The Many Facets of Job Satisfaction - Literature review Example

The Many Facets of Job Satisfaction Many organizations have been facing the problem of employee retention for several decades. When key professionals quit from the job, they go along with important acquaintance of business processes that are very significant for maintaining competitive benefit. Studies have found that lack of job satisfaction is the prime reason that prompts many employees to quit their jobs and work place environment. Job satisfaction is directly linked to the productivity of any organization as dissatisfied employees will never be able to produce their maximum output. There are several determinants that influence the job satisfaction; these can vary from effective team work, quality of projects, work-life balance, bureaucracy and politics, recognition to respect, compensation and salary. Dissatisfaction of job would create negative impact on employee’s personal as well as professional life. This paper seeks to explore job satisfaction in the United States and around the world by pointing out the various determinants of job satisfaction and their implications in the management scenario. Ting (1997) made some remarkable studies to identify the major determinants of job satisfaction of federal government employees in the United States. He holds that the organizational commitment of an employee is closely related with his/her pay Satisfaction and career growth, organizational working environment and the relationship with co-workers and supervisors (Ting 1997). Blunt & Spring (1991) depict how Kris-Anne Spring, Market Research Analyst at Bangor Hydro-Electric Company in Bangor, Maine conducted the survey on job satisfaction in different sectors; for her, pay and promotion are the prime determinants of the job satisfaction. There are several researches that show that descent of pay and lack of promotion would cause job dissatisfaction and subsequent tendency to quit the organization. Similarly, management theory has stressed the significance of coordinating the organization-human relationship to increase output and develop human capital (Kim 2002). Team work plays a crucial role in maintaining organization-human relationship. An employee can identify his weakness and strength when he works as part of a good team so that he can improve his strength while understanding his weaknesses. Team work automatically enhances better performance and makes one’s job pleasurable. A person will get a good motivation and right direction if he is part of an excellent group of people. Fast learning, workload distribution, building bonds, healthy competition, exploring creativity, and increased speed of work are the other benefits of team work. Superior- subordinate relationship and communication plays significant role on the job satisfaction at the working place. Similarly, facial expressions, vocal expressions, body movement, eye contact are considered as communication behavior which is very important to senior-junior rapport. If the supervisor uses verbal immediacy, unfriendliness and close communication, this would result in job dissatisfaction to the subordinates. The other factors that affect employee dissatisfaction are elaborated below: Quality of projects: Generally employees get bored doing the same type of project or work all the moment. A person stuck with the same project or work thorough appointing time would become dissatisfied with his job. Bureaucracy and organizational politics: Some kind of bureaucracy and politics is inescapable but a good administration will be capable of shielding the employees. Every employee may have difference of opinion and belief about any particular subject or project and organizational politics should give due respect to them. Bureaucracy would directly affect the productivity and employee performance either negatively or positively and therefore bureaucracy is very essential part of job satisfaction (Warwick, 1975, P. 4). Recognition and respect: During decision making, any organization should consult with the technical people who are excelling at their particular subject. If they ignore their opinions of their employees or do not consult with the senior persons this would lead to employee’s dissatisfaction of his job. Compensation: Any organization’s targets are achieved more effectively if the laborers are dedicated. If employees are satisfied they will put their maximum effort to achieve the goals at the earliest. Therefore, compensation is recognized as the easiest determinant of job satisfaction and retention of employee and compensation can be in the form of rewards, or materials (Job Satisfaction 2009). Work-life balance: There is a positive and negative relationship between job satisfaction and working time. Working time flexibility has a positive impact on job satisfaction whereas overtime would impact satisfaction adversely. A person who is working long hours is most likely to loss his enthusiasm towards the job than those who work less hours. For instance, work time flexibility is very important in software development sectors as long hours of work will lead to employee’s burnout and dissatisfaction. Work life balance is considered as major topic of those concerned in the area of quality of life. In Europe Child labor was the primary concern during the period of industrial revolution. Today many part of the Europe is challenged by the lack of employments and its consequences due to the reflection of financial crisis. There are many experts who warned that advance technology would cause to mass unemployment. Zedec and Mosier (1990) point out that there are five models such as Segmentation, spill over, compensation, instrumental, conflict models used to describe the quality of life factors (Quoted in Guest 2001). The model ‘Segmentation’ draws that job and jobless is two different sphere of life and has no power on each other. This model showed as a hypothetical possibility relatively than practical propel back. But a spill over model theorizes that one world can effects the other in both either negative or positive manner. There are plenty of researches supporting spillover model but as a preposition it is specifically stated in such a common manner as to have little importance. For these we require detailed prepositions regarding natural world, causes and importance of spillover model. A compensation model is a performance based model because it compensated if the people are performed well. In Instrumental model, employees whom will seek out make more earnings doing long hours of job. Conflict model recommended that with enormous level of demand in all fields of life (Guest 2001). According to regression analysis a person who worked for long hours would cause for work life imbalance. And also reported that a person especially a woman handles the managerial position and getting a higher income or multiple jobbers holders would have chance of imbalance. Regression analysis also reveals that a person who was working at friendly atmosphere or more human resources practices are in place or more possibility of direct involvement and sovereignty would balance their work life greatly. According to CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personal and Development) survey most of the call center employees are challenged the dissatisfaction by the Intensification of job. The survey also analyses that family-friends practices will not make much impact on work life balance. Consequences of work-life balance: Mauno and Kinnunen (1999) reported that many of the dual earning couples are stressed on their marital satisfaction because of hectic work schedule (Guest 2001). It would lead to work-family conflict, and psychosomatic health. Work-family conflict and time pressure is a very serious issue in today’s workaholic life but which makes more stress than leader relations and job insecurity. Even though work-family conflict would cause each partner separately but it definitely makes the negative impact on marital satisfaction. For instance a woman partner have experienced in work-family conflict, she would not get marital satisfaction because of exhaustion. Vinokur, Pierce and Buck (1999) also reported the impact of work-family conflict by the analysis of women in the US Air force (Guest 2001). Work-life also would reason for unemployment. Unemployment will impact on unemployed labors and their dependence rather than the organization. The majority of the research finds out that work-life imbalance has created pessimistic impact instead of welfare and successful functioning. By summing up, one can identify that Team work, quality of projects, work-life balance, bureaucracy and politics, recognition and respect, compensation and salary are the significant facets of job satisfaction. Modern employees are living in the competitive world so that stress and strain are part of our job. Employee satisfaction is a very essential part of the growth of any organization. There are many companies providing many facilities to retain the employee for long years as well as to reduce their work pressure. The other factors such as working for long hours, family-work conflict have also caused for the destruction of job satisfaction. The theories like Segmentation, spill over, compensation, instrumental, conflict models are used to analyze the quality of life factors. Moreover the healthy life style also indicates another determinant of job satisfaction. References Blunt, B.E & Spring, K.A. (1991). MPA Graduates and the Dilemma of Job Satisfaction: Does Crossing the Sector Line Make a Difference. Public Personnel Management, 20 (4), p. 449+. Guest, David E. (2001). Perspectives on the Study of Work-Life Balance. A Discussion Paper Prepared for the 2001 ENOP Symposium, Paris, March 29-31. Retrieved 31 October 2009 from: http://www.ucm.es/info/Psyap/enop/guest.htm Job Satisfaction. (2009). Free Management Library. Retrieved 31 October 2009 from Authenticity Consulting, LLC: http://managementhelp.org/prsn_wll/job_stfy.htm Kim, Soonhee. (2002). Participative Management and Job Satisfaction: Lessons for Management Leadership. Public Administration Review, 62 (2), p. 231+. Ting, Yuan. (1997). Determinants of Job Satisfaction of Federal Government Employees. Public Personnel Management, 26 (3), p. 313+. Warwick, Donald P. (1975). A Theory of Public Bureaucracy: Politics, Personality, and Organization in the State Department. Illustrated Edition: Harvard University Press. Read More