Employee satisfaction and

commitment

Prepared By:Siti Rokiah Siwok

for UHS 2062 at UTM srsiwwok@gmail.com

Job related attitudes Assessing employee attitudes about

their jobs is one of the major tasks of IO psychologist.

Among the most commonly studied job related attitudes are job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

Although 2 different constructs, j ob satisfaction and organizational commitment are highly correlated and result in similar employee behaviours.

Satisfaction & org. commitment

Meta analyses show that satisfied employees

tend to be committed employees.

However, the relationship between job satisfaction and performance are not consistent across people or jobs.

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Job satisfaction and performance

The relationship between job satisfaction and performance is not consistent across people or jobs. E.g: For complex jobs, there is a strong

relationship between job satisfaction and performance, than jobs of low or medium complexity .

Job satisfaction and commitment

Job satisfaction and commitment are multifaceted.

Examples of job satisfaction facets are pay, supervision, coworkers, promotion, work facility, worksite, work policy etc

An employee may be satisfied with one facet, (such as pay) but not another ( such as work facility).

Approaches to study job satisfaction

Global approach

Facet approach

What are the antecedents of Job satisfaction?

What causes employees to be satisfied with and

committed to their jobs?

Commitment

Affective commitment: the extent to which an

employee wants to remain with the organization , cares about the organization and willing to exert effort on its behalf.

Commitment

Continuance commitment: The extent an employee believes

that s/he must remain with the organization due to the time , efforts and expense that s/he has invested.

Organizational commitment

There are three motivational facets to organizational commitment ( Meyer and Allen, 1997): Affective commitment Continuance commitment Normative commitment

( Read Aamodt, 2010 for details )

Commitment

Normative commitment: The extent the employee feel obliged to the organization, and thus feels that s/he must remain with the organization.

Perspectives to the study of job satisfaction and

committment

Personality perspective Environmental perspective Interact ional perspective

Personality Perspectives

What type of people are satisfied with their jobs?

Individual Differences and Job Satisfaction Personal predisposition to satisfied or

dissatisfied may be one of the reasons of job satisfaction.

Individual difference theory posits that job satisfaction variation is due to the personal tendencies to enjoy/not to enjoy jobs.

Utilising Individual difference theory , satisfaction across jobs is consistent.

Personality variables

Genetic predispositions

Core-self evaluations

Life satisfactions

Genetic Predisposition

Genetic predisposition (30%), a study by Arvey et. al.1989, 1994), due to the presence of inherited personality traits such as “negative affectivity”.

Genetic predisposition studies are controversial and received lots of criticism

Any takers for further studies?

Core self evaluations

A series of personality variables seem to be related to job satisfaction, meaning that some type of personalities have tendency to be satisfied or dissatisfied with their jobs.

Judge, Locke and Durham ( 1997) hypothesised that four ( 4) personality variables are likely to be satisfied with their jobs ( and their lives).

Core Self-Evaluations

Personality variables are likely to be satisfied with their jobs ( and their lives):1. Emotional stability2. Self-esteem3. Self efficacy4. External /internal locus of control

Life satisfaction

People who are satisfied with other aspects of life seems to be satisfied with their jobs., that is “people who are happy with their jobs are happy with their life and vice versa”

Fancy using “John Travolta method”?

Others: Culture and intelligence

Culture plays great role

Intelligence…and if you are too “ smart”, you won’t be hired.

Environment and Interactional Perspectives

What are the other antecedents of job

satisfaction?

Satisfaction with other aspects of life

A number of researchers theorize that job satisfaction is consistent across time AND also to the extent which a person is satisfied with all other aspects of life.

People who are satisfied with their jobs tend to be satisfied with life; thus supports the theory that job satisfaction is significantly correlated with life satisfaction. Vice versa. A very important finding.

Job expectation being met

When job expectations are not being met, job satisfaction is low and employees have the intentions to leave the jobs; consistent with discrepancy theory.

What are the implications of discrepancy theory?

Other antecedents of Job satisfaction are: Good Job-organization fit Jobs are enjoyable Enjoy working with co-workers and

supervisors Social learning theory at work Equity theory Opportunities for challenge and growth

Job rotation, job enlargement and job enlargement

Measuring Job Satisfaction and

Commitment

Measuring Job Satisfaction

Job satisfaction can be assessed by asking how employees feel about their job, either by using questionnaire or interview.

Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire

Job descriptive index

Measuring Organizational Commitment

Allen and Meyer Scale ( 1990)

Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ)

Organizational Commitment Scale (OCS)

Custom-Designed Inventories

Consequences of Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction and Negative Work

Attitude Absenteeism Turnover Counterproductive Behaviours

Aimed at individuals Aimed at the organizations

References

Aamodt, M.G (2007). Industrial and organizational psychology. An applied approach (5th ed) Belmont, CA: Thomson

Aamodt, M.G (2010). Industrial and organizational psychology. An applied approach (6th ed) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth