Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background of the Study
Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) human capital is the core foundation that plays an important role to ensure security and safety in Malaysia’s territorial water. RMN trains its personnel to be versatile and turns them into a highly technology-centric force. This is to meet the demand for a highly capable sea-power during peacetime engagements and significant combat operations in which sailors are supposed to make a broad spectrum of missions from traditional and unique warfare to humanitarian and disaster relief by using high-level platforms and cutting-edge equipment. This requires sailors to develop different competencies to reach a fast-changing, evolving mission requirements. Three main branches in RMN are namely Seaman, Supply and Technical. Fundamentally, a seaman is a sailor who navigates waterborne vessels and acts as a crewmember during operations and maintenance activities. The supply branch is responsible for carrying out various logistic tasks such as requisitioning, demanding spares, purchasing, receiving, storing, issuing, returning and controlling all inventory items, while the technical branch executes all maintenance works, engineering tasks and technical evaluations on newly procured naval assets.
Organization support is one of the initiatives done by the RMN in developing Quality Human Capital as its most valued asset. It ensures the RMN’s ultimate agenda and missions yield the desired results. Besides that, protecting the sovereignty of our maritime interests from external and internal threats is the main responsibility of the RMN. As such, defending the Exclusive Economic Zone from threats is a very challenging task. All these literally underscore why human capital development is as important as equipping the RMN with sophisticated assets in ensuring its preparedness and capability to perform the said roles.
Organization Support in the RMN consists of training, career courses, promotion, welfare and convenient working environment. Currently, the reconstruction in Naval Training domain has entered a different phase, focusing on the aspect of naval personnel improvement. Thus, the naval organization will supervise conception and implementation of a new education system that is transforming Naval training and career courses. In achieving Task Force Excellence through dedication to Education and Training, RMN will remain serving with the fleet to extend current partnerships with the naval academy and commercial activity for the continuous enhancement of career courses. The goal is to produce the qualified sailors with the most exceptional training the world has to offer. This is worked out by emphasizing the importance of training evolution to the regular Navy's and reserve personnel and improving training module and education syllabus.
Knowledge, skills and attitude attained through human capital career development would determine the RMN’s fighting capability during a war, as well as the level of readiness, mobility, sustainability and versatility of the RMN’s Fleet. Therefore, an effective and efficient training system and sufficient exposures are crucial in order to get the best out of the RMN’s human capital development. Career development with organization’s support such as education, training exposure, facilities and support from top management is very important in creating an exclusionary category of Navy People who are openminded, educated, productive, competitive, who hold an extraordinary threshold for mental and physical challenges. This will make the personnel perform well in their jobs.
1.1 Problem statement
The primary investment for the RMN's future is the current institution of the Naval Personnel Developmentfuture. The expected return on this investment is the quality improvement of the RMN Sailors. The RMN has to execute its career planning through a comprehensive training and career development. Evaluation of the effectiveness of this effort is measured by using the KPI of Balanced Score Card system. When employees are sent for training, the management expects to see a good Return on Investment (ROI) s they have invested a large amount of money on training. Hence the relationship study between organization supports towards job performance in the RMN should be carried out to gauge the cause and effect (Organization Support vs Job Performance) by using the Dependent Variable and Independent Variable as measuring factors.
At present, conducting a routine performance reviews is an essential and effective means to assess the participation of naval personnel in a RMN designated role. The goal is to avoid high naval personnel turnover and low performance in the RMN organization after considering the expenses to recruit and train new naval personnel. It is important to save the government budget as the saved amount can be distributed to other important sectors.
Career development programs in the RMN generally address the top management’s concern to enhance productivity, achieve higher performance and reduce turnover. The RMN is part of the Maritime Industry and RMN personnel are also part of skilled workers. Meanwhile, the designation, working environment, and facilities in the workplace serve as a platform for them to enhance their training exposure and learned skills. The Navy People are trained with the required competencies and professionalism to be effective and efficient in operating assets and equipment. This will also indirectly contribute to a national initiative which concerns development and advancement of human capital towards a Developed Nation by the year 2020.
1.2 Research Questions
The research objectives that have been recognized in this study, the research questions formulated are as follows:
1. Is there any correlation between facilities and job performance?
2. Is there any correlation between support from top management and job performance?
3. Is there any correlation between training exposure and job performance?
1.3 Research Objectives
The objectives identified in this study as follows:
1. To examine the relationship of facilities and job performance.
2. To analyze the correlation between supports from top management and job performance.
3. To examine the correlation between training exposures and job performance.
1.4 Significance of the study
The significance of the study is:
1. To provide the RMN Human Resource Department with important elements of organization support to job performance.
2. To contribute towards better training development, facilities and support from top management.
1.5 Scope of the study
The scopes for this study are as follows:
1. The respondents of this study are RMN personnel, representing all three branches, which are seaman, technical and supply.
2. The study location is at Lumut Naval Base.
3. The respondents are senior rates from Naval Education Training Centre,
KD PELANDOK.
The scope of the research is to examine the facilities, support from top management and training exposures that may influence the employee’s job performance in the organization. Besides that, this paper aims to find out whether there is any relationship between each source that can affect the employee’s job performance and their significance, regarding influence in career advancement.
The correlation between dependent variables and independent variables will be taken from the tests, questionnaires and other studies. The questionnaires are used to determine the factor that is most critical and affect employee’s job performance the most, and also determining factors giving lesser effect on employee’s job performance.
Independent Variables Dependent Variable
Figure 1.1: Conceptual structure illustrating the organizational support (Facilities, Support from top management and Training) towards job performance.
This conceptual framework in Figure 1.1 had shown the factors affecting the career development in RMN. It studies the relationship between organizational supports towards job performance.
1.6 Definition of terms
The important terms used in this study are as follows:
1.6.1 Organization Support
Referring to organizational support theory, it states that employees lead to assigning human-like characteristics to the organization which had caused the evolution of perceived organizational support (Eisenberger et al., 1986). Agents acting on behalf of the organization are often sensed as performing on organization's intentions rather than their motives. This personification of the organization is enhanced by the organization's legal, ethical, and financial obligation for the actions of its agent, by organizational policies, norms, and culture that provide continuity and prescribe role functions, and by the power the organization’s agents exert over individual employees. Due to this personification of organizations, it drives employees making their judgments on their perceived value to the organization by how favorably the organization treated them. Agents in the RMN organization are represented by high-level officers who are responsible for planning and assessing naval personnel. These people are also responsible to design the RMN working culture and monitor job performance to achieve the targeted KPI.
1.6.2 Facilities
The achievement of any community is extremely dependent on how it excites recruits, motivates, and retains a high performing workforce (Florence & Peter K'Obonyo, 2015). From Oxford Dictionary facilities defined a place, kindness, or piece of equipment provided for a particular purpose. Quoting from the Dictionary.com, facilities mean something designed, built, or installed, which serves a specific function affording a convenience or service such as transportation facilities, educational facilities, or research facility. From that, it's shown that facilities are one of employee linked factors that influences the relationship between quality of work life and employee's achievement. Therefore, with this research in RMN organization will show that facilities are important to influence receptive to such organizational and career development.
1.6.3 Support from Top Management
When the organization provides resources to employees in a voluntary manner rather than under circumstances exceeding their control, employees will view such support as being genuinely assessed and respected by the organization (Cotterell, Eisenberger, & Speicher, 1992). Based on this opinion, recognized organizational support would be dramatically enhanced if employees view the organizational rewards and favorable job conditions such as wages, promotions, position progressions, and influence over organizational policies as voluntary responses of organizations (Eisenberger et al., 1986). The same focus will be done in the scope of organizations support in RMN through this research.
1.6.4 Training Exposures
Training and development relate to programs designed and conducted to support naval personnel to adjust their skill and enhance their knowledge to meet the job requirement. Also, these programs involve the regular continuing attempts of corporations and other organizations to develop the achievement and self-fulfilment of their employees within a variation of techniques and programs. In the latest workplace, these efforts have taken on a broad range of applications, ranged of training the high skilled employee to long-term professional career growth, and these are appropriate to every kind of employees ranging from line workers to the chief executive officer. Training and development have emerged as a formal approach to strengthen RMN functions, by utilizing the various elements of strategy, and are perceived as professions with a separated method. The objectives are to produce very skilled workforce, to improve the effectiveness of the RMN organizations.
Training plays an essential role in enhancing organizational effectiveness. In succession to make the training more productive in improving organizational as well as personal performance, it is important that the thought regarding the effectiveness of training must be made definite. The employer trains their employee so that there is a significant improvement in the employee overall skills. Training means maintenance and improvement of the level of performance for a person in a section or a department. In other words, training is a performance upgrade mechanism.
Amir and Amen Imran (2013) researched hand chiefly concentrates on the role of training in improving the production of the employees. Training plays important role in building competencies of new as well as current employees to perform their job efficiently. It also provides their employees to retain later position in an organization with full capabilities to overcome deficiencies in any job-related area. Training is also deemed as a sort of investment by the firm that not only brings an important return on investment but also to gain competing interest. Effective training is a thoughtful invasion planned in succeeding the learning process to upgrade employee performance. The research insisted the proposition that training has an emphatic influence on employee productivity.
1.6.5 Job Performance
According to Business Dictionary, job performance is the work-related exercises expected from an employee and how great those exercises were performed. Many industry personnel executives evaluate the job performance of individual employee on an annual or quarterly basis to assist them to recognize the potential domains for improvement. Furthermore, job performance has been interpreted as the overall expected value from employees' behaviors prevailed out over the course of a set period of time (Motowidlo et al., 1997). Sabine et al. (2010) conducted a study to summarize research on individual performance and addressed performance in a multi-dimensional and dynamic concept. The study also defines the concept of performance, discuss the antecedent between individual variations of performance, and describe intra individual change and variability in performance.
1.7 Summary
Chapter 1 summarizes the objectives to examine the relationship between the organizational supports toward job performance for RMN naval personnel by using a set of carefully defined research methodology approach. It covers topics, such as framework of the study, problem statement, research objectives and questions, as well as the scope of the study. The important terms used in this study are also clearly explained in this chapter by using the dictionary and references from the previous research analyzing.
Chapter 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Overview of the Chapter
This chapter explains some reviews on the definition and theories related to the job performance in the RMN. The independent variables for this research project are facilities, support from top management and training exposure, whereas the dependent variable in this research is the navy personnel’s job performance. A review of existing literature was done to support the study undertaken in this research paper.
Then, explore the literature that is relevant, understand and interpret the results of this relationship study. This is not meant to be an exhaustive review of the literature, but it is intended to familiarize the reader with the basic assumptions that went into the design of this research program and the interpretation of the results. This part of the research emphasizes the related journals which are issued on the subject matter in conjunction with the study on organization support, including facilities, support from top management and training exposure with the job performance.
2.1 Definition of Concepts and Overview of the Study
According to organizational support (OS) theory, job performance has a direct link with the employees believe that contribution and cares about their well-being by the organization. In military organizations like RMN, OS could produce the feeling of commitment to consider about the organization's well-being and to help the organization reach its goal. Welfare activities that have been conducted within the RMN, such as BAKAT (Welfare Organization of Armed Forces) and Divisional System incorporating with organizational support role is believed to have strengthened employees’ belief that organization rewards will increase along with their performance improvement. In a meta-analysis of 70 studies, Rhoades et al proved that employees’ OS could improve job performance.
RMN had executed the evaluation of the effectiveness of career planning through comprehensive training and career development. It was aimed to develop the desired personnel capabilities and hence creating a good working atmosphere in the organization. In the development of the aspired knowledge, skills and abilities of their employees in order to properly performed the job, the required training schedules may also affect the employees’ motivation and responsibility. To prepare their workers to do their job as craved, organizations need to provide coaching to optimize their employee's capability. Most of the firms apply long-term planning strategy and spend in acquiring new skills for their workforce to allowing them coping with the unpredictable circumstances that they may encounter in future. Therefore, at the time of improving employees’ performance through superior training programs, the organization must not neglect their motivation and responsibility. Meanwhile , employees recognize their organization benefit in them through offering training plans, they will apply their best efforts to achieve organizational goals and show high production as a return to the received offering.
Employees are the most worthy asset of all company as they can create or damage a company's credibility which will skeptically affect the company’s profitability. Employees are frequently responsible not only to complete their work but also ensure client satisfaction and the quality of outcomes and events. Without proper training, employees both new and current do not receive the related information and fail to develop the necessary skills set to accomplish their tasks at maximum potential. A study also reveals that employees who experience well-planned training favour to keep their positions longer than those who do not.
2.2 Theoretical Underpinning
Underpinning theory is the material and foundation that used to support a structure and also a set of ideas, motives, or devices which justify or form the basis for a specific task. Job performance is one of the notable indicators when assessing organizational performance (Wall et al., 2004). Schermerhorn (1989) had defined job performance as the quality and quantity performed by an individual or a group after completing a task. Munchinsky (2003) had suggested that job performance is the set of employee's responses that can be measured, monitored, and evaluated by looking at the individual’s achievement. Viswesvaran and Ones (2000) had also described job performance as “behaviors and outcomes that employees engage in or bring about that are linked with and contribute to organizational goals".
Organization determines the standard to get the best performance from their personnel. Productive and efficient personnel would help to increase the organization's capabilities and effectiveness. Several theories by people, such as Abraham Maslow, Frederick Herzberg, David McClelland, and Clayton Alderfer state that personnel satisfaction and performance is based on how well the organization meets the needs of the employees.
Needs-based theory stem from the perception that motivation comes from an individual's desire to reach a need. This also states that unsatisfied needs will motivate the human being, and typically some lower needs must be satisfied before a higher level need can be satisfied. In general terms, motivation can be defined as the desire to achieve a goal, combined with the energy, determination and opportunity to achieve it. To elaborate further on this theory, each of these needs could operate at all times, and dominate a person at any one time and situation. The motivation experienced by humans to fulfill these requirements is either derived from internal or external factors. Intrinsic motivation could be found from people who are easily motivated by a sense of accomplishment and internal pleasure, while extrinsically motivated people are commonly influenced by factors controlled by others, such as money and praise. Maslow's hierarchy is frequently displayed in a pyramid fashion, with the primary needs at the bottom and the higher needs at the top. The needs were depicted in this way to show the importance of each need on the others, with the most prominent and broadest category being the physiological necessities at the base.
According to the journal reading, Abraham Maslow's the author of book ‘Motivation and Personality’ has formally introduced the Hierarchy of Needs. Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory stated that employees' most fundamental needs must be met before he is driven by higher needs. The hierarchy starts with physiological needs such as food and water, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and finally self-actualization needs. For examples, organizations can meet physiological needs by providing break times for meals and snacks and fair salary for the employee to house and feed their family. Employers must provide a safe work atmosphere with minimal job risks and free from threats of others employees or clients. Social needs may be met by encouraging a team environment with encouragement and respect among co-workers. Esteem needs include recognition and reward for good performance. And companies can fulfill self-actualization needs by giving assignments that challenge employees and allow them to be creative in their work.
2.3 Independent Variables
From Collins Dictionary, independent variable defined as the variable which is experimentally manipulated, or otherwise controlled, in order to observe its effect. In this study, we choose the facilities, support from top management and training exposure as independent variables to examine the relationship of the dependent variable.
2.3.1 Facilities
From the Collins Dictionary, facilities means are buildings, pieces of equipment, or services that continue produced for a particular purpose, affording a convenience or service such as transportation facilities, educational facilities, a new research facility. Such changes in organizational development matters are important to recruit develop and retain quality staff both now and into the future. Indeed, this research suggests that facilities directorates are receptive to such organizational and career development interventions even if they have been overlooked in the past.
Effective personnel are a combination of good skills set and a productive work environment. Many factors affect personnel performance that organization need to be aware of and should work to improve at all times. To get the maximum performance from personnel, we ought to provide them with their needs to succeed in their career and what fulfill their interest. The success of any organization is highly dependent on how it attracts recruits, motivates, and retains a high performing workforce (Florence & Peter K’Obonyo, 2015). Facilities are the one of naval personnel related factors that influences the quality of work life and job performance. These performance factors described facilities are often interrelated or interdependent in the influence towards job performance in the RMN.
Tools and physical environment are part of facilities. Its concentrates on personnel have the required and sufficient tools, supplies, and supportive physical environment to do their work adequately. It also investigates whether the organization has other maintenance system in place to encourage a well-functioning work place. Some example of facilities to consider in the RMN to maximize personnel’s job performance are equipment, instruments, supplies, protocols/procedure manuals, job aids, record keeping tools, furniture, workspace, power, water, light, safety measures, information technology and communication systems.
2.3.2 Support from Top Management
When the organization gives sources to employees in a voluntary manner rather than under certain circumstances beyond their authority, employees will view such aid as being genuinely valued and respected by the organization (Cotterell, Eisenberger, & Speicher, 1992). Based on this principle, recognized organizational support will be more effectively magnified if employees view organizational rewards and favorable job conditions, such as wages, promotions, job enhancement, and influence over organizational strategies as voluntary behaviors of organizations, job enhancement, and influence over organizational policies as voluntary behaviors of organizations (Eisenberger et al., 1986). Employees also understand that supervisor’s evaluations of subordinates are often conveyed to upper management, further contributing to employees association of supervisor support with perceived organizational support (Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002).
In the RMN, support from top management are included clear organizational aims, strategic and structures programs, competent leadership, transparent job expectations and authority, supportive supervision systems, clear operational policies and efficient processes, and realistic workloads. Other important components that influence personnel’s job performance are also effective management systems, appraisal systems and clear communication and information channels and access.
RMN personnel are given reward for the aim of encouragement, moral support and recognition to the excellence. During its annual Anniversary Day Ceremony, various RMN awards are presented as recognition to the ship crews who show the best performance as a result of the excellence. Among the trophies of recognition are the ‘Grand Cup Award’ which comes with a trophy, RM5,000 cash money for the ship displaying the highest level of operation for the assessment period from 1st March to 28 February the following year. The ‘Gonzales Cup Award’ offers a trophy, RM3,000 cash money for ship worthiness, and will be flying the ‘Gonzales Pennant’ for one year. This award is given to the ship scoring the highest marks in the RMN Management Audit, while the ‘Chief of Navy Award’ boasts a trophy and cash money of RM3,000 for the highest operational state in the armament category.
2.3.3 Training Exposures
Generally, the impact of training is directly related to the employee performance. In the RMN, training plays an important role in improving organizational effectiveness. To make the training more efficient in improving organizational, as well as personal performance, it is necessary that the perception regarding the effectiveness of training must be made positive. Training determines maintenance and improvement of the level of performance of a person in a section or a department. Training is an upgrading performance.
Training plays a vital role in building competencies on new, as well as current employees, for them to perform their job effectively and efficiently. It will also prepare their employees to perform a planned position in an organization with desired capabilities to succeed the deficiencies in the job-related area. Training is considered as a sort of investment by the firm that not only brings tremendous return but also supports to gain competitive advantage. Effective training is the thoughtful interference designed in attaining the learning necessary to enhance employee performance. The research affirmed the proposition that training has a positive impact on employee performance.
Training is generally divided into two different approaches which is on the job training and off the job training. On the job training methods are those which are given to the employees within the everyday working of a concern. It is a simple and cost effective training method. The employees are trained based on the actual working scenario or by becoming the assistant of skilled workers to gain a first-hand experience and exposure. Off the job training methods are those in which training is provided away from the actual working condition, for example off the job training methods are workshops, seminars, conferences. Both on job training and off job training are practiced extensively in the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) in order to gain knowledge, skills and leadership behavior.
2.4 Dependent Variable
In this study (RMN organization) the dependant variable is Job Performance. The scoring result of job performance totally depends on the status and score of independent variable which comprises training, facilities and support from top management. According to Business Dictionary, job performance is the work related activities expected from an employee and how well those activities are being executed. Many business personnel directors assess the job performance of their employees on an yearly or quarterly base in order to help them recognize the potential areas for further improvement. Furthermore, job performance has been defined as the overall expected value from employees’ behaviours carried out over the course of a set period of time (Motowidlo et. al, 1997). Sabine et. al (2010) carried out a study to summarize research on individual performance and addressed performance as a multi-dimensional and dynamic concept. The study also defined the concept of performance, discussed antecedent between individual variations of performance, and described an intra individual change and variability in performance.
2.5 Relationship among Variables and Others Researchers
2.5.1 Training and Job Performance
This study in hand chiefly focuses on the role of organizational support in enhancing the performance of the employees. Training plays a vital role in building competencies for new and current employees to perform their job in an effective way. It also prepares employees to hold future positions in an organization with full capabilities to overcome the deficiencies in their job related area. Training programs not only will introduce employees with new working environment, but also additional skills to operate advanced technology equipment and attaining competencies handling technical equipment which comply to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Training facilitates is the process of updating of skills which lead to increase commitment, well being, and sense of belonging, thus directly strengthening the organization's competitiveness (Acton and Golden, 2002; Karia and Ah-mad, 2000; Karia, 1999). Others researcher stated that training has the distinct role in achieving an organizational goal by incorporating the interests between organization and the workforce (Stone R J. Human Resource Management, 2002).
2.5.2 Support from Top Management and Job Performance
Rude suggested that support from top management is strongly related to leadership behavior, in which an insufficient support from a leader in any career needs is one of the most important factor of employees’ dissatisfaction, which results are similar to the lack of support from organization (Rude, 2004). However, the theory of leadership based on the research of Evans (1970) and Georgopoulos, Mahoney and Jones (1957) stated that effective leadership motivates employee to achieve the goal through reward. A clear employee’s path to the organization’s objectives will also contribute to both employees’ satisfaction and organization’s productivity.
2.5.3 Facilities and Job Performance
The facilities provide and play a major role in determining the amount and quality of the output from employees in every organization. Work environment consists of forces, actions, environment, behavior and other influential factors that are currently and, or potentially contending with the employee’s activities and performance. Work environment and work place facilities are the sum of the interrelationship that exists within the employees and between the employees and the environment in which the employees work (Kohun, 1992). There are key factors in the employee’s workplace environment and facilities that impact greatly on their level of motivation and performance (Chandrasekar, 2011).
2.6 Proposed Conceptual Model of the Study
1. Book and journal reference according to the related chapter.
2. Validate the theory by distributing questionnaire.
Independent Variables Dependent Variable
Figure 2.1: Conceptual framework Independent Variables and Dependent Variable.
These conceptual frameworks show the factors affecting the career development in the RMN. It studies the relationship between organizational supports towards job performance.
2.7 Hypotheses Testing
H1: There is a significant relationship between facilities and job performance in the RMN.
H2: There is a significant relationship between support from top management and job performance in the RMN.
H3: There is a significant relationship between training exposure and job performance in the RMN.
2.8 Summary
In summary, Chapter 2 consists of various theories and past studies that are related to this research paper. They are being used in this chapter to provide better understanding about the issue and more importantly to establish a base line for the theoretical framework. The following chapter will cover the research methodology.
Chapter 3
METHODOLOGY
3.0 Overview of the Chapter
Research is a systematic analysis that studies various materials and sources and compiles them into useful data to establish facts and achieve new conclusions. Research methods are the various procedures, schemes and algorithms used in research. Our team uses Research Methodology as a systematic way by sequencing to solve a problem. It is a science of studying how an effective research can be carried by this method of study and transfers this newly gained knowledge to the RMN. This method will be used to draft a work plan of research. This chapter will explain the process and the procedure on how the research is going to be organized and carried out. We attempt to prepare the write up of subtopics, such as research design, sampling technique and population and also the sampling procedure by using the Krejcie and Morgan table. In addition, this paper will discuss the data collection procedures. The instrument to be used in the study is questionnaires, of which validity and reliability will be verified by using the SPSS version 2.2. This section is not only related to the measurement of variables, but also the pilot study. The method of analysis will be discussed in this chapter. The final part of this chapter summarizes the content of Chapter 3.
3.1 Research Design
A research design is the plan of a research study. In this study, research design for the job performance is the framework that has been created to seek answers to research questions regarding how significant the IV is related to DV. The design of a study defines the study type, such as descriptive, experimental, review, meta-analytic, correlational, semi-experimental, and sub-type such as research question, hypotheses, independent, descriptive-longitudinal case study, and dependent variables, experimental design, and if relevant, data collection methods and a statistical analysis plan. According to Sekaran (2013), research design indicates study being carried out using qualitative or quantitative research methods through the case study, interviews, literature review, observation, and survey research to the focus groups. Quantitative research methods can be categorized as correlational research, descriptive research, and experimental research. In the context of this study, the most appropriate design is correlational. We are using quantitative research method by applying correlational design and a literature review of a related scholar paper to support the study, including substantive findings, as well as theoretical and methodological contributions to job performance as our supportive sources. Salkind (2015) stated that research design consists of variables of interest, that are, the presence of the independent variables, dependent variables, and also other variables either moderating or mediating. According to Creswell (2012), correlational designs provide an opportunity to predict scores and explain the relationship among variables.
In correlational research designs, researchers use the correlation statistical test to measure the degree of association among variables or sets of scores. In this design, our team do not attempt to control or manipulate the variables as in an experiment instead, we relate, using the correlation statistic, two or more scores for each person in the RMN organization.
In this study, we examine the relationship between training exposures, support from top management and facilities on personnel towards their job performance. The independent variables in the analysis are facilities, support from top management and training exposures. The dependent variable is job performance.
3.2 Population
According to the data statistic from the RMN Human Resource Department, the number of technical personnel currently active in the service is 12,536. It includes the whole personnel of all levels in the navy bases, ships and headquarters.
3.3 Sample Size
For the sampling of this study, we focus on a training centre that is KD PELANDOK in Lumut Naval Base, with the strength of 416 personnel. According to the Table in Determining Sample Size, by Krejcie and Morgan (1970), with a given population of 416, the sample size is 196. However, we have decided to establish the sampling of 235 personnel. We choose samples of all three branches comprising seaman, technical and supply as they have experienced serving in base units and ships. They are also easy to be reached because they do not involve in any operation or sailing.
3.4 Sampling Technique
There are several ways to choose sample from a population known as sampling technique. The Simple Random Sampling method enables each member of the population the equal chance of selection in the research. We choose this technique because it is used in simple experiments that require a single sample to be taken from a given population or a representative sample frame. The personnel in the sample are also accessible and available. The sample has two key properties which are: firstly, unbiased, each unit has the same chance of being selected and secondly, independent.
3.5 Data Collection Procedures
According to Sekaran (2013), questionnaire method is one of the effective data collection methods. We apply quantitative data analysis with a list of questionnaires for the targeted RMN groups, which is self-administered. The respondents were assured of confidentiality and given freedom to decline from participating in the study. The respondents were given an adequate time frame of one week to respond. If the response return rate deemed to be slow, we would do the follow-ups. In the end, the respondents completed questionnaires on various topics of career development including their background information, job, career, education, training experiences, skills, reward and recognition.