Job Satisfaction

"Job satisfaction is defined as "the extent to which people like (satisfaction)or dislike
(dissatisfaction) their jobs

"

This definition suggests job satisfaction is a general or global affective reaction that individuals
hold about their job. While researchers and practitioners most often measure global job
satisfaction, there is also interest in measuring different "facets" or "dimensions" of satisfaction.
Examination of these facet conditions is often useful for amore careful examination of employee
satisfaction with critical job factors. Traditional job satisfaction facets include: co-workers, pay,
job conditions, supervision, nature of the work and benefits."

A worker's sense of achievement and success is generally perceived to be directly linked to

productivity as well as to personal wellbeing. Job satisfaction implies doing a job one enjoys,
doing it well, and being suitably rewarded for one's efforts. Job satisfaction further implies
enthusiasm and happiness with one's work. The Harvard Professional Group (1998) sees job
satisfaction as the keying radiant that leads to recognition, income, promotion, and the
achievement of other goals that lead to general feeling of fulfillment

.Importance to Worker and Organization

Frequently, work underlies self-esteem and identity while unemployment lowers self-worth and
produces anxiety. At the same time, monotonous jobs can erode a worker’s initiative and
enthusiasm and can lead to absenteeism and unnecessary turnover. Job satisfaction and
occupational success are major factors in personal satisfaction, self-respect, self-esteem, and self-
development. To the worker, job satisfaction brings a pleasurable emotional state that often leads
to a positive work attitude. A satisfied worker is more likely to be creative, flexible,
innovative, and loyal.
For the organization, job satisfaction of its workers means a work force that is motivated and
committed to high quality performance. Increased productivity€”the quantity and quality of
output per hour worked seems to be a byproduct of improved quality of working life. It is
important to note that the literature on the relationship between job satisfaction and productivity
is neither conclusive nor consistent. However, studies dating back to Herzberg's (1957) have
shown at least low correlation between high morale and high productivity, and it does seem
logical that more satisfied workers will tend to add more value to an organization. Unhappy
employees, who are motivated by fear of job loss, will not give 100 percent of their effort for
very long. Though fear is a powerful motivator, it is also a temporary one, and as soon as
the threat is lifted performance will decline .Tangible ways in which job satisfaction benefits the
organization include reduction in complaints and grievances, absenteeism, turnover, and
termination; as well as improved punctuality and worker morale. Job satisfaction is also linked to
a healthier work force and has been found to be a good indicator of longevity. And although only
little correlation has been found between job satisfaction and productivity, Brown (1996) notes
that some employers have found that satisfying or delighting employees is a prerequisite to
satisfying or delighting customers, thus protecting the "bottom line." No wonder Andrew
Carnegie is quoted as saying: "Take away my people, but leave my factories, ands on grass will
grow on the factory floors. Take away my factories, but leave my people, and soon we will have
a new and better factory".

Job satisfaction describes how content an individual is with his or her job. It is a relatively recent
term since in previous centuries the jobs available to a particular person were often
predetermined by the occupation of that person’s parent. There are a variety of factors that can
influence a person’s level of job satisfaction. Some of these factors include the level of pay and
benefits, the perceived fairness of the promotion system within a company, the quality of the
working conditions, leadership and social relationships, the job itself (the variety of tasks
involved, the interest and challenge the job generates, and the clarity of the job
description/requirements).The happier people are within their job, the more satisfied they are
said to be. Job satisfaction is not the same as motivation, although it is clearly linked. Job design
aims to enhance job satisfaction and performance methods include job rotation, job enlargement
and job enrichment. Other influences on satisfaction include the management style and culture,
employee involvement, empowerment and autonomous workgroups. Job satisfaction is a very
important attribute which is frequently measured by organizations.
Job satisfaction can be taken as a summation of employee’s feelings in four important areas.
These are:

1.Job-nature of work (dull, dangerous, interesting), hours of work, fellow workers, opportunities
on the job for promotion and advancement (prospects), overtime regulations, interest in work,
physical environment, and machines and tools.

2. Management- supervisory treatment, participation, rewards and punishments, praises and

blames, leaves policy and favoritism.

3. Social relations- friends and associates, neighbors, attitudes towards people in community,
participation in social activity socialibility and caste barrier.

4. Personal adjustment-health and emotionality. Job satisfaction is an important indicator of how

employees feel about their job and a predictor of work behavior such as organizational
citizenship, Absenteeism, Turnover . Job satisfaction benefits the organization includes
reduction in complaints and grievances, absenteeism, turnover, and termination; as well as
improved punctuality and worker morale. Job satisfaction is also linked with a healthier work
force and has been found to be a good indicator of longevity .Job satisfaction is not synonyms
with organizational morale, which the possessions of feeling have being accepted by and
belonging to a group of employees through adherence to common goals and confidence in
desirability of these goals. Morale is the by-product of the group, while job satisfaction is more
an individual state of mind.

Job Satisfaction is the feeling an employee gets when the job he does fulfils all his expectations.
While morale refers to the attitude of the employees of an organization and is a group concept,
Job satisfaction is the feeling of an individual employee. Job satisfaction has been defined as a
pleasurable emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job; and affective reaction
tone’s job; and an attitude towards one’s job. Job Satisfaction can be an important indicator of
how employees feel about their jobs and p predictor of work behaviors such as organizational
citizenship, absenteeism, and turnover.

STEPS TO IMPROVE EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION

The following measures are necessary to improve the satisfaction employees:

 Selection of right man for the right job:

Proper care must take while recruiting persons for various jobs. Persons without attitude and
aptitude for work should not be selected.
When it comes to placement of workers, they should be given jobs in tune with their educational
qualification, skills, attitudes and abilities.

 Satisfactory conditions of service

All those who have been appointed in the organization should be provided with job security.
They should be given decent pay. Social security benefits like provident fund insurance etc.
should be provided to employees as per the rules.

 Conducive working environment:

The working environmental should be made informal. Undue important need not be given to
hierarchy. The organization should make use of both formal and informal channels of
communication. The bureaucratic approach of the management should go.

 Conducive physical conditions:

The place of work should be neat and tidy. There should be free flow of natural light and air in
any work room. There should be proper provision for canteen. Lunchroom, etc

 Better work methods

Conventional work methods and age-old practices should be given up. The enterprise should
come forward to adopt the latest technology. The employees may be trained to make use of the
various electronic devices in their day-to-day work. This not only simplifies their work but also
makes it more interesting.

 Proper superior-subordinate relationship:

The relationship between the superior and the subordinates should always be cordial.
Thesuperiors style of functioning must be democratic. He should not make an attempt to impose
his ideas on his subordinates. Whenever necessary and possible, he can seek his subordinate
view points. Likewise, the subordinates, on their part, must repose faith in their superiors and
come forward to accept responsibilities

 Good inter-personal relationship:

The relationship between the employees should also be proper. The work done in any
organization is team work. In the absence of proper understanding between the employees,
teamwork is not possible. The employees should not give scope for their personal interest to
clash with those of the organization
  Job rotation:
If certain jobs are, by nature, dull and monotonous, job rotation may help to break the monotony
of workers, i.e., such jobs may be assigned to operation at a certain level by rotation.

 Provision of suitable incentives

Only human resources can be induced to work. Inanimate objects like machines cannot be
motivated to work. The management therefore, should offer suitable incentives to motivate
employees to perform better. Incentives need not be in the forms of money payment. There are
also on-monetary incentives. Further, these incentives may be gives for individual performance
or group performance.

 Valuation of employee performance:

The performance of employees needs to be assessed regular intervals. Such an assessment will
level their level of efficiency. Such of those Employees who are found to be highly efficient may
be given suitable rewards.

Those employees who are less efficient may be made to under get training to acquire better
skills. If some employees are found to be highly inefficiency, such people need not be retained. It
is only these people who spoil the work atmosphere in any organization.