Summary: job satisfaction and attendece - Article Example

Running head: JOB SATISFACTION AND ATTENDANCE Job Satisfaction and Attendance JOB SATISFACTION AND ATTENDANCE 2 Job Satisfaction and Attendance The specific purpose of Smith’s study was to examine the relationship between work attitude and attendance of salaried employees whose absence is considered to be under the individual’s control since no salary is deducted for infrequent absences. Since the study took place the day after the snowstorm, the added variable of considerable effort was present.

Smith (1977) notes that previous review of the literature between job satisfaction and such work-related behaviour as job performance and absenteeism have tended to conclude that job satisfaction and work withdrawal are inversely related, inspite of varying findings. While researchers did not agree as to why the results of studies varied, Smith (ibid.) quoted Herman as believing work attitudes can be seen as predictive behaviour as long as it was under individual workers’ control. While Smith (ibid.) did not actually state a hypothesis in either the null or alternate format, it must be concluded that his hypothesis was his prediction that “job satisfaction and job attendance would be positively correlated on the day following the snowstorm but that on any other randomly chosen day, the correlation would be low or zero.

” The sample consisted of employees whose behaviour could be seen as under individual worker’s control, meaning as salaried employees they would not have pay deducted for absenteeism. Smith (ibid.) received a “bonus” in that there had been a storm the day before the study was scheduled to take place, with the result that employees had to put in extra effort to come to work. The main sample was from the company’s headquarters and divided into 27 functional groups. Since managers do not normally have their attendance taken, this was carried out very discreetly.

Attendance results and job attitude had a correlational analysis carried out.The results confirmed Smith’s prediction hypothesis. The implication of the study is that if a JOB SATISFACTION AND ATTENDANCE 3Job Satisfaction and Attendancecompany wishes to be successful, it must strive to have high employee job satisfaction. WhileSmith studied the relationship/correlation between job satisfaction and work attendance, but in his article did not define it or give any results of attitudinal questionnaires on employee files, Chapter 8 does a thorough and interesting job of not only defining job satisfaction in broad terms but also discusses (the advantages and disadvantages) the facet approach, which would be very important for a company to utilize so that concentration could be given to improving the satisfaction level of employees by focusing on the low facet satisfaction of each employee.

JOB SATISFACTION AND ATTENDANCE 4ReferencesSmith, F. J. Work attitudes as predictors of attendance on a specific day. Sears Roebuck and Company: Chicago, Illinois. Journal of applied psychology, 1977, vol. 62 No. 1, 16 – 19.