1. Introduction
Most of the research in Organizational Behavior has been interested in three attitudes (S. Robbins, 1998): commitment to work, job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
Commitment to work
It can be defined as the degree to which a person identifies with their work, participates actively in it and considers their performance important for their own assessment.
Work satisfaction
General attitude of an individual towards their employment, on which we will expand later.
Organizational commitment
The degree to which an employee identifies with a particular organization, with its goals and wishes to remain in it as one of its members.
According to Robbins, organizational engagement is a better predictor of turnover than job satisfaction, as an employee might be dissatisfied with their particular job and believe that it is a temporary condition and not be dissatisfied with the organization.
2. What is job satisfaction
It could be defined as the attitude of the worker towards his own work, said attitude is based on the beliefs and values that the worker develops from his own work.
Attitudes are jointly determined by current job characteristics and worker perceptions of what they "should be."
Generally the three classes of employee characteristics that affect perceptions of the "should be" (what an employee wants from their position) are:
- Needs Values Personal traits.
The three aspects of the employment situation that affect perceptions of the "should be" are:
- Social comparisons with other employees Characteristics of previous jobs Reference groups.
The characteristics of the position that influence the perception of the current conditions of the position are:
- Compensation Work conditions Supervision Colleagues Job content Job security Opportunities for advancement.
In addition, two types or levels of analysis can be established in terms of satisfaction:
- General satisfaction. Average indicator that the worker can feel regarding the different facets of his job. Satisfaction by facets. Greater or lesser degree of satisfaction with specific aspects of their work: recognition, benefits, work conditions, supervision received, co-workers, company policies.
Job satisfaction is related to the company's organizational climate and job performance.
3. Tentative model of determinants of job satisfaction
According to the findings, research and accumulated knowledge (Robbins, 1998) we consider that the main factors that determine job satisfaction are:
- • Job challenge • Fair rewards system • Favorable working conditions • Supportive colleagues
Further:
- • Compatibility between personality and job position
Below we will expand information on these aspects of job satisfaction.
Satisfaction with the job itself - Job challenge
Among these factors, we can highlight, according to studies, within the characteristics of the position, the importance of the nature of the job itself as a main determinant of job satisfaction. Hackman and Oldham (1975) applied a questionnaire called the Job Diagnostic Survey to several hundred employees working in 62 different positions. The following five 'core dimensions' were identified:
Variety of skills. The degree to which a position requires a variety of different activities to perform the job, representing the employee's use of different skills and talents.
Task identity, the degree to which the position requires executing a task or process from start to finish with a visible result.
Task significance, the degree to which the position has an impact on the lives or work of others in the immediate organization or the external environment.
Autonomy, the degree to which the position provides substantial freedom, independence and discretion to the employee in scheduling their work and using the tools necessary to do so.
Feedback from the position itself, the degree to which the performance of the work activities required by the position causes the employee to obtain clear and direct information about the effectiveness of their performance.
Each of these dimensions includes job content that can affect employee satisfaction at work.
Robbins (1998) brings together these dimensions under the stated challenge of work. Employees tend to prefer jobs that give them the opportunity to use their skills, that offer a variety of tasks, freedom, and feedback on how they are performing, such that a moderate challenge brings pleasure and satisfaction. That is why the enrichment of the position through its vertical expansion can increase job satisfaction since it increases freedom, independence, variety of tasks and feedback on their own performance.
It should be taken into account that the challenge must be moderate, since too great a challenge would create frustration and feelings of failure in the employee, reducing satisfaction.
Fair reward systems
At this point we refer to the salary system and promotion policies in the organization. This system must be perceived as fair by employees so that they feel satisfied with it, it must not allow ambiguities and it must be in accordance with their expectations. The perception of justice is influenced by social comparison, the demands of the job itself, and the abilities of the individual and the wage standards of the community.
Satisfaction with salary
Salaries or wages, incentives and bonuses are the compensation that employees receive in exchange for their work.
Managing the personnel department through this vital activity ensures employee satisfaction, which in turn helps the organization obtain, maintain, and retain a productive workforce.
Several studies have shown that compensation is the characteristic that is likely to be the biggest cause of employee dissatisfaction.
Current social comparisons inside and outside the organization are the main factors that allow the employee to establish what "should be" regarding his salary versus what he receives. It is very important to emphasize that it is the perception of justice on the part of the employee that will favor their satisfaction.
Satisfaction with the promotion and promotion system
Promotions or promotions give the opportunity for personal growth, greater responsibility and increase the social status of the person. In this area, the perception of justice with respect to the policy followed by the organization is also important. Having a perception that the policy followed is clear, fair and unambiguous will promote satisfaction.
The results of dissatisfaction can affect the productivity of the organization and lead to a deterioration in the quality of the work environment. It can decrease performance, increase the level of complaints, absenteeism or change jobs.
Favorable working conditions
Employees are interested in their work environment. They are interested in their work environment allowing them personal well-being and making it easier for them to do a good job. A comfortable physical environment and an adequate design of the place will allow a better performance and favor employee satisfaction.
Another aspect to consider is the organizational culture of the company, all that system of values, goals that is perceived by the worker and expressed through the organizational climate also contributes to providing favorable working conditions, provided that we consider that the organizational goals and personal are not opposites. This is influenced by more factors such as the one discussed in the next point.
Supportive colleagues - satisfaction with supervision
The job also covers social interaction needs. Boss behavior is one of the main determinants of satisfaction.
Although the relationship is not simple, according to studies, it has been concluded that employees with more tolerant and considerate leaders are more satisfied than with indifferent, authoritarian or hostile leaders towards subordinates. It should be noted, however, that individuals differ somewhat from each other in their preferences regarding the consideration of the leader. Having a leader who is considerate and tolerant is likely to be more important for employees with low self-esteem or who have unpleasant or frustrating positions (House & Mitchell, 1974).
Regarding the task-oriented behavior of the formal leader, there is also no single answer, for example, when the roles are ambiguous, workers want a supervisor or boss who will meet the requirements of their role, and when on the contrary the tasks are clearly defined and one can act competently without frequent guidance and instruction, a leader who does not exercise close supervision will be preferred. It should also be noted that when workers are not highly motivated and find their work unpleasant, they prefer a leader who does not pressure them to maintain high standards of execution and / or performance.
In general, an understanding boss, who provides positive feedback, listens to the opinions of the employees and shows interest will allow greater satisfaction.
Compatibility between personality and position
Holland has worked and researched in this regard and his results point to the conclusion that a high agreement between personality and occupation results in more satisfaction, since people would possess adequate talents and skills to meet the demands of their jobs. This is very likely based on the fact that people with adequate talents will be able to achieve better performance in the position, be more successful in their work and this will generate greater satisfaction (formal recognition, feedback and other contingent factors influence).
4. Satisfaction, dissatisfaction and production
It is performance that influences satisfaction and not vice versa as initially indicated by the Lawler-Porter model
Dissatisfaction produces a decrease in organizational efficiency, it can also be expressed through the behaviors of expression, loyalty, negligence, aggression or withdrawal. The frustration felt by a dissatisfied employee can lead to aggressive behavior, which can manifest itself as sabotage, slander, or direct aggression. Finally we can point out that the behaviors generated by job dissatisfaction can be framed in two main axes: active - passive, destructive - constructive according to their orientation, as shown in the attached table.
5. Bibliographic References
- Álava, CT (1984) Clinical - Labor Psychology. Lima: Editorial San Marcos, Second Edition Flores García Rada, J (1992) Human Behavior in Organizations. Lima: Universidad del Pacífico. García Álvarez, AI and Ovejero Bernal, A. (2000) Labor Feedback and Satisfaction. Universidad de Oviedo, Spain Kittleson, Ch (1996) Identifying And Correcting Unsafe Employee Attitudes And Behavior. Supervisor's Safety Update. USA Robbins, SP (1998) Organizational Behavior. Mexico: Prentice Hall, Eighth edition. Van Haller Gilmer, B (1976) Business Psychology Treaty, Volume I. Spain: Martínez Roca SAWerther, WB and Davis, K. (1996) Personnel and Human Resources Administration. Mexico: McGraw Hill Wexley, KN and Yukl, GA (1990) Organizational Behavior and Personnel Psychology. Mexico: Compañía Editorial Continental SA
