PADRE VICENTE GARCIA MEMORIAL ACADEMY, INC.

Senior High School

NURTURING A 21st CENTURY WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT

By:

Calalo, Lovely Mae R.

De Castro, Chelsie D.
Fortus, Eden Shane B.
Masacayan, Liezel
Pasahol, Kathlene Sarah Faye N.
Rivera, Eloisa Mae C.
Semillano, Stefanie Shaine L.

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for Practical Research 2

Accountancy, Business and Management

Padre Vicente Garcia Memorial Academy Inc.
2022-2023
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CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

This chapter presents introduction, objectives, hypothesis, scope, delimitation and

limitation, conceptual framework, significance of the study and definition of terms.

Introduction

Everyone has their own interpretation of how they view the world and it would be
a very boring, dull place if we all saw it the same way, especially in the vision on how we
perceive a workplace. Nowadays, in the context of business sector, it is all about
efficiency and effectiveness, and fueling the workplace revolution worldwide is the
emergence of agile working. Healthy workplaces are breeding grounds for an efficient
and productive workforce and the ‘ideal workplace’ is no longer a myth but a reality that
has transcended. The defining element in shaping an individual’s career, personality, and
standing in society is a workplace that productively engages employees and offers a
friendly work environment. Given that work is a ubiquitous part of human life, with most
of us spending a considerable part of our life either at work and or engage in work-related
activities (Svendsen, 2016). The workplace entails an environment in which the worker
performs his work, while an effective workplace is an environment where results can be
achieved as expected by management (Mike, 2010). To work effectively, employees need
to be both physically and psychologically comfortable. As well as considering the pace of
corporate upheaval quickens, organizational factors have become imperative. One of the
most impactful and challenging aspects of managing a vibrant workplace is integrating
new, and often wildly divergent, cultures following the current era of business trends.
Changes in the workplace are necessary to match the 21 st century skills demands.
Global citizens today agree that as time goes by the place of work changes. The current
working environment differs from the previous age. Over the last four decades of the 20 th
century, the nature of work has changed dramatically for some people. We cannot deny
that the skills required in the 21 st century gear towards factors such as competitiveness,
innovation, and creativity. From traditional office spaces with cubicles and harsh lighting
in which employees are expected to say 8-12 hours every day, the new office layout will
feature a more relaxed environment, designed with a homier feel and with a layout that
promotes collaboration among colleagues. The 21st century has been marked by historic
changes and breakthrough discoveries. Today, we live and move at an accelerated pace.
The same holds true in business, organizations today are overwhelmed by an increase in
the millennial population dominating the workforce. This has drastically altered
workplace dynamics with young professionals seeking more freedom and better control
over what, how, when, and where they want to work. Baby boomers, on the other hand,
are conventional in outlook and have a different set of expectations. Assumptions
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regarding success in the workplace have also changed and the reflection of the changing
face of global business, modern workplace culture has undergone a significant
transformation in the past couple of decades, driven by rapid advances in technology and
communication, as well as shifting philosophies on best practices and the benefits of an
increasingly diverse workforce.
This significant development in how people work and how enterprises can
organize themselves as agile organizations has given rise to a structural change in the
nature of the demand for workplace environment. In today’s competitive business
environment, organizations can no longer afford to waste the potential of their workforce.
The workplace of the 21st century offers both employers and employees the freedom to
decide how, when, and where work is done. It also enables the creation of employee
benefit plans that attract in and keep workers while taking into account the financial
realities of contemporary business. Employers can attract, recruit, hire, and train talent as
needed in the 21st century workplace to stay competitive in a global economy. It allows
for the development of employee benefit programs that recruit and keep employees while
taking into account the financial realities of modern business. In relation, nurturing a 21 st
century workplace environment should take into account the factors such as different
physical work environments, employees’ psychological needs, and organizational factors
while encouraging innovation and a competitive economy in the business field. Factors of
workplace environment play an important role towards the employees’ performance and
perception.
Therefore, Chandrasekar (2011) had stated that the connection or relationship
between the work, workplace, tools of work had become the most important aspect in
their work itself. As the workplace has slowly transformed, research in organizational
psychology has followed these trends. Studies have looked at the consequences of
workplace changes, particularly their impact at both the individual employee level and
the organizational level. Mainly these factors are structure and philosophy in proper
nurturing of a 21st century workplace environment that adapt, support, communicate and
coordinate in the mechanisms of the 21st century era in the field of business. Therefore,
the main purpose of this research is to assess the business establishments and to nurture
the 21st century workplace environment of the different business sector in Rosario,
Batangas as well as get a clearer picture on significant differences between business and
the workplace environment.

Objectives:

Primarily, this study aims to

1. To determine the profile of the business in terms of:
1.1 location
1.2 years of operation
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1.3 sector
2. To assess the workplace environment relative to the following elements:
2.1 physical
2.2 psychological
2.3 organizational
3. To determine the significant difference in the responses when grouped according
to profile variables.
4. To prepare a 21st century workplace information guide.

Hypothesis

There is no significant differences in the workplace environment when grouped

according to profile variable.

Significance of the Study

Every research study has significance to the people, the society, the country and
the world. This study will be a significant endeavor as it aims to assess the workplace
environment of the businesses here in Rosario, Batangas. Thus, the findings and
implications of this study will unsound to the benefit of the beneficiaries. Vital results of
this investigation could be highly significant and beneficial specifically to the following:

The business and its environment. This study will help the business and its
environment to ensure smooth functioning of business cycle that can provide
competitiveness and higher profitability for the business organization. Moreover, under
these circumstances the business can do better planning, introduce organizational
flexibilities and come out with innovation that are relevant in nurturing a 21 st century
workplace environment.
The business proprietor. This study will help the business proprietor to solve the
business empirical problems and in setting decisions about their existing workplace
environment. In addition, this study provides information about the workplace landscape
that can help business proprietor to nurture a 21st century workplace environment that the
organization and its members aspired of.
The workforce. This study will help the workforce to allow them to identify
problems regarding to their workplace environment that are hindering performance or the
ability to complete their tasks. Furthermore, it helps them to come up with viable
solutions to those problems in order that to nurture a 21st century workplace environment.
The future workforce. This study will help the future workforce to provide
fundamental information on how they can nurture their workplace environment in
accordance to 21st century business trends that will prepare them for the world of work.
Also, this study can support the future workforce to have a better understanding and
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approach in what a 21st century workplace environment is.
The future researchers. This study is beneficial to the future researchers as this
provides additional information and knowledge about nurturing a 21 st century workplace
environment. Likewise, this study helps as a useful future reference for more studies in
the future that are related in nurturing a 21st century workplace environment.

Scope, Limitation and Delimitation

The study was conducted by the student-researchers of Padre Vicente Garcia

Memorial Academy, Inc. promoting the Nurturing a 21 st Century Workplace
Environment. The general intent of this study was to nurture the 21 st century workplace
environment of the different business sector and to assess the business establishments in
Rosario, Batangas. Moreover, this study wants to determine the significant differences in
the workplace environment when grouped according to the profile variable. The
descriptive research design was employed in the study and questionnaires were used as
tools for gathering data. The owners or managers and employees of the business were the
respondents of the study.
Due to its nature, this study will be conducted in the different business
establishment in Rosario, Batangas and the selection of the respondents were only limited
about to (50) owners or managers and employees of the businesses. Furthermore, the
study was also limited to the use of questionnaire as instrument for data gathering.
Howbeit, this study will not cover those people who did not engage directly in a
business including the customers, students and other people who’s not related in the
business. As well as interview was not utilized as a tool for gathering data and negative
discipline was also not covered in this study.

Conceptual Framework

This research paradigm or conceptual framework explains the major ideas or

variables, as well as the connections between them that were previously investigated. To
understand the distinction between the two variables, we employed the conceptual
framework. The rectangle’s content which is the profile of the business is classified as a
manifest variable because it can be directly observed or measured. While the oval’s
content which is the workplace environment is classified under latent variable because it
cannot be directly observed but rather inferred from manifest variable. And the use of a
straight line is therefore made since we want to find a big difference between the two
mentioned variables.
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Profile of the Workplace

Business: Environment:

Location Physical

Years of Psychological
Operation Organizational

Sector

Figure 1
Conceptual Framework

The profile of the business such as the location, years of operation and sector are
different from the workplace environment relative to physical, psychological and
organizational factors. To elaborate, location is where a business chooses to base its
operations. Years of operations refer to all the activities that take place during a
company’s operating and financial periods. Meanwhile, a sector is a region where
enterprises engage in the same type of activity, offer comparable goods and services, or
both. On the contrary, physical is perhaps the physical work environment and business
psychology merges business practices with the study of how people behave in the
workplace. Lastly, the context of the organization is the business environment determined
by external factors like legal, financial, social, regulatory and cultural, etc. and
organizational internal environment determined by internal factors like internal
structures, governance, resource and capabilities.

Definition of Terms

Absenteeism. According to National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (2021),
absenteeism refers to time taken off work due to illness or other reasons. It is the practice
of regularly staying away from work without good reason. It is the factor that should be
reduced to increase employees’ performance and productivity.
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Baby Boomers. According to The Investopedia Team (2022), a term used to describe a
person who was born between 1946 and 1964. It is a person born in the years following
World War II.

Corporate. According to Cambridge Press (2022), corporate is relating to

a large company. It is type of organization that has huge group.

Globalization. According to National Geographic Society (1996-2022), Is a term used to

describe how trade and technology have made the world into a more connected and
interdependent place. It is the process by which businesses or other organizations develop
international influence or start operating on an international scale. It is also helps to shape
and change the workplace environment.

Ideal Workplace. According to 24 Seven Talent (2022), ideal workplace was one in
which the employer demonstrates a commitment to employee work/life balance. It is an
ideal work environment should train and motivate employees. Also, an ideal workplace is
favorable work environment for employees.

Millennial. According to Michael Dimock (2019), as anyone born between 1981 and
1996, which means anyone between the ages of 24 and 39 in 2020. It is denoting people
reaching young adulthood in the early 21st century.

Organization. According to Vocabulary.com (2022), an organization is a group of

people who work together, like a neighborhood association, a charity, a union, or a
corporation. It is an organized body of people especially a business.

Workplace/ Work Environment. According to Jennifer Herrity (2019-2022), a work

environment is the setting, social features and physical conditions in which you perform
your job. It is a place where people work, such as an office or factory. In essence,
workplace is the place where employees work and where work is done.

Workforce. According to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2010), the total number of

workers actively employed in, or available for work in, a nation, region, plant, etc. This
the people engaged in or available for work, either in a country or area or in a particular
company or industry.

21st Century Workplace Environment. According to Henry G. Jackson (2016), the 21st
century workplace must be innovative, competitive and fair. The 21st Century Workplace
provides employers and employees the flexibility to address how, when and where work
is accomplished and allows for the design of employee benefit programs that attract and
retain employees, while managing the fiscal realities of modern business. This refers to
the work environment that meet the standards of 21st century or contemporary era.