Managerial Impact on Job Satisfaction
Introduction
Why do we work? Is our work satisfying? Common public belief is that
we work for a paycheck, this idea is in large part stemmed from the ideas
of Adam Smith and the formation of capitalism. Pay may seem to be a
feasible answer, however, monetary incentives actually have very little
impact on job satisfaction after sufficient salary is made to meet
physiological needs. Managerial impact on job satisfaction is often
overlooked, especially in companies whose main focus is on their bottom
line. This is an interesting topic due to the fact that there are many benefits
to having satisfied employees. There is some conflicting research on
whether or not job satisfaction can improve productivity and while there is
no definitive evidence about which aspect produces which result, there is a
strong correlation here. With the empirical evidence that satisfaction
promotes general well-being and therefore benefits companies, it is
interesting to look at why many mangers still cling to old methods of
leading and how these can be changed to improve satisfaction.
What is job satisfaction?
Job satisfaction can be defined as “an employee’s attitude about
various dimensions of his or her job.” These attitudes are often biased
and learned through direct and indirect experiences which are composed
of “beliefs, feelings, emotions, and intentions to act in a specific way
toward an object, person, or situation.” Researchers have found several
contributors to job satisfaction. Some of the contributing factors include:
meeting employee needs (physiological, safety, and social needs),
matching employee expectations, allowing employees to fulfill
instrumental values, employee tendency toward positive or negative
affect, and employee equitability when compared to others. Several
studies conducted by Frederick Herzberg during the 1950s-1970s on the
causes of job satisfaction and motivation lead to his discovery of the
Two-Factor theory (exhibit 11-2). Herzberg states that job satisfaction
and dissatisfaction are not on opposite ends of one large scale, but rather
each are attitudes with different causes and consequences. Herzberg
specifies that dissatisfaction stems from extrinsic characteristics (poor
working conditions, low pay, low security, low status), and these are
called hygiene factors. He also states that job satisfaction comes from
intrinsic job characteristics (stimulation and fulfillment of an employee's
need for growth and self-actualization, such as achievement, recognition,
responsibility, opportunities for advancement, and interesting and
fulfilling work), and these are called motivators. Any amount of hygiene
factors can only make an employee feel neutral about their work, where
as motivators allow for employees to begin to be satisfied with their
work. This is beneficial because there is a strong correlation between
satisfied workers and low turnover and absenteeism.
Managerial Impact
Brice Quillen
Sophomore, Class of 2019
Business Management & International Spanish commerce
& Geography major
Careers with High Job
Satisfaction
Most individuals believe truly satisfying work is reserved for doctors, lawyers, or
CEOs, but the truth is any job has the potential to be satisfying. Several studies
conducted by Amy Wrzesniewski, Mike Rose, and Adam Grant demonstrates this
concept by focusing on seemingly mundane jobs. Some interesting careers that they
found to be consistently satisfying throughout their surveys and interviews were:
1. Hospital custodians
2. Hairstylists
3. Phone solicitors
As shown by the examples above, all types of work have the capability of being
meaningful, significant, and fulfilling. Despite this promising idea, it is still essential
for the employees to bring the proper attitude to work in order to be satisfied. In
addition to this, the addition of certain motivators (below) is necessary to have an
impact on work satisfaction. This impact could be large or small, according to a study
by Hackman and Oldham (1976), motivational factors have little impact if an
employees need for growth or self-actualization is low. Inversely if an employees
need to reach the self-actualization tier (exhibit 11-1) through growth is high than the
addition of motivational factors will have a significant impact. This motivation and
eventual satisfaction leads to “high commitment employees” who feel a sense of
loyalty to their companies and therefore produce good work, which makes for a good
sustainably growing company.
Managers can impact employee job satisfaction either positively or
negatively. Many Theory X style managers use highly supervised routine
processes and money incentives to motivate their employees. This are
feasible methods when the assumption is made that all workers are
unmotivated, or as Adam Smith puts it “it is in the interest of every man to
live as much at ease as he can.” However, it turns out these methods
actually have negative impacts on employee engagement and work
satisfaction. Luckily, the number of practicing Theory Y managers is
growing, and they are finding more ways to give their employees
meaningful and satisfying work. Some of the methods to increase work
satisfaction include:
1. Providing job security
2. Allowing for teams to manage themselves
3. Decentralizing decision making
4. Maintaining healthy co-worker relationships
5. Extensive training
6. Measuring employee performance and giving feedback
7. Emphasizing company mission statement
8. Positive reinforcement and recognition
9. Promoting diversity
10. Providing good benefits
11. Cross-training
12. Giving employees more discretion and autonomy
13. Providing opportunities for promotion
14. Giving challenging and meaningful work
Improving Job Satisfaction
An assumption can be made, based on the rising number of workers
completely satisfied with their jobs, that there are several more
companies and managers working to provide satisfying work. The global
Gallup polls on job satisfaction show that the percentage of workers
completely satisfied with their jobs has increased from 44% in 2003 to
54% in 2016. Gallup polls also show that employees are most satisfied
with their co-worker relationships and least satisfied with retirement and
health benefits. As companies continue attempting to improve the
well-being of their employees, benefits and job satisfaction will increase.
Improved benefits and satisfaction will lead to better employees, happier
customers, and successful businesses.
Works Cited
-"Job Satisfaction." The SAGE Glossary of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, edited by Larry E.
Sullivan, Sage Publications, 2009. Credo Reference,
http://ezproxy.ehc.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/sagegsbs/job_
satisfaction/0. Accessed 14 Mar 2017.
-Mind Tools Editorial Team. "Theory X and Theory Y: Understanding People's
Motivations."Team Management Training from MindTools.com. Mind Tools, n.d. Web. 21 Mar.
2017.
-Spector, Paul E. Job Satisfaction: Application, Assessment, Causes, and Consequences. N.p.: n.p.,
1997. Print.
-Gallup, Inc. "Work and Workplace." Gallup.com. Gallup, 30 Aug. 2016. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.
-Schwartz, Barry. Why We Work. New York: TED , Simon & Schuster, 2015. Print.
-Robbins, Stephen P., David A. Decenzo, and Mary Coulter. Fundamentals of Management. New:
Pearson, n.d. Print.