Employee satisfaction and commitment Prepared By: Siti Rokiah Siwok for UHS 2062 at UTM

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..

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. Individual difference theory  Utilising Individual difference theory, satisfaction across jobs is consistent.Individual difference theory

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 stability 2. Self-esteem 3. Self efficacy 4. 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 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 (5 th ed) Belmont, CA: Thomson  Aamodt, M.G (2010). Industrial and organizational psychology. An applied approach (6 th ed) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth