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Ref. code: 25605721040557VOX
THE ATTITUDES TOWARD WRITING ENGLISH
AMONG LOSS PREVENTION & SECURITY RETAIL
OFFICERS
BY
MR. NOPPADON SATHONGNOAN
AN INDEPENDENT STUDY PAPER SUBMITTED IN
PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGLISH FOR CAREERS
LANGUAGE INSTITUTE
THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY
ACADEMIC YEAR 2017
COPYRIGHT OF THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY
Ref. code: 25605721040557VOX
THE ATTITUDES TOWARD WRITING ENGLISH
AMONG LOSS PREVENTION & SECURITY RETAIL
OFFICERS
BY
MR. NOPPADON SATHONGNOAN
AN INDEPENDENT STUDY PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE
OF MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGLISH FOR CAREERS
LANGUAGE INSTITUTE
THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY
ACADEMIC YEAR 2017
COPYRIGHT OF THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY
Ref. code: 25605721040557VOX
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Independent Study Paper Title THE ATTITUDES TOWARD WRITING
ENGLISH AMONG LOSS PREVENTION &
SECURITY RETAIL OFFICERS
Author MR. NOPPADON SATHONGNOAN
Degree Master of Arts
Major Field/Faculty/University English for Careers
Language Institute
Thammasat University
Independent Study Paper Advisor Assistant Professor Monnipha Somphong,Ph.D.
Academic Years 2017
ABSTRACT
Business writing is one of the most essential skills for Thai officers. This study
regarding the attitudes toward written English sought to reveal how Thai officers feel
about English writing and which strategies they use when experiencing difficulties in
writing.
The objectives of this study were to explore the respondents’ attitudes toward
their writing ability in English and how they managed problems when writing in
English at the headquarters of a retail business.
Fifty respondents who were security officers at the head office of a hypermarket
chain, 2 4 males and 2 6 females, were included in this study. The results showed that
the three most common attitudes and abilities with respect to English writing were
English writing is a fundamental skill everyone should have (mean = 4 . 5 ) , writing in
English language is one of the most important skills required in the company (mean =
4 . 0 6 ) , and they feel that they can be a good writer if they practice writing regularly
(mean = 4 . 0 0 ) , respectively. The three most common strategies were using Google
translation (mean=4.20), finding words in a text or dictionary (mean= 3.48) and asking
somebody for help (mean 3 . 3 6 ) , respectively. This study might benefit the Human
Resource Training department as they can use the results to apply or develop training
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courses for all employees, which will help them improve their knowledge and ability
with regard to English writing skills.
Keywords: attitudes toward English writing, writing, Loss Prevention & Security
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to thank Assistant Professor Monnipha Somphong,
Ph.D., for her suggestions for bettering my IS. I am also thankful to Assistant Professor
Ketvalee Porkaew, Ph.D., for her invaluable comments aimed at improving this work.
I would also like to thank Ms. Sakowrat Promchueytheera, the senior
manager of the Loss Prevention & Security Department at Tesco Lotus, for allowing
me to conduct this study; without her, I could not have collected all the data from the
respondents.
Mr. Noppadon Sathongnoan
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ABSTRACT (1)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (3)
TABLE OF CONTENTS (4)
LIST OF TABLES (8)
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background of the study 1
1.2 Research questions 2
1.3 Research objectives 2
1.4 Definition of terms 2
1.5 Scope of the study 3
1.6 Significance of the study 3
1.7 Limitations of the study 3
1.8 Organization of research study 3
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CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 5
2.1 The Theory of writing 5
2.2 Attitudes towards English language 6
2.3 Barriers of attitudes in writing within the workplace 7
2.4 Technique for improving writing skills of Thai EFL students 8
2.5 Relevant research 8
CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 10
3.1 Respondents 10
3.2 Research instrument 10
3.2.1 Demographic data 10
3.2.2 Attitudes and abilities with respect to writing English 10
3.2.3 Techniques used to handle English writing problems 11
3.3 Design and procedures 11
3.4 Data analysis 11
CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 12
4.1 General information of the respondents 12
4.2 Attitudes and ability with respect to English writing at the workplace 16
4.3 Techniques used to handle English writing problems at the workplace 18
4.4 Discussion 19
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CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 21
5.1 Summary of the study 21
5.1.1 Objectives of the study 21
5.1.2 Respondents 21
5.1.3 Research instrument and methodology of this study 21
5.2 Summary of the findings 22
5.2.1 Personal Information 22
5.2.2 Attitudes and ability with respect to English writing at the workplace
22
5.2.3 Techniques used to handle English writing problems at the workplace
23
5.3 Conclusion 24
5.4 Recommendations for further research 24
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REFERENCES 26
APPENDICES 29
APPENDIX A 30
APPENDIX B 33
BIOGRAPHY 36
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LIST OF TABLES
Tables Page
Table 4.1 Gender of the respondents 12
Table 4.2 Age of respondents 13
Table 4.3 Current position of respondents 13
Table 4.4 Years of work experience in company 14
Table 4.5 Highest education level of respondents 14
Table 4.6 Self-assessment of English writing ability 15
Table 4.7 Frequency of the use of English writing 15
Table 4.8 Mean scores calculated into levels of agreement 16
Table 4.9 Summary of means and standard deviations of respondent’s attitudes
and abilities with respect to English writing at the workplace 16
Table 4.10 Mean scores calculated into levels of agreement 18
Table 4.11 Means and standard deviations of techniques used to handle English
writing problems at the workplace 18
Table 5.1 Attitudes toward English writing at the workplace 23
Table 5.2 Techniques and frequency of use with respect to handling English writing
problems at the workplace 24
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
There is no denying that language plays an important role in the international
world. In many countries, English is a native language and for other countries whose
first language may not be English, the application of English tends to be diversified.
Therefore, the professionalization of English is essential.
As a business hub of Southeast Asia, Thailand offers many advantages for
foreign investors to run businesses in the country. For example, there are a lot of
agricultural resources and cheap labor. A large number of international entrepreneurs
are seeking opportunities for expansion of their businesses in Thailand. Thus, English
has become an international language in both the public and private sectors. The
establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) will double the number of
international investors in Thailand. Businesses will require that their employees have
more fluent English skills so that they can communicate well with foreign investors.
In terms of international retail business, English skills are a basic requirement
for recruiting staff, as most of the paper exams and applications are written in English,
and the interdepartmental communication such as writing e-mails and presentations are
conducted in English. Those using well-written communication can save time
compared to those who do not. Furthermore, fluent writing can enhance the credibility
of the writer and indirectly improve a company's image, which is why many
international retail businesses require interdepartmental communication to be
conducted in the English language.
Thai language is the official language in Thailand, but the United Kingdom is
the mother branch office of Tesco Lotus. English language is the common medium of
communication between nations in the area of economics and all aspects of global
negotiation (Suryani, Desa & Yaacob, 2010, p.92). It is not surprising that the policy of
using English communication is important. However, not all departments can use
English language; one of the departments concerned about the usage of English
language is the Loss Prevention department. Most staff do not routinely use English; in
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fact, when Thais communicate with other Thais, the Thai language is used because they
prefer not to communicate in English language, especially in writing.
In my job, Risk Assessment Insight, English is used when I write reports
identifying and assessing risks and controls for shrink to the Group Safety, Security &
Resilience team in Thailand and overseas. The concern is that Thai Loss Prevention
officers do not have enough writing skill. This study of the attitudes toward writing will
help improve the English skills for individuals who work in the Loss Prevention
department in retail business. Finally, employees' competence can be enhanced as they
try to adapt to a changing workplace.
1.2 Research questions
1. What are the attitudes toward writing English of Loss Prevention & Security
officers?
2. What are the attitudes toward their writing ability in English?
3. What are the techniques that Loss Prevention & Security officers use to
manage their problems when writing in English?
1.3 Research objectives
1. To explore the attitudes toward writing English of Loss Prevention officer in
the headquarters of a retail business
2. To explore the attitudes toward their writing ability in English
3. To explore how Loss Prevention officers manage their problems when writing
in English
1.4 Definition of terms
1. Writing in this study is the way of sharing information or knowledge within an
organization and other people involved with the organization.
2. Attitudes toward writing English refer to what the staff in the Loss Prevention
& Security department think about English writing.
3. Loss Prevention and Security refers to staff members who work at the Tesco
Lotus headquarters. Some of them routinely have contact with foreigners.
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1.5 Scope of the study
This study focused on investigating fifty staff members of the Loss Prevention
& Security department who work at the Tesco Lotus headquarters. Some of them use
English language everyday whereas some rarely have contact with foreigners.
However, this study will be beneficial to all staff members in terms of developing
writing skills.
1.6 Significance of the study
Basically, an international company always requires English skills in the career
path. English writing skill in particular is imperative for interdepartmental
communication. However, several staff members in the Loss Prevention and Security
department have difficulty writing in English. This study will explore respondents’
perceptions and the reasons for the difficulties in writing English language. The study
may encourage using English writing in daily life.
1.7 Limitations of the study
The results of this study may not be generalized to other departments in retail
business. In addition, it may not applicable to other Loss Prevention & Security staff
that have not worked at the headquarters.
1.8 Organization of research study
This research study is presented in five chapters. Chapter one includes the
background of the study, statement of the problem, objective of the study, definition of
terms, scope of the study, significance of the study and organization of the study.
Chapter two presents the review of the literature, including the importance of
English language in business, the theory of writing, the importance of writing within
the workplace, barriers of writing within the workplace and relevant research.
Chapter three presents the methodology includes the respondents, instrument,
procedures of data collection and data analysis.
Chapter four reports the results of the study
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Chapter five summarizes the study and the findings and also presents the
discussion, conclusion and recommendations for further research.
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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter reviews the literature in five main areas: (1) theory of writing (2)
attitudes towards English language, (3) barriers of writing within the workplace, (4)
technique for improving the writing skills of Thai EFL students, (5) relevant research
studies.
2.1 Theory of writing
Heydari & Bagheri (2012, p. 1583) claim that "writing is a complex process
even in the first language. Undoubtedly, it is more complicated to write in a foreign
language". Thep-Ackrapong (2005, p.53) maintains that “Probably grammar is most
difficult part for Thai students. The difficulty results from many factors: the typological
differences between the two languages and the negative influence of the mother
tongue.”
To write effectively, Hyland (2003) suggests that there are six main steps of
EFL writing:
Focus on language structures
This strategy uses lexical and grammatical structures. It is composed of four
processes:
Familiarization: Learners are taught grammatical rules and lexicon via texts.
Controlled writing: Learners use such patterns from substitution tables.
Guided writing: Learners imitate model texts.
Free writing: Learners develop their own skill to write essays, letters, and so forth.
The purpose of theory is to develop the vocabulary, accuracy and proficiency
of student.
Focus on text function
This strategy uses specified forms performing certain communicative functions
such as teaching materials. Students are taught how to write topic sentences, supporting
sentences, paragraphs and essays.
Focus on creative expression
This strategy encourages students to show their ideas in writing. It allows students
to think creatively and helps them express themselves.
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Focus on the writing process
Writers should have their own freedom to write. This theory is known as the basic
cognitive process. It helps them to develop their own abilities in planning, finding
problems and implementing solutions.
Focus on content
This strategy involves the schemata, topics and themes that are significant to
students. They select topics on their own. Therefore, students are able to create the
content.
Focus on genre
Writing is a tool to communicate with readers. Students are taught how to write to
achieve some specific purpose. Examples of genres are emails, narratives, explanations,
etc.
2.2 Attitudes towards English language
Attitude is the pivotal factor for successful language learning. A large number
of studies have already researched language attitudes (Alhmali, 2007; Weijen, D. et al.,
2009). Psychological and social aspects drastically impact the motivation and attitudes
of learner to acquire the target language (Padwick, 2010). Gardner and Lambert (1972)
demonstrated that attitudes and perceptions towards the target language affect the
ability of the students to master a second language. They also advocate that attitude
concepts could enhance the process of language learning, influencing the nature of
student’s behaviors and beliefs towards the other language, its culture and community,
and this will identify their tendency to acquire that language. If a learner does not have
an interest in acquiring the target language to communicate with others, the learner will
possess a negative attitude and will not be motivated or enthusiastic in language
learning. Therefore, learners’ attitudes should be considered with regard to language
learning because these may influence their performance in terms of acquiring the target
language. Sattayatham (2008) asserts that writing is the most difficult skill for Thai
students; their common mistakes are a lack of cohesion and transition words, as well as
the introduction and conclusion. It has been confirmed that attitudes and high
enthusiasm influence English skill.
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2.3 Barriers of Attitudes in Writing within the workplace
Ordinarily, negative attitudes function as a barrier to learning and using English
language. This study focused on the barrier of attitude in writing within the workplace.
Writing is useful when it achieves the writer’s purpose. Many times, ineffective writing
results in the failure of a business and affects the relationships of colleagues within the
workplace (Erreygers & Jacobs, 2006).
However, many studies have suggested ways to overcome writing barriers. The
Saylor Foundation (2012) showed that written communication setbacks could be
overcome by the following:
Paying attention to small things: One of the most common barriers to effective
written communication is “spelling errors and incorrect grammar”. Although
this issue seems to be very detailed, it reflects that the writer does not have
enough knowledge or is too careless to correct mistakes.
Understanding the target meaning: Communication breakdown occurs when
readers misunderstand the meaning that the writer conveys since some lexicon
have different meanings. Therefore, the writer should know the audience and
make the right word choices to enable them to understand and interpret
correctly.
Considering nonverbal language: Nonverbal language in writing can get in the
way of a reader’s understanding, e.g., font symbols, color, design, and timing.
Review, reflect, and revise: A writer needs to take time to revise the work by
reviewing the key points, supporting information and the relationship between
each element. Moreover, the writer should look at the writing from the reader’s
perspective to ensure effective communication.
In conclusion, to overcome the barriers, the writer has to pay attention to details,
know the audience in order to select the proper words, consider nonverbal expression,
and review the writing to confirm effective communication.
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2.4 Techniques for improving the writing skill of Thai EFL students
Writing skill is an essential component of communication for EFL learners
because they can convert their feelings to text for clearly describing to other people.
Watcharapunyawong and Usaha (2012) found that EFL learners are confronted with
problems such as word choice and sentence structure. It is somewhat difficult to come
up with suggestions to handle problems in English writing. However, Shagia (2016)
offers three solutions to handle problems in English writing.
English languages syllabuses that are offered to EFL students, particularly
writing tasks, are inadequate; therefore, language courses should focus on
writing assignments.
To enhance lexical knowledge, learners should use a standard English
dictionary to search for the meaning of unknown and difficult vocabulary and
write down them in their own diary.
Feedback should be given to students and those who are incompetent should be
put under the supervision of the mentors during the period of their study at the
university. Encouraging students to use different strategies to improve their
writing is also beneficial.
2.5 Relevant research
The last section of the literature review in this study looks at the relevant
previous research.
Studies concerning English writing in Thailand are scarce. Pholsaward (1993)
reported that computing managers believed that their employees’ English writing skills
were not adequate compared to reading skills. Additionally, the managers also ranked
the writing skills below other skills, namely, reading and speaking. Pupipat (1998)
conducted a study to investigate the perceptions of Thai scientists and editors towards
scientific writing and publishing in English in Thailand. The results showed that both
the scientists and the editors perceived that the clarity, conciseness, and precision of
content are important and agreed that the scientists' main difficulty was grammar.
Saetae (2010) conducted a study of employees in a multinational company in
Thailand. The results showed that writing in English was an obstacle in Thai employees
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and was pivotal at the workplace. The most common problem in English writing of the
Thai employees was few opportunities to use English writing in their workplace.
However, English writing skill is one type of communication that can be used to explain
more clearly than speaking skill while working in international companies.
A further study from Glass (2009) demonstrated that the most common reason
why Thais write to other Thais in English was that their computer or software program
was not compatible with Thai language. The other reasons included their writing would
be read by Thais and non-Thais, they could express themselves more directly, and they
require the practice in writing English regularly. The participants had different feeling
while they wrote the e-mail to Thais and non-Thais; most of participants felt
comfortable when they wrote to learners’ first language (L1) since they believed that
L1 could better understand them than learners’ second language (L2) could even there
were some grammatical mistakes in e-mail.
One study that researched writing to communicate at a multinational company
in Thailand was conducted by Rodyoosuk (2014) and it found that a serious problem
of writing in English was limitation of time to write the message. The most commonly
used technique was to make a phone call to reassure.
From the studies above, it might be concluded that among the four skills, written
English communication is pivotal for Thais.
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CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the research methodology, divided into four parts as
follows: (1) respondents, (2) research instrument, (3) design and procedures and (4)
data analysis.
3.1 Respondents
Fifty respondents were included in this study by the convenience sampling
technique. They were staff members in the Loss Prevention and Security department,
who were working in a hypermarket chain. They were different in terms of age, gender,
educational background and position. They used English language on a daily basis.
3.2 Research instrument
The instrument was a questionnaire partially adapted from Rodyoosuk (2014).
The questionnaires contained both closed-ended and five-point Likert scale questions.
The questionnaire was divided into three main parts as follows:
3.2.1 Demographic data
The first part was the general background information of the respondents. It was
composed of gender, age, current position, duration of working, educational
background, when the staff started learning English Language, assessment of general
English knowledge, and the frequency of writing English. All of questions in this part
were designed in a multiple-choice format in order to draw the demographic data of
participants and identify the characteristics that may relate to their attitudes toward
writing skill.
3.2.2 Attitudes and abilities with respect to writing English
The second part aimed to investigate the attitudes of the staff members regarding
using English as a writing tool within the workplace. In this stage, participants were
asked to indicate their attitudes towards writing skill and their ability in English by
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using a five-point Likert scale. Some questions in this part had been asked previously
in Rodyyoosuk’s research (2014).
3.2.3 Techniques used to handle English writing problems
The third part sought the techniques the participants use to cope with writing
problems they confront. The participants were asked to indicate the behavioral
frequency by using a five-point Likert scale.
3.3 Design and procedures
The survey method was utilized for studying the attitudes toward English
writing and the techniques to handle writing problems at the workplace. The instrument
used in this study was a questionnaire. The questionnaires contained both closed-ended
and five-point Likert scale questions composed of two main parts. The questionnaires
were distributed to the Loss Prevention and Security staff members on Tuesday (March
28’16) because members have team meetings in the afternoon. They were given 15
minutes to fill them out and they were collected after the team meeting (4 pm.). The
response rate was 100%. Descriptive statistics were used to find frequencies, percentage
values, arithmetic means and standard deviations.
3.4 Data analysis
Descriptive statistics were used to find frequencies, percentage values,
arithmetic means and standard deviations.
Part 1: Percentages were used to describe the participants.
Part 2 & 3: The data collected from the five-point Likert scale questionnaires
were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program
(SPSS). The arithmetic means and standard deviations were used to analyze the
problems.
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CHAPTER 4
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The previous chapter explained the methodology, which includes the
respondents, instrument and the data analysis. The sample was 50 staff members in the
Loss Prevention & Security department, who were working in a hypermarket chain.
This chapter reports the results of the study, which are divided into four parts as follows:
4.1 General information of the respondents
4.2 Attitudes toward English writing
4.3 Techniques used to handle English writing problems
4.4 Discussion
4.1 General information of the respondents
This part describes the background of the respondents, which includes gender,
age, current position, education, the self-assessment of their abilities in English writing
and the frequency of the use of English writing.
Table 4.1 Gender of the respondents
Table 4.1 shows the number and percentage of the respondents. The results
showed that 26 respondents were female (52%) and 24 respondents were male (48%).
Gender Frequency Percentage
Female 26 52.0
Male 24 48.0
Total 50 100.0
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Table 4.2 Age of respondents
Age Frequency Percent
20-25 2 4.0
26-30 11 22.0
31-35 15 30.0
36-40 14 28.0
41-45 3 6.0
46-50 2 4.0
above 50 3 6.0
Total 50 100.0
Table 4.2 shows the number and percentage of the respondents by age. The
result indicated that the respondents were mostly between 31-35 years old (30%),
followed by 36-40 years old (28%). This was followed by ages between 26-30 years
old (22%). Those aged between 41-45 years old and aged above 50 years old were
equivalent to 6% of the respondents. A total of 4% of respondents were between 20-25
years old and 46-50 years old.
Table 4.3 Current position of respondents
Table 4.3 shows that most of the respondents were staff (64%), followed by
manager (26%) and senior manager (8%). A total of 2% of respondents were above
senior manager.
Current Position Frequency Percent
Staff 32 64.0
Manager 13 26.0
Senior Manager 4 8.0
Above Senior Manager 1 2.0
Total 50 100.0
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Table 4.4 Years of work experience in company
Table 4.4 shows that most of the respondents had been working at Tesco Lotus
between 1-5 years (32%), followed by respondents who had been working for 6-10
years (30%) and 11-15 years (28%). The rest of respondents had been working for more
than 15 years (6%) and less than one year (4%).
Table 4.5 Highest education level of respondents
Table 4.5 shows that most of the respondents had a bachelor’s degree or
equivalent degree (80%), followed by a master’s degree (18%). Only one person (2%)
had below a bachelor’s degree in education.
Years of work Frequency
Percent
Less than one year 2 4
1-5 years 16 32
6-10 years 15 30
11-15 years 14 28
More than 15 years 3 6
Total 50 100.0
Highest education Frequency Percent
Bachelor’s degree or an
equivalent degree 40 80.0
Master’s degree 9 18.0
Below bachelor’s degree 1 2.0
Total 50 100.0
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Table 4.6 Self-assessment of English writing ability
English writing ability Frequency
Percent
Fair 23 46.0
Poor 16 32.0
Good 6 12.0
Very poor 3 6.0
Very good 2 4.0
Total 50 100.0
Table 4.6 shows that most of the respondents assessed their own English writing
ability as fair (46%) and poor in English writing (32%). The rest of the respondents
assessed their English writing ability as good (12%), very poor (6%), and very good
(4%), respectively.
Table 4.7 Frequency of the use of English writing at workplace
Frequency of using English
writing
Frequency
Percent
Sometimes 19 38.0
Rarely 15 30.0
Always 8 16.0
Often 6 12.0
Never 2 4.0
Total 50 100.0
Table 4.7 presents how often the respondents used English writing at their
workplace. This finding indicates that the more than half respondents sometimes used
English writing for work (38%). Secondly, 30% of the respondents rarely used English
writing for work. Thirdly, 16% of the respondents used English writing very often for
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work and only 12% and 4% of the respondents often used English writing and never
used it for work.
4.2 Attitudes and ability toward English writing at workplace
These results were collected from part two of the questionnaire, which related
to the respondents’ attitudes and abilities with respect to English writing at the
workplace.
The results of the statistics on attitudes and abilities were divided into five
ranges to compare and interpret the data:
Table 4.8 Mean scores calculated into level of agreement
Scale Level of agreement Mean Range
5 Strongly agree 4.21-5.00
4 Agree 3.41-4.20
3 Neutral 2.61-3.40
2 Disagree 1.81-2.60
1 Strongly disagree 1.00-1.80
Table 4.9 Summary of the means and standard deviations of respondents’
attitudes and abilities with respect to English writing at the workplace
Attitudes and ability
with respect to English
writing
Strongly
Agree
(5)
Agree
(4)
Neutral
(3)
Disagree
(2)
Strongly
Disagree
(1)
Mean S.D. Interpretation
2.4 English writing is a
fundamental skill
everyone should have.
28
56%
19
38%
3
6%
0 0
4.5 0.614
Strongly
Agree
2.1. Writing in English
language is challenging.
13
26%
33
66%
3
6%
1
2%
0
4.16 0.618 Agree
2.6 Nowadays, writing
in English is one of the
most important skills
required in the company.
14
28%
26
52%
9
18%
1
2%
0
4.06 0.740 Agree
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2.5 Writing in English is
required for recruitment
to your company.
15
30%
21
42%
14
28%
0 0
4.02 0.769 Agree
2.2 I feel that I can be a
good writer if I practice
writing regularly.
14
28%
28
56%
5
10%
3
6%
0
4.00 0.969 Agree
2.3 I’m happy when I
use English writing at
work.
10
20%
32
64%
6
12%
2
4%
0
4.00 0.700 Agree
2.7 There are many
situations at work that
require written English.
14
28%
21
42%
14
28%
1
2%
0
3.96 0.807 Agree
2.9 I feel unconfident
when communicating in
writing in English with
my colleagues.
10
20%
21
42%
14
28%
2
4%
3
6%
3.66 1.042 Agree
2.10 Grammar and
vocabulary are my
problems in writing.
16
32%
14
28%
9
18%
7
14%
4
8%
3.62 1.292 Agree
2.8 Writing English in
the workplace can cause
communication
breakdowns.
7
14%
21
42
16
32%
3
6%
3
6%
3.52 1.015 Agree
Overall 3.95 0.857 Agree
From Table 4.9, the overall mean was 3.95, which is considered the “Agree”
range. “English writing is a fundamental skill everyone should have” had the highest
mean score of 4.5, which is interpreted as “Strongly agree”, followed by “Writing in
the English language is challenging” (mean score = 4.16), “Nowadays, writing in
English is one of the most important skills required in the company” (mean score =
4.06),” Writing in English is required for recruitment to your company” (mean score =
4.02), “I feel that I can be a good writer if I practice writing regularly”(mean score =
4.00), “I’m happy when I use English writing at work”(mean score = 4.00), “There are
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many situations at work that require written English” (mean score = 3.96), “I feel
unconfident when communicating in writing in English with my colleagues” (mean
score = 3.66), “Grammar and vocabulary are my problems in writing”(mean score =
3.62), “Writing English in the workplace can cause communication breakdowns” (mean
score = 3.52), respectively.
4.3 The techniques used to handle English writing problems at the workplace
In the third part of the questionnaire, the participants were asked to indicate the
behavioral frequency by using a five-point Likert scale.
The results of the statistics on techniques used to handle English writing
problems at the workplace were categorized into five ranges to compare and interpret
the data:
Table 4.10 Mean scores calculated into level of agreement
Scale Level of agreement Mean Range
5 Always 4.21-5.00
4 Often 3.41-4.20
3 Sometimes 2.61-3.40
2 Rarely 1.81-2.60
1 Never 1.00-1.80
Table 4.11 Means and standard deviations of techniques used to handle English
writing problems at the workplace
Techniques used to
handle
Very
Often Often Sometimes Rarely Never Mean S.D Interpretation
3.3. Using Google
Translation
24
48%
16
32%
8
16%
0 2
4% 4.20 0.990 Often
3.1. Finding words in
the textbook or in a
dictionary
9
18%
14
28%
19
38%
8
16%
0
3.48 0.974 Often
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3.2. Asking someone
for help (friends,
colleagues, family)
5
10%
20
40%
15
30%
8
16%
2
4% 3.36 1.005 Sometimes
3.4. Taking private
courses in English
writing
1
2%
1
2%
11
22%
19
38%
18
36%
1.96 0.925 Rarely
Overall 3.25 0.973 Sometimes
Table 4.11 illustrates the means and standard deviations of techniques used to
handle English writing problems at the workplace. The overall mean was 3.25, which
is interpreted as the “Sometimes” range. The participants often used “Google
Translation” to handle English writing problems (mean = 4.20), followed by “Finding
words in the textbook or in a dictionary” (mean=3.48), “Asking someone for help”
(mean=3.36), and rarely “Taking private courses in English writing” (mean=1.96).
4.4 Discussion
The results of this study showed that the majority of respondents have positive
attitudes toward English writing since they considered that English writing is a
fundamental skill everyone should have and writing in English is one of the most
important skills required in the company.
English language is not only a way of communicating, but a way of opening a
window to the wider world. This relates to the study of Pholsawawad (1993), which
found that English writing skill is pivotal for employees in an international company.
The results are similar to the study of Saetae (2010), which found that the
majority of respondents used English writing skill sometimes. They have few
opportunities to use English writing in their workplace.
In addition, the results revealed that the respondents can be good writers if they
practice regularly and they are happy when they use English at the workplace. People
who want to work in a foreign company must have the ability to communicate with
foreigners. Therefore, the findings in this study relate to the theory of Hyland (2003),
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which states that “Writers should have freedom to write”. If they practice writing
regularly, it can improve their English writing in the future.
However, writing skill is an important part of communication at the workplace.
When respondents experienced difficulties in writing, the three most common
techniques were using Google translation, finding words in texts or dictionaries and
asking somebody for feedback, respectively. This result is in concordance with
Rodyoosuk (2014), who suggested that the solutions to handle problems in English
writing should include getting feedback from other people to make sure that your
message is correct.
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CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter presents (1) a summary of the study, (2) a summary of the
findings from the study on attitudes toward English writing at workplace, (3) the
conclusion and (4) recommendations for further research.
5.1 Summary of the study
The objectives, respondents, materials and method of this study are summarized as
follows:
5.1.1 Objectives of the study
The main objectives of this study were (1) to explore attitudes toward writing
English of Loss Prevention officers in a hypermarket chain, (2) to explore the attitudes
toward respondents’ writing ability in English and (3) to explore the methods that Loss
Prevention officers use to solve their problems when writing in English.
5.1.2 Respondents
The respondents in this study were fifty staff members in the Loss Prevention
and Security department, who were working in a hypermarket chain (headquarters).
They were different in age, gender, educational background and position level.
5.1.3 Research instrument and method of this study
The survey method was utilized for studying the attitudes toward English
writing and the techniques to handle writing problems at the workplace. The instrument
used in this study was a questionnaire. The questionnaires contained both closed-ended
and five-point Likert scale questions composed of two main parts. The questionnaires
were distributed to the Loss Prevention and Security staff members on Tuesday (March
28’16) because members had team meetings in the afternoon. They were given 15
minutes to fill them out and they were collected after the team meeting (4 pm.). The
response rate was 100%. Descriptive statistics were used to find frequencies, percentage
values, arithmetic means and standard deviations.
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5.2 Summary of the findings
The results of this study can be summarized follows by:
5.2.1 Personal Information
The respondents in this study were fifty staff members in the Loss Prevention
and Security department, who were working in a hypermarket chain. The results
showed that the majority of participants were female (52%) and the rest were male
(48%). The range of ages can be categorized in seven levels. Most of them were 31-35
years old (30%), followed by 36-40 years old (28%), 26-30 years old (22%), 41-45
years old (6%), above 50 years old (6%), 20-25 years old (4%) and 46-50 years old
(4%). Most of them were staff (64%), followed by manager (26%), senior manager
(8%) and above senior manager (2%). A total of 16 respondents had been working at
LP&S team between 1-5 years (32%), 15 persons had been working between 6-10 years
(30%), 14 persons had been working between 11-15 years (28%), and three persons
(6%) and two person (4%) had been working more than 15 years and less than one year,
respectively. Almost all respondents had obtained bachelor’s degrees (80%), followed
by master’s degrees (18%), and below bachelor’s degrees (2%). The majority of the
respondents were fair in English writing (46%) and they used English writing
sometimes in the workplace (38%). Lower level LP&S staff tended to use Thai writing
more than English writing in the workplace.
5.2.2 Attitudes and ability with respect to English writing at the
workplace
The findings revealed the overall attitudes of LP&S members toward English
writing at the workplace. They showed that English writing is a fundamental skill
everyone on the team should have, while they felt that it was challenging to
communicate by English writing. They agreed that English business writing skills
continue to be very important in daily life. Moreover, they believed that their ability of
English writing can be improved if they practiced it regularly.
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Table 5.1 Attitudes toward English writing at the workplace
Attitudes and ability toward English writing Interpretation
2.4 English writing is a fundamental skill everyone should have. Strongly Agree
2.1. Writing in English language is challenging. Agree
2.6 Nowadays, writing in English is one of the most important skills required in
the company.
Agree
2.5 Writing in English is required for recruitment to your company. Agree
2.2 I feel that I can be a good writer if I practice writing regularly. Agree
2.3 I’m happy when I use English writing at work. Agree
2.7 There are many situations at work that require written English. Agree
2.9 I feel unconfident when communicating in writing in English with my
colleagues.
Agree
2.10 Grammar and vocabulary are my problems in writing. Agree
2.8 Writing English in the workplace can cause communication breakdowns. Agree
Overall Agree
5.2.3 The techniques used to handle English writing problems at the
workplace
The findings showed that the respondents often use “Google Translation” to
handle English writing problems within the workplace, while consulting a dictionary
and asking someone for help were sometimes used in the workplace. However, this
study found that “Taking a private course in English writing” was rarely used to handle
English writing problems in the workplace.
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Table 5.2 Techniques and frequency of use with respect to handling English
writing problems at the workplace
5.3 Conclusion
The following conclusions can be drawn from the discussion above:
The study revealed the attitudes and techniques used to handle English writing
problems of staff in the Loss Prevention and Security department working in a
hypermarket chain. The findings showed that LP&S staff members have positive
attitudes toward English writing and agreed that English writing is a fundamental skill
everyone should have. They also felt that it is challenging to communicate by English
writing. Moreover, they believed that their ability of English writing can be improved
if they practiced it regularly.
Additionally, the findings will provide the company with information about the
attitudes and abilities of employees with regard to English writing in the workplace.
The Human Resource Training department could use the results to apply or develop
training courses for all employees in order to improve their English writing skills.
5.4 Recommendations for further research
According to the findings and conclusions of this study, the following
recommendations are made for future research.
5.4.1 The research data was obtained from 50 respondents of LP&S, who were
working in a hypermarket chain (Head Quarter). Future studies should expand the
sample size by including Loss Prevention & Security staff working at branches and
outside because they will provide different opinions.
Techniques used to handle problems Interpretation
3.3. Using Google Translation Often
3.1. Finding words in a textbook or dictionary Often
3.2. Asking someone for help (friends, colleagues, family) Sometimes
3.4. Taking private courses in English writing Rarely
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5.4.2 Further research should use other statistical functions such as t-test and
chi-square to analyze the collected data in order to get more specific results for
determining the proper solutions.
5.4.3 The opinions from the Human Resource department (recruiting) could be
gathered in future research so that we can understand the perspective of the recruiting
team. This could be used to improve the English writing skills of all staff working in
retail business. The Human Resource department (training) may provide free English-
writing courses to staff in order to enhance their writing skills.
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REFERENCES
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companies in Bangkok concerning ability to use English for work and working
with foreigners, Bangkok (Unpublished MA thesis). Thammasat University,
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Sattayatham, A. (2008). Analysis of error in paragraph writing in English by first year
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APPENDICES
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APPENDIX A
QUESTIONNAIRE
THE ATTITUDES TOWARD WRITING ENGLISH AT
WORKPLACE AMONG LOSS PREVENTION & SECURITY
RETAIL OFFICER
This questionnaire is prepared by Mr. Noppadon Sathongnoan, which is
part of an independent study for requirement of Master of Art (English for Careers
program) Language Institute, Thammasat University. The objectives of this study are
to study the attitudes toward English writing and the techniques to handle writing. All
information provided will be kept confidential and used for academic purposes only.
The questionnaire is divided into three parts as follows:
Part I: Background information
Part II: The attitudes and ability toward English writing at workplace
Part III: The techniques used to handle English writing at workplace
Part I: Background Information.
Instructions: Please read and write your answer and / or put a check in the box
provided according to your opinions.
1.1 Age
� 20-25 � 26-30 � 31-35 � 36-40 � 41-45 � 46-50
� More than 50 years
1.2 Sex � Male � Female
1.3 Current Position
� Staff (WL1) � Manager (WL2) � Senior Manager (WL3) � Above Senior Manager
1.4 How long have you been working at Tesco Lotus?
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� Less than 1 year � 1-5 years � 6 – 10 years � 11 – 15 years � More than 15 years
1.5 What is your highest education level?
� Below a Bachelor degree
� Bachelor degree or any equivalent degree
� Master’s degree � Doctoral degree
1.6 How would you assess your English writing ability?
� Very good � Good � Fair � Poor � Very poor
1.7 How often have you used English in writing for workplace? (Such as e-mail, report, letter, etc.)
� Always (71-100%) Often (41-70%) � Sometimes (21-40%) Rarely (1-20%) � Never (0%)
Part II: The attitudes and ability toward English writing at workplace
Direction: Put a check in the box provided according to your opinions
The attitudes and ability toward English writing at
workplace
Strongly
Agree Agree Neutral Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
2.1. Writing in English language is challenging.
2.2 I feel that I can be a good writer if I practice writing
regularly.
2.3 I’m happy when I use English writing at work.
2.4 English writing is a fundamental skill everyone should
have.
2.5 Writing in English is required for recruitment to your
company.
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2.6 Nowadays, writing in English is one of the most
important skills required in the company.
2.7 There are many situations at work that require written
English.
2.8 Writing English within workplace can cause
communication breakdown.
2.9 I feel unconfident when communicating in writing in
English with my colleagues.
2.10 Grammar and vocabulary are my problem in writing.
Part III: The techniques used to handle English writing at workplace
Direction: Put a check in the box provided according to your opinions.
Techniques used to handle English writing at
workplace Always Often Sometimes Rarely Never
3.1. Finding words in the textbook or in a dictionary
3.2. Asking someone for help (friends, colleagues, family)
3.3. Using Google Translation
3.4. Taking private courses in English writing
3.5. Other techniques (please specify)
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APPENDIX B
แบบสอบถามส าหรบงานวจย ความคดเหนตอการเขยนภาษาองกฤษในทท างานของพนกงาน ฝายปองกนและรกษาผลประโยชนของบรษทคาปลก
แบบสอบถามนจดท าโดย นาย นพดล สระทองนวล ซงเปนสวนหนงของการศกษาสารนพนธ ศลปศาสตรมหาบณฑต
(สาขาวชาภาษาองกฤษเพออาชพ) สถาบนภาษา มหาวทยาลยธรรมศาสตร โดยแบบสอบถามนมจดประสงคเพอศกษาความคดเหน
และวธทใชในการรบมอกบปญหาการเขยนภาษาองกฤษในทท างาน ซงขอมลทงหมดทไดจากแบบสอบถามจะถกเกบเปนความลบ
และน าไปใชเพอวตถประสงคทางการศกษาเทานน
แบบสอบถามประกอบดวย สามสวนดงตอไปน
สวนท1: ขอมลทวไป
สวนท2: ความคดเหนและความสามารถดานการเขยนภาษาองกฤษในทท างาน
สวนท3: กลวธทใชในการรบมอกบปญหาการเขยนภาษาองกฤษในทท างาน
สวนท1: ขอมลทวไป
ค าชแจง กรณาท าเครองหมาย ลงในชองวางหนาขอความทตรงตามความเปนจรงเกยวกบตวทานมากทสดเพยงค าตอบเดยว
1.1 อาย
� 20-25 � 26-30 � 31-35 � 36-40 � 41-45 � 46-50
� มากกวา 50 ป
1.2 เพศ � ชาย � หญง
1.3 ต าแหนงงานปจจบน
� พนกงาน (WL1) � ผจดการ (WL2) � ผจดการระดบอาวโส (WL3) �สงกวาผจดการอาวโส
1.4 คณท างานใน Tesco Lotus มาแลวกป
� นอยกวา 1 ป � 1-5 ป � 6-10 ป � 11-15 ป �มากกวา 15 ป
1.5 ระดบการศกษาสงสด
� ต ากวาปรญญาตร � ปรญญาตร � ปรญญาโท � ปรญญาเอก
1.6 คณคดวาระดบทกษะและความรดานภาษาองกฤษของคณอยในระดบใด
� ดมาก � ด � ปานกลาง � ออน � ออนมาก
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1.7 คณเขยนภาษาองกฤษในเรองงานบอยแคไหน (เชน อเมล, รายงาน, จดหมาย, อนๆ)
� เปนประจ า (71-100%) � บอย(41-70%) � บางครง(21-40%) � ไมคอยบอย(1-20%) � ไมเลย(0%)
สวนท2: ความคดเหนและความสามารถดานการเขยนภาษาองกฤษในทท างาน
ค าชแจง กรณาท า เครองหมาย ลงในชองค าตอบทสอดคลองกบความคดเหนและความสามารถตอการเขยนภาษาองกฤษดงน
ความคดเหนและความสามารถตอการเขยนภาษาองกฤษในท
ท างาน
เหนดวย
อยางยง
เหน
ดวย
ปาน
กลาง
ไมเหน
ดวย
ไมเหนดวย
อยางยง
2.1. การเขยนภาษาองกฤษเปนทกษะททาทาย
2.2 ฉนรสกวาฉนสามารถเปนนกเขยนภาษาองกฤษทดถาฉนได
ฝกฝนการเขยนเปนประจ า
2.3 ฉนรสกมความสขเมอไดใชการเขยนภาษาองกฤษในการ
ปฏบตงาน
2.4 ทกษะการเขยนภาษาองกฤษเปนทกษะพนฐานททกคนใน
องคกรของฉนควรม
2.5 ทกษะการเขยนภาษาองกฤษจ าเปนส าหรบการคดเลอก
บคคลเขาท างานในองคกรของฉน
2.6 ทกวนนการเขยนภาษาองกฤษเปนทกษะทส าคญทสดอยาง
หนงทตองใชภายในองคกรของฉน
2.7 ทกษะการเขยนภาษาองกฤษเปนทกษะทส าคญทตองใช
ส าหรบหลายๆกจกรรมในองคกรของฉน
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2.8 การใชภาษาองกฤษในการเขยนอาจเปนสาเหตท าใหเกด
ความเขาใจผด
2.9 ฉนรสกไมมนใจเมอตองใชภาษาองกฤษในการเขยนเพอ
สอสารกบเพอนรวมงาน
2.10 ความรทางหลกไวยากรณ และ ค าศพท เปนปญหาในการ
เขยนของฉน
สวนท3: กลวธทใชในการรบมอกบปญหาการเขยนภาษาองกฤษในทท างาน
ค าชแจง กรณาท า เครองหมาย ลงในชองค าตอบทสอดคลองกบกลวธทใชในการรบมอกบปญหาการเขยนภาษาองกฤษ
กลวธทใชในการรบมอกบปญหาการเขยน
ภาษาองกฤษในทท างาน เปนประจ า บอย บางครง ไมคอยบอย ไมเลย
3.1. หาความรเพมเตมดานค าศพทจากในหนงสอ
หรอ พจนานกรม
3.2. ขอความชวยเหลอจากคนอน (เพอน,
ครอบครว)
3.3. ใช Google Translation
3.4. ลงเรยนเพมเตมดานเทคนคการเขยน
3.5. อนๆ (โปรดระบ)
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BIOGRAPHY
Name MR. NOPPADON SATHONGNOAN
Date of Birth July 10,1978
Educational Attainment
2002: Bachelor of Business Administration
Assumption University (Major Marketing)
2014: Diploma English for Careers (Diploma)
Thammasat University
Work Position Risk management and compliance manager
Ek-Chai Distribution System Co., Ltd.
Work Experiences 2016 Risk management and compliance manager
2014-2015 LP&S Improvement Manager
2007-2014 Support Office Manager Shrink &
Operations Audit
2005-2007 Section Manager of Operations Audit
July - September 2003 Consultation and audit at
Malaysia
Ek-Chai Distribution System Co., Ltd.
(Tesco Lotus), Bangkok, Thailand
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