UAPP 2053 Organizational Psychology - Lecture 8 The Quality of Life at Work

Objectives

• Definition
• Measuring Job Satisfaction
• Relationships and Practical Implications
• Importance to Worker and Organization
• Creating Job Satisfaction
• Workers’ Roles in Job Satisfaction

Definition

• Job satisfaction, a worker’s sense of achievement and success, is generally perceived to be directly linked to productivity as well as to personal wellbeing.
• Job satisfaction implies doing a job one enjoys, doing it well, and being suitably rewarded for one’s efforts. Job satisfaction further implies enthusiasm and happiness with one’s work.
• There are a variety of factors that can influence a person’s level of job satisfaction; some of these factors include the level of pay and benefits, the perceived fairness of the promotion system within a company, the quality of the working conditions, leadership and social relationships, and the job itself (the variety of tasks involved, the interest and challenge the job generates, and the clarity of the job description/requirements).
• The happier people are with in their job, the more satisfied they are said to be.
• Job satisfaction is not the same as motivation, although it is clearly linked.
• Job design aims to enhance job satisfaction and performance; methods include job rotation, job enlargement and job enrichment.
• Other influences on satisfaction include the management style and culture, employee involvement, empowerment and autonomous work groups.
• Job satisfaction is a very important attribute which is frequently measured by organizations.

Measuring Job Satisfaction

• There are many methods for measuring job satisfaction. By far, the most common method for collecting data regarding job satisfaction is the Likert scale (named after Rensis Likert).
• Other less common methods of for gauging job satisfaction include: Yes/No questions, True/False questions, point systems, checklists, and forced choice answers.
• The Job Descriptive Index (JDI), created by Smith, Kendall, & Hulin (1969), is a specific questionnaire of job satisfaction that has been widely used. It measures one’s satisfaction in five facets: pay, promotions and promotion opportunities, coworkers, supervision, and the work itself.
• The scale is simple, participants answer either yes, no, or can’t decide (indicated by ‘?’) in response to whether given statements accurately describe one’s job.
• The Job in General Index is an overall measurement of job satisfaction. It was an improvement to the Job Descriptive Index because the JDI focused too much on individual facets and not enough on work satisfaction in general.
• Other job satisfaction questionnaires include: the (MSQ), the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS), and the Faces Scale. The MSQ measures job satisfaction in 20 facets and has a long form with 100 questions (5 items from each facet) and a short form with 20 questions (1 item from each facet).
• The JSS is a 36 items questionnaire that measures nine facets of job satisfaction. Finally, the Faces Scale of job satisfaction, one of the first scales used widely, measured overall job satisfaction with just one item which participants respond to by choosing a face.

Relationships and Practical Implications

• Job Satisfaction can be an important indicator of how employees feel about their jobs and a predictor of work behaviors such as organizational citizenship, absenteeism, and turnover. Further, job satisfaction can partially mediate the relationship of personality variables and deviant work behaviors.
• One common research findings is that job satisfaction is correlated with life satisfaction (Rain, 1991). This correlation is reciprocal, meaning people who are satisfied with life tend to be satisfied with their job and people who are satisfied with their job tend to be satisfied with life.
• However, some research has found that job satisfaction is not significantly related to life satisfaction when other variables such as non-work satisfaction and core self-evaluations are taken into account (Rode, 2004).
• In short, the relationship of satisfaction to productivity is not necessarily straightforward and can be influenced by a number of other work-related constructs, and the notion that “a happy worker is a productive worker” should not be the foundation of organizational decision-making.

Importance to Worker and Organization

• Frequently, work underlies self-esteem and identity while unemployment lowers self-worth and produces anxiety. At the same time, monotonous jobs can erode a worker’s initiative and enthusiasm and can lead to absenteeism and unnecessary turnover.
• Job satisfaction and occupational success are major factors in personal satisfaction, self-respect, self-esteem, and self-development. To the worker, job satisfaction brings a pleasurable emotional state that often leads to a positive work attitude. A satisfied worker is more likely to be creative, flexible, innovative, and loyal.
• For the organization, job satisfaction of its workers means a work force that is motivated and committed to high quality performance. Increased productivity – the quantity and quality of output per hour worked – seems to be a byproduct of improved quality of working life.
• It is important to note that the literature on the relationship between job satisfaction and productivity is neither conclusive nor consistent. However, studies dating back to Herzberg’s (1957) have shown at least low correlation between high morale and high productivity, and it does seem logical that more satisfied workers will tend to add more value to an organization.
• Unhappy employees, who are motivated by fear of job loss, will not give 100 percent of their effort for very long. Though fear is a powerful motivator, it is also a temporary one, and as soon as the threat is lifted performance will decline.
• And although only little correlation has been found between job satisfaction and productivity, Brown (1996) notes that some employers have found that satisfying or delighting employees is a prerequisite to satisfying or delighting customers, thus protecting the “bottom line”.
• Tangible ways in which job satisfaction benefits the organization include reduction in complaints and grievances, absenteeism, turnover, and termination; as well as improved punctuality and worker morale. Job satisfaction is also linked to a healthier work force and has been found to be a good indicator of longevity.

Creating Job Satisfaction

• So, how is job satisfaction created? What are the elements of a job that create job satisfaction? Organizations can help to create job satisfaction by putting systems in place that will ensure that workers are challenged and then rewarded for being successful.
• Flexible work arrangements, possibly including telecommuting.
• Training and other professional growth opportunities.
• Interesting work that offers variety and challenge and allows the worker opportunities to “put his or her signature” on the finished product.
• Opportunities to use one’s talents and to be creative.
• Opportunities to take responsibility and direct one’s own work.
• A stable, secure work environment that includes job security/continuity.
• An environment in which workers are supported by an accessible supervisor who provides timely feedback as well as congenial team members.
• Flexible benefits, such as child-care and exercise facilities.
• Up-to-date technology.
• Competitive salary and opportunities for promotion.
• Probably the most important point to bear in mind when considering job satisfaction is that there are many factors that affect job satisfaction and that what makes workers happy with their jobs varies from one worker to another and from day to day.
• Apart from the factors mentioned above, job satisfaction is also influenced by the employee’s personal characteristics, the manager’s personal characteristics and management style, and the nature of the work itself. Managers who want to maintain a high level of job satisfaction in the work force must try to understand the needs of each member of the work force.
• For example, when creating work teams managers can enhance worker satisfaction by placing people with similar backgrounds, experiences, or needs in the same workgroup.
• Also, managers can enhance job satisfaction by carefully matching workers with the type of work. For example, a person who does not pay attention to detail would hardly make a good inspector, and a shy worker is unlikely to be a good salesperson. As much as possible, managers should match job tasks to employees’ personalities.
• Managers who are serious about the job satisfaction of workers can also take other deliberate steps to create a stimulating work environment. One such step is job enrichment. Job enrichment is deliberate upgrading of responsibility, scope, and challenge in the work itself.
• Job enrichment usually includes increased responsibility, recognition, and opportunities for growth, learning, and achievement. Large companies that have used job-enrichment programs to increase employee motivation and job satisfaction include AT&T, IBM, and General Motors (Daft, 1997).
• Good management has the potential for creating high morale high productivity, and a sense of purpose and meaning for the organization and its employees. Empirical findings by Ting (1997) show that job characteristics such as pay, promotional opportunity, task clarity and significance, and skills utilization, as well as organizational characteristics such as commitment and relationship with supervisors and co-workers, have significant effects on job satisfaction. These job characteristics can be carefully managed to enhance job satisfaction.

Workers’ Roles in Job Satisfaction

• If job satisfaction is a worker benefit surely the worker must be able to contribute to his or her own satisfaction and well-being on the job. The following suggestions can help a worker find personal job satisfaction:
  - Seek opportunities to demonstrate skills and talents. This often leads to more challenging work and greater responsibilities, with attendant increases in pay and other recognition.
  - Develop excellent communication skills. Employers’ value and reward excellent reading, listening, writing, and speaking skills.
  - Know more. Acquire new job-related knowledge that helps you to perform tasks more efficiently and effectively. This will relieve boredom and often gets one noticed.
  - Demonstrate creativity and initiative. Qualities like these are valued by most organizations and often result in recognition as well as in increased responsibilities and rewards.
  - Develop teamwork and people skills. A large part of job success is the ability to work well with others to get the job done.
  - Accept the diversity in people. Accept people with their differences and their imperfections and learn how to give and receive criticism constructively.
  - See the value in your work. Appreciating the significance of what one does can lead to satisfaction with the work itself. This helps to give meaning to one’s existence, thus playing a vital role in job satisfaction.Learn to de-stress. Plan to avoid burnout by developing healthy stress-management techniques.