Job Satisfaction in the Workplace

Job Satisfaction in The Work Place

In today 's job market, faithfulness to any organization depends on an individual 's attitude towards his/her company or employer as it pertains to job satisfaction. According to Locke, job satisfaction by definition is "[ a] pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one 's job or job experience". Locke then goes on to define the definition by saying job satisfaction stems from " feeling and cognition" (Locke 1976). What we believe or feel about our thoughts then translates into either a negative or positive action on our behalf. [Locke] As Locke stated earlier, job satisfaction may stem from our cognition and feelings, but there is many other elements of our work environment that dictates whether these thoughts are positive or negative. Economic Trends: Wages, Expectations, and Prospects for Inflation. In the year 2011, Brent Meyer wrote an article about job wages and economic inflation. Brent stated that " food and energy prices risen to an annualized rate of 17 percent, prompting speculation of a possible price-wage spiral that will result in rampant inflation". Brent goes on to explain that this rise in inflation is usually the result of "demand for higher wages". "In-turn, these wage increases raise the cost of production, squeezes margins, and induces business owners to raise prices of goods". [Brent Meyer] Due to inflation, financial-economic turmoil, and a staggering unemployment rate, (9.0% at that time) the power of negotiation for higher wages is no longer in the hands of the employee. Business owner are finding it hard to satisfy stakeholder, and return his/her company to a high standing of profitability. Do to this lack of profitability within a given organization, employee salary cut and layoffs are the most likely outcome. Brent Meyers ' stated," as employees demand increases in salary, the cost of producing goods or services also increases". With the unemployment rate where it is today and was, company owners can remain stagnant with his/her current work force as it pertains to wage increases. I believe employees understand that finding employment in this economy can be daunting, and business owners are educated to these thoughts. Another element that plays into job satisfaction is management strategies and personal interaction between managers and company personnel. I recently read an article about new managers and ten mistakes he/she may make. Management: Top 10 New Manager Mistakes. In this article, John F. Reh points out ten critical mistakes new manager make. I believe he is spot on due to shifts in management personnel here at Nypro, my current employer. The first mistake on John 's list is "thinking he/she knows everything". Most managers I have come across micromanage his/her team due to lack of trust and believing his/her knowledge is far superior to those working under them. This in turn leaves little room for a team to develop because lack of communication is there between parties. The second leading mistake new managers make is "showing everyone who 's in charge". With the shift in new management personnel, I 'm sure everyone knows who the new boss is. Pushing one 's weight around, and showing your ego 's true colors will only lead to resentment and failure to cooperate. This in-turn leads to employee dissatisfaction and most likely, a lack in quality produced products. Third on this list is "change everything". Trying to " re-invent the wheel" will most likely lead to the discomfort of employees. Most people find it hard to change with the times. Most feel comfortable by staying with routine and what he/she knows. Moving individuals out of his/her comfort zone can have a negative impact on performance. With that said though, sometimes change is necessary, considering that our economic system is financially unstable, which in turn is effecting the way companies are doing business in this globalized business world. This list does continues on with negatives that impact job satisfaction, but I would also like to take the time to point out the positive influences managers can have as well. Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. Organizational Behavior. chapter 12. Throughout this course we have learned the behaviors of individuals in the work place, motivation, stress, communication, etc. Chapter 12, "Leading People Within Organizations" was an eye opener for me. Some of the most fundamental aspects of managing a team or company has been forgot in my eyes by most managers in this current job market. I believe today, employees are missing the "People orientated leaders". By definition, "People Orientated Leaders" are those that " show concern for employee feelings and treating employees with respect and consideration". (Bauer & Erdogan pg.290.) Managers of today in my mind follow "Theory X" which states " employees are lazy, do not enjoy working, and will avoid expending energy on work whenever possible". ( Bauer & Erdogan pg. 291.) I clearly stated earlier that companies are struggling to return to a high standing in profitability due to a failing economy. By saying this, managers need to find ways to justify cuts and spending within an organization. So how do they go about making such cut? By having an assertive attitude and pointing the finger at employees. I don 't believe "theory X" is completely wrong, some workers in our companies are indeed lazy and do not want to expend energy on task provided, but I think if the managers of today were just as concerned with his/her workforce by being " Open, Conscientious, Sociable, and Agreeable", as he/she is about profits and the stakeholders, the organizational environment may have a more fruitful existence along with a boost in productivity. [Bauer, T., & Erdogan pg. 286.]

Lisa M. Saari & Timothy a. Judge Case study Employee Attitudes And Job Satisfaction. is an analysis of " three major gaps between HR practice and scientific research in the area of employee attitudes in general and the most focal employee attitude in particular- job satisfaction: 1) the cause of employee attitudes, 2) the result of positive or negative job satisfaction, and 3) how to measure and influence employee attitudes". [Saari & Judge]
Gap-1 " The Cause of Employee Attitudes" The first gap focuses on" employee personalities, cultural influences, and work situation influences". A study on dispositional influences found that " childhood temperament was statistically related to adult job satisfaction up to 40 years later". (Staw, Bell, & Clausen, 1986) Further studies have shown that job satisfaction stems from a individuals " disposition or temperament". (Shane, & Herald, 1996) Despite the findings of these individuals Erez states that " one of the limitations in this literature is that it is not yet informative as to how exactly dispositions affect job satisfaction". (Erez, 1994) The researchers do say there is a correlation between job satisfaction, but know that "organizations cannot directly impact employee personalities". So companies take different measures by placing employee into jobs that best suit him/her, and in-turn, improve employee attitudes. Cultural influences is another hot topic in this globalized job market. With the United States being the melting pot of the world, cross cultural workforces are inevitable. A study performed by Hofstede stated that there are " four cross-cultural dimensions, (1) Individualism- collectivism; (2) uncertainty avoidance versus risk taking; (3) Power distance; (4) masculinity/femininity. (Hofstede, 1980) The importance of HR to understand these four " cross-cultural factors" is detrimental to the adjustment of different cultural attitudes within an organization. [Hofstede] The last portions of gap-1 is "Work Situation Influence". This to me is one if not the most important factor of job satisfaction, "is the nature of the work itself" satisfying. Studies have shown that " when employees are asked to evaluate different facets of his/her job, pay, supervision, promotional opportunities, and co-workers", the value of the work itself emerges as the most important element of his/her job. ( Judge & Church, 2000; Jorgensen, 1978) I believe this question is of the utmost importance when pursuing a career. In my eyes, we as a society look more towards what career path is going to provide us with financial superiority. The fact that most students don 't take into consideration the value of the work itself, many future employees will have a negative disposition once he/she is part of the workforce. Overall, the "challenges, autonomy, variety, and scope- best predict overall job satisfaction". (e.g, Fried & Ferris, 1987, Parisi & Weiner, 1999;Weiner, 2000)
Gap-2, "The Results of Positives or Negative Job Satisfaction". Although this section of the case study points out three specific examples of what cause negative or positive job satisfaction, I would like to focus on "Withdrawal Behavior". " Job satisfaction shows correlations with turnovers and absenteeism in the -.25 range". Withdrawal behavior is also linked to " lateness, unionization, grievance, drug abuse, and decision to retire". (Hackett & Guion, 1985; Kohler & Mathieu, 1993) As the articles goes deeper into the research, they find that companies that have a high turnover rate cost themselves more than they would if employees were satisfied and stayed within the organization. The amount of expenses it takes to train new personnel is almost double what they were paying the employee that withdrew from the organization. " Using these methods can be a powerful way for practitioners to reveal the cost of low job satisfaction". (Cascio,1986; Mirvis & lawler, 1977)
Gap 3- How to Measure and Influence Employee Attitudes. This last portion of the case study covers many elements on measuring and influencing employee attitudes. One of the most efficient ways to measure employee attitudes is by conducting surveys. Two of the most prominent surveys for measuring employee attitudes are, " Job descriptive index" ( JDI; Smith, Kendall& Hulin), and the "Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire" (MSQ; Weiss, Dawis, England, and Lofquist). By conducting these surveys, companies can determine " specific strength and weaknesses related to employee job satisfaction". Also, these surveys provide data that a company can use to pinpoint problem areas within the organization. Nypro uses such surveys via internet to determine employee job satisfaction, would you recommend a relative or friend to work at Nypro, and are you satisfied with the work provided, question like that. This case study concludes its research with the view that more in-depth study is needed to measure the impact that employee attitudes have on an organization. Furthermore, this research will dive deeper into the understanding of " relationships between employee attitudes and business performance". This in-turn "will Assist HR professionals as they strive to enhance the essential people side of the business in a highly competitive, global arena". Lisa M. [Saari & Timothy a. Judge] I believe this case study pointed out some very strong facts that dictate a positive or negative attitude as it pertains to job satisfaction. Although the work performed was a focal point for this research and how it plays into a fruitful work environment. Managers attitude, friendship in the workplace, and economic stability, should have been focal points too of their research. I believe these three key factors play just as much a role in job satisfaction and employee attitudes as any other facet of a work environment. Understanding not just the employee and his/her personality, but the scope of the work environment, and management personnel that govern action among employees, will surely improve employee performance, attitude, and overall wellbeing of a company 's workforce. In conclusion, I chose this topic out of the many provided because job satisfaction in the work place has become a sore subject to discuss among co-workers in recent years. Since I have been in the manufacturing industry, I have heard talk of the business not being what it used to be. Employees are dissatisfied with the way companies in the manufacturing sector of business treat their employees. People don 't feel a sense of job security, are overworked, understaffed, and underpaid. In this declining economy, companies that once saw rising profits, now find themselves making cut anywhere they can. This of course will impact the company 's workforce itself. My degree pertains to management, and although there is areas of the business that are hard to control at the time, price of natural resources, economic stability of the firm, competitors prices, and wages for employees, does not mean that managers have to forget fundamental areas he/she can control, company functions for staff members, personal interaction with the workforce, and letters or emails of praise to employees. I understand the financial collapse of the economy in 2008-2009 hurt a lot of firms, and those firms are still recovering from unethical acts performed by banks, wall street, and government personnel, but let 's not forget that the way we treat our employees has a huge impact on, production, employee morals, customer satisfaction, and the firm itself. I hope to one day be in a management position so that I can make a difference in employees lives as it pertains to his/her work environment. I want to lend an ear, be open, be passive and assertive to get task done, and most importantly, understand that the backbone of the organization lies within a happy and productive employee. During my journey through this course, Organizational Behavior, I have learned the importance of understanding people from the standpoint of work ethic, cultural differences, and how different personalities play into how a organization blends its population and functions as a team. Although the book covers managing and leading people within organizations, proper decision making skills, and the political aspect of power within companies. I believe an effective manager that is trying to create job satisfaction for his/her workforce needs personal people skill, and an understanding of cultural differences. I believe these fundamental characteristics, especially people skill, are sorely lacking in today 's job market of managers. The main focus of most managers today seems to lie with the financial wellbeing of the company rather than having a balance between finances and employee welfare. This course has taught me how to interact with people on a professional level. Sure, I may not get along with everyone and may not have all the answers when I am a manager, but treating everyone with dignity and respect far outweighs one 's ability to make the bottom line look good. Besides, without a mentally healthy workforce, profits and success could be far out of reach.

References
Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. Organizational Behavior. Chapter 11. www.clevelandfed.org/research/trends/2011/0611/01infpri.cfm www.management.about.com/od/begintomanage/tp/newmgrmistake.htm
www.utm.edu/staff/mikem/documents/jobsatisfaction.pdf

References: Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. Organizational Behavior. Chapter 11. www.clevelandfed.org/research/trends/2011/0611/01infpri.cfm www.management.about.com/od/begintomanage/tp/newmgrmistake.htm www.utm.edu/staff/mikem/documents/jobsatisfaction.pdf