Organizational outcomes are inherently linked to employee commitment and performance. Many companies, therefore, devote significant time and resources to ensure that their workforce is motivated and in tune with the organizational objectives. However, in many cases, fellow employees, management, and work roles can cause an employee to feel dissatisfied and to express their dissatisfaction in a manner that undermines the organization. This essay will discuss important elements of job satisfaction by referring to a case study titled “Ray and the Chip on the Shoulder.”
Job Satisfaction
Jobs are a significant aspect of an individual’s identity and contribute to their overall well-being and happiness. The attitude one has towards their job constitutes their job satisfaction and is the single most important aspect of their employment (Organizational Behavior, 2015). Job satisfaction is a multifaceted concept that includes five factors: remuneration, role advancement, coworkers, monitoring and evaluation, and the job’s roles (Judge et al., 2020). The former two factors are extrinsic whereas the latter three are intrinsic. The case of Ray and Victor details the problem of job dissatisfaction in an employee due to the job’s roles. Victor is dissatisfied with his job mainly because of tasks like pumping gas which he feels are beneath his experience level. Ill-advisedly, he expresses his dissatisfaction poorly by coming to work late and doing substandard work that results in complaints from clients. His tardiness affects his manager, Ray, who is unable to remonstrate with him having played the role of hero when offering him the job. Victor’s unapologetic behavior affects organizational goals and may cause additional problems for the company if not addressed quickly.
Since job roles are an extrinsic factor, they can be adequately addressed by outside intervention. Ray should sit down with Victor and explain to him that his behavior will not be tolerated as he had readily agreed to the job’s roles at the onset. Moreover, Victor should understand, or be made to understand, that he is likely to get his much-desired role advancement if he applies himself in his present roles. Opportunely for Ray, he can utilize the four-step unhooking process to enable him to engage with the matter productively (Fisher and Napoli, 2007). Once it is dealt with, Victor and Ray can understand each other’s mutual positions and improve their job satisfaction in their respective roles.
Attitudes toward Management and Co-workers
Attitudes toward management and coworkers determine whether the organization will benefit from the potential gains arising from the synergy of its components. Pinna et al., (2020) note that for workplace relationships to thrive, they must be based on accountability and trust and poor attitudes will result in job dissatisfaction. Managers, such as Ray, are tasked with creating an organizational environment that fosters positive interpersonal interactions. However, Ray is acting as a hindrance to a culture of accountability and transparency. This is evident when he is unable to reprimand Victor for the poor execution of his tasks in a timely manner (Fisher and Napoli, 2007). Other workers may feel that Ray unduly favors Victor and this may cultivate feelings of mistrust toward Ray. It is imperative that Ray overcomes his hero persona and deals with Victor promptly. For employees to have a proper attitude towards management that fosters job satisfaction, management must create a regime whereby workers are treated consistently.
Organizational and Job Commitment
Organizational and job commitment is the degree to which a worker is emotionally satisfied with their role in a company. Judge and Zapata (2015) conceptualize that intrinsic factors are crucial determiners of job commitment, job satisfaction, and job performance. In particular, how much a person’s traits fit in with their tasks and the organization as a whole (Organizational Behavior, 2017). For instance, extroverted people may be better placed in roles that require many interpersonal interactions. In the case of Victor, his job commitment is poor perhaps due to a personal trait of entitlement. Victor feels victimized by his previous employer and is therefore dissatisfied with his new role which he feels is a step-down. Unless Ray can communicate effectively with Victor and get him to overcome his entitlement, he is unlikely to show the required levels of commitment.
Absenteeism and Turnover
Employee absenteeism and turnover are often a result of job dissatisfaction. Workers unable to communicate their dissatisfaction with management tend to express it through absenteeism (Organizational Behavior, 2015). Workers who are dissatisfied with their jobs are likely to seek off days, be absent-minded in the workplace (mental absenteeism), and be on the lookout for a new job (Smokrović et al., 2019). Absenteeism can also manifest as a lack of punctuality as is the case for Victor. In many cases, absenteeism should be viewed as a symptom of a wider issue and is often accompanied by other insubordinate behavior such as failure to do one’s roles properly, wastage of organizational resources, and being unnecessarily callous to colleagues. Over time, absenteeism and high employee turnover result in a lack of continuity in the organization and can severely affect the organization’s performance.
In conclusion, job satisfaction is essential for an employee’s unhindered output. In many cases, job satisfaction is undermined by several intrinsic or extrinsic factors. While there may be many organizational constraints towards achieving job satisfaction for every employee, managers should be clear with their employees about tense situations that create discord in the workplace, Failure to do so may result in employee absenteeism and a high turnover which is detrimental to organizational objectives.
References
Fisher, R. (Producer), & Napoli, J. (Director). (2007). Working with you is killing me: Freeing you from emotional traps at work [Video/DVD]. CRM Learning. Available in the Trident Online Library, Academic Videos. Web.
Judge, T. A., & Zapata, C. P. (2015). The Person–Situation Debate Revisited: Effect of Situation Strength and Trait Activation on the Validity of the Big Five Personality Traits in Predicting Job Performance. Academy of Management Journal, 58(4), 1149–1179. Web.
Judge, T. A., Zhang, S. (Carrie), & Glerum, D. R. (2020). Job satisfaction. In V. I. Sessa & N. A. Bowling (Eds.), Essentials of Job Attitudes and Other Workplace Psychological Constructs (pp. 393–413).
Organizational behavior. (2017). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing Edition. Web.
Pinna, R., De Simone, S., Cicotto, G., & Malik, A. (2020). Beyond organisational support: Exploring the supportive role of co-workers and supervisors in a multi-actor service ecosystem. Journal of Business Research. Web.
Smokrović, E., Žvanut, M. F., Bajan, A., Radić, R., & Žvanut, B. (2019). The effect of job satisfaction, absenteeism, and personal motivation on job quitting: A survey of Croatian nurses. Journal of East European Management Studies, 24(3), 398–422. Web.