The Importance of Job Satisfaction - Essay Example

Job Satisfaction Course Name and Code Institution Name Departments Name Insert Your Name Insert Your Number Instructor’s Name 8 April 2009 The aim of any organization is to ensure that the vision and mission statements the organization is achieved. To achieve this goal, organizations brings into play equipments and employees. The employees are required to operate the equipments and to ensure that the aims of the organization are achieved. However, there are varied views that the employees analyze the extent to which they have completed their tasks and their achievements or benefits resulting from the give role or outcome. On factor that plays an important role is the idea of job satisfaction. Thus, the aim of this paper is to define job satisfaction, to show the importance of job satisfaction, models of job satisfaction and methods in which job satisfaction can be measured. Job satisfaction may be defined as the sense of inner fulfilment and pride that occurs during the time that a certain duty is fulfilled. Thus, job satisfaction can be seen as the emotional state that results from an affective reaction, appraisal and attitude towards completion or working on a given job (Hosie, Sevastos, & Cooper, 2006). Even though describing job satisfaction as an attitude, Weiss (2002) states that it is important to clearly differentiate the components of cognitive evaluation that comprise of behaviours, beliefs and emotions. From this differentiation, it indicates that attitudes towards working on jobs should bring into consideration the beliefs, feelings and behaviours. Job satisfaction may be influenced by various details such as the design of the job, culture, and autonomous work group and employee involvement. Additionally, motivation plays an important role in the way and extent to which the employee is satisfied by duties levied. Various models and theories are in place that tries to explain job satisfaction (Huber, 2006). One of the theories is the Affect Theory that tries to define the discrepancy that exists between what the employee wants from a give job and what the employee has. Moreover, the same theory states that job satisfaction is also championed by values that are given to specific features of the job. The extent to which an employee gives value to a given duty, determines the extent that the aspect will have in job satisfaction. Dispositional theory states that different employees have different innate dispositions in which that guide their level of satisfaction (Vardi & Weitz, 2006). These innate dispositions may be classified as general self-efficacy, self-esteem, neuroticism and locus of control. High levels of self-esteem, locus of control and self-efficacy increase the level of job satisfaction while low level of neuroticism increases the level of job satisfaction. Another theory that plays an important role in analyzing job satisfaction is the Motivator Hygiene Theory. According to this theory, job satisfaction is governed by hygiene factors and motivation. Brown and Lent (2004) states that motivation is the internal force that drives an employee to achieve given goals, which in most cases is intrinsic. While the hygiene factors includes the conditions that the employee is in and in most cases revolve in the working environment. The aspects in the working environment are the working conditions, company policies and pay. Job Characteristics Model, a common framework, which is used to analyze job characteristics towards job satisfaction. These job characteristics are the task identity, autonomy, skill variety, feedback and task significance, which plays important role in psychological states in turn, ensures job satisfaction (Huber, 2006). Job satisfaction plays an important role in the way that shapes the employees and the entire organization. When the employees are satisfied in their duties, it reduces the intention of not leaving the organization. This is because those employees who are not satisfied feel uncomfortable thus resulting in choosing alternative options, which is looking for green pastures (Fineman, 2000). Brown & Lent (2004) shares the same sentiments with Fineman (2000) in that job satisfaction reduces the rates of absenteeism, organizational commitment and organization citizenship behaviours. Thus, job satisfaction plays an important role in ensuring that the stabilizing effects within the organization are adhered to e.g. improve on turnover, reduce tardiness, and absenteeism and encourages cohesion through improvement on commitment and relationship within the organization. Additionally, job satisfaction improves the quality and quantity of the organization productivity. The satisfaction of employee in the workplace is a paramount goal to both the employee and the employer – organization. When an employee is partially satisfied, the productivity will be small or minimal, and when the employee is satisfied, productivity is improved (McKenna, 2000). Thus, most companies and organizations that are successful usually ensures that the employees are satisfied and happy bringing into focus working environment and remuneration package contributing to greatest productivity and success for the organization. There are arrays of approaches that are used in measuring job satisfaction. However, the most common method that is used to collect the data concerning job satisfaction is the use of Likert scale (Gregoire & Jungers, 2007). Another approach is the use of Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) that collects data that are based on Yes/No questions, checklists and point systems. One of the methods that is used to measure job satisfaction is Job Descriptive Index (JDI). This is a common approach that is used to measure job satisfaction with the help of questionnaire and breaks down the entire satisfaction components into five categories: promotions, pay, supervision, co-workers, promotion opportunities and the work itself. Thus, the participants have to answer through choosing either yes, no or can’t decide in depicting their response to a given statement and in total answer 72 questions (Gregoire & Jungers, 2007). Job in General Scale operates and contains some details that are in the Job Descriptive Index. This approach is more evaluative, more global and usually analyzes a certain scenario for a longer time when compared with the JDI. Thus, utilizing the approach ensures that the organization understands and put measures in life satisfaction, intention to leave, trust management and work organization identification. Hence, the participant are required to answer 18 questions that include questions from JID and is able to gauge both specific work environment job satisfaction and overall job satisfaction of their employees. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) is able to measure the level of employee’s satisfaction in a given job description (Fields, 2002). Thus, this approach ensures that individualized picture of a given worker job satisfaction is understood and provides an accurate approach towards the measurement of job satisfaction for teams on various or numerous workplace factors. The MSQ has hundred items that is a self-report instrument. Moreover, it is able to measure 20 different missions within job satisfaction with each having five questions in each of the dimension (Fields, 2002). The benefit of utilizing this approach is that it is easy to use and understand, can be used in any organization, it is valid and reliable, can be use by all members within an organization e.g. supervisors, employees and managers. Other approaches that play important role in the way that job satisfaction is measured are the Job Satisfaction Survey and Faces Scale. The Job Satisfaction Survey has 36 items, which are grouped into nine categories of job satisfaction. Face Scale is the oldest method that contains one item in which a participant picks one item from a group of six items. Job satisfaction plays an important role in any organization. A satisfied employees improves on work turnover, improves on retention, increases productivity and less unionization activities. Usually some models are used to analyze job satisfaction, which includes Job Characteristics Model, Motivator Hygiene Theory, Dispositional Theory and Affect theory. These theories and models try to explain the constituents of job satisfaction. Nevertheless, there are approaches that are used to measure job satisfaction, which includes Job Descriptive Index, Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, Job Satisfaction Survey, and Face Scale, and Job in General Scale. Moreover, job satisfaction by employee improves life satisfaction and improves the enthusiasm within the workplace. Bibliography Brown, S. & Lent, R., 2004, Career Development and Counselling: Putting Theory and Research to Work, New York: John Wiley and Sons Publishers. Fineman, S., 2000, Emotion in Organizations, 2nd Ed. New York: Sage Publishers. Fields, D., 2002, Taking the Measure at Work: A Guide to Validated Scales for Organizational Research and Diagnosis, New York: Sage Publishers. Gregoire, J. & Jungers, C., 2007, The Counsellor’s Companion: What Every Beginning Counsellor Needs to Know, London: Routledge Publishers. Huber, D., 2006, Leadership and Nursing Care Management, 3rd Ed. New York: Elsevier Health Sciences. Hosie, P., Sevastos, P. & Cooper, C., 2006, Happy-Performing Managers: The Impact of Affective Wellbeing and Intrinsic Job Satisfaction in the Work Place, Chicago: Edward Elgar Publishers. McKenna, E., 2000, Business Psychology and Organizational Behaviour: A Student’s Handbook, New York: Psychology Press. Vardi, Y. & Weitz, E., 2004, Misbehaviour in Organizations: Theory, Research, and Management, New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Weiss, H. 2002, Deconstructing Job Satisfaction: Separating Evaluations, Beliefs and Effective Experiences, Human Resource Management Review, 12, 173 – 194. Read More