State of Divinity

 

 No. 1

 

 

Group members:

Sanja

Tatjana

Tamara 

Blažka

Urška

 

Distribution of roles:

Leader: Blažka

Secretary: Urška

Time-keeper: Tatjana

Reporter: Sanja 

Reserve person: Tamara

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The influence of the level of education on the content of a psychological contract

 

 

Definition:

In the past, the only existing employment contract between an employer and an employee was the formally written one, which could not contain all the necessary facts about the employment. Today, as the human factor is becoming increasingly influential, the psychological contract is being considered as one of the main motivating factors in every organization.    However, various researches point out that education has a great influence on the individual's behavioural and cognitive component and consequently on the psychological contract. According to that, less educated employees, who represent the majority of the active population, feel less associated and satisfied with the organization they work in. People with a lower level of education have difficulties finding an appropriate job and that consequently leads to dissatisfaction with their work position and diminishes their feeling of membership.

 

 

 

Research question:

Considering the previously done researches, we are mainly interested in ascertaining concretely how the level of education influences the concept of the psychological contract, especially today – at time of an economic crisis.

 

Which factors of motivation influence on employees with a higher level of education and which on employees with a lower level of education, where are the greatest differences and why?

 

 

 

10 working questions:

1 What is a psychological contract? (Blažka)

2 Which factors influence on the employee's satisfaction? (Tatjana)

3 What are employee's expectations about the organization? (Sanja)

4 What must the employees do, to achieve the expectations of the organization? (Tamara)

5 How do the employee's and employer's expectations harmonize?  (Urška)

6 To what extent do the employees feel associated with the enterprise/organization the work in? (Tamara)

7 Do the employees with a higher level of education feel more associated with the enterprise/organization they work in, than those who have a lower level of education? (Sanja)

8 How does rewarding for work influence the worker's motivation?  (Blažka)

9 Due to which factors of psychological contract would the employees be prepared to leave the organization they work in? (Urška)

10 What are the consequences of the psychological contract? (Tatjana)

 

 List of literature:

 

 

1. Conway, Neil in Rob B. Briner. 2005. Understanding psychological contracts at work: A critical evaluation of theory and research. Oxford: Oxford University press. Accessed on: http://books.google.com/books?id=-uGk5t0bW6QC&printsec=frontcover&dq=psychological+contract&ei=nWePS968NKOEywSM7cDNBg&cd=3#v=onepage&q=psychological%20contract&f=false (5th March 2010).

 

2. Cooper, L.  Cary in Peter J. Makin, Charles J. Cox. 1996. Organisations and the psychological contract. Oxford: BPS Blackwell. Accessed on: http://books.google.com/books?id=EgJvkY52bQQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Cooper+organisations+and+the+psychological&ei=AhCQS4CaGIfsyASymsCwBQ&cd=1#v=onepage&q=Cooper%20organisations%20and%20the%20psychological&f=false (5th March 2010).

 

 

3. Dewey, John. 1998. Experience and education. Indianapolis: Kappa Delta Pi. Accessed on: http://books.google.com/books?id=UE2EusaU53IC&printsec=frontcover&dq=education&ei=NQqlS9yyGKXmygS0pdjTCA&cd=3#v=onepage&q=&f=false (20th March 2010).

 

4. Flere, Sergej in Miran Lavrič. 2005. Educational studies. Social inequity and educational expansion in Slovenia. 31(4). London: Routledge. Accessed on: http://web.ebscohost.com.nukweb.nuk.uni-lj.si/ehost/pdf?vid=4&hid=13&sid=3548fbed-21c1-49ea-8b57-f847d953ff96%40sessionmgr13 (20th March 2010).

 

5. Ministrstvo za visoko šolstvo, znanost in tehnologijo. 2006. Spremembe zakona o visokem šolstvu. Accessed on:  http://www.mvzt.gov.si/index.php?id=11789&no_cache=1 (6th of April 2010).

 

6. Pavlin, Samo. 2007. Zaposljivost v Sloveniji – analiza prehoda iz šol v zaposlitve: stanje, napovedi, primerjave. Vloga kompetenc v družbi znanja: profesionalizacija poklicev. Ljubljana: Založba FDV.

 

7. Robinson, Sandra L. and Denise M. Rousseau. 1994. Violating the psychological contract: Not the exception but the norm. Journal of organizational behaviour 15 (3): 245−59. Accessed on: http://www.jstor.org.nukweb.nuk.uni-lj.si/stable/pdfplus/2488448.pdf  (21st of March 2010).

 

8. Vila E., Luis in Belen Garcia-Mora. 2005. Education Economics: Education and the determinants of job satisfaction. 13(4). London: Routledge. Accessed on: http://web.ebscohost.com.nukweb.nuk.uni-lj.si/ehost/pdf?vid=4&hid=13&sid=3548fbed-21c1-49ea-8b57-f847d953ff96%40sessionmgr13 (20th March 2010).

 

9. Svetlik, Ivan. 1986. Družboslovne raziskave: Izobraževanje in družbenoekonomski položaj. 3(4). Ljubljana: FDV. Accessed on: http://www.druzboslovnerazprave.org/media/pdf/clanki/Rdr4Svetlik1.PDF (20th March 2010).

 

10. Van de Ven, Cyril. 2004. The psychological contract; a big deal? Behavioral sciences service centre. Accessed on: http://www.internationalmta.org/Documents/2004/2004024P.pdf (22nd of March 2010).

 

Glossary:

 

• aformal learning - aformalno učenje
•  Bologna Process - bolonjska reforma
•  disruptive breach - moteča kršitev
•  downsizing - zmanjšanje osebja (z namenom, da se zboljša učinkovitost oz. zmanjšajo stroški)
• human factor - človeški faktor
• inadequate human resource management - neustrezno upravljanje s človeškimi viri
•  inadvertent breach - nenamerna kršitev
•  knowledge society - družba znanja
• organizational climate - organizacijska klima 
•  psychological contract - psihološka pogodba
• psychological contract breach - kršitev psihološke pogodbe
• remunerative control system - nadzorni sistem z nagrajevanjem

 

 

 

 

Minutes of the 1st meeting "Project based learning"  

(Held on the 4th of March from 12.00 am to 13.00 pm at the FDV library)

 

 

Present: Blažka, Tatjana, Sanja, Tamara, Urška

Absent: /

 

Agenda:

1. Topic discussion

2. Title discussion

3. Defining problem and division of roles

4. Any other business

 

 

Item 1

Discussion: As the topic and the title of the seminar both had to be chosen earlier at the Ignjatović's class, our task was now to brainstorm our topic. Tamara proposed appropriate literature that will form the basis of our literature review.

Decision:It was mutualy agreed that the topic we will write about will be a psychological contract. Tamara's literature was accepted by all the members, but we also agreed to find more. It was mutually agreed that the theme should be divided into three parts: the introduction, the main part and the conclusion.

 

Item 2

Discussion: We discussed whether it would be good to combine psychological contract with the level of education. Blažka and Tatjana came up with the idea of measuring the influence of the level of education on the content of psychological contract. Sanja proposed a survey as a convenient measuring instrument, which was agreed to be the best way to gain veritable results.

Decision: We decided the title will be: The influence of level of education on the content of a psychological contract. We all agreed to measure the influence of the level of education on the content of psychological contract with a survey; a questionnaire. Tatjana suggested to divide the main part into an enlarged definition of the psychological contract, explanation of the notion of the level of education and the empirical part of the research. The parts have then been distributed among the members.

 

Item 3

Discussion: It was discussed how to distribute our tasks coherently among the members. Every member chose what to do, so that our tasks will be approximately equal.  Tamara said to write about the levels of education. Urška and Tatjana were told to write the introduction and the conclusion of the seminar.

Decision: Sanja offered to put together the questionnaires, so she will work on the empirical part of the survey. Blažka wanted to write about the psychological contract and Tamara said to write about the education and its formal levels. The introduction and the conclusion will be written next week by Tatjana and Urška.

 

Item 4

Discussion: The last step was composing the survey. Tamara and Tatjana suggested some interesting questions, for which they agreed would be appropriate for the survey. Others agreed they would be helpful in gaining the needed data. The survey was then finally composed. Sanja offered to put it together and send us a final version, so we could start the research.

Decision: Every member was asked to acquire eight to ten filled-out surveys at least. Together we set the deadline for the end of the survey, which is 17th of March, and for the first draft of the theme, which is 22nd of March.

 

The next meeting will be on the 17th of March, 2010.

Minutes taker: Tatjana

Chair: Blažka

 

 

 Minutes of the 2nd meeting "Project based learning" 

(Held on the 17th of March from 13.00 am to 14.00 pm at the FDV library)

 

 

 

Present: Blažka, Tatjana, Sanja, Tamara, Urška

Absent: /

 

Agenda:

1. Action-item follow-up

2. Forming the research question

3. Forming ten working questions

4. List of literature

5. Any other business

 

Item 1

Discussion:Firstly, it was important to see, whether all the previous work had been done. The surveys were all done, but they still had to be handed over to Sanja, who will work on the empirical part. Secondly, we discussed about our division of roles and also whether this roles are stable and could not be exchanged.

Decision: We decided to work harder as a group and we therefore hope for good working relations and a quality progress of the project. The roles had been divided. Tatjana suggested to exchange our roles, whenever needed.

 

 

Item 2

Discussion:We discussed about the main question that will frame our research. There were different suggestions, which needed to be taken into consideration, in order to give us interesting answers.

Decision: It was agreed that the most interesting about psychological contract would be researching the levels of education and its impact on the motivation for work. We will try to find out whether highly/lowly educated people feel a strong or a weak bond with the organization they work in and if that motivates them to work harder.

 

Item 3

Discussion: Ten working questions had to be done, so we decided to form these ten question chronologically, that is in an order in which they will be discussed throughout our project.

Decision: Each of us has formed two research questions to work on. Sanja and Tatjana were willing to put these ten questions in order and others agreed.

 

Item 4

Discussion:  Tamara reported that some appropriate literature on the internet which could benefit us during the process of project making and we discussed about it.

 

Decision: It was decided to use the literature Tamara found and also to find other literature, that could help us support different parts of the project divided among the members of the group. Sanja suggested that each of us makes its own list of literature and post it here, thus we would be able to accumulate the needed literature separately, without bothering one member to do it for all the others.

 

 

Item 5

Discussion: We discussed what else should be done until next week. The survey was already done, so now we had to focus on the findings and connect them with our entire project.  

Decision: Each member of the group has an obligation to complete his writing part of the project until next meeting, which we will be held on 22nd of March.We also adjusted our roles; Blažka said she will write the minutes of the second meeting, but in the future we agreed to divide our roles as needed.

 

Our next meeting will be held on Monday, 22nd of March at FDV.

 

Minutes taker: Blažka

Chair: Tamara

 

 Minutes of the 3rd meeting "Project based learning" 

(Held on the 22th of March from 11.00 am to 12.00 am at the FDV library) 

 

 

Present: Blažka, Sanja, Tamara, Tatjana

Absent: Urška

 

Agenda: 

1. Action-item follow-up

2. Discussion about the survey

3. Any other business

 

Item 1

Discussion:  On the last meeting it was decided what each of us has to do. It was important to see whether everybody completed their part. Tamara said that she had found some extra literature which she thought it would be interesting to add, so she prolonged her deadline, but she promised to have it finished completely during this week.

Decision: Tatjana suggested that writing of seminar paper should be complete until next week. As we decided it would be easier to write it firstly in Slovene and then translate it into English, we fixed the deadlines for the Slovene edition, which was said to be Wednesday, the 24th of March, and for the translation of the latter, which would be Sunday, the 28th of March. It will then be put together.

 

 

Item 2

Discussion: Sanja reported that she had some problems with the results of the survey. They slightly differ from our expectations, so we decided to help her with the interpretation of the results.

Decision: We decided to help each other with our writing part. Tamara said that she was prepared to help us if we have any problems with translation.

 

Item 3

Discussion: We discussed about introduction and conclusion. Tatjana decided to write them. Blažka said that she will put our writing parts of the project. Sanja suggested Tatjana that she shall wait until Blažka puts it all together, so that she could make it a coherent whole.

Decision: We made a decision that our next meeting will be held on 31st of March. By then each member has to complete his writing part. Tatjana said that she will write the minutes of the 3rd meeting. 

 

Minutes taker: Tatjana

Chair: Sanja

 

 

Minutes of the 4th meeting "Project based learning" 

(Held on the 31st of March from 12.00 am to 13.00 pm at the FDV library)

 

Present: Blažka, Sanja, Tatjana, Tamara

Absent: Urška

 

Agenda:

1. Action-item follow-up

2. Glossary

3. Report writing

4. Any other business

 

Item 1

Discussion: Sanja confirmed that our group carried out all the 3rd week tasks in the appointed time. 

Decision: Blažka said she will put our writing parts together by the end of the day. Introduction and conclusion will be written by the end of the week by Tatjana. 

 

Item 2

Discussion: We were thinking about the key terms that form our report and which might be generally less known. Tamara suggested that each of us should form its own glossary by selecting the words from each part of the seminar paper, which might be unknown to others.

Decision: Each member of the group should try to find some words that can be added to our common glossary by the end of the week. 

 

Item 3

Discussion: We discussed our research work. Tatjana said she would send completed research work via e-mail on Monday. Thus we shall have enough time to read our report and to correct the mistakes and to make some other improvements. 

Decision: Suggestion was accepted, so at the beginning of the next week we shall have our seminar paper completed.

 

 

Minutes taker: Tamara

Chair: Blažka

 

Sources:

No. 1: W Brasil agency (online). Gisele Bündchen. Accessed on:  http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/09/gisele-bundchen-new-campaign-ipanema-forest.php (8th March 2010)