Abstract
The present study aims to investigate a conceptual model for promoting employee job enthusiasm in petrochemical companies. The research method was applicable in terms of purpose, and developmental research type and qualitative in terms of data type through content analysis. The statistical population included 17 managers, experts, and specialists active in the petrochemical industry along with university faculty members, selected through purposive sampling. The data collection tool was semi-structured interviews. To analyze the research findings, content analysis was used during the coding stages and Nvivo 12 software was used for the employee job enthusiasm model. The results showed that 342 initial codes were extracted, which were classified into 17 basic themes and 5 organizing themes. Employee job enthusiasm includes aspects of cognitive enthusiasm, emotional enthusiasm, social enthusiasm, physical-psychological enthusiasm, and moral-value enthusiasm. The “cognitive passion” dimension includes four subscales of the individual’s professional development path, cognitive understanding, foresight, and resilience; the “emotional passion” dimension includes four subscales of the intrinsic motivation path, positivity, effective financial incentives, and effective non-financial incentives; the physical-mental passion dimension includes managing job pressures, overcoming physical challenges in the workplace, and physical and mental balance; the social passion dimension includes social approval, social interactions, and a supportive workplace; and the moral-value passion dimension includes approval of a sense of responsibility, moral impact, and willingness to do the work.
Introduction
Employees of any organization are considered its most valuable assets. Therefore, organizations face challenges in recruiting and retaining an efficient workforce. Today, organizations are trying to attract the best and most talented people and use them to achieve their goals (Phromket et al., 2024). As a result, recruiting and retaining employees requires tools through which organizations can increase the productivity of their human resources and also provide conditions for employees to feel satisfied with their jobs (Kuhn et al., 2024).
Job enthusiasm is one of the most important concepts in human resource management that has attracted the attention of scientists, researchers, and human resource management professionals. Cross et al (2012) have defined job engagement as the degree of utilization of emotional, cognitive and physical resources to perform work tasks. In general, the concept of job engagement consists of three cognitive, emotional and behavioral dimensions. The cognitive aspect of job engagement is related to insights and beliefs about the organization, managers and working conditions. The emotional aspect of job satisfaction is related to how employees feel and how they view the organization, leaders, and working conditions; and the behavioral aspect of employee job satisfaction is a factor that includes conscious, thoughtful, and voluntary efforts by individuals to increase their level of job satisfaction, which leads to performing tasks with greater interest (Pourhabibi et al., 2023). Given the complexity of the challenges in human resource management in organizations, employees must work and have high job satisfaction to improve the organization in order to create effective solutions in performing their job tasks. Job satisfaction includes being alert to new knowledge, understanding information, and solving problems competently and successfully (Lotfi & Ali Morad, 2023). Therefore, employee job satisfaction can improve their job effectiveness, reduce absenteeism, prevent employee turnover, and reduce their complaints (Albrecht et al., 2023). Therefore, the main question of the present study is: what is the pattern of employee job engagement in Petrochemical Terminals and Tanks Company?
Theoretical Basis
Job Enthusiasm
Job enthusiasm is a positive, practical, and work-related mindset. Job enthusiasm was introduced as a multidimensional construct including vigor, dedication, and absorption. Absorption refers to the degree to which an individual is focused and immersed in their work. In this case, the individual is intensely involved in their work because the work experience is very enjoyable for them. Many people are willing to pay the price to be in such conditions. On the strength side, the individual makes a significant effort to do their work and is more stable in difficult situations. Employees with high enthusiasm are more motivated by their work and are more flexible when problems and interpersonal conflicts arise. The third dimension of job motivation is dedication, which is characterized by employees' intense psychological involvement in work and is a combination of a sense of meaning, desire, and challenge (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2010).
Cheng (2024) examined the chain-mediated role of innovative self-efficacy and harmonious enthusiasm between ambidextrous leadership and employees' innovative behavior. Ambidextrous leadership is positively related to employees' innovative behavior, while innovative self-efficacy and harmonious work enthusiasm play a mediating role. Further analysis confirms that innovative self-efficacy and harmonious work enthusiasm play a dual-chain mediating role between ambidextrous leadership and employees' innovative behavior, while Zhong-Yong thinking plays a moderating role between ambidextrous leadership and innovative self-efficacy and between ambidextrous leadership and harmonious work enthusiasm.
Banisi (2024) examined the presentation of a work enthusiasm model based on blue ocean strategy and organizational resilience mediated by job self-efficacy in private school principals. The results indicated that the work enthusiasm model based on blue ocean strategy and organizational resilience mediated by job self-efficacy in private school principals had a good fit. Also, the variables of blue ocean strategy and organizational resilience had a direct and significant effect on the job self-efficacy and work enthusiasm of private school principals, and the job self-efficacy variable had a direct and significant effect on their work enthusiasm. In addition, each of the variables of blue ocean strategy and organizational resilience mediated by job self-efficacy had an indirect and significant effect on the work enthusiasm of private school principals.
Research Methodology
The research method was applicable in terms of purpose, of the developmental research type, and qualitative in terms of data type, conducted through content analysis. The statistical population consisted of 17 managers, experts, specialists active in the petrochemical industry and university faculty members selected through purposive sampling. The data collection tool is a semi-structured interview.
Research findings
To analyze the research findings, thematic analysis was used during the coding stages and the Nvivo 12 software was used for the employee job enthusiasm model. The results showed that 342 initial codes were extracted, which were classified into 17 basic themes and 5 organizing themes. Employee job enthusiasm includes aspects of cognitive enthusiasm, emotional enthusiasm, social enthusiasm, physical-psychological enthusiasm, and moral-value enthusiasm. The "cognitive enthusiasm " dimension includes four subscales of the individual's professional development path, cognitive understanding, foresight, and resilience; the "emotional enthusiasm " dimension includes four subscales of the intrinsic motivation path, positivity, effective financial incentives, and effective non-financial incentives; the physical-psychological enthusiasm dimension includes managing job pressures, overcoming physical challenges in the workplace, and physical and mental balance; the social enthusiasm dimension includes social approval, social interactions, and a supportive work environment, and the moral-value enthusiasm dimension includes the approval of a sense of responsibility, moral efficacy, and willingness to do the work.
Conclusion
The present study aimed to investigate a conceptual model for promoting employee job enthusiasm in petrochemical companies. The findings of the present study are consistent with the results of Shao (2023), Dehghanpour Farashah et al. (2021), Tang & Li (2021), Schaufeli & Bakker (2010), Yaghoubi et al. (2022), Gerami & Malekshahi (2024), Keshavarz & Sadeghi (2023), and Meftahi (2019). In the study of Shao (2023), components such as management and training were introduced as effective elements in the formation of job enthusiasm, which is consistent with the subscales of professional development and cognitive understanding in the present study. Also, the study of Dehghanpour Farashah et al. (2021) shows that professional ethics and transfunctional performance can be the basis for strengthening job enthusiasm; which is compatible with components such as resilience and foresight in the cognitive enthusiasm dimension.
According to the results of the study, the following suggestion was made:
It is suggested that the organization design a clear career path for each employee, based on professional competencies and interests. For example, for an administrative expert, it should be specified that if they obtain specific certificates, are skilled in data analysis, and achieve high results, they will be promoted to the position of manager within a few years. This program should be accompanied by quarterly meetings with the HR manager so that the individual receives accurate feedback and targeted counseling.