1.What is Job Satisfaction in an organization?

Human Resource (HR) is considered to be the most valuable asset in any organization and important pillar of economic, social, cultural developments. Employee performance is largely influenced by motivation and job satisfaction. In other words, employees’ opinion about the organizations they work for is very important and their performance depends on their satisfaction towards the work.

One of the effective factors on HR performance is Job Satisfaction (JS). Job satisfaction is the attitudes and feelings people have about their duty. Positive and favorable attitudes for the job indicate job satisfaction. Negative attitudes for the job indicate job dissatisfaction (Armstrong, 2006). JS is an interesting topic towards both people who work in organizations and people who study them.

Importance of job satisfaction

Success of any organization depends on its human resource in this competitive world today. the workers are valuable assets to the organization.

If they're highly satisfied with the work, they produce more which is profitable for the organization. So during this competitive environment, the essential thing is to understand the views of employees towards their job and to live the extent of satisfaction with various aspects of job satisfaction.

Efficient human resource management and maintaining higher job satisfaction level in organizations determine not only the performance of the organization but also affect the expansion.

So, for the success of a corporation, to manage human resource effectively and to seek out whether its employees are satisfied or not is extremely important, as long as they're satisfied, they're going to work with commitment and project a positive image of the organization.

Job satisfaction is an integral component for the environment of organization and an vital element for the connection between management and employees. The term ‘job satisfaction’ means individuals emotional response to job. it's a positive spirit that happens when a person’s job seem to satisfy important job values provided.

Importance of measuring job satisfaction

Measuring employee satisfaction correctly tells you how your team feels really. You can use that information to boost all of these things:

·     Employee retention – It’s hard to retain employees around if they’re not happy working for you. satisfied employees are less likely to leave for a different job.

·     Productivity – It makes sense that dissatisfied employees won’t put the same effort during work as those who are actually happy with their job. Satisfied employees tend to be twice as productive comparing to their dissatisfied coworkers.

·     Company culture – Dissatisfied employees could become toxic over time, hurting company culture and creating a bad work environment. Satisfied employees, on the other hand, are more likely to be helpful and enthusiastic.

How to measure job satisfaction ?

There are different methods of measuring the job satisfaction of employees such as,

1. Conduct employee satisfaction surveys
2. Interviewing employees
3. Monitoring performance targets
4. Install an employee suggestion box

1.Surveys are a common method of measuring job satisfaction. A survey can assess satisfaction in the areas of pay, promotion, supervision, tasks and co-workers etc.

2.Interview of the employees as a method of measuring job satisfaction is mostly useful in organizations that have positive relationships with employees and believe the problem is too sophisticated to be understood with a survey. If employees do not believe the organization or interviewer, however, responses may not be entirely honest.

3.Businesses with low job satisfaction or employees who fear being let go may find the employees reluctant to discuss the situation since they may fear it could negatively affect them in the future.

4.Your employees probably have plenty of things to say about your company. Anyhow, they might not feel comfortable doing so publicly. This is where installation of an employee suggestion box could be effective.

Job satisfaction in view of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

According to Maslow, the manager needs to know where an employee is on the hierarchical pyramid in order to motivate him/her. Hence they need to focus on meeting that person’s needs at that level (Robbins, 1999). As one moves up in Maslow’s pyramid their needs becomes complicated. In order to reach each higher lever, one should first fulfill the needs of the lower level. Therefore, when the need in the upper level of Maslow’s pyramid is met, more JS is generated and HR will be converted into human capital. It causes organizations growth.

Therefore, JS is measured according to each person`s needs in each organization and its fulfillment. This indicates that JS of employees in any organization is crucial as human capital. Job satisfaction is the key ingredient that leads to recognition. Income, promotion, and the success of other goals that lead to a feeling of fulfillment (Kaliski, 2007). JS represents one of the most complex areas managers face today when it comes to managing their subordinates. In this regard, Job and JS have great importance towards investigation. In the evaluation of JS, five core dimensions of job characteristics such as salary, promotion opportunities, supervision and co-workers are used .

Job satisfaction theories

Job satisfaction theories are plentiful. Job satisfaction is an important factor in career success. A factor that enhances the efficiency as well as the personal satisfaction.

According to Fisher and Hana (1931), Job satisfaction is an internal factor and can be considered as an emotional adaptation with jobs and condition of employment. So, if the job is good fun for a person, they would be satisfied with their job.

According to Hoppock (1935), job satisfaction is a complex and multidimensional theory that is related to the psychological, physical and social factors.

Referring to definitions above, it seems that JS is a favorable look that each individual has on his place and his vision of the job. Given the significance of JS, investigating the facts that affect JS have great importance. Sociologists and psychologists have offered different opinions about work and job in recent decades. For example, Brophy (1981) noted a few theories as follows,

1) Needs theory

Job satisfaction rate depends on two facts: First, how much and to what extent requirements are met through work. Second, how much and to what extent needs prevail unmet through work.

 2) The expectations theory

Individual expectations are helpful in determining the type and degree of job satisfaction. Obviously, if the expectations of individuals from their job are high, they will be more satisfied than the person who have the lowest expectations of their job. Thus, job satisfaction is an individual concept and it should be examined separately for every person.

3) Theory role

Two social and psychological aspects have considered in this theory. Individual’s feeling about job situation and their activities in performing entrusted responsibilities and playing a specific role as a member of a society determines the job satisfaction rate.

 4) Hope and expectation theory

This theory is proposed following “theory of expectations” and “theory of probability”. This theory believes that job satisfaction is determined by full adaptation of hopes and expectations with individual progress, while the discontent is caused by the failure to meet expectations.

Factors affecting job satisfaction 

A - Organization

B - Environment

C - Work nature

D - Personal factors

A- Organization

1. Compensation: It is a decisive factor of job satisfaction especially when this pay is fair and equitable from an employee’s point of view.

2. Promotion: promotion includes positive changes in salary, less being supervised, more working challenge, more responsible and freedom of decision making. Individual promotion leads to increasing an employee`s spirit.

3. Organizational policies: Rigid policies provoke negative job emotions and flexible policy leads to job satisfaction.

B - The environment

1. Supervision style: where supervisors have had a friendly behavior with staff, job satisfaction has been high as well.

2. Working Group: If individuals in the group have similar social traits, attitudes and beliefs, they create an atmosphere that ensures job satisfaction. Whenever a working group become larger, job satisfaction is also reduced.

3. Desirable working conditions: better physical and mental relaxation is provided for an individual in desirable working conditions.

C - Work nature

The nature of an employee’s work is best defined as the type of work that he does. This can refer to the basic daily tasks that he carries out as a part of his job, and it can refer to other non-routine tasks that may be required by the job as well. Added together, the characteristics of these tasks comprise the nature of an employee’s work. The nature of this work might be summed up in the employee’s title. As an example, a human resources manager is someone who manages a human resources department and performs all of the tasks required of such a position.

D - Individual factors

While the organization external environment and the nature of job are determinant factors in job satisfaction, individual traits and characteristics also play an important role in it. Individuals who generally have negative attitude always complain about everything that is job related regardless of which job is in question. Also, some personality characteristics increase job satisfaction. In addition, individuals who are placed in higher level of hierarchy  needs will have more job satisfaction.

In this regard, there are different tools and methods to assess JS by examining following methods and tools.

1) Self-reported grading scale

2) Sensitive events (critical incidents)

3) Explicit behavior

4) Practical orientation

5) Scale emoticon

6) Interview

7) Scale and a questionnaire

References - 

Armstrong, M. (2006). A Handbook of Human resource Management Practice. Tenth Edition, Kogan Page Publishing, London, p. 264.

Hunter E.P. (2006). Viability of the job characteristics model in a team: Prediction of job satisfaction and potential moderators. PHD Thesis, University of North Texas.

businessmanagementideas.com(2020)human-resource-management-2/job-satisfaction/job-satisfaction-meaning-definition-importance-factors-effects-and-theories/19709.businessmanagementideas.com[Online]Available From:https://www.businessmanagementideas.com/human-resource-management-2/job-satisfaction/job-satisfaction-meaning-definition-importance-factors-effects-and-theories/19709.[Accessed : 22 May 2021]