Job satisfaction

SUPPLEMENTAL KNOWLEDGE
Jhunie B. Wahayna


While browsing some researches in the newspaper, I was caught by the studies on ‘job satisfaction’. Wondering how could they tell if the person is satisfied with his job? How could they measure satisfaction? My curiosity led me to look for finished product studies on job satisfaction and here’s what I found.

In one of the researches, it says job satisfaction is the condition of establishing a healthy working environment in an organization. It is the sum of all negative and positive aspects related to the employees’ salary, their physical and emotional working conditions, the authority they have, the autonomous usage of this authority, the level of success that they have maintained in relation with their job, and their relations with their colleagues and administrators.

Further it was viewed as a set of favorable or unfavorable feelings with which employees view their work and can be acquired over a period of time. It is possible to determine the job conditions that provide the most satisfaction to employee. The degree is based on the extent to which the job and benefits associated with it may fulfill the employees’ needs and desires.

Most of the studies made use of the theories formulated by Herzberg, Muchinsky, McGregor, Adams, and Maslow as variables in measuring satisfaction. From the results, these professionals are generally satisfied with their jobs but have expressed low level of satisfaction in some aspects related to the job.

The Satisfiers or Intrinsic Motivators as presented by Herzberg are most likely the sources of their satisfaction such as work itself, recognition, advancement, opportunity for growth, and achievement. While the Dissatisfiers or Extrinsic Motivators are most likely the sources of their dissatisfaction such as working conditions, pay, job security, management strategies, and interpersonal relations.

It is interesting to note that some of the variables under Satisfiers are the sources of dissatisfaction and some variables under Dissatisfiers are the sources of satisfaction. The theory presented has to be proven further. Anyhow these are just theories but had helped in making of these studies.

Statements such as “I love my work but hate my boss” or “this place pays lousy but the people I work with are great”, tells us further that employees tend to be more or less satisfied with various facets of the job.

The level of satisfaction then is affected by the prevailing conditions. It can change overnight. It can decline quickly. It is dynamic. But one thing for sure is that job satisfaction affects job performance. People are at their best when satisfied and tend to slow down when dissatisfied. Recommendations for improvement were made as drawn from the results of their studies.

Most of them recommend that further studies should be made on the topic to further prove or disprove the variables that affects satisfaction. As stated, significant improvements in job satisfaction will affect changes in the work environment and in the work itself, as well as in redesigning organizations and jobs. While some dissatisfaction is inevitable, it can also be desirable.

The causes of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are beyond the control of the managers. Therefore the challenge for management is to maintain a work environment that satisfies employees and motivates them to become productive. Comments are welcome @ jhuniewahayna@yahoo.com.