Comparing Job Satisfaction between the Genders in Saudi Telecom Sector: Optimizing Employee Input

Abstract

Growth and development of infrastructural sectors is one of the keynotes of Vision 2030 which envisages a country well on the road to internationalization by the end of the next decade. Development of the telecom sector, which saw a slump in early 2018 and later picked up with growth in the number of mobile and high-speed internet users, is also one of the objectives. The reason is the large number of jobs this sector is likely to generate. In a highly segregated society like that of Saudi Arabia, it is imperative to evaluate social, educational and occupational setups to ensure parity of opportunities for the genders. This study is also directed at such an objective, identifying trends in job satisfaction among female and male Saudi employees in the telecommunications and information technology sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study selected seven variables, validated previously to assess the perception of males and females employed in the sector and designed a questionnaire for the purpose. The sample comprised two hundred and thirty participants. Post statistical analysis, the results indicated that there were statistically significant differences between the average job satisfaction among male and female employees in this sector. Overall, the average job satisfaction among females was higher than that of males. Females also showed an increase in the average satisfaction concerning financial factors and relationships within the work environment as well as career prospects. By contrast, job satisfaction among males was higher with respect to work elements relates to existing job systems and educational field. The study offers suitable recommendations to ensure greater job satisfaction and thereby promote optimum utilization of the human resource involved in the sector.