Relationship between job satisfaction and individual performance - Essay Example

Admittedly, the relation between job satisfaction and productivity is a matter that is difficult to verify because there are a large number of factors that influence the level of job satisfaction. Some of these factors are not changeable and personal in nature, while some are job related, and some are controlled by the management or employer. So, it is not possible to control all these factors in a single empirical study. Hence, as Mudor and Tooksoon (2011) point out, no study is able to conclusively prove that job satisfaction leads to better performance as no study can prove that it conclusively controlled all factors leading to job satisfaction.

However, there are people like Caird (cited in Hall;Jones, 2008) who believe that it is impossible to expect quality output from workers in environments where workers are stressed out, and forced to compete for benefits. At this juncture, it seems useful to analyze the various factors that influence the level of job satisfaction. Some factors, which are personal in nature, are sex, number of department, time on job, level and range of intelligence, level of education, age, attitude, and other traits of personality.

The factors that are inherent in job are type of work, skill required for the work, occupational status, size of the plant, and geography. Some other factors which are usually controlled by the employer are salary, fringe benefits, co-workers, downward communication, working conditions, responsibility, supervision, wages, and opportunities for advancement. From the long list, it becomes evident that no empirical study is ever likely to claim to have proved the relation. Despite the still existing confusion regarding job satisfaction and productivity, the Science Daily dated 20 July 2011 reports that the workers who approach their work with energy, dedication and care are more open to accepting new information and are more productive.

In addition, the article points out that if resources are available to make the employees do their job with enthusiasm and joy, they tend to focus and work hard (“Work Engagement”). The most common reasons put forward by those who believe job satisfaction is positively linked to productivity are as follows. Firstly, everyone wants to keep what is valuable. In other words, if they find something valuable in their work or workplace, they tend to retain it. The second point is that everyone wants to destroy what hurts them.

Admittedly, one who is forced to work harder and harder may try to rebel, one who does not enjoy the workplace environment may try to take leaves, and one who is not satisfied with the remuneration may not be that careful about the quality of the product or service. Yet another claim in this direction is that creativity works only in minds which are peaceful. One who is worried about a lot of job related issues may not be able to think constructively or to come up with novel ideas. There are more general arguments in this direction.

For example, it is claimed that no one will quit if the work is fun for them, and that only happiness can bring the best out of people. Evidently, in service-intensive fields like hospitality, mere commonsense is enough to perceive that the employees who are aggrieved and dissatisfied are highly prone to forgetting the tenets of hospitality. However, in order to substantiate or negate this claim, it is necessary to look into the studies by scholars. Nna (2011) conducted a study among