Job Satisfaction
Job satisfaction concept
The concept of job satisfaction describes the extent to which an individual is happy or satisfied with the work he performs.
Job satisfaction is related to the individual's feeling or mental awareness of the nature of the work he is doing. The happier people are with their jobs, the more satisfied they can be described.
Job satisfaction is different from motivation although they are related to each other.
Job design seeks to enrich the level of job satisfaction and performance, and this can be achieved through some means that include: job rotation, job enlargement, and job enrichment.
Job satisfaction factors:
The nature of the relationship between the employee and his boss
The quality of the physical environment for work
The degree of professional satisfaction that the job achieves for the employee
The amount of remuneration and fringe benefits an individual receives for their work (a sense of fairness)
Perceived fairness of the promotions system in the organization.
Influences on job satisfaction
The quality of the surrounding working conditions
Leadership style, organizational culture, and prevailing social relations
Level of participation in management given to employees
Empowerment and coherence of workgroups
The nature of the job itself in terms of the number and type of tasks, the degree of pleasure and challenge the work gives, and the clarity of the job description (duties and responsibilities).
Reasons for Concern for Job Satisfaction
Job satisfaction is one of the main elements of general satisfaction that provides man with the necessary energy that enables him to be able to perform and continue his work, and even develop and innovate in it.
Job satisfaction contributes to reassurance in the heart of the employee, and when a person feels satisfied with himself and his work, he feels the sublimity of the spirit, the high spirit, the clarity of thought and the activity of the mind.
The relationship between job satisfaction and morale
There is often confusion between the concept of job satisfaction and the concept of morale.
The concept of morale is linked to the group. Morale is loyalty that binds the members of the group to each other in a way that pushes the group to complete its work to the fullest.
While the concept of job satisfaction is a matter related to the individual himself, it is a state in which the individual reaches integration with his work through his career ambition and desire for growth and progress and achieving his goals through achieving the goals of the work itself.
The most important determinants of job satisfaction
The nature and pattern of social relationships in the work environment. These relationships are of great importance in the life of the individual and are considered among the most important determinants of job satisfaction because they make the individual feel belonging to the organization and increase his feeling of satisfaction inside and outside the organization.
The employee’s need for affiliation, the more the individual needs affiliation, the greater the impact of the workgroup on the individual’s job satisfaction level.
The individual’s chronological and occupational age, as the person advances in age and the years of his practical experience the more he feels a greater level of satisfaction, especially when the nature and conditions of work are favorable and meet his needs and aspirations.
The gender of the employee is also related to job satisfaction, as women achieve greater job satisfaction than men in terms of pay and social relationships.
The educational level of the individual also plays an important role in his satisfaction with his work, as there is a positive relationship between the profession and the educational level, and then the level of job satisfaction.
Staff interests:
Work with a competent manager
Encouragement to make decisions
Seeing the final results of work and performance evaluation reports
Assigning work that is important, interesting and reasonably challenging
Listen to him when he proposes an idea for business development
Inform him of what is happening in the organization
Appreciate your suggestions and fruitful efforts
Obtaining material and moral rewards when he performs the tasks assigned to him perfectly
Giving him the opportunity to enroll in training programs that contribute to developing his skills and improving his performance
Job satisfaction theories:
It can be said in general that there is no single theory that explains all cases of satisfaction or lack of it, but there are several theories representing different viewpoints, all of which attempt to explain human behavior, its motives and ways to motivate it to reach a high degree of satisfaction that contribute to creating sound performance and high productivity.
Among the theories that have attempted to explain job satisfaction are:
Human Relations Theory: There are psychological and social needs among workers, the most important of which are self-respect, self-affirmation and respect for others.
Job Adaptation Theory: This theory is based on the harmony between the personality required for work and the work environment itself. Harmony is the main factor in explaining the extent to which an individual adapts to the work environment, as it is embodied in his feeling of satisfaction, contentment and stability in the job.
A third theory depends on several things, the most important of which are:
Trust: Productivity and trust are inseparable.
Wisdom and skill: here the practice of work must be characterized by accuracy, politeness, and sharpness of mind.
Intimacy and affection: the common bond in life called for by our true religion depends on it, and the consequent security, a calm life, attention, support for other people, and the establishment of strong social relationships and close friendships.
Some indicators of job dissatisfaction
low productivity
Poor quality of work done
Increased work accidents
The conflict between subordinates and their superiors and each other
repeated absence
Poor general health
Low morale
Lack of initiative and creativity
Increasing job turnover rates
domineering driving style
Multiple sources of supervision and control
Monotony and lack of renewal
lack of training
Increased work pressure
Lack or weakness of incentives
The poor physical environment for work
Unhealthy work relationships
Job ambiguity
Difficulty in job tasks
Monotonous and stagnant work tasks
Multiple responsibilities and duties
Unclear career path
Job stalemate
Consequences of low job satisfaction:
Turnover
In most cases, there is a negative relationship between job satisfaction and work turnover. The higher the satisfaction, the lower the work turnover.
This relationship may differ from one organization to another and from time to time and according to the general economic situation
Which plays a major role in leaving or continuing to work, regardless of the state of job satisfaction.
Recession (clinging to work with dissatisfaction)
A state of economic prosperity (quitting work with a feeling of satisfaction in order to obtain a greater income or a higher job position).
Increased absenteeism from work
The lower the job satisfaction, the higher the absenteeism rate, and the higher the satisfaction, the less absenteeism.
The phenomenon of repeated absences by employees is considered an administrative dilemma, because it forces the organization to take certain measures that represent additional costs to the organization, such as having to appoint additional employees to face repeated absences.
High rate of work accidents and injuries
It is believed that workers who are not satisfied with their work are more likely to have accidents and work injuries than workers who are satisfied with their work.
A person who is not satisfied with his work is usually distracted and less attentive and thus more prone to work accidents than a person with high satisfaction who focuses a lot on his work because he enjoys his performance.
A person with low satisfaction is usually less loyal to the organization, and therefore less eager to protect the organization and its interests.
A person who is not satisfied with his work may also confuse work schedules and delay performance by fabricating some situations or causing some accidents as a form of abuse to the organization or management.
low productivity
A group of workers was surveyed about work trends (satisfaction/dissatisfaction) and their direct impact on performance, and it was found that 61% of those surveyed believe that happier people are usually more productive.
The feeling of fairness generates a feeling of job satisfaction and this is thus reflected in increased productivity and quality of performance.
Contrasting opinion: high productivity leads to a feeling of happiness and this, in turn, is reflected in the degree of job satisfaction, that is, there is a reverse causal relationship between productivity and job satisfaction, meaning that high productivity is what creates job satisfaction and not the other way around.
A third opinion says that a satisfied (happy) person does not necessarily have high productivity, rather a person can be happy, but with very low productivity, and that the source of his happiness is not being assigned to work or demanding high productivity.
The relationship between satisfaction and job performance:
High satisfaction generates performance:
Availability of employee satisfaction will lead to high performance, as there is a direct relationship between two parties, the first is independent, which is satisfaction, and the second is dependent, which is performance, and the higher the degrees of satisfaction, the higher the performance rates.
High performance generates satisfaction:
It means that satisfaction is only a variable dependent on an independent variable, which is performance, on the basis that the employee's good performance and the subsequent rewards lead to an increase in his ability to satisfy his needs and thus increase the degree of his satisfaction.
Satisfaction requires the will and desire to work and produce:
When a person performs the work he desires, and his superiors and subordinates treat him with respect and appreciation, and an appropriate environment is created for him to complete the work assigned to him, then he will feel psychological comfort and a high degree of job satisfaction.
But if a person does not like the work he is assigned to perform or does not find a suitable job for his abilities to perform, or the work is not sufficient to make him feel its importance, or he does not command respect from his superiors and appreciation by his subordinates, then it is certain that this will negatively affect his self and the degree of job satisfaction.
The nature of the relationship between satisfaction and job performance:
Organizational climate is a mediating factor between satisfaction and performance:
Focuses on the organizational climate as the mediating factor between satisfaction and performance. The organizational climate is the mirror that reflects the impression that the organization's employees have about all the objective elements in it.
As long as workers are the primary means of doing business and achieving goals, the more positive the image of the organization is, the more morale will be raised, and thus their performance.
Hence, it can be said that organizational climate is the mediating factor that links satisfaction and performance.
The choice between work and worker:
First position:
Some managers believe that the organization should make work its number one concern while the employee comes last.
The employee in this type of organization is nothing but an element or an input from the production process that is used by management as a means to achieve the highest possible productivity.
Organizations that dominate the labor side over the worker suffer:
Low level of honesty and negative work performance
Lots of mistakes and more accidents at work
Absence or low job loyalty
Labor turnover is higher than normal
Employees leave the facility and head to competing facilities, carrying with them all the secrets, ideas, and strategies, because of a specific situation with an official or manager, or because they were tempted by an almost negligible salary increase.
Organizations that dominate the worker side over the work suffer:
Some managers believe that the success in achieving the goals of the organization comes as a result of taking care of workers as the most important element in the production process.
The human resource for this category of managers is considered the key to excellence and success, and therefore they are ready to deviate from the practical routine in their management of the human element by providing entertainment programs and meetings inside and outside the facility in which employees and their families have the opportunity to interact.
This type of manager tends to practice administrative methods that depend on good dealing with employees and workers and the use of the elegant method in directing orders to employees, flexibility in work, and granting breaks that permeate the work.
In order to provide a suitable environment for its employees, Japanese establishments, for example, establish recreational places within the workplace, which provide the opportunity for their employees to practice various hobbies and sports activities in the break hours, and some facilities provide their employees with mini-bedrooms that enable employees to fall asleep for a short time during the break time. Or when they feel tired and stressed.
The environment
Contemporary organization as a source of work stress:
The present era is characterized by an increase in anxiety and tension among many groups of people, which creates an unhealthy organizational environment in which conflicts and confrontations between members of organizations increase.
This tension and anxiety negatively affect the job behavior in general and the employee's level of satisfaction with his work in particular.
Published statistics have proven that the percentage of work stress and its severe effects are higher in developed countries than in developing countries (70% of workers in Britain, 76% in the USA suffer from work stress).
The end result of this state of anxiety and tension is the following manifestations:
Weak positive human relations between the employees themselves, and between them and the management
Low level of job satisfaction
Increase in consumption of sedatives and sedatives
Some may resort to the use of sedatives and drugs as a way to get rid of the negative effects of these pressures.
Negative effects of work stress:
repeated absence
Poor general health
Low morale
Low or no spirit of initiative and creativity
Increasing job turnover rates
Reasons for not implementing the organization's plans:
Organizations fail to implement their plans not only because of the lack of resources and capabilities but also because of the weak organizational loyalty of their employees or the so-called “love migration”.
The management in the organization has to know the ways in which it can create a feeling of loyalty in the employee towards his organization and arouse enthusiasm in him to do everything in his power to achieve the goals of the organization.
It can be said that the secret lies in the leadership style adopted by the management in dealing with subordinates.
The effect of leadership style on the level of job satisfaction:
A democratic leader has a number of characteristics, the most important of which are:
Playing a major role in creating a spirit of cooperation between employees and workers and making them work in the spirit of one team to generate a sense of belonging for them to achieve goals, which positively reflects their enthusiasm to achieve their own goals
The emergence of the human aspect in his relationship with his subordinates and his participation with them on their various occasions and their notice that their relationship with him is not dependent on the limits of official work
Paying attention to the problems and personal needs of his subordinates
Involving employees in making decisions by expressing their opinions and observations, contributes to achieving work goals and develops employees' sense of self-realization.
Organizing and coordinating the efforts of his subordinates in a way that leads to the unification of work and no duplication
Exercising justice when assigning assignments, nominations for courses, or when granting privileges
Distributing responsibility and granting the employee authority commensurate with his abilities and capabilities and giving him a degree of freedom to carry out the work in the way he desires without negatively affecting others
Expanding the delegation of authority to subordinates, discovering latent talents, and exploring the energies stored in employees
Non-stagnation and adherence to the letter of instructions or adherence to the deadly routine
Belief in the existence of individual differences between individuals and the importance of the capabilities, preparations and tendencies of employees in a way that leads to adaptation at work and a sense of self-importance, thus achieving job satisfaction for the employee.
Employees choose assignments based on their competence and ability, not favoritism
The democratic leader is looking for effectiveness while the manager is striving for efficiency.
Not afraid to admit a mistake
Prepare to give credit to his family and not climb on the shoulders of others' statistics
One study showed that only 4% of people who are dissatisfied with their work, facilities, or services are willing to tell the facility about their annoyance and dissatisfaction, while 13% of them usually tend to tell other people who are not relevant.
As for the rest, they do not tell anyone, but rather act negatively towards the facility or may boycott it, and this behavior represents a disaster that may threaten the organization.
Reasons for the spread of fear among employees in organizations
Closed-door policy enforcement
Lack of or weak administration of justice
Arrogant or aggressive behavior by the administrative body
Ignoring or responding negatively to those seeking justice
Practicing the method of oppression and wrong education in the early stages of life
Social pressure and subservience to group norms
Mood management control
Organizational and functional instability
The negative effects of the spread of the phenomenon of fear among employees
Weak or lack of job and organizational loyalty
Loss of confidence in oneself and in the organization as a whole
outbreaks of organic diseases
the outbreak of mental illness
Low levels of quality in performance
Denying and concealing mistakes and covering up the perpetrators
Weakness or lack of creative ideas
Some strategies to eliminate the phenomenon of fear
Recognizing the possibility of the phenomenon of fear among employees and adopting effective means to eliminate it
Building new and supportive relationships with all employees of the organization
Examine behavior and relationships and direct them to serve goals
Encourage employees to provide constructive criticism
Avoiding ambiguity, adopting the principle of frankness and transparency, and not allowing malicious rumors
Prepare to discuss all topics honestly and openly
Involve subordinates in discussing important issues and in making decisions
Confronting the causes of negative trends and destructive thinking in scientific and practical ways
Strengthening the confidence of individuals in themselves, in management and in the organization
Creating reasonable levels of challenge
Job satisfaction indicators:
High level and quality of productivity
Increasing demand for education and training programs
Increase employee interest in self-development and growth
The spread of entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation among all members of the organization
The emergence of the phenomenon of professionalism
The spread of the phenomenon of appreciation among the employees of the organization
The spread of team spirit among the members of the organization
The emergence of social satisfaction and the low prevalence or low impact of informal organizations
The rule of a good work environment within the organization and the feeling of everyone belonging to one entity
The effect of incentives on job satisfaction and performance
It is one of the ways to help the organization to achieve its goals, in addition to the availability of material capabilities and the experience of workers.
Existence of a working mechanism and a specific system for its optimal management with credibility in the application of the incentive system, and that such incentives be legalized to be granted to the owners of excellence in work, provided that the incentive is associated with the amount of work
There is an element that management must be aware of, which is training the employees of the facility to raise their efficiency and providing training opportunities for all employees because this leads to the facility achieving its role.