What is Job Satisfaction?

Job satisfaction is in regard to one's feelings or state-ofmind regarding the nature of their work. Job satisfaction can be influenced by a variety of factors, eg, the quality of one's relationship with their supervisor, the quality of the physical environment in which they work, degree of fulfillment in their work, etc.
JOB SATISFACTION AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE Satisfaction and Productivity Happy workers may not necessarily be productive workers. At the individual level, the evidence suggests the reverse to be more accurate that productivity is likely to lead to satisfaction If we move from the individuals level to that of the organization, there is renewed support for the original satisfaction performance relationship. When satisfaction and productivity data are gathered for the organization as a whole, rather than at the individual level, we find that the organizations with more satisfied employees tend to be more effective than organizations with fewer satisfied employees. It may well be that the reason we have not got strong support for the satisfaction causes productivity. Studies have focused on individuals rather than on the organization and at individual level measures of productivity do not take into consideration all the interactions and complexities in the work process. So although we might not be able to say that a happy worker is more productive, it might be true that happy organizations are more productive. Job Satisfaction and Performance A study of the Indian situation confirmed the positive interrelationship between job satisfaction, job performance and job motivation. Job Satisfaction and Accident Research bears witness to the fact that satisfied workers are less likely to face accidents as compared to dissatisfied ones. It was concluded that accidents are closely linked to job satisfaction of workers and organizations with a low accident toll are likely to have a satisfied workforce. Another study reveals that highly satisfied workers have a higher efficiency rating as well. Being well adjusted on the job, the satisfied worker is sure to perform better. In other words, a worker with better job satisfaction tend to be better adjusted on the job, in his home and in social and emotional areas. On the other hand discontentment with working life is likely to affect the workers job adjustment and also in social, emotional and domestic life Job Satisfaction and Absenteeism Results of a study showed that the rate of absenteeism increased down the ladder of hierarchy, with managers having the lowest absence rate, technical

workers having the highest absence rate and supervisors occupying the intermediate position. Managers were the most satisfied employees with their jobs, followed by the supervisors, and technical staff. Absenteeism was positively correlated to job satisfaction and to the feeling of insecurity. Also, absenteeism was negatively correlated with achievement motivation. A satisfied worker has a positive attitude towards his work and will try to avoid being absent from work. This does not mean that workers who are highly satisfied with their jobs would almost never be absent. However, absenteeism would be less among those who are satisfied than those who are dissatisfied with their jobs. Different research studies have also noticed the relationship between job satisfaction and absenteeism on the basis of gender and white or blue collared workers. The finding showed a significant relationship with respect to both males and females and also among both white collared and blue collared workers. However, the relationship is slightly affected by the marital status of working women who sometimes remain absent or attend work late due to unavoidable domestic engagements.( Book by:Adnan) Job Satisfaction is the most frequently studied variable in organizational behavior research. This new book provides an overview of the vast literature on this topic. The nature of job satisfaction is discussed along with techniques for assessing job satisfaction including existing scales and new instruments. In addition, the book summarizes the findings concerning how people feel about workincluding coverage of cultural and gender differences in job satisfaction. Possible reasons for job satisfactionboth personal and organizationalare explored as well. The book concludes with a discussion of the potential consequences of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Those using this volume for study or classroom purposes will particularly appreciate the extensive list of references and the Job Satisfaction Survey included in the Appendix. Job Satisfaction is written for professionals and students in business, management, organization studies, human resources, industrial psychology and public administration(Paul E. spector)