignment of excessive work apart from the normal requirements will drastically decrease the

overall performance of the employees and ultimately decrease the overall outcome of the

organization. The effects of work overload include feelings of anxiety, frustration, disturbance,

more number of sick days, depression, losing self confidence, concentration difficulties and

mishaps. Work overload can create a threat to the employees in performing his or her work

effectively and also increases withdrawal behaviour patterns from the employing organizations

like early retirmenet, striking, leaving, absenteesim and more (Pelletier, 1992). Work overload

happens when job demands exceed the time and resources available (Alemu, 2014). According
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to Frank M.Gryna, (2004) the following are the common warning signs/symptoms of work

overload.

 Long workdays

When the employees work for longer hours than usual, they lose motivation to work more as

they get tired and exhausted. Without proper rest, the employees cannot concentrate on work to

perform their level best.

 Unwanted overtime, paid or unpaid

Some employees are expected to work overtime for non-essential reasons outside of their job

description. In addition, for these overtimes, the employees are sometimes paid or unpaid. Doing

work that has no direct relation with the employee’s job description and especially for free, is

something that will clearly lower their will and motivation to work. They will feel burdened by

the extra work assigned to them.

 State and federal lawsuits

Such lawsuits accusing companies of avoiding overtime pay by requiring hourly employees to

work “off the clock” or reclassifying hourly employees as managerial. In addition, suits by

managerial and professional employees claim that they must work excessive hours without

overtime pay. Overtime can be abusive.

 Inability to meet goals with available time and resources.

The tasks assigned to the employees should align with the time set to complete it, and all the

necessary resources required should be provided. If not, the employees will not be able to meet

their goals, which will burden and stress them.

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 Difficulty in taking vacation time.

If employees feel that it is difficult to get time off from work, or take their vacations, then they

are prone to feel demotivated with the employer. The employees are oppressed to feel that

despite the work they do for their organization, the organization does not think or care about the

employees.

 Responding to work problems during non-work time, including taking work home.

When employees are summoned to deal with the problems faced in the workplace during their

non-work time, they will feel violated and deprived of their personal time. The healthiest practice

to have a work life balance is to keep professional and personal life separate. However, if the

employees must deal with work issues even in their off time, they tend to feel burdened. Among

this is taking unfinished or extra work home, to complete the pending work. In situations like

this, the employees have no time to relax even at home. Ultimately, they feel stressed and

overloaded with work.

 Frequent “firefighting,” usually as unexpected as a sneeze.

Unexpected problems at work with no pre-set problem-solving methodologies will increase the

workload of the employees.

 “Add on” tasks making it difficult to focus on the core job.

When employees are assigned more tasks in addition to their original work, they will feel

burdened by the extra work, as they have to make time to complete the additional tasks. In such

situations, the employees cannot focus on the original task at hand and most probably delay the

completion of the core job.

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 Lost workdays due to illness.

When the employees have a lot of work to be completed, it effects their physical health as well.

This often leads to illness and absenteeism from work. Due to this, the lost workdays would

mean more and more unfinished pending work. This in turn again adds to the workload of the

employees as the next issue faced will be the limited time to finish all the work.

 Borrowing employees from other activities to fill in for absent employees.

When employees are borrowed from other departments to fill in for the absent employees, the

work of the borrowed employees will go into pending. This will create stress for them as now in

addition to their work, they have to complete the work of another person.

 Frequent interruptions.

Frequent interruptions during working hours will lead to the employees to be distracted from

their work from time to time. This will slow down their work pace and ultimately their

efficiency. Which in turn will leave them with less time and more work to be completed.

 Errors caused by tired employees.

Working long hours will leave the employees tired and exhausted. This will lead to small errors

as they lose their concentration on work. Such mishaps will need to be fixed, and the time taken

for doing so will cost a lot of precious time that could otherwise be utilized to complete the task

at hand.

These symptoms worsen when the managerial style involves criticism without help, threats,

intimidation and bullying. Therefore, work overload leads to stress which the harmful emotional
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and physical response when the requirements of a job do not match the capabilities, resources or

needs of the worker (Alemu, 2014).

Job Satisfaction

Job satisfaction is defined as the extent to which an employee feels self-motivated, content &

satisfied with their job. An employee feels satisfied when they have job stability, career growth

and a comfortable work life balance.

Through years of extensive research, psychologists have identified numerous variables that seem

to contribute to either job satisfaction or organizational commitment (Alemu, 2014). Job

satisfaction is influenced by a variety of factors e.g. the nature of one's relationship with their

supervisor, the quality of the physical environment in which they work, the degree of fulfilment

of their work etc (Qamar & Baloch, 2011). The overall performance of a satisfied employee is

relatively higher as they deliver the best of their capability, ultimately increasing the efficiency

of the organization. According to Watson et.al (2007), there are nine aspects of evaluation that

form a person's job satisfaction, namely salary, promotion, supervision, benefits, contingent

reward, co-workers, nature of work and communication. Each individual may have different

priorities to each of these aspects of evaluation.

An employee may feel satisfied with the work itself, the wages, recognition, relationship with

supervisors and co-workers, and chance for progression.

There are several theories, which help in evaluating and measuring the job satisfaction of

employees such as:

 Maslow’s (1943) Hierarchy of Needs

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 Locke’s (1969) Discrepancy Theory

 Hackman and Oldham’s (1976) Job Characteristics Model

 Locke’s (1976) Range of Affect Theory

 Bandura’s (1977) Social Learning Theory

 Landy’s (1978) Opponent Process Theory

 Adam’s (1965) Equity Theory

 Hertzberg’s (1968) Two-Factor (Motivator-Hygiene)

Also called the Motivation-Hygiene Theory or the dual-factor theory was developed by

Frederick Herzberg in 1959. According to him, the employee’s job satisfaction depends on two

kinds of factors namely; factors of satisfaction (motivators/ satisfiers) and factors of

dissatisfaction (hygiene factors/ dissatisfiers).

Performance, recognition, job status, responsibility and opportunities for growth all fall under

motivators/ satisfiers.

Hygiene factors/dissatisfiers are about salary, secondary working conditions, the relationship

with colleagues, physical workplace and the relationship between supervisor and employee.

(Kuijk, Herzberg Two Factor Theory of Motivation, 2018)

Until now, we have talked more about job satisfaction, but one needs to focus on what happens

to those who are dissatisfied as well. Job satisfaction is very crucial to run a successful business,

thus it is important to detect any job dissatisfactions as it can cost the organization.
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The relationship between work overload and job satisfaction

Frank M. Gryna, (2004) also stated that work overload is one of the several factors that have an

impact on job satisfaction. Also according to Nirel et al. (2008), dissatisfaction at work is caused

by burnout, work overload and poor health. In addition to this, a study carried out by Ahmed et

al. (2011), investigated the relationship between work overload and job involvement with the

two dimensions of work-family conflict; work interference with family and family interference

with work. This study focused on the impact of overload on employee’s job satisfaction, and it

was ruled out that the satisfaction indeed has an effect on the performance of the employees.

So it can be concluded that work over load is a major factor that influences job satisafaction. And

according to the above literature, work overload and job satisfaction have a negative relationship.

2.2 Summary of major themes

Causes of work overload

According to Frank M. Gryna (2004), research with middle managers and individual professional

contributors, 10 key causes of work overload were found listed as below.

Insufficient resources

There may not be enough time or adequate supply of machinery to complete the work on time.

This will lead to delay of normal tasks, which will leave the employees with more pending work

demanding longer hours.

Firefighting on problems
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There are situations where something may happen unexpectedly with potentially harmful

consequences. And there may be no standard problem-solving methodology for these. In such

cases the employees may panic and cause more havoc which ultimately leads to stress.

Lack of control of work methods

The management may lack the necessary skills and methodologies to control and manage the

workplace. Proper organizing, planning and prioritizing of all the work methods is necessary in

order to run a business smoothly. If the work is not distributed properly, it will lead to assigning

additional tasks to employees in between work processes. Also, if the human resources are not

managed well, they will face difficulty in getting time off from work, ultimately adding to

exhaustion and frustration.

Work process not capable of meeting quantity and quality requirements

The developed work process may not be capable of meeting the set objectives effectively and

efficiently. There may be inefficient resource management, which leads to wastage and decreases

productivity.

Unclear goals and responsibilities

When the performance targets are not set or unclear, the employees do not know what they need

to achieve or are expected of. This will lead to poor performance of the organization. Therefore,

the roles and responsibilities should be clear so that employees know what actions need to be

taken and where, in order to complete the assigned work on time.

Inputs from internal or external suppliers

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There may arise situations where the suppliers cause problems like the material being wrong,

some being missed, or the shipment being delayed. In such cases the workload for the employees

increase as they must tackle with new situations.

Inadequate selection and training

If the selected employees do not have the required technical skills to do the job, then their work

will remain incomplete and others must step in to help. Also, if adequate training is not provided

to the employees, they will lack the knowledge to efficiently do their work. Management also

has to be proactive in situations where employees leave the organization, to manage without

burdening the rest with the extra workload.

Information overload

Most of the organizations today are working towards being digital. One such effort is digitalizing

the communication process. If not managed properly it will create a lot of problems, like missing

out on some communications, not responding to some, and more importantly not being able to

manage things on time. Thus, there should be a systematic way of handling all incoming and

outgoing information.

Computer problems

Software problems, malfunctions and hardware issues are all sorts of computer problems that

may arise. These must be properly reported and managed by the IT department to work without

any hindrance. If the computer downtime extends it will delay the work processes by the same

amount of time.

Other problems causing work overload

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Priorities or strategies of an organization may change, increasing or altering the work allocations.

Reasons for work overload may vary from organization to organization. Thus, they must be

detected and dealt with.

Consequences of work overload

Frank M. Gryna (2004), confers that there a many consequences of work overload.

The key effect of work overload is an increase in stress on individuals and their families. High

levels of work overload have been correlated with high levels of family conflict. This is due to

the inability of the employees to balance time between work and home due to the heavy

workload. According to a study by Ilies, et al., (2007), intra individual analysis revealed that

employees’ perception of workload predicted work-to-family conflict over time, even when

controlling for the number of hours spent at work. Workload influenced affect at work, which in

turn influenced affect at home.

Work overload reduces job satisfaction and eventually leads to turnover. Heavy workload with

unrealistic goals to be achieved reduce the employee’s motivation to work, which makes them

dissatisfied with their jobs. This is affirmed in a study done by Abbasi (2015), where the results

indicate that work overload has a negative effect on stress, turnover, and job satisfaction.

More to this, being overloaded increases the chance of errors in delivering the products and

services. Dealing and rectifying such errors reduces the overall productivity of the employees

and inquires additional costs. To add, overloaded frontline employees who deal with the

customers directly, may lead to unpleasant encounters with customers. The reduced quality of

work will thus build frustration in employees at all levels.

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Finally, work overload even causes errors that result in injuries to employees and to customers as

well. Tired employees may forget tiny details in standard procedures and cause accidents in the

workplace. Also, accidents in this case are not just confined to workplace. Overloaded

employees with lowered concentration may even be involved in road accidents due to their

unclear minds, with unfortunate results.

Factors of Job satisfaction

According to Radhika K., (2018) the main factors that influence job satisfaction in the workplace

are as follows:

Job Security

Job security is the feeling of being safe in the workplace. It is affected by factors such as,

effective communication and good relationships with superiors and subordinates, safe working

environmental conditions, assurance of safety in using equipment and machines for the

production purposes and availability of incentives and benefits according to the performance.

Opportunities to Make Use of Skills and Abilities

Employees feel satisfied when they are given opportunities to make effective use of their skills

and abilities in situations where they can. If they are qualified in certain areas, they should be

given chance to practice their knowledge. If not, the employees will feel useless and will be

dissatisfied.

People Management

Human resources are the most important assets of an organization. In order to achieve the

organizational objectives, the organization must create an atmosphere of assurance and support
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for its employees. When the employees are motivated to work hard, they will eventually be more

efficient and contribute to the productivity of the organization.

Compensation/Pay

Monetary compensation and benefits are considered as the most imperative areas that employees

work for. They feel satisfied when they sense that their pay and benefits are sufficient to sustain

their living. To add to this, if they receive any promotion along with added incentives, they

would feel even more satisfied with their job.

Supervisor Support

Supervisors provide guidance, support and direction to the employees, while the employees

report to them. They are responsible to care for the welfare of the employees and recognize them

for their work. When the employees receive the adequate support and assistance, they eventually

feel appreciated and heard. This increases their job satisfaction.

Working Environmental Conditions

Comfortable and safe working conditions with the necessary resources provided, influence the

job satisfaction as well. No one wants to work in cramped and hot workplaces. Such conditions

will hinder the effective performance of the employees. Thus, working environment needs to a

one in which the employee enjoys working.

Job Characteristics

Employees need to have certain characteristics like skill variety, task identity, task significance,

autonomy and feedback, to efficiently perform their jobs. That will give them a sense of job

satisfaction, as they know they are performing well.

Relationship with the Co-workers

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Existence of a friendly relationship between the co-workers help to perform the assigned tasks

competently with collaboration. Good co-worker relationships enhance the productivity as they

extend support and help to each other. If the relationship between co-workers is rather bad, the

employees will resent working with each other eventually effecting the efficiency of work.

Job Duties

Some job duties are very easy, and the employees manage them effectively, while other job

duties may be more demanding and challenging. Therefore, the job duties also play a huge role

in influencing job satisfaction. If the job duties are manageable with the employees bearing the

adequate knowledge needed to perform them, it leads to job satisfaction. In contrast, if the

employees find the job duties challenging and they do not possess the appropriate knowledge to

perform them, they feel dissatisfied.

Flexibility to Balance Life and Work Issue

If the employees feel difficulty in balancing their personal life and work, then they will feel

unhappy. However, if there is no pressure in balancing these, the employees will be much more

satisfied.

Educational Qualifications

Every job has different requirements both educationally and ability wise. It is necessary that the

requirements of the job are in accordance with the educational levels of the employees. The

qualifications, knowledge, skills and the abilities that the employees have acquired should be

used in an effective manner practically. If their skills are underutilized, they will feel dissatisfied

about it.
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2.3 Theoretical and conceptual explanation

Theoretical explanation

As discussed above, there are certain factors that influence job satisfaction and motivation.

Among the various motivational theories, the Motivation-Hygiene Theory developed by

Frederick Herzberg in 1959, explains this very well.

According to Herzberg, people’s jobs satisfaction depends on two kinds of factors. Factors of

satisfaction (motivators/ satisfiers) and factors of dissatisfaction (hygiene factors/ dissatisfiers).

Motivators include performance, recognition, job status, responsibility and opportunities for

growth. While hygiene factors are about salary, secondary working conditions, the relationship

with colleagues, physical workplace and the relationship between supervisor and employee.

In his theory, Herzberg claims that these factors function on the same plane. In other words,

satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not polar opposites. For example, taking away an employee’s

dissatisfaction by offering a higher salary does not necessarily mean that the employee will be

satisfied. In this case, the employee is just no longer dissatisfied. There are four different

combinations of these factors.

1: High hygiene and high motivation: Ideal situation where employees are very motivated and

barely have any complaints.

2: High hygiene and low motivation: Employees have few complaints, but they are not motivated

and see their work simply as a paycheck.

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3: Low hygiene and high motivation: Employees are motivated, their job is challenging, but they

have complaints about salary or work conditions.

4: Low hygiene and low motivation: Employees are not motivated at all and have a lot of

complaints.

According to him, adjusting the hygiene factors often have a short-term effect that does not last

very long. However, changing the motivation factors have a more long-lasting effect on the

performance of the employees.

To apply Herzberg’s Two factor theory the employer must motivate the employees by taking

away their dissatisfaction. For this, the organization can start up working on bureaucracy within

the organization and make sure that all the employees are supported and effectively supervised.

To add, a working environment where all the employees are equally respected can be created,

where they are fairly compensated. More to this, all the employees should be given achievable

goals that they can complete to achieve the organizational objectives. Furthermore, assurance

such as job guarantee should be provided so that they feel safe.

When such dissatisfaction is taken away, the organization can effectively motivate their

employees. To motivate the employees to work efficiently, the organization can create good

working conditions. The employees should be recognized and appreciated for their contribution

towards achieving organizational objectives. To add to this, work can be assigned according to

the employee’s talents and abilities so that they can show high productivity and enjoy their work.

Routine training and development opportunities can be offered to the employees that will help

them become more proficient in their work. Furthermore, the teams should be actively
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participated in the important roles of the organization and responsibilities should be given to

them so that they can build characters.

Herzberg’s Two Factor theory is applicable to this study because it states that there are factors

that affect the job satisfaction and dissatisfaction of the employees. These factors should be

monitored effectively so that the employees are motivated to work. Work overload is hence one

such factor that negatively impacts job satisfaction and needs to be monitored. (Kuijk, Herzberg

Two Factor Theory of Motivation, 2018)

Even though the Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory is widely used, the theory has been criticized for

some issues. For instance, each human and their needs and perspectives are different. Thus,

while one factor can cause satisfaction to one person, the same factor could cause dissatisfaction

to the other. More to this, this theory assumes that job satisfaction results in higher productivity.

However, there are several other factors that can influence productivity which have been

overlooked here. Furthermore, his deduction about the difference between satisfiers and

dissatisfiers cannot be completely accepted. While people generally credit the causes of their

satisfaction to their achievement, they tend to credit their dissatisfaction to hindrances caused by

the organizational policies or superiors than to their own inadequacy. (Two-Factor Theory of

Motivation – Hygiene and Motivational Factor, n.d.)

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Conceptual Framework

The aim of this research is to find out the impact of work overload on employee job satisfaction

and employee performance in MNO Y. And the two main theories that are studied here are work

overload and employee job satisfaction. According to the above literature review, there are

factors that cause work overload and factors that affect employee job satisfaction. Also, there is a

clear relationship between work overload (independent variable) and employee job satisfaction

(dependant variable) which implies that higher work load causes a decrease in the employee job

satisfaction. Therefore, I have compiled the below conceptual framework with these two

variables, and the factors that affect them. The below figure illustrates that employee job

satisfaction is affected by work overload. Work overload has a negative relationship with job

satisfaction.

Figure 1.1 Conceptual framework

Work overload Job satisfaction

-Insufficient resources - Job security

-Firefighting on problems - Opportunities to Make Use of Skills and Abilities
-Lack of control of work methods - People management
-Work process not capable - Compensation/pay
-Unclear goals and responsibilities - Supervisor support
-Inputs from internal or external suppliers - Working Environmental Conditions
-Inadequate selection and training - Job characteristics
-Information overload - Inadequate selection and training
-Computer problems - Job duties
-Other problems causing work overload - Flexibility to Balance Life and Work Issue
- Educational qualifications
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3. METHODOLOGY

3.1 Population Sample and size

A population is a complete set of people with a specialized set of characteristics, and a sample is

a subset of the population (Banerjee & Chaudhury, 2010). This study is focused on finding out

the impact of work overload on employee job satisfaction in MNO Y of Maldives. Therefore, the

target population for this study is the total no. of employees currently working in the

organization. The total number of employees in MNO Y is 50.

From the population, it is advisable and cost-effective to select a representative sample. Thus, a

sample of 30 employees are selected for the study. The sampling method used in this study is

simple random sampling. A sample may be defined as random if every individual in the

population being sampled has an equal likelihood of being included (Banerjee & Chaudhury,

2010). According to Indrayan A. (2008), random sampling is the basis of all good sampling

techniques and disallows any method of selection based on volunteering or the choice of groups

of people known to be cooperative. As I wish the sample to be one in which each member of the

population has an equivalent and exclusive chance of being selected, simple random sampling is

the best method for this study.

 28

3.2 Instruments and their reliability and validity

Reliability is the degree of stability exhibited when a measurement is repeated under identical

conditions (Porta, 2008). In other words, it means that the data collection methods and

procedures used currently, would produce the same results even if they were repeated on another

occasion by another person.

Reliability is maintained in this study as an online questionnaire is distributed to the selected

sample, the participants can answer the questionnaire in their own convenience which will

reduce the participant error. Also, as the responses are treated with confidentiality and

anonymity, the participants are free to respond in the most honest and truthful manner without

any bias. There is no chance of researcher’s error or bias because the instrument used is a

questionnaire that was used by another researcher in their study which had already been through

the pilot phase.

Validity is the relative absence of bias or systematic error (Porta, 2008). Validity expresses the

degree to which a measurement measures what it purports to measure. (Bolarinwa, 2015)

The purpose of this study is to find out the impact of work overload on employee performance in

MNO Y of Maldives. There have been many descriptive studies done in this particular field, but

none in this area. Since we are trying to find out the relationship between two variables in this

study, a quantitative research approach is used. And the tool used for this purpose is a

questionnaire adapted from Alemu, (2014) ‘s research paper which had already been tested on

pilot phase. In the questionnaire, there are two sections namely; A and B. In the section A, there

are 5 questions which ask about the demographics of the respondents. In section B, there are 3

major areas namely; work overload, causes of work overload and job satisfaction level, assessed
 29

using a total of 33 questions in the format of a 5 point Likert Scale where the respondents have to

tick among, strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree according to their

preference. The null hypothesis of this study states that there is a negative impact of work

overload on job satisfaction and employee performance. This assumption of the existence of a

negative relationship between these two variables was made based on the available literature, as

they confirm such a relationship. Hence, this research is valid as the results obtained show that

there is a negative impact of work overload on employee performance. More to this, the findings

of this study are generalizable to the whole population, as a representative sample is chosen

through simple random sampling where all the participants have an equal chance of being

selected, for this study.

3.3 Rationale for quantitative approach

Telecommunication sector being ruled by just two network operators and their immense efforts

to maintain market share, has driven me to study the relationship between work overload and job

satisfaction in this field. Although, there are researches that show the relationship between work

overload and job satisfaction, there are no researches done in this area before. Thus, the newness

of this type of study inspires me more as it can highlight the impact of work stress on employee

job satisfaction and help to identify ways to minimize the work stress and enhance the job

satisfaction, ultimately benefiting the respective organizations.

3.4 Procedures of data collection

 30

The method of data collection used in this study is survey method which involves an online

questionnaire borrowed from Alemu’s research, reconstructed in google forms. The selected

sample of employees were reached out through their mails and briefed beforehand about the

purpose of the survey being strictly educational along with its duration which is about 5-7

minutes and the information about the responses being treated strictly with anonymity and

confidentiality. Anonymity and confidentiality is maintained by not collecting the names of the

respondents and not displaying the responses separately. This online questionnaire was than

mailed to the selected sample of employees. Once the participants responded, the respective

responses were recorded and stored by google forms. This data was then analysed by google

forms software to give results in pie charts and bar graphs.

Quantitative approach is used in this research, as the purpose is to measure an objective reality or

in simpler terms, to identify the relationship between work overload (independent variable) and

employee job satisfaction (dependent variable). In addition, to confirm whether there is an

impact of work overload on employee job satisfaction. More to this, since the concerned study

sample frame is large, quantitative method is preferred. The results gathered through this

approach is numerical, which can be analysed statistically to answer the research hypothesis.

Statistical results are easy to interpret and understand.

3.5 Analysis of data

After collecting the data using the questionnaire, the results are analysed frequency tables and

means. Furthermore, the acquired analysed data is displayed as pie charts and bar graphs by

google forms software.

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4. RESULTS

4.1 Descriptive analysis

This chapter presents analysis, description and interpretation of the data collected from the

respondents. Questionnaires were sent to 30 employees and a 100% response was received. The

analysis, description and interpretation of every response is done separately under the given

subheadings.

Respondent’s personal profile

4.1.1 Respondents personal profile

Item Frequency %

1 Sex Male 13 43.3%

Female 17 56.7%

2 Age 18-26 12 40%

27-35 12 40%
36-45 6 20%
Above 45 years - -

3 Educational Level Certificate 7 23.3%

Diploma 12 40%
Degree 9 30%
Masters 2 6.7%
Other - -

4 Length of service 1-5 12 40%

6-10 15 50%
11-15 2 6.7%
Above 15 years 1 3.3%

5 Department CRM 14 46.7%

Sales 11 36.7%
Collections 1 3.3%
Marketing 2 6.7%
Technical 1 3.3%
 32

Finance 1 3.3%

From the collected data represented in the table 4.1.1, 13 (43.3%) of the respondents are males,

and the remaining 17 (56.7%) are females. This shows that the majority of the respondents are

females.

When looking at the age of the respondents, while 12 (40%) respondents are between 18-26

years, another 12 (40%) respondents are between 27-35 years. Only 6 (20%) respondents are

between 36-45 years and none of the respondents are above 45 years. This indicates that the

majority of the respondents are in the age category 18-35 years.

As far as the educational level of the respondents is concerned, 7 (23.3%) respondents are

qualified at certificate level. While 12 (40%) respondents are Diploma holders, another 9 (30%)

respondents are Degree holders. The remaining 2 (6.7%) respondents are Master’s qualifiers,

while there are no respondents whose educational level is above this. This implies that the

majority of the respondents are well educated and qualified.

Looking at the length of the service of the respondents, 12 (40%) of them have served between

1-5 years, while 15 (50%) of the respondents have served between 6-10 years. 2 (6.7%) of the

respondents served between 11-15 years, while only 1 (3.3%) has served over 15 years. This

shows that majority of the respondents have served in the organization between 6-10 years which

means they are well experienced and have seen a lot of changes.

According to the collected data displayed in the table 4.3.1, 14 (46.7%) of the respondents work

in the Customer Relation Management (CRM) department. And another 11 (36.7%) of the

respondents work in the sales department. There are 2 (6.7%) respondents working in the
 33

marketing department. While there is only 1 (3.3%) respondent from each department collection,

technical and finance departments respectively. This implies that the majority of the respondents

are working in the CRM department, which deals with the customers directly.

Work overload

4.1.2 Work overload

Item S/agree Agree Neutral Disagree S/ mean

disagree

f % f % f % f % f %

1 I am working 11 36.7% 18 60% 1 3.3% - - - - 1.67

long and difficult
working hours

2 I face 5 16.7% 24 80% 1 3.3% - - - - 1.87

unexpected
problems
frequently

3 I do 5 16.7% 24 80% 1 3.3% - - - - 1.87

inappropriate
tasks which
make it difficult
to focus on my
core job

4 There are 5 16.7% 24 80% 1 3.3% - - - - 1.87

frequent work
interruptions

5 Errors occur at 23 76.7% 7 23.3% - - - - - - 1.23

work when I am
tired

6 I feel 5 16.7% 25 83.3% - - - - - - 1.83

overwhelmed by
the demands
placed on me
 34

7 I feel tired by the 6 20% 24 80% - - - 1.80

demands placed
on me

8 Work demands 10 33.3% 18 60% 2 6.7% - - - - 1.73

make it difficult
for me to
schedule
vacations

9 There is pressure 10 33.3% 13 43.3% 7 23.3% - - - - 1.90

to work
unwanted
overtime

10 I respond to 17 56.7% 13 43.3% - - - - - - 1.43

work during non-
working time
including taking
work home

The table 4.1.2 shows 10 questions with the frequency of the responses, percentages and mean of

the data. For the question, ‘I am working long and difficult working hours’, 11 (36.7%) of the

respondents strongly agree that they work long and difficult working hours, while 18 (60%) of

the respondents agree to it. And the remaining respondent (3.3%) neither agrees nor disagrees

that he or she works for long and difficult hours. The results of this question present a mean of

1.67, which implies that the majority of the respondents agree that they are working long and

difficult working hours.

For the second question, ‘I face unexpected problems frequently’, 5 (16.7%) of the respondents

strongly agree to it, while 24 (80%) of the respondents agree to it. And the remaining respondent

(3.3%) neither agrees nor disagrees to it. The results of this question present a mean of 1.87,
 35

which implies that majority of the respondents agree that they face unexpected problems

frequently at work.

For the next question, ‘I do inappropriate tasks which make it difficult to focus on my core job’,

5 (16.7%) of the respondents strongly agree to it, while 24 (80%) of the respondents agree to it.

And the remaining respondent (3.3%) neither agrees nor disagrees with it. The results of this

question present a mean of 1.87, which implies that majority of the respondents agree that they

do inappropriate tasks which makes it difficult for them to focus on their job.

For the question, ‘there are frequent work interruptions’, 5 (16.7%) of the respondents strongly

agree to it, while 24 (80%) of the respondents just agree with it. And the remaining respondent

(3.3%) neither agrees nor disagrees with it. The results of this question present a mean of 1.87,

which implies that majority of the respondents agree that they face frequent work interruptions.

For the question, ‘Errors occur at work when I am tired’, 23 (76.7%) of the respondents say that

they strongly agree with it, while the remaining 7 (23.3%) respondents say that they agree with

it. With a mean of 1.23, the results of this question imply that majority of the respondents agree

that when they are tired at work, they tend to commit errors.

For the question, ‘I feel overwhelmed by the demands placed on me’, 5 (16.7%) of the

respondents strongly agree with it, while the rest of the 25 (83.3%) respondents simply agree

with it. With a mean of 1.83, the results of this question suggest that the majority of the

respondents feel overwhelmed by the demands placed on them.

For the question, ‘I feel tired by the demands placed on me’, 6 (20%) of the respondents strongly

agree with it, while the remaining 24 (80%) of the respondent’s just agree with it. The results of
 36

this question present a mean of 1.80 which implies that majority of the employees agree that they

are tired by the demands placed on them.

For the question, ‘work demands make it difficult for me to schedule vacations’, 10 (33.3%) of

the respondents strongly agree with it, while 18 (60%) simply agree to it. The remaining 2

(6.7%) of the respondents neither agree nor disagree with it. With a mean of 1.73, the results of

this question suggest that the majority of the respondents agree that work demands make it

difficult for them to schedule and plan vacations.

For the question, ‘there is pressure to work unwanted overtime’, 10 (33.3%) of the respondents

strongly agree with it, while 13 (43.3%) simply agree to it. The remaining 7 (23.3%) of the

respondents neither agree nor disagree with it. With a mean of 1.90, the results of this question

suggest that majority of the respondents agree that there is pressure on them to work unwanted

overtime.

For the question, ‘I respond to work during non-working time, including taking work home’, 17

(56.7%) of the respondents strongly agree to it, while the remaining 13 (43.3%) of the

respondents simply agree with it. With a mean of 1.43, the results of this study show that the

majority of the respondents agree that they respond to work during non-working time and tend to

take work home as well.

The overall results of work overload suggest that the employees are facing work overload

difficulties with the assumption that their perceptions are as below.

Mean 0 ≤ mean ﹤1 strongly agree

Mean 1 ≤ mean ﹤2 agree

 37

Mean 2 ≤ mean ﹤3 neither agree or disagree

Mean 3 ≤ mean ﹤4 disagree

Mean 4 ≤ mean ﹤5 strongly disagree

Causes of work overload

4.1.3 Causes of work overload

Item S/agree Agree Neutral Disagree S/ mean

disagree

f % F % f % f % f %

1 I cannot get rest (gap) 1 3.3 24 80 5 16.7 - - - - 2.13

between work % % %

2 I feel tired by the demand 4 13.3 26 86.7 - - - - - - 1.87

(burden) placed on me % %

3 My department doesn’t 5 16.7 24 80 1 3.3 - - - - 1.87

have enough resources to % % %
handle workload

4 My responsibilities are - - 12 40 18 60 - - - - 2.6

unclear (I don’t have % %
control of setting priorities,
deciding work methods and
use of resources

5 My job has a high degree 21 70 9 30 - - - - - - 1.30

of mental intensity and % %
pressure (stress) (for
example. Internal/external
forces, production goals,
information overload).
6 I face difficulties relate to 4 13.3 15 50 11 36.7 - - - - 2.23
inputs from % % %
internal/external suppliers
 38

7 There is lack of selection 2 6.7 12 40 14 46.7 2 6.7 - - 2.53

and training of personnel in % % % %
the organization.

8 I feel overwhelmed due to 4 13.3 25 83.3 1 3.3 - - - - 1.90

information overload % % %

9 There is frequent 8 26.7 19 63.3 3 10 - - - - 1.83

borrowing of employees % % %
from other activities to fill
in for absent employees

10 I have difficulties with 1 3.3 2 6.7 15 50 10 33.3 2 6.7 3.33

computer and other % % % % %
technological materials

In the table 4.1.3, it shows 10 questions regarding causes of work overload, the frequency of the

responses, the percentages and mean of the results. For the first question, ‘I cannot get rest (gap)

between work’, one (3.3%) of the respondents strongly agrees with it, while a whole 24 (80%) of

the respondents say that they agree with it. The remaining 5 (16.7%) of the respondents neither

agree nor disagree with it. With a mean of 2.13, the results of this question imply that majority of

the respondents agree that they cannot get rest between work.

For the question, ‘I feel tired by the demands placed on me’, 4 (13.3%) of the respondents

strongly agree with it, while the remaining 26 (86.7%) of the respondents simply agree with it.

With a mean of 1.87, the results of this question imply that majority of the respondents agree that

they feel tired by the demands placed on them.

For the question, ‘My department doesn’t have enough resources to handle workload’, 5 (16.7%)

of the respondents strongly agree with it, and 24 (80%) of the respondents agree with it. The

remaining respondent (3.3%) neither agrees nor disagrees with it. With a mean of 1.87, the
 39

results of this question implies that the majority of the respondents agree that their department

does not enough resources to handle workload.

For the question, ‘my responsibilities are unclear (I don’t have control of setting priorities,

deciding work methods and use of resources)’, 12 (40%) of the respondents simply agree with it,

while the remaining 18 (60%) neither agree nor disagree with it. With a mean of 2.6, the results

of this question show that majority of the respondents neither agree nor disagree with the fact

that their responsibilities are unclear.

For the question, ‘My job has a high degree of mental intensity and pressure (stress) (for

example. Internal/external forces, production goals, information overload).,’ 21 (70%) of the

respondents strongly agree with it, and the remaining 9 (30%), simply agree with it. With a mean

of 1.3, the results of this question imply that majority of the respondents agree that their job has a

high degree of mental intensity and pressure including production goals, information overload

and other internal and external forces.

For the question, ‘I face difficulties related to inputs from internal or external suppliers’, 4

(13.3%) of the respondents strongly agree with it, and 15 (50%) of the respondents simply agree

with it. The remaining 11 (36.7%) of the respondents neither agree nor disagree with it. With a

mean of 2.23, the results of this question imply that majority of the respondents neither agree nor

disagree that they face difficulties related to inputs from internal or external suppliers.

For the question, ‘there is a lack of selection and training of personnel in the organization’, 2

(6.7%) of the respondents strongly agree with it, and 12 (40%) of the respondents agree with it.

Another 14 (46.7%) of the respondents neither agree nor disagree with it, while the remaining 2

(6.7%) of the respondents disagree with it. The results of this question present a mean of 2.53,
 40

which implies that majority of the respondents neither agree nor disagree with the fact that there

is a lack of selection and training of personnel in the organization.

For the question, ‘I feel overwhelmed due to information overload’, 4 (13.3%) of the respondents

strongly agree with it, and 25 (83.3%) of the respondents agree with it. The one remaining

respondent (3.3%) neither agrees nor disagrees with it. With a mean of 1.90, the results of this

question suggest that majority of the respondents agree that they feel overwhelmed due to

information overload.

For the question, ‘there is frequent borrowing of employees from other activities to fill in for

absent employees’, 8 (26.7%) of the respondents strongly agree with it, and 19 (63.3%) of the

respondents agree with it. The remaining 3 (10%) of the respondents neither agrees nor disagrees

with it. Thus, with a mean of 1.83, the results of this question imply that majority of the

respondents agree that there is frequent borrowing of employees from other activities to fill in for

absent employees.

For the question, ‘I have difficulties with computer and other technological materials’, one of the

respondents (3.3%) strongly agrees with it, and 2 (6.7%) of the respondents agree with it.

Another 15 (50%) of the respondents neither agree nor disagree with it, while 10 (33.3%) of the

respondents disagree with it. The remaining 2 (6.7%) of the respondents strongly disagree with

it. With a mean of 3.33, the results of this question imply that majority of the respondents

disagree that they have difficulties with computer and other technological materials.
 41

Job satisfaction on their job

4.1.4 Job satisfaction on their work

Item S/agree Agree Neutral Disagree S/ disagree mean

1 My job usually 1 3.3 14 46.7 15 50 - - - - 2.47

interesting enough to % % %
keep (save) me from
getting bored

2 The way they - - 5 16.7 25 83.3 - - - - 2.83

administered policies % %
and practices toward
employee on the work
is good

3 The technical know- - - 8 26.7 19 63.3 3 10 - - 2.83

how of my % % %
supervisors on the
work assigned is good

4 The way my boss 1 3.3 - - 13 43.3 16 53.3 - - 3.47

assigns (delegates) % % %
employees on work in
interesting

5 The way my boss - - 1 3.3 15 50 13 43.3 1 3.3% 3.47

takes care of the % % %
complaints of
employees on work
issue is good

6 There is freedom to - - 1 3.3 11 36.7 18 60 - - 3.57

use my own judgment % % %
on work overload

7 Able to see the result 1 3.3 7 23.3 20 66.7 2 6.7 - - 2.77

of the work I do % 5% % %

8 I feel more productive 1 3.3 7 23.3 20 66.7 2 6.7 - - 2.77

at work % 5% % %
 42

9 I feel illness and 1 3.3 22 73.3 5 16.7 2 6.7 - - 2.27

absenteeism on work % % % %
I do

10 I feel a sense of pride - - 9 30 21 70 - - - - 2.70

(superiority) in doing % %
my job

11 The payment I - - 11 36.7 15 50 4 13.3 - - 2.77

receive and the extent % % %
of work I do is
balanced

12 I don’t force myself 1 3.3 8 26.7 8 26.7 13 43.3 - - 3.10

to go to work % % % %

13 I am satisfied with 1 3.3 5 16.7 15 50 9 30 - - 3.07

my present job. % % % %

In the table 4.1.4, it shows 13 questions that assess the employees job satisfaction level with their

jobs, along with the frequency of the responses, percentages and mean. For the question, ‘my job

usually is interesting enough to keep me from getting bored’, one of the respondents (3.3%)

strongly agrees with it, and another 14 (46.7%) of the respondents agree with it. The remaining

15 (50%) of the respondents neither agree nor disagree with it. With a mean of 2.47, the results

of this question imply that majority of the respondents neither agree nor disagree that their job is

interesting enough to keep them from getting bored.

For the question, ‘the way they administered policies and practices toward employee on the work

is good’, 5 (16.7%) of the respondents agree with it, while the remaining 25 (83.3%) of the

respondents neither agree nor disagree with it. With a mean of 2.83, the results of this question
 43

imply that majority of the respondents neither agree or disagree that the way their organization

administered policies and practices towards employees is good.

For the question, ‘the technical know-how of my supervisors on the work assigned is good’, 8

(26.7%) of the respondents agree with it, while a major 19 (63.3%) of the respondents neither

agree nor disagree with it. The remaining 3 (10%) of the respondents disagree with it. With a

mean of 2.83, the results of this question imply that majority of the respondents neither agree nor

disagree that the technical know-how of their supervisors on the work assigned is good.

For the question, ‘the way my boss assigns (delegates) employees on work is interesting’, one of

the respondents (3.3%) strongly agrees with it, while 13 (43.3%) of the respondents neither agree

nor disagree with it. The remaining 16 (53.3%) of the respondents disagree with it. With a mean

of 3.47, the results of this question suggest that majority of the respondents disagree that the way

their superior’s delegates employees on work is interesting.

For the question, ‘the way my boss takes care of the complaints of employees on work is good’,

one of the respondents (3.3%) agrees with it, while a whole 15 (50%) of the respondents neither

agree nor disagree with it. Another 13 (43.3%) of the respondents disagree with it, while one of

the respondents (3.3%) strongly disagrees with it. With a mean of 3.47, the results of this

question imply that majority of the respondents disagree that the way their boss handles the

complaints of the employees on work is good.

For the question, ‘there is freedom to use my own judgment on work overload’, one of the

respondents (3.3%), agrees with it, while 11 (36.7%) of the respondents neither agree nor

disagree with it. The remaining 18 (60%) of the respondents disagree with it. With a mean of
 44

3.57, the results of this question suggest that majority of the respondents disagree that they have

the freedom to use their own judgment on work overload.

For the question, ‘able to see the results of the work I do’, one of the respondents (3.3%)

strongly agrees with it, and 7 (23.35%) of the respondents agree with it. Another 20 (66.7%) of

the respondents neither agree nor disagree with it. The remaining 2 (6.7%) of the respondents

disagree with it. With a mean of 2.77, the results of this question show that majority of the

respondents neither agree nor disagree that they are able to see the result of the work they do.

For the question, ‘I feel more productive at work’, one of the respondents (3.3%) strongly agrees

with it, and 7 (23.35%) of the respondents agree with it. Another 20 (66.7%) of the respondents

neither agree nor disagree with it. The remaining 2 (6.7%) of the respondents disagree with it.

With a mean of 2.77, the results of this question show that majority of the respondents neither

agree nor disagree that they feel productive at work.

For the question, ‘I feel illness and absenteeism on work I do’, one of the respondents (3.3%)

strongly agrees with it, and a whole 22 (73.3%) of the respondents agree with it. While 5

(16.7%) of the respondents neither agree nor disagree with it, the remaining 2 (6.7%) of the

respondents disagree with it. With a mean of 2.27, the results of this question imply that the

majority of the respondents agree that they feel illness and absenteeism on work.

For the question, ‘I feel a sense of pride (superiority) in doing my job’, 9 (30%) of the

respondents agree with it, while the remaining 21 (70%) of the respondents neither agree nor

disagree with it. With a mean of 2.70, the results of this question imply that majority of the

respondents neither agree nor disagree that they feel a sense of pride in doing their job.
 45

For the question, ‘the payment I receive and the extent of work I do is balanced’, 11 (36.7%) of

the respondents agree with it, while a whole 15 (50%) of the respondents neither agree nor

disagree with it. The remaining 4 (13.3%) of the respondents disagree with it. With a mean of

2.77, the results of this question imply that majority of the employees neither agree nor disagree

that the payment they receive, and the extent of the work is balanced.

For the question, ‘I don’t force myself to go to work’, one of the respondents (3.3%) strongly

agrees with it, and 8 (26.7%) of the respondents agree with it. Another 8 (26.7%) of the

respondents neither agree nor disagree with it, while 13 (43.3%) of the respondents disagree with

it. With a mean of 3.10, the results of this question suggest that majority of the respondents

disagree that they do not force themselves to go to work.

For the question, ‘I am satisfied with my present job’, one of the respondents (3.3%) strongly

agrees with it, and 5 (16.7%) of the respondents agree with it. A whole 15 (50%) of the

respondents neither agree nor disagree with it, while the remaining 9 (30%) of the respondents

disagree with it. With a mean of 3.07, the results of this question imply that majority of the

respondents disagree that they are satisfied with their present jobs.

4.2 Inferential analysis to address questions or hypothesis

Work overload
 46

The results of this area of the questionnaire were analyzed to find out that the employees of

MNO Y, are facing work overload issues and the areas of work overload have been highlighted.

For the question where the respondents were asked whether they are working long and difficult

working hours, with a mean of 1.67, the results imply that majority of the respondents agree that

they do. Next, when the employees were asked whether they face unexpected problems

frequently at work, with a mean of 1.87, the results imply that majority of the respondents agree

that they do. Again, when the respondents were asked whether they do inappropriate tasks which

make it difficult for them to focus on their core job, with a mean of 1.87, the results imply that

majority of the respondents agree that they do. More to this, when the respondents were asked

whether they face frequent work interruptions, with a mean of 1.87, the results imply that

majority of the respondents agree that they do. To add, when the respondents were asked

whether they tend to commit errors when they are tired, with a mean of 1.23, the results imply

that majority of the respondents agree they do. When the respondents were asked whether they

feel overwhelmed by the demands placed on them, with a mean of 1.83, the results show that the

majority of the respondents agree that they are. Moreover, when the respondents were asked

whether they feel tired by the demands placed on them, with a mean of 1.80, the results imply

that majority of the respondents agree with it. Also, when the respondents were asked whether

work demands make it difficult for them to schedule vacations, with a mean of 1.73, the results

show that majority of the respondents agree with it. Furthermore, when the respondents were

asked whether there is pressure to work unwanted overtime, with a mean of 1.90, the results

imply that majority of the respondents agree with it. Lastly, when the respondents were

asked whether they respond to work during non-working time and tend to take work home, with

a mean of 1.43, the results imply that majority of the respondents agree that they do.
 47

The overall results of work overload suggest that the employees are facing work overload

difficulties in all aspects covered.

Causes of work overload

The results of this area of the questionnaire were analyzed to find out the main causes of work

overload issues in MNO Y. As such, when the respondents were asked whether they cannot get

rest between work, with a mean of 2.13, the results imply that majority of the respondents agree

that they cannot. When the respondents were asked whether they feel tired by the demands

placed on them, with a mean of 1.87, the results imply that majority of the respondents agree that

they do. To add, when the respondents were asked whether their department does not have

enough resources to handle workload, with a mean of 1.87, the results imply that majority of the

respondents agree that their departments do not have enough resources. Moreover, when the

respondents were asked whether their responsibilities were unclear, with a mean of 2.6, the

results imply that majority of the respondents neither agree nor disagree with it. Also, when the

respondents were asked whether their job has a high degree of mental intensity and pressure,

with a mean of 1.3, the results suggests that majority of the respondents agree with it. Next,

when the respondents were asked whether they face difficulties related to inputs from internal or

external suppliers, with a mean of 2.23, the results conclude that majority of the respondents

neither agree nor disagree with it. More to this, when the respondents were asked whether there

is a lack of selection and training of personnel in their organization, with a mean of 2.53, the

results imply that majority of the respondents neither agree nor disagree with it. When the

respondents were asked whether they feel overwhelmed by information overload, with a mean of

1.90, the results imply that majority of the respondents agree to it. Furthermore, when the

respondents were asked whether there is frequent borrowing of employees from other activities
 48

to fill in for absent employees, with a mean of 1.83, the results imply that majority of the

respondents agree with it. Lastly, when the respondents were asked whether they have

difficulties with computer and other technological materials, with a mean of 3.33, the results

imply that majority of the respondents disagree with it.

Job satisfaction on their job

The results of this area of the questionnaire were analyzed to find out the level of job satisfaction

of the employees working in MNO Y. And as such, when the respondents were asked whether

their job is interesting enough to keep them from getting bored, with a mean of 2.47, the results

imply that majority of the respondents neither agree nor disagree with it. Next, when the

respondents were asked whether the way their organization administered policies and practices

towards employees is good, with a mean of 2.83, the results imply that majority of the

respondents neither agree nor disagree with it. To add, when the respondents were asked whether

the technical know-how of the supervisors on the work assigned is good, with a mean of 2.83,

the results suggests that majority of the respondents neither agree nor disagree with it. Also,

when the respondents were asked whether the way their superiors delegate employees on work is

interesting, with a mean of 3.47, the results imply that majority of the respondents disagree with

it. When the respondents were asked whether the way their boss handles the complaints of the

employees on work is good, with a mean of 3.47, the results imply that majority of the

respondents disagree with it. More to this, when the respondents were asked whether they have

the freedom to use their own judgement on work overload, with a mean of 3.57, the results imply

that majority of the respondents disagree with it. To add, when the respondents were asked

whether they are able to see the result of the work they do, with a mean of 2.77, the results imply

that the majority of the respondents neither agree nor disagree with it. More to this, when the
 49

respondents were asked whether they feel productive at work, with a mean of 2.77, the results

show that majority of the respondents neither agree nor disagree with it. Also, when the

respondents were asked whether they feel illness and absenteeism in the work, with a mean of

2.27, the results imply that majority of the respondents agree that they do. When the respondents

were asked whether they feel a sense of pride in doing their job, with a mean of 2.70, the results

imply that majority of the respondents neither agree nor disagree with it. Next, when the

employees were asked whether the payment they receive and the extent of work they do is

balanced, with a mean of 2.77, the results show that majority of the respondents neither agree nor

disagree with it. Furthermore, when the respondents were asked whether they do not force

themselves to go to work, with a mean of 3.10, the results imply that majority of the respondents

disagree with it. Lastly, when the respondents were asked whether they are satisfied with their

present jobs, with a mean of 3. 07, the results imply that majority of the respondents disagree

with it.

Therefore, the results of this study show that there is an impact of work overload on employee

job satisfaction. And as dissatisfied employees cannot work at their maximum productivity

according to the literature, this ultimately effects the employee performance. Thus, this proves

the hypothesis of this study to be true.

 50

5. DISCUSSION

5.1 Summary of major results

Summary of the major results of this study has shown that the employees of MNO Y, are facing

work overload issues, and the major causes of work overload have been highlighted along with

the conclusion that employees are somehow dissatisfied with their current jobs.

Looking separately at each area analysed, this study proves that the employees of MNO Y are

facing work overload due to working long and difficult working hours, frequent unexpected

problems, assigning of inappropriate tasks that hinder their core jobs, frequent work

interruptions, exhaustion leading to errors, being tired and overwhelmed by the demands placed

on them, difficulty in taking vacation time due to work demands, pressure due to unwanted

overtime and responding to work during non-working hours including taking work home.

The major causes of work overload as highlighted by the study are being unable to take rest

between work, extra demands, inefficient resources to handle work overload, high degree of

mental intensity and pressure, information overload and borrowing of employees to fill in for

absentees. Causes of work overload for which the respondents neither agreed or disagreed are

unclear responsibilities, difficulties caused by internal and external suppliers and lack of

selection and training of personnel.

Moving on to the level of job satisfaction aspired from the employees of MNO Y, the results

shows that they are mostly dissatisfied with their jobs. The major causes for dissatisfaction are

the improper way of delegating tasks, inefficient handling of complaints regarding work, lack of

freedom to use their own judgment on work overload, feeling of illness and absenteeism at work
 51

along with forcing themselves to go to work and showing mere dissatisfaction with their present

jobs.

Factors for which the employees neither agreed or disagreed are the job being interesting, the

effectiveness of the policies and practices administered towards employees, level of technical

know-how of the supervisors being good, whether they are able to see the result of the work they

do, whether they feel productive at work, whether they feel a sense of pride in doing their job

and whether the payment they receive and the extent of work they do is balanced. Since the

respondents did not agree or disagree with these, it somehow implies that they are neither in

favour of nor against these. Thus, it can be concluded that the results of this area show that the

employees are mostly dissatisfied with their jobs.

A conclusion can be drawn thereon, that there is a negative relationship between work overload

and employee performance. Which means as work overload increases the job dissatisfaction

decreases and so does the employee performance.

5.2 Relationship of results with existing studies

From the results of the study it can be seen that being overloaded with work has a negative

influence on the job satisfaction of the employees. Just like how Frank M. Gryna, (2004) also

stated that work overload is one of the several factors that have an impact on job satisfaction.

The results also imply that being tired and ill due to work overload is a factor that contributes to

lowered job satisfaction. The employees of MNO Y have shown that they are overwhelmed by

the demands placed on them and tend to do mistakes due to exhaustion. According to Derek et
 52

al., 2010, overloaded employees are more likely to make mistakes, feel anger or resentment

toward their employers or co-workers, experience high levels of stress, have poorer health and

work family balance, and seek employment elsewhere. Also, according to Nirel et al. (2008),

dissatisfaction at work is caused by burnout, work overload and poor health. The purpose of this

study is to find out the impact of work overload on employee performance. According to a study

carried out by Ahmed et al. (2011), they investigated the relationship between work overload and

job involvement with the two dimensions of work-family conflict; work interference with family

and family interference with work. This study focused on the impact of overload on employee’s

job satisfaction, and it was ruled out that the satisfaction indeed has an effect on the performance

of the employees. Therefore, it can be determined, that as we have found out that work overload

has a negative relationship with job satisfaction, the lowered satisfaction will ultimately lower

the performance of the employees. Thus, in conclusion work overload has an impact on

employee performance.

5.3 Limitations of the study

Just like in every research, there were difficulties is this study as well. There is belief that the

response received may not be the truest and be biased to a certain extent, as it is collected from

the employees currently working in the organization. Thus, they may feel hesitant in giving

sensitive information like this. In order to minimize this effect, the respondents were ensured that

all the data collected will be dealt with anonymity and confidentiality. In addition, there was

belief that some respondents may leave the questionnaire incomplete or not fill at all. To avoid a

situation like this, the respondents were briefed on the duration it could take to fill the
 53

questionnaire and with the information that they will have the choice of either participating or

not. More to this, information is collected from secondary sources such as online journals and

books in order to theoretically prove the hypothesis.

5.4 Implications for future research

The concluded findings suggest that there are issues with the level of work overload and its

causes, along with the level of job satisfaction of the employees working in the MNO Y. The

reason for this could be the pressure of the market saturation and market retaining. However,

these difficulties should be overcome in order for the organization to be competitive in the

market. The employees should be provided with adequate rest, the extra demands and targets put

on the employees should be kept in balance and as there is a shortage of resources to handle the

extra workload, extra staff can be employed so that the work can be evenly distributed among all

employees in such a way that no one feels burdened. Due to these difficulties as the job

satisfaction of the employees is lowered, it impacts the performance of the employees as well.

And as such the satisfaction needs to be restored so that the organization can maximize its

productivity. After all, happy employees make happy employers.

5.5 Overall significance of the study

The results of this study is going to be beneficial to many parties in different ways. For instance,

MNO Y, will gain the understating of work overload on employee job satisfaction from this.

More to this, this study can be grounds for the organization to comprehend how to manage
 54

employees effectively in situations of pressure. It will be useful in determining areas of strengths

and weaknesses and respond accordingly. MNO Y will therefore be able to efficiently minimize

factors causing work stress and ultimately job dissatisfaction to remain competitive in the market

and yield higher productivity.

This study can also be useful for policy makers, as it would provide a basis to commence

revisions on the current policies on areas of employees and work performance. Such

reconsiderations may help to preserve the labour rights of the employees.

Moreover, this study can be a guide to other researchers who wish to conduct an extensive

research associated with this topic.

 55

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https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_96.htm

Alemu, B. T. (2014). Assessing the effect of work overload on employees job satisfaction. Case
of Commercial Bank of Ethiopia Nekemte Town Branches, 26.

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Indrayan, A. (2008). Basic methods of medical research. India: AITBS Publishers.

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qualitative-research/

John R. Rizzo, Robert J. House and Sidney I. Lirtzman. (1970). Role conflict and Ambiguity in
Complex Organizations. P. 150-163
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Kapur, R. (2018, 03 12). Factors influencing job satisfaction. Retrieved from Research Gate:
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APPENDICES

Draft of Questionnaire obtained from (Alemu, 2014) research paper.

Dear Respondent,

The purpose of this questionnaire is to gather data on the research title ‘the impact of
work overload on employees’ job satisfaction in the telecommunication sector of Maldives’.
Therefore, your cooperation in answering the questions is vital for the successful achievement of
this study. The study is purely for academic purpose and thus does not affect you in any case.
Answering this questionnaire will roughly take 5-7 minutes. All the data gathered will be treated
with anonymity and confidentiality.
 57

Directions

 No need to write your name

 Answer by ticking () or writing wherever appropriate.
Part 1

Question related to background information

1. Sex:  Male  Female

2. Age:  18-26  27-35  36-45  above 45 years
3. Educational level:  Certificate  Diploma  Degree  Masters  Above
4. Service year:  1-5  6-10  11-15  15 years and above
5. Name of your department: ………………………………………………………
Part 2

Using the following Rating Scale, answer by marking with a ‘’ mark only on one of the given
alternatives in the box, after reading the variable on the left hand, with respect to your own
feelings.

Questions to assess symptoms of work Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

overload agree disagree

1 I am working long and difficult

working hours

2 I face unexpected problems frequently

3 I do inappropriate tasks which make it

difficult to focus on my core job

4 There are frequent work interruptions

5 Errors occur at work when I am tired

6 I feel overwhelmed by the demands

placed on me

7 I feel tired by the demands placed on

me

8 Work demands make it difficult for me

to schedule vacations
 58

9 There is pressure to work unwanted

overtime

10 I respond to work during non-working

time including taking work home

Questions to assess causes(reasons) of

work overload

1 I cannot get rest (gap) between work

2 I feel tired by the demand (burden)

placed on me

3 My department doesn’t have enough

resources to handle workload

4 My responsibilities are unclear(I don’t

have control of setting priorities,
deciding work methods and use of
resources

5 My job has a high degree of mental

intensity and pressure (stress) (for
example. Internal/external forces,
production goals, information
overload).

6 I face difficulties relate to inputs from

internal/external suppliers

7 There is lack of selection and training

of personnel in the organization.

8 I feel overwhelmed due to information

overload

9 There is frequent borrowing of

employees from other activities to fill
in for absent employees

10 I have difficulties with computer and

other technological materials
 59

Questions regarding employee Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

perception on their job satisfaction agree disagree

1 My job usually interesting enough to

keep (save) me from getting bored

2 The way they administered policies

and practices toward employee on the
work is good

3 The technical knowhow of my

supervisors on the work assigned is
good

4 The way my boss assigns (delegates)

employees on work in interesting

5 The way my boss takes care of the

complaints of employees on work
issue is good

6 There is freedom to use my own

judgment on work overload

7 Able to see the result of the work I do

8 I feel more productive at work

9 I feel illness and absenteeism on work

I do

10 I feel a sense of pride (superiority) in

doing my job

11 The payment I receive and the extent

of work I do is balanced

12 I don’t force myself to go to work

13 I am satisfied with my present job.