The Effects Of Individual Characteristics On The Relationships Between Person Interest-Work Environment Congruency And Job Involvement At Universitas Terbuka (The Indonesian Open Learning University)

Daryono, (1995) The Effects Of Individual Characteristics On The Relationships Between Person Interest-Work Environment Congruency And Job Involvement At Universitas Terbuka (The Indonesian Open Learning University). Masters thesis, University of Victoria.

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Abstract

Since the development of theory of vocational interest by Holland (1966), researches in vocational interest have shown that the interactions between people and work environment seem to be consistent in predicting theirbehavior. People tend to be more involved and satisfied with their jobs when they work in an environment which reflects or corresponds with their interests (Kuder, 1977; Hansen & Canthell, 1985; and Holland, 1985). A person’s fit or congruence with work environment has been used in predicting the person’s job involvement (Blau, 1987 and Furnham & Walsh, 1990). One of the instruments for measuring a person’s fit or congruence is the Self Directed Search Inventory (SDS), developed by Holland (1985). One instrument for measuring person’s job involvement is Lodahi and Kejner’s Job Involvement Scale (1965). Studies which have been conducted at Universitas Terbuka (UT) in Indonesia found that UT provided poor quality of services (Abzeni, 1993, and Hardhono, 1994). This may be due to a lack of congruent interactions between employee and work environment which may constrain involvement in the job. This study examined the interactions of person with work environment in predicting job involvement and included individual characteristics as contextual variables. This study provides important information for increasing employee involvement and for improving the quality of UT’s services. The main findings of this study were: firstly, the Indonesian versions of the Self Directed Search Inventory (Activity Scale) and Job Involvement Scale were comparable to the original English versions. Secondly, most work sites in Universitas Terbuka were characterized by a social type of work environment which was appropriate since UT is an educational institution. Thirdly, the employees’ perceptions of congruence with work environment and job involvement differed by the levels of employee knowledge of UT and by age levels (senior and junior employees). However, different lengths of services (late, mid and early careers) did not relate to either degree of congruency or job involvement. Fourthly, the congruence of employee with work environment significantly predicted his/her job involvement, and the employee’s knowledge of UT also significantly predicted both degree of congruency and job involvement. Furthermore, the interactions of person’s interest-work environment congruency and job involvement was influenced by both employee knowledge of UT and the increasing employee age. This study, therefore, provides a number of implications to Universitas Terbuka in increasing the employee congruence or fit with work environment which may increase his/her involvement with the job. By increasing employee or fit with work environment, There may be the benefits of improvement of UT’s productivity as well as employee satisfaction.

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