Psychogeek

Is job satisfaction fundamental in the workplace?

Job satisfaction plays an essential role to retain an effective employee. Satisfied employees are adherence towards their work which lead to improve their performance and to the success of the organisation for which they work.
The concept of job satisfaction has been defined in many ways. However, the most used definition of job satisfaction in organizational research is the one proposed by Locke (1976), who described job satisfaction as

Therefore, Job satisfaction is the feeling of wellbeing of employees about their job and includes multidimensional psychological responses to one’s job. Such responses have cognitive, affective and behavioral components. Locke’s definition of job satisfaction fits well with typical conceptualizations of social attitudes. However, social attitudes tend to be weak predictors of specific behaviors, while job satisfaction is more reliable and strongly related to job behaviors.

Going deeper and more recently, job satisfaction has been described as a range of positive or negative feelings and emotions with which employees view their work (Karatepe, Uludag, Menevis, Hadzimehmedagic, & Baddar, 2006).

Job satisfaction is distinguished by many facets among which we can point out salary, promotion, supervision, the work itself, coworkers, communication, working conditions and management. Moreover, it can be an important predictor of work behaviors, such as organizational commitment, absenteeism, turnover, motivation and employee relations.

Starting from the interview phase, and especially while working, the satisfaction of the employee meets the satisfaction of the employer. The latter is characterized by the preparation in the field and the skills of the employees, who can give added value and respond to the needs of the organization. Therefore, it is necessary that the two roles meet halfway between what the employee would like to obtain and what the employer demands.

In cases where the employee's demand and the employer's supply are not on the same level, this can lead to job dissatisfaction, which can bring to frustration, aggression, psychological withdrawal, poor physical health and shortened the life span of employees.

Job dissatisfaction can produce reactions that are prejudicial to the achievement of the company's goals. Therefore, it is in the personal interest of the employers of organizations, as well as the employees themselves, to determine whether there is dissatisfaction and attempt to remedy it.

Job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are psychological states that allow for numerous and varied alternatives of action, such as change job performances, individual and group protest, turnovers, change values and reactions, etc. All these alternatives may lead to different consequences, which can improve employee and employer satisfaction.

It is important to point out that satisfaction is not everything in the workplace, it is just a prerequisite. For instance, employee engagement is another fundamental concept in addition to satisfaction. It represents the employee’s measure of engagement with the organization. Employees who feel involved and passionate in the company's goals and shares its values are more productive. If employees perceives their role as relevant within the company, in fact, they feel as an active part of the organization and, with the same skills, they will prove to be more efficient and collaborative than an unengaged employee.

In conclusion, it is important to know and understand the difference between satisfaction and engagement, which is critical for an organization to make strategic decisions to create and improve the culture of engagement.