Job satisfaction free essay sample

Kuala Lumpur Evaluation of Learning for Performance Improvement International Conference, The Royale Chulan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 5-6 December 2012 Job Satisfaction Levels among Academic Staff at Kolej Profesional MARA, Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia Norulhuda Awang a aUniversiti Malaysia Kelantan Kuala Lumpur Campus, Bukit Jalil Malaysia Abstract The education gives specific roles to the development of the future nation. Therefore, in general the role of lecturers is really essential in generating a quality graduate who will in turn brings up the nation ahead since the educated graduates are the assets of one country. This paper intended to ascertain the impact of job satisfaction of Kolej Profesional MARA, Seri Iskandar academic staff on their commitment towards academic activities. Besides that, it also investigated specifically factors contributing to job satisfaction, namely promotional opportunities, management style, working environment, workload, and relationship with colleagues. Overall, the findings of this paper indicate that satisfied academic staff will be committed to their job, with job satisfaction, it was hoped that the productivity as well as students performance will increase. We will write a custom essay sample on Job Satisfaction or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Lower job satisfaction create unpleasant scenario where at a situation lack of presence in class and high absenteeism and this will lead to demotivated students at the same time lower students performance. This paper contributes to the management and practical implications of the college in relations to employee satisfactions.  © 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of Global Entrepreneurship Research Innovation Center (GERIC), Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Malaysia Key words: job satisfaction, promotional, management style, workload, Malaysia 1. Introduction Education is one of the most important institutional organisation of a nation. It oversees issues on national agenda. Its effective running depends firmly on its coordination in the direction of societal expectation. Successful educational programs lie on the important contributions of effort, involvement, and most importantly on the overall teacher (academic staff) professionalisation. Academic staff job satisfaction, commitment, and retention are crucial to effective schools (academic institutions). A positive and healthy university climate translates into increased academic staff job satisfaction. A healthy university climate will not only increase the job satisfaction of academic staff but it will at the same time improve the learning environment and increase the productivity of the university. In addition, it becomes significant to job satisfaction because commonly held visions and beliefs, coupled with a positive environment, carry with them energy for success. Job satisfaction has been an important topic over the years (Akfopure et al. , 2006). It is of importance as job satisfaction is believed to contribute to job performance as well as work commitment. An employee who is satisfied with his job would perform his duties well and be committed to his job, and subsequently to his organization. Thus, it is of utmost importance for employers to know the factors that can affect their employees’ job satisfaction level since it would affect the performance of the organization as well. Many studies have been done to account for factors that affect job satisfaction. Among the factors are job autonomy, working environment and management styles. Karim (2008) broadly categorized the factors into work and worker related variables. Due to its importance, many research have been done pertaining to job satisfaction in various professions such as library (Karim, 2008), construction (Jaafar et al, 2006) and education (Huda et al, 2004; Chimanikire et al, 2007; Santhapparaj and Alam, 2005). There is also a lack of consistent definition for job satisfaction. Job satisfaction has been defined as a single global concept that refers to the overall satisfaction levels (Ying Ahmad, 2009) or as a multiple dimensional concept that refers to the psychological or sociological factors. Multiple dimensional concepts have been applied to discover how employees are affected by for example, the intrinsic and extrinsic elements of their jobs (Ssesanga Garret, 2005; Lacy Sheehan,1997). Other researchers prefer to define job satisfaction as the willingness to perform a task (Mertler, 2002), or how people feel about their jobs (George Jones, 1996; Mertle, 2001) or â€Å"a global feeling about the job†¦Ã¢â‚¬  in order to find out which part of the job produces satisfaction or dissatisfaction (Spector, 1977). Henne and Locke (1985) defined job satisfaction as a pleasurable or positive emotional state that one derives from their job experience. Similarly, job satisfaction is defined as a situation when an employee begins to compare the actual job outcome to the desired job outcome which is the result of an affectionate reaction to a given job situation (Kusku, 2003; Rad Yarmohammadin, 2006). Generally, academic researchers would prefer to define job satisfaction based on the dual theory of Herzberg et al. (Lacy Sheehan, 1997; Ssesanga Garret, 2005; Rad Yarmohammadin, 2006). As such, job satisfaction studies were based on the notion that the academicians’ source of satisfaction comes from the intrinsic factors which are related to job content and extrinsic factors that are associated with the working environment. Job satisfaction is a worker’s sense of achievement and success on the job. It is generally perceived to be directly linked to productivity as well as to personal well-being. Job satisfaction implies doing a job one enjoys, doing it well and being rewarded for one’s efforts. Job satisfaction further implies enthusiasm and happiness with one’s work. Job satisfaction is the key ingredient that leads to recognition, income, promotion, and the achievement of other goals that lead to a feeling of fulfilment (Kaliski,2007). The term job satisfactions refer to the attitude and feelings people have about their work. Positive and favourable attitudes towards the job indicate job satisfaction. Negative and unfavourable attitudes towards the job indicate job dissatisfaction (Armstrong, 2006). Job satisfaction is the collection of feeling and beliefs that people have about their current job. People’s levels of degrees of job satisfaction can range from extreme satisfaction to extreme dissatisfaction. People also can have attitudes about various aspects of their jobs such as the kind of work they do, their co-workers, supervisors or subordinates and their pay (George et al. , 2008). We consider that job satisfaction represents a feeling that appears as a result of the perception that the job enables the material and psychological needs (Aziri, 2008). 2. Literature Review In Malaysia, a study conducted by Noordin and Jusoff (2009) in public universities reported that academicians were moderately satisfied with their careers. Salary seems to have a significant effect on their level of job satisfaction. Nasurdin and Ramayah (2007) and Yew (2007) reported that job satisfaction among the Malaysian workforce was derived particularly from extrinsic factors such as salaries, promotion and supervision which are linked positively to commitment to the organisation. Wong and Heng (2009) recently attempted to study job satisfaction of the academic staff in two Malaysian universities. This case study was conducted on a hundred (100) faculty members of both the private and public universities. They did not include some of the job aspects that were important, such as research and teaching. In their study, they concluded that the source of job satisfaction came from policies implemented, administration and the salary scheme. The source of dissatisfaction came from personal achievement, growth, interpersonal relationships, recognition, responsibilities, supervision, the work itself and working conditions. In another study by Santhapparaj and Alam (2005) there were indications that the academic staff in three private universities in Malaysia were satisfied with their salaries, promotions, working conditions and support given for research. Saad, Samah and Juhdi (2008) who carried out a study in a private university found that the academic staffs was moderately satisfied with the health programmes, working environment, flexible hours, relationship with peers and superiors and the opportunity to be independent. The academic staff indicated low satisfaction in areas concerning salaries, facilities, work load, opportunities, equitable performance appraisals, opportunity for advancement, job security and recognition. This study partially supports Hertzberg’s theory and due to the nature of the sample, it cannot be generalised to the industry. Job Satisfaction free essay sample Of those researchers, Robert Hoppock is perhaps the most widely cited, although others have emerged with definitions reflecting more current theoretical underpinnings of job satisfaction. Some of the versions use the terms job attitudes, work satisfaction, and job morale interchangeably, which may explain the lack of a standardized job satisfaction definition. Within the literature, Hoppock offered one of the earliest definitions of job satisfaction when he described the construct as being any number of psychological, physiological, and environmental circumstances which leads a person to express satisfaction with their job (Hoppock, 1935). Smith et. al. (1969) defined job satisfaction as the feeling an individual has 11 about his or her job. Locke (1969) suggested that job satisfaction was a positive or pleasurable reaction resulting from the appraisal of one’s job, job achievement, or job experiences. Vroom (1982) defined job satisfaction as workers’ emotional orientation toward their current job roles. Similarly, Schultz (1982) stated that job satisfaction is essentially the psychological disposition of people toward their work. We will write a custom essay sample on Job Satisfaction or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Siegal and Lance (1987) stated simply that job satisfaction is an emotional response defining the degree to which people like their job. Finally, Lofquist and Davis (1991), defined job satisfaction as â€Å"an individual’s positive affective reaction of the target environment as a result of the individual’s appraisal of the extent to which his or her needs are fulfilled by the environment† (p. 27). The definition of job satisfaction has visibly evolved through the decades, but most versions share the belief that job satisfaction is a work-related positive affective reaction. There seems to be less consistency when talking about the causes of job satisfaction. Wexley and Yukl (1984) stated that job satisfaction is influenced by many factors, including personal traits and characteristics of the job. To better understand these employee and job characteristics and their relationship to job satisfaction, various theories have emerged and provided the vital framework for future job satisfaction studies. Early traditional theories suggested that a single bipolar continuum, with satisfaction on one end and dissatisfaction on the other, could be used to conceptualize job satisfaction. Later revisions of the theory included a two-continuum model that placed job satisfaction on the first scale, and job dissatisfaction on the second (Brown, 1998). These later theories focused more on the presence or absence of certain intrinsic and extrinsic job factors that could determine one’s satisfaction level. Intrinsic factors are based on personal perceptions and internal feelings, and include factors such as recognition, advancement, and responsibility. These factors have been strongly linked to job satisfaction according to 12 O’Driscoll and Randall (1999). Extrinsic factors are external job related variables that would include salary, supervision, and working conditions. These extrinsic factors have also been found to have a significant influence on job satisfaction levels according to Martin and Schinke (1998). Theories of Job Satisfaction There are numerous theories attempting to explain job satisfaction, but three conceptual frameworks seem to be more prominent in the literature. The first is content theory, which suggests that job satisfaction occurs when one’s need for growth and self-actualization are met by the individual’s job. The second conceptual framework is often referred to as process theory, which attempts to explain job satisfaction by looking at how well the job meets one’s expectations and values. The third conceptual group includes situational theories, which proposes that job satisfaction is a product of how well an individual’s personal characteristics interact or mesh with the organizational characteristics. Each of the three theoretical frameworks has been explored and reviewed by countless scholars and researchers, and the purpose of this chapter is not to provide an exhaustive review of job satisfaction theories. Instead, a highlight of the main theories and theorists from each framework will be offered, to provide clarity, relevance and direction to this study of job satisfaction. Content Theories When discussing human needs, growth, and self-actualization, one cannot look far before finding Abraham Maslow and his â€Å"hierarchy of needs†. Maslow’s (1954) traditionalist views of job satisfaction were based on his five-tier model of human needs. At the lowest tier, basic life sustaining needs such as water, food, and shelter were identified. The next level consisted of physical and financial security, while the third tier included needs of social acceptance, Situational Theories The situational occurrences theory emerged in 1992, when Quarstein, McAfee, and Glassman stated that job satisfaction is determined by two factors: situational characteristics and situational occurrences. Situational characteristics are things such as pay, supervision, working conditions, promotional opportunities, and company policies that typically are considered by the employee before accepting the job. The situational occurrences are things that occur after taking a job that may be tangible or intangible, positive or negative. Positive occurrences might include 16 extra vacation time, while negative occurrences might entail faulty equipment or strained coworker relationships. Within this theoretical framework, job satisfaction is a product of both situational factors and situational occurrences. Measurement of Job Satisfaction Measuring job satisfaction is difficult, for it is an abstract personal cognition that exists only in an individual’s mind. To measure job satisfaction, one must have a conceptual understanding of the construct in order to decide what indirect factors to measure. Since there is no single agreed upon definition of job satisfaction, and no widely accepted theory to explain it, it is no surprise that there is also no general consensus on the best way to measure job satisfaction (Wanous Lawler, 1972). The most basic forms of measurement might include an interview, a single-item measure, or a workplace observation; however, most researchers opt for a more objective and in-depth survey instrument (Spector, 1997). Questionnaires are easily distributed, have less room for bias, have increased likelihood of confidentiality, and require much less time and money than one-on-one interviews (Pedhazur Schmelkin, 1991). Job satisfaction questionnaires also can examine any number of facets that have hypothesized impact on job satisfaction, although the lack of common agreement with definition and theory can present challenges when weighting each facet and interpreting the results (Evans, 1969). The most widely cited survey instruments found in the literature include The Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS), the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). The Job Satisfaction Survey The Job Satisfaction Survey was developed by Paul E. Spector to assess employee attitudes about the job and aspects of the job. The JSS is a 36 item questionnaire that targets nine separate facets of job satisfaction. Those facets include pay, promotion, benefits, supervision, 17 contingent rewards, operating procedures, coworkers, nature of work, and communication. Each of these facets is assessed with four items, and a total score is computed from all 36 items. Responses to each question range from strongly disagree to strongly agree, and questions are written in both directions. Job Descriptive Index The Job Descriptive Index (JDI) was first discussed in Smith, Kendall, and Hulins publication of the Measurement of Satisfaction in Work and Retirement (1969). This 90-item scale is designed to measure employees satisfaction with their jobs by looking at five important aspects or facets of job satisfaction which are present job, present pay, opportunities for promotion, supervision, and coworkers.