UEH-SFLE

Session 2: Tuesday
Class: AV002
Date: 6 September , 2022
Group: 3 WRITING 3
UNIT 5: JOB SATISFACTION
GROUP DISCUSSION REPORT
Time: 8AM Venue: B1-702 Date: 6/9/2022

1. Trần Võ Quỳnh Như Group Leader

2. Hứa Ngọc Khánh Vy Secretary
3. Nguyễn Lê Tường Vy Member
4. Đinh Nguyễn Duy Uyên -id-
5. Thạch Tú Vân -id-
6. Phạm Hồ Thiện Ngữ -id-
7. Võ Ngọc Bảo Nhi -id-
8. Phan Thị Yến Nhi -id-
9. Liễu Ngọc Bảo Châu -id-
10.Trần Thị Huỳnh Giao -id-
11. Nguyễn Hồng Kim Cương -id-
12.Trần Thiên Ân -id-

CONTENT

PART 1: OUTPUT TASK

VOCABULARY

A. Look at the sentences below. Underline the words or phrases which can
be replaced with an item from the box without a change in meaning.

1. If employees become too discontent, they may go on strike.

→ take industrial action: tổ chức đình công

Nếu nhân viên trở nên bất bình, họ có thể tổ chức đình công.
2. Most people like to have control over their work and therefore put autonomy
near the top of their list of motivating factors.
→ empowerment: sự trao quyền

Nhiều người thích có quyền kiểm soát trong công việc của họ, do đó họ đặt quyền
tự chủ lên hàng đầu trong danh sách các yếu tố động viên họ.

3. Dealing with bureaucracy is a very time-consuming, demotivating problem

which affects large businesses and organizations.
→ Red tape: tệ quan liêu bàn giấy

Giải quyết tệ quan liêu bàn giấy là một vấn đề gây mất thời gian và làm nản chí,
có ảnh hưởng lớn đối với nhiều doanh nghiệp và tổ chức lớn.

4. Overwork can lead to burnout if not spotted early.

→ breakdown: tình trạng kiệt sức vì công việc

Làm việc quá sức có thể dẫn tới tình trạng kiệt sức nếu không được phát hiện sớm.

5. Many job satisfaction studies, perhaps surprisingly, have found that often a
compensation package is not the most motivating factor for many employees.
→ remuneration: thù lao

Nhiều nghiên cứu về sự thỏa mãn trong công việc gây bất ngờ khi chỉ ra thù lao
không phải là yếu tố tạo động lực nhất đối với nhiều nhân viên.

6. Offering perks rather than a salary increase can be a way of retaining employees
in traditionally high staff turnover industries.
→ fringe benefits: phúc lợi người lao động

Trong các ngành công nghiệp truyền thống có tỷ lệ luân chuyển nhân viên cao thì
việc cung cấp các phúc lợi ngoài lương có thể là một cách hiệu quả hơn để giữ
chân người lao động hơn là tăng lương.

7. He received a very generous golden handshake when he left the company.

→ severance payment: trợ cấp thôi việc
Anh ấy nhận được một khoản trợ cấp thôi việc rất hào phóng khi rời khỏi công ty.
8. One way for managers to monitor and develop staff is by using appraisal
interviews.
→ assessment: đánh giá

Phỏng vấn đánh giá là một cách giúp quản lý quan sát và phát triển nhân sự.

B. Complete each of these sentences with a word formed from the verb on
the left. Sometimes you will need to use a negative form.

1. SATISFY

a) The survey showed that staff working flexible hours were more satisfied with
their jobs than those working fixed hours.

Cuộc khảo sát cho thấy những nhân viên làm việc theo giờ linh hoạt hài lòng với
công việc của họ hơn những người làm việc theo giờ cố định.

b) Low pay and poor working conditions create dissatisfied workers.

Lương thấp và điều kiện làm việc kém tạo ra sự bất mãn cho người lao động.

c) Small European companies are top of job satisfaction league tables.

Các công ty nhỏ ở châu Âu đứng đầu bảng xếp hạng về mức độ hài lòng trong
công việc.

2. MOTIVATE

a) What are the strongest motivating factors in people’s lives?

Những yếu tố thúc đẩy mạnh nhất trong cuộc sống của con người là gì?

b) Workers become demotivated if they work long hours for low pay.

Người lao động trở nên sa sút tinh thần nếu họ làm việc nhiều giờ với mức lương
thấp.

c) What was your motivation for becoming a salesperson?

Động lực để trở thành một nhân viên bán hàng của bạn là gì?

3. FRUSTRATE
a) You could see the frustration building up in the workforce.

Bạn có thể thấy sự thất vọng đang tích tụ trong lực lượng lao động.

b) I find talking to him frustrating because he never listens.

Tôi nhận ra nói chuyện với anh ấy rất bực bội vì anh ấy không bao giờ lắng nghe.

c) I felt so frustrated with their attitude that I decided to resign.

Tôi cảm thấy quá thất vọng với thái độ của họ nên đã quyết định từ chức.

4. RECOGNISE

a) Employees are more likely to change jobs if they feel their work is
unrecognised or that others take credit for it.

Nhân viên có nhiều khả năng thay đổi công việc nếu họ cảm thấy công việc của họ
không được công nhận hoặc người khác ghi công.

b) Because of her people skills, she was able to achieve recognition and respect at
the company.

Nhờ kỹ năng làm việc của con người, cô ấy đã có thể đạt được sự công nhận và
tôn trọng ở công ty.

c) The company recognised his lifelong service on retirement with a formal dinner
and a substantial golden handshake.

Công ty đã ghi nhận sự phục vụ suốt đời của ông khi nghỉ hưu bằng một bữa tối
trang trọng và một cái bắt tay vàng đáng kể.

C. Discuss these questions

1. What do you find satisfying and frustrating about your work or

studies?

Since I haven't begun working yet, I'll reflect on the satisfaction and frustration of
my education. I was captivated by the breadth of knowledge and excellent
instruction in university lectures, which provided me with a wide range of practical
skills for my future profession. Furthermore, it enabled me to make friends with
those who share my goals and provide motivation for my academic progress.
However, I am frequently lost since I have no idea what to expect from my study
and am dismayed when I receive low grades. Furthermore, I find it worthless
sometimes because memorizing text from books simply for tests doesn't build
knowledge but instead puts pressure on me and raises my tension.

2. How true do you think these statements are?

a) There is no such thing as company loyalty these days.

In the corporate environment, I would think the answer is ‘no’. What motivation
do I have to stay with my current employer, for example, if I can earn more money
elsewhere while doing the same job? After two to three years, many people obtain
experience in a particular area or skill set before moving on to higher-paying
professions. So there is no such thing as company loyalty these days.

b) Only successful people can have a good work-life balance.

Here, "successful people" is defined in two different ways:

+ Success is considered extremely wealthy; possibly, a healthy balance is

unnecessary because successful people must work continually, often around the
clock, and have many problems to solve. Additionally, if work and life are
balanced, their time will be controlled, influencing their work.

+ Success may also be described as the capacity to make yourself and the person
you love happy. This is another definition of Success. Even when the salary is only
average, and the worldly life is not extravagant, being able to spend time having
fun and entertaining with family and friends counts as a form of Success in life.

c) Job satisfaction is about personality, not external factors.

Agree 60%. Because satisfaction can come from people, colleagues, or our
superiors in the process of working together. When they are pleasant, happy,
responsible, and practical, it will make us sympathetic and satisfied with our
position. In addition, the working environment and our passion for that profession
will help us have more motivation to work. Therefore, job satisfaction is a
combination of personality and external factors.

d) Job satisfaction increases with age

I pretty much agree. Assessing job satisfaction relies on many criteria, and age is
one of them. According to the Gallup - Healthways survey, among American
workers, seniors report higher levels of job satisfaction than youngsters, with about
95% of seniors saying they are content with their jobs. 84% of poll participants
between 18 and 29 stated they were happy with their occupations, while more than
87.5% of those aged 30 to 44 said so. From here, the survey proved that job
satisfaction naturally rises with age. Besides, people in their 50s have commonly
identified the appropriate field they should engage in, with track records of
producing high-quality work that has brought them promotions and respect from
their superiors. People over the age of 50 therefore frequently have more freedom
at work and make more money than younger ones.

e) Improvements in technology lead to greater job satisfaction

I entirely agree with this statement. 4.0 era assists individuals in working in a
digital and modernized environment. Improving technology is a positive
advancement that brings workers a bunch of pros, from saving customers' or the
company's data on the computers to using cloud storage services. This is
recognized as very popular and convenient, bringing teammates closer and far
closer with communication software such as team messengers and video
conferencing apps (Zoom, Zavvi, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet,...). Technology
also promotes job progress and the quality of the bottom line. After all, I firmly
ensure that advanced technology is an integral part that will lead to better job
satisfaction for employees in their workplace.

f) Job sharing and job rotation are not good for motivation

I'm afraid I have to disagree with this statement.

Firstly, job sharing is an employment arrangement where two or more people are
retained on a part-time or reduced-time basis to perform the same job. When two
people share a job, they can complement each other's strengths and weaknesses
and offer an effective combination of expertise while enhancing problem-solving
abilities. Additionally, it provides a chance to develop teamwork abilities. As a
result, job sharing is an opportunity for the employee to be motivated to perform
better.

Secondly, job rotation is switching employees between positions to expose them to

other company departments while they learn and develop their skill sets.
Moreover, job rotation can be used to break up monotonous work. It also
encourages employee flexibility, lower turnover rates, and helps alleviate stress for
employees who work in manual labor roles. Even a rotating job environment can
boost new ideas and perspectives on the company's work and may increase job
satisfaction.

g) People who work from home tend to work harder than people who
don’t

I absolutely agree with this saying.

People get a better work-life balance when they work from home. Many remote
jobs also come with flexible schedules, which means that workers can start and end
their day as they choose, as long as their work is complete and leads to solid
outcomes. In addition, they can limit the commuting time to and from work every
day. Ditching the commute helps them support their mental and physical health,
allowing them to focus on ongoing work processing, duty performances, and
priorities outside of work. They can also create their own comfortable workspace
with everything they need to complete their work.Furthermore, working from
home minimizes the amount of social interaction, such as talking to coworkers
about work-related matters or not. As a result, they can maximize productivity by
avoiding distractions. Hence, working from home can be more productive than
working in an office cubicle.

LANGUAGE REVIEW

A. Match each tense or verb form (1- 8) to the appropriate extract (a-h)
1. Present simple – c)

The minutes are always taken by a member of HR.

(Các biên bản lúc nào cũng được viết bởi một thành viên trong phòng nhân sự)

2. Past simple – e)

The performance reviews were carried out over the summer.

(Các cuộc đánh giá hiệu suất làm việc đã được tiến hành qua suốt mùa hè)

3. Present perfect – h)

Bonuses and other incentive programs have been cut since the recession.

(Các phần thưởng và các chương trình khuyến khích khác đã bị cắt từ sau cuộc
suy thoái)
 4. Past perfect – b)

Employees felt their jobs had been made more interesting through training.

(Các nhân viên cảm thấy công việc của họ đã thú vị hơn sau khi qua đào tạo.)

5. Present continuous – d)

The survey stated that employees become unhappy when they feel that their
concerns are being ignored by management.

(Cuộc khảo sát cho biết rằng các nhân viên sẽ cảm thấy không hài lòng nếu họ
thấy rằng các mối quan tâm và nhu cầu của họ bị phớt lờ bởi các quản lí)

6. Future simple – g)

Employees will now be expected to act on the reviewer’s suggestions as soon as

possible.

(Các nhân viên giờ đây sẽ phải thực hiện các đề xuất của những người đánh giá
càng sớm càng tốt.)

7. Modal verbs with passives – a)

The report stated that more employees should be encouraged to provide feedback
on management.

(Bản báo cáo chỉ ra rằng nhiều nhân viên nên được động viên để đưa các ý kiến
phản hồi về việc quản lý.)

8. Passive infinitives – f)

They were happy to be accepted on the fast-track programme.

(Họ đã rất vui khi được nhận vào 1 chương trình cấp tốc.)

B. Complete this extract with passive forms of the verbs in brackets

Over time, job satisfaction (1) has been defined in a number of ways. Edwin
Locke said that job satisfaction (2) is determined by the difference between what
one wants in a job and what one has in a job. Herzberg states that satisfaction and
dissatisfaction (3) are driven by different things - motivation and 'hygiene' factors
(such as pay), respectively. Motivation (4) can be seen as an inner force that drives
people to perform. One of the most famous ways of measuring job satisfaction is
the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, which (5) was created in 1963.
Some researchers say that people who (6) are satisfied with life tend to (7) be
satisfied with their job.

Qua thời gian, sự thỏa mãn trong công việc đã được định nghĩa về nhiều cách.
Edwin Locke nói rằng sự thỏa mãn trong công việc được quyết định bởi sự khác
biệt giữa thứ mà một người muốn trong công việc và cái họ có trong công việc đó.
Herzberg thì khẳng định rằng sự thỏa mãn và sự bất mãn được gây ra bởi rất
nhiều thứ, động lực và các yếu tố khác (như lương). Niềm động lực có thể được
xem là một lực thúc đẩy một người trong công việc. Một trong những cách được
biết đến rộng rãi nhất để đo sự thỏa mãn trong công việc là bảng câu hỏi sự thỏa
mãn trong công việc Minnesota, được tạo ra vào năm 1963. Một số nhà nghiên
cứu nói những người hài lòng và thỏa mãn với cuộc sống thường sẽ thỏa mãn với
công việc của họ.

C. Read these notes for 4 sections of a report on employee satisfaction.

Then write sentences, using the passive, to include in the report.

- The Union representatives were interviewed.

(Các đại biểu của Công Đoàn đã được phỏng vấn)

- Meeting with all Heads of Department were held.

(Cuộc họp với tất cả các trưởng ban đã được tổ chức)

- Management has been ignoring suggestions/complaints.

(Các quản lí đã đang ngó lơ các ý kiến đề nghị và các lời phàn nàn)

- Staff are not encouraged to take on new tasks.

(Nhân viên không được khuyến khích để đảm nhiệm các công việc mới)

- Since April, Staff have been encouraged to do various tasks.

(Từ tháng 4, nhân viên đã được khuyến khích để làm nhiều công việc hơn)

- An open door policy has been adopted.

(Một chính sách mở cửa tự do đã được áp dụng)

 - New performance reviews for managers to be introduced from the 1 st of
December.

(Các bản đánh giá thành tích cho các quản lý mới sẽ được giới thiệu từ ngày 1
tháng 12)

- Research into employee incentive programmes to be carried out.

(Nghiên cứu vào những chương trình khuyến khích cho nhân viên sẽ được tiến
hành.)

PART 2: CASE STUDY

Background

Techno21 is a young business with a laid-back culture, and employees are

encouraged to socialize in their spare time. Additionally, this reduces the
workforce size. The highly competitive nature of the IT industry is a problem, too,
and Patrick Mcguire, CEO of San Diego-based Techno21, needs to develop a
policy to set expectations for these employees' conduct at work.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of working in this kind of

environment.

A laid-back workplace has advantages and disadvantages. Offering employees a

place to work or unwind away from their workstations can help with various health
problems, such as backache and eyestrain, as well as reduce stress. Staff sickness
and sick days can be reduced with improved wellness. However, working longer
hours and stressing about work will stress you more. Additionally, it increases your
risk of developing depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. Personal
relationships are stressed out by working overtime, which raises your chance of
depression. In a word, I think the business needs procedures to ensure that
employees may ensure performance at work without engaging in destructive
activity.

CD2.9. Patrick McGuire has come up with a proposal that he wants to discuss
with Veronica Simpson.
 - Prepare students for what they are going to hear, tell them they should take
notes, and then play the recording once or twice.
- Then get students to outline what the four options are:

1) Insist that staff leave the company if a romantic relationship develops

2) ask the staff in special relationships to sign a ‘love contract’

3) staff to inform their team leader if they have a special relationship and behave
appropriately

4) do nothing.

Relationship at work: three cases

Patrick McGuire's assistant has prepared notes on three cases in which personal
relationships have affected staff performance and morale. Preparing the cases for a
meeting on managing relationships at work.

CASE 1: Promotion application of Judith Fisher

Summarize: Peter Walters, the Chief Financial Officer, had a close relationship
with Judith Fisher, one of his staff, but they broke up. A few months later, Judith
Fisher accused Walters of not choosing her to be promoted to be his deputy
because she thought this was Walter’s way of taking revenge. Patrick McGuire and
Veronica Simpson (HR Director) took no action. Judith is threatening to take legal
action against the company.

Discuss the question: 1. Did we make the right decision concerning Peter Walters
and Judith Fisher? What further action, if any, should we take?

We probably did not make the right decision by keeping silent about this problem.
Since they had broken up from their romantic relationship before, there must have
been underlying conflicts and misunderstandings between them that were
unresolvable. As a result, according to Fisher, Walter might have taken revenge by
not choosing her as his deputy.

However, we cannot simply change Walter’s decision based only on our

assumptions. I suggest we should transfer either Walter or Fisher to another
department to avoid any further allegations of discriminatory recruitment
decisions. In addition, we should establish a policy emphasizing the importance of
employees not allowing personal relationships with colleagues to influence their
conduct or performance at work.

CASE 2: The sales conference

Summarize: Brad Johnson, a sales manager, has recognized and acknowledged the
talent of Erica Stewart. He wants her dedication to his team after observing her
solid performance throughout all the discussion groups she was in. However, Erica
Stewart was slightly surprised and hoped to deny Johnson’s invitation. She asked
for the help of Veronica and received the suggestion that she should not turn down
the request since Stewart is indeed the person that Johnson needs to boost his team
better.

Discuss the question: 2. Did Veronica give Erica Stewart good advice? What
should Erica do now?

It is guaranteed that instruction of Veronica deserves attention. Being the manager

means Johnson has experienced and accumulated efficient knowledge, so he is
effortlessly able to be conscious of someone’s inner personality as well as get
insight into their proficiency.

The one thing Erica ought to undertake is to accept his wholeheartedness and have
a test on her ability to figure out her best version. Another method is probation,
which means Erica can carry out her transfer as earlier demonstrated, yet at a
specific time. Until done, she can give out her choice of going on or quitting with
no hesitation. This is the best solution for both parties.

CASE 3: The loving couple

Summarize: Two colleagues, Lisa Davis and Steffan Olsen, were in a romantic
relationship for a year and kept their love secret. However, the other team
members suspected since Lisa and Steffan usually agreed with each other's
viewpoints during the meeting. Also, they give each other loving looks or be more
tactile than average among employees. Their behavior upset the rest of the team. A
group representative approached the team leader and requested her to take action.

Discuss the questions: 3. How should the team leader deal with the issue of Lisa
and Steffan? She has asked for guidance from HR.
We think the team leader should have a private discussion with Lisa and Steffan,
telling them that it is disrespectful to have a loving look and be tactile with each
other in front of the rest of the employees. This will irritate and anger the other
members. Also, the team leader needs to tell them to remain professional to
maintain a tolerable working atmosphere, and take the necessary safeguards to
protect their personal connection.

4. Which of Patrick's four options is best for the company?

The first option is to create distance between male and female employees. Instead
of permitting their working chances together, we should arrange the workplace to
separate and minimize co-workers' interaction.

Second, it should have a policy for staff behavior at work. Drawing up a list of
specific staff relationship principles is the most urgent thing to have the proper
manners among them.

Next, we should organize exchange conferences about staff's behavior to explain to

them about proper behavior among colleagues in the company as well as show
them how the image of the company will be affected if there are cases where men
and women in the company have romantic relationships.

Last but not least, we should have some strict punishments for employees with
romantic relationships in the company and deterrent measures to prevent violations
the next time.

5. How can we avoid someone gaining an unfair advantage by having a close

relationship with a colleague or boss? What action can we take if this
happens?

● Create a set of rules for interpersonal interactions at work. Informing

employees of the company's requirements for workplace conduct will help
them understand what is proper and what isn't. Additionally, even the best-
written policies are useless if staff members are unaware of them or managers
cannot implement them. Training sessions will therefore serve to remind them
of it.

● If, unfortunately, gaining an unfair advantage by having a close relationship

with a colleague or boss inclines the negative evolution, let hinder it from the
beginning by enacting some stringent regulations like employees can cultivate
the connection with the head with a confident and safe distance, and do not
 overuse it for promotion purposes or private intention. Raising awareness of
both direction and staff can not be ignored. If their comprehension is enough,
they can perceive their action as whether or not correct and do not tend to go
beyond it.

TASK

Meet as one group. Try to agree on what decisions to take concerning the
questions. One of you should take the role of Veronica and chair the meeting.

Veronica: We need to take some actions to deal with our issue. First and foremost,
we must create distance between male and female employees. Instead of permitting
their working chances together, we should arrange the workplace to separate and
minimize co-workers' interaction.

Daniel: That sounds great! Furthermore, it's time to set up the policy of company.

John: Exactly! We should have a policy for staff behavior at work. Drawing up a
list of specific staff relationship principles is the most urgent thing to have the
proper manners among them.

Veronica: From my perspective, the next step we must do is organize the

exchange conferences about staff's behavior to explain to them about proper
behavior among colleagues in the company as well as show them how the image of
the company will be affected if there are cases where men and women in the
company have romantic relationships.

John: Uhmm. It's OK, but we will spend a lot of money on that.

Veronica: Yeah. I see, but we can organize on a small scale that can gain high
quality. With this conference, any relationships between company employees will
be conducted with the utmost discretion.

Daniel: It sounds enough. But I would like to add one more. It should have some
strict punishments for employees with romantic relationships in the company and
have deterrent measures to prevent violations the next time.

Veronica: OK! I think it's suitable for our issue. Hope we do all well.
WRITING

Techno 21
To: All board members

From: Vivian Hua, HR Director

Suggested Company Guidelines

In light of recent events at the company that has negatively impacted its
performance, I propose that we issue the following guidelines to staff regarding
relationships between staff members. Even if we obviously cannot stop employees
from dating one another, we need to have clear guidelines on the behavior. I
recommend the following principles: (We can discuss these at our upcoming board
meeting. Please let me know if the board members have any more
recommendations for the guidelines.)
● Employees and managers must know the many risks of getting involved
with someone at work, so they should think very carefully before entering
into relationships with each other.
● They should consider the implications of any relationships for their future
career with the organization.
● Any relationships between company employees should be conducted with
the utmost discretion. For example, there should be no overt displays of
affection on company premises.
● Do not try to hide the relationship from the manager or colleagues – it will
only erode trust.
● Techno 21 maintains the right to take necessary action if managers, senior
managers, or the HR division consider that employee relationships
negatively affect company performance or morale.

PART 3: DISCUSSION QUESTION

Discussion question: For you, which comes first: salary or job satisfaction?
Why?

In our opinion, we'd choose job satisfaction over salary. First, employees will work
more effectively if they are satisfied with their work. Second, the ability for
companies to retain their employees is always higher if all staff members are
happy. Third, the more satisfaction in employees' work the company brings, the
higher it'll raise their loyalty, leading to more commitment to their work. Fourth,
the employees' work promise will get higher profits for the company. Finally, job
satisfaction may attract more workforce to the company, which will help the
company to have the required human resources to expand and grow the company
further. In a nutshell, we think job satisfaction is more favorable than just salary.

The discussion comes to the end at 11 o’clock on the same day.

Secretary Group Leader

Hua Ngoc Khanh Vy Tran Vo Quynh Nhu