Sociology of Work: Job Satisfaction - Essay Example

Sociology at Work Job satisfaction, it can be argued, is one of the most sought after aspects of work among many working individuals because it not only ensures their security in their places of work but it also ensures that they are able to give their best. Job satisfaction among workers plays a major role in the success of many of the most prominent companies in the world and it is for this reason that many companies often strive to ensure that this is achieved among their employees. The fact that it is job satisfaction among employees that determine whether companies are able to succeed or not has led to a situation where it has become a necessity for companies to treat their employees with the utmost care because it has been found to be the only way through which they can give their best in service of the company. The way through which companies handle their employees vary from one company to another and from one nation to another and this is the reason why it has become imperative to study job satisfaction in different situations all over the world. The last few decades have seen the rise of a new generation of employees who are not only highly educated but are also well versed in technology and this has ensured that they are in high demand among the various companies in the competitive market. As a result, these individuals have come to extremely mobile, whereby whenever they are not satisfied with the work situations in their current workplace, they normally leave the job and almost instantly get work in rival companies which offer higher wages and other allowances which they previously did not have. Job satisfaction has therefore become fundamental in the development of the work environment that it not only satisfactory to the employees, but also encourages them to be creative in the achievement of the organization’s goals and objectives. Countries such as the United States and France are among the most socially diverse countries globally and this is mainly because of the fact that a large number of immigrants have come from all over the world to settle within them. However, one would argue that in most of the companies that operate within these countries, there has developed the tendency of there being open discrimination among certain workers based on their ethnicity. This has especially been witnessed in the United States where members of the black minority are often treated as second class employees in the work place, normally receiving lesser pay than their white counterparts as well as having very few opportunities for promotions within the workplace. This has created a situation where it has become very difficult for members of this ethnic group to be able to successfully advance within the society; contributing significantly to the high levels of job satisfaction among them (Quinn & Chandan, 2012). Those black people who are extremely talented are often left in the background and are not given the same opportunities and support from the management of the company to ensure that they not only put their ideas into practice, but also help in the promotion of the company’s innovative practices. The result of this has been that a large number of talented black people have opted to leave their places of work for better opportunities working for those companies which are ready to accept their ethnic background without any question, and to treat them equally. It is a fact that because of the great treatment that they receive from these companies, they give their best and this has ensured that these companies have achieved a level of success that has been rarely achieved by their biased rivals. In relation to the open ethnic discrimination in the workplace has been the case of the bias against women, which is based on the inequity of women in the workplace due to their gender. It can be argued that the fact that this is still happening in some of the developed countries in the twenty first century is a testimony to the enduring biases that have been brought forth from previous centuries. This has led to the dissatisfaction of many women in their jobs and has in some cases led them to resign in a bid to seek better opportunities elsewhere. The bias against women has not only led to their being given lower pay than their male counterparts, but has also led to their lack of opportunities in the attainment of promotions in the workplace. Among the most prominent professions or fields where women are still being actively discriminate against is in law and medicine. In the legal profession, for example, it is a fact that women who work in law firms normally have less pay than their male counterparts despite their holding similar positions in the workplace (Roach & Mack, 2009). In addition, it has become the norm for women to be kept in subordinate positions when compared to their male counterparts and this has been done as a means of ensuring that they do not have the opportunity to prove themselves. That women are still being treated in this manner in the modern world, albeit unconsciously, by their male counterparts has led to a situation where the workplace has become an environment where women have to work harder in order to be able to match their fellow employees. In male-dominated fields, women have to prove themselves worthy of recognition before they are provided with leadership opportunities; something which their male counterparts do not really have to work hard to attain. This has led to a massive decrease in job satisfaction among professional women, but this has also ensured that more women are increasingly determined to succeed despite the unconscious barriers that have been put in place by their male counterparts. Job satisfaction, one would argue, is normally determined by the way a company’s management treats its employees and this is mainly because it is the relationship between these two entities that ensures a work environment that is conducive (Xiao-Hong, Zhao, Liu, & Desheng, 2012). When the management chooses to treat all employees under its jurisdiction with utmost consideration for their needs as well as aspirations, these employees are most likely to ensure that they help the company in all ways to achieve its objectives. When the opposite takes place, however, the effect is normally the direct opposite since not only are the employees going to show high levels of dissatisfaction, but the company’s operations might also be brought to a standstill especially where it is unable to attract talented employees. It is for this reason that many companies in the modern world are increasingly adopting those employee policies which are favourable not only to themselves but also for their employees. It has become the norm for companies to provide training and an increase in pay for those individuals who seem to be the most outstanding as well as those who display the skills necessary to assume leadership positions within the workplace. Training in management and safety in the workplace contributes significantly in ensuring that individuals not only feel safe in the workplace but also feel that their employers are also looking after their welfare, and this ensures that there is an increase in employee output (Kim, 2002). The employee-friendly policies adopted by management also provide the company involved with the opportunity to gain the most talented individuals to work for it since through these policies; it is able to increase its attractiveness as a potential employer. The encouragement of practices which lead to job satisfaction among employees gives it the opportunity to also promote itself among potential employees and this helps in the development of an environment which is suitable for a high level of innovation and competition when compared to its rivals. The argument can be made that in order for employees to be satisfied with their places of work, many find it necessary to become members of unions because it is these entities which provide them with the needed cover to be able to have job security (Fatimah, Noraishah, Nasir & Khairuddin, 2012). Membership in unions provides employees with protection against being arbitrarily being fired as well as ensures that they are adequately compensated whenever they are involved in work-related accidents. Unions have been known to protect the interests of employees in the sectors within their jurisdiction and this has ensured that not only are their jobs guarantees, but also that these employees work in the best conditions possible (Hammer & Avgar, 2005). The role of unions in job satisfaction is sometimes underrated and this is perhaps because of the waning power of unions in most developed countries. This has been mainly because of the fact that most companies in the developed world have come to adopt policies that are against the hiring of those individuals who are members of unions. The result, over the years, has been that there has been a decrease in union membership as more and more companies have chosen to adopt policies which are not friendly to unions. With many unions losing membership, they have lost the great power that they once had, ensuring that they cannot effectively defend their remaining members from some of the abuses meted out against them by their employers. Thus, despite the increasing risk of job dissatisfaction among employees, many have either chosen to persevere or opted to leave their places of work. The strike actions which were once organized by unions to force companies to accede to their workers’ demands have increasingly become rare as more unions have turned into shadows of their former selves. However, in certain sectors of the economy where unions still wield considerable power; there are high levels of job satisfaction because of the security that employees feel behind their protections. One would assert that the location of the organization tends to have a direct effect on job satisfaction and this is mainly because of how they are able to adapt to the work culture as well as the working conditions. It has been found that when people from parent companies are sent to work in subsidiaries in other countries, for example in China, they have to undergo a radical cultural shift in the way that they perceive their new place of work. This is mainly because they not only have to work towards learning the language of those with whom they work, but they also have to adapt to the culture and the prejudices which are normally prevalent in highly traditional societies (Magee & Umamaheswar, 2011). It is such situations which normally end up affecting the level of job satisfaction among individuals and the best way to counter this is to ensure that they immerse themselves wholeheartedly to ensure that they learn as much as possible of the culture within which they are living and working. They should not be overly surprised at the appalling working conditions in some of the Chinese industries and should ensure that they keep their opinions to themselves because to do otherwise might get them deported, meaning that they will not have worked in the interests of their company. However, in many companies in the developed world, being sent to work in operations abroad normally comes with many privileges and allowances and this normally encourages individuals to enjoy themselves while at the same time working in the interests of their company (McNall, Masuda & Nicklin, 2010). This not only ensures job satisfaction, but it also encourages employees to aspire for more success within the company through the promotion of its good image as well as increasing productivity. Therefore, job satisfaction is a means of ensuring the success of a company’s operations abroad as it provides employees with the necessary experience to efficiently increase its productivity among its subsidiaries abroad. One would agree with the statement that the work environment is one of the contributory factors for job satisfaction among employees. It is the reason why they come to work every day and they choose to keep their skills within a particular company without the need to take up offers from its rivals. In the highly competitive world of today, it has become essential for companies to retain their most talented and experienced employees to ensure that its operations not only run smoothly, but that they enable the company to retain a competitive edge over its rivals (Long, 2005). Therefore, it is essential for the management of a company to ensure that it treats its employees well as a means of providing them with the confidence needed to feel comfortable in their work environment. Moreover, management has to keep all lines of communication with its employees open so that all grievances, concerns, and ideas raised by employees can be brought forth and put into consideration. Management should also provide deserving employees with the opportunities for advancement within its ranks because it is only through its close association with the employees that the latter will be able to attain job satisfaction. Thus, as seen above, job satisfaction can at times be affected by ethnicity, where there is normally open discrimination against members of certain ethnic groups. In addition, gender also plays a significant role in job satisfaction because it is based on how the members of different genders in the workplace treat each other. The way through which a company manages its human resources is another factor that affects job satisfaction because it is this treatment that determines whether employees choose to stay or leave the organization. Moreover, employee union membership is pertinent to their feeling of security in the workplace because it ensures that they will not be arbitrarily laid off. Finally, it is important to consider the country where the individual is employed because it is the working conditions in this country which will determine whether they are satisfied with their work or not. References Fatimah, O., Noraishah, D., Nasir, R., & Khairuddin, R. (2012). Employment security as moderator on the effect of job security on workers job satisfaction and well being. Asian Social Science, 8(9), 50-56. Hammer, T. H., & Avgar, A. (2005). The impact of unions on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover. Journal of Labor Research, 26(2), 241-266. Kim, S. (2002). Participative management and job satisfaction: Lessons for management leadership. Public Administration Review, 62(2), 231-241. Long, A. (2005). Happily ever after? A study of job satisfaction in Australia. Economic Record, 81(255), 303-321. Magee, W., & Umamaheswar, J. (2011). Immigrant group differences in job satisfaction. Race and Social Problems, 3(4), 252-265. McNall, L. A., Masuda, A. D., & Nicklin, J. M. (2010). Flexible work arrangements, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions: The mediating role of work-to-family enrichment. The Journal of Psychology, 144(1), 61-81. Quinn, E. & Chandan, H. (2012). Demographical differences in perceptions of leadership practices for department chairs and job satisfaction of faculty members at a historically black university. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2(9), 435-473. Roach A.S., & Mack, K. (2009). Gender, judging and job satisfaction. Feminist Legal Studies, 17(1), 79-99. Xiao-Hong, C., Zhao, K., Liu, X., & Desheng, D. W. (2012). Improving employees job satisfaction and innovation performance using conflict management. International Journal of Conflict Management, 23(2), 151-172. Read More