This presentation speaks about job satisfaction. It covers the concept of measurement of job satisfaction and covers a few important measures of job satisfaction including the selection of an appropriate measure of job satisfaction. It also includes features and importance of job satisfaction. Easy to read and understand.
2. INTRODUCTION
◦ Job satisfaction is measured for a wide variety of reasons, a firm may measure job satisfaction over time to assess trends in employee
attitudes or reactions to a new policy or organizational intervention.
◦ Assessing job satisfaction might also serve a diagnostic purpose, identifying those aspects of the job with which employees are dissatisfied.
◦ As a last example, companies might measure job satisfaction to predict other important attitudes or behaviours (e.g., job turnover).
◦ Many job satisfaction measures are self-reports and based on multi-item scales. Several measures have been developed over the years,
although they vary in terms of how carefully and distinctively, they are conceptualized with respect to affective or cognitive job satisfaction.
◦ They also vary in terms of the extent and rigour of their psychometric validation.
3. MEASUREMENTS OF JOB SATISFACTION
Faces Scale
• The Faces Scale, developed in the
1950s, measures overall satisfaction
using a single, nonverbal item.
• Eleven faces appear along a
continuum from a broad smile to a
deep scowl.
• Uses single-item measures.
• It is simple to administer and score.
• It is unclear whether it is effective in
cross-cultural situations.
• It can be administered across a broad
range of employees.
• Quick and simple measure of
overall job satisfaction.
Minnesota Satisfaction
Questionnaire
• The 20-item short form version of
the Minnesota Satisfaction
Questionnaire (MSQ) was developed
in the 1960s.
• Each of the 20 items starts with a
common stem and taps into some
specific aspects of the job.
• Each item is scored on a five-point
scale.
• Item subsets can also be summed to
provide scores on intrinsic and
extrinsic satisfaction.
• MSQ provides a good measure of
overall satisfaction.
Job Diagnostic Survey
• The Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS)
measures job characteristics but also
includes a five-item measure of
overall job satisfaction.
• The items include positively worded
statements as well as reverse-scored
items.
• The items are scored on a seven-
point
• The JDS job satisfaction scale is easy
to administer and score.
• It may not be a pure measure of job
satisfaction.
4. Facet Specific-job Satisfaction
• The Facet-Specific Job Satisfaction (F-
SJS) measure includes 33 items.
• Measures six distinct features of the
job: comfort, challenge, financial
rewards, relations with co-workers,
resource adequacy, and promotions.
• Responses are scored using a four-
point scale.
• The items can also be summed to
provide an overall measure of job
satisfaction.
Job Satisfaction Survey
• Originally developed for use in human
service organizations, the Job
Satisfaction Survey (JSS) includes 36
items.
• Scored on a six-point disagree strongly-
strongly agree scale.
• Scored items are summed in an
unweighted fashion for an overall
measure of satisfaction.
• There are also nine facet scores: pay,
promotion, supervision, fringe benefits,
contingent rewards, operating
procedures, nature of work, and
communication.
Job Descriptive Index
• The Job Descriptive Index (JDI), first
published in 1969 and revised in 1985
and 1992.
• Cited as the most carefully developed
and most frequently used measure of
job satisfaction.
• It has been translated into a variety of
languages.
• The JDI measures five facet areas of
satisfaction that have been identified as
important.
• The scale includes a total of 72
adjectives or short phrases.
5. Jobs in General Survey
• The Job in General (JIG) measure was developed in 1989 to provide
a complementary measure of overall job satisfaction to the JDI.
• The JIG includes 18 items, using the same item design and response
format as the JDI.
• The JDI and JIG can be completed by individuals with a third-grade
or higher reading level and together take no more than 15 minutes to
complete.
• More recently, abridged versions of the JDI and JIG have been
developed in response to the desire for shorter measures that still
include a broader range of scales and items.
• The Abridged Job Descriptive Index (AJDI) contains a total of 25
items; the Abridged Job in General (AJIG) measure contains 10
items.
• The JIG was developed to have the following characteristics:
• Multiple items to furnish an estimate of internal consistency;
although testing stability over time does not require multiple items, it
is meaningful only when the situation remains constant.
• Ease of reading and response, for use in working populations.
• Minimal overlap of content with measures of supposedly different
variables; the global satisfaction measure should not, for example,
describe job characteristics or ask about the intention to leave.
• Demonstrated convergent validity.
• Compatibility with the JDI, because it was primarily intended to be
used following the completion of the facet scales of the JDI.
Brief index of Affective Job Satisfaction
• The BIAJS is a 4-item, overtly affective as opposed to cognitive,
measure of overall affective job satisfaction.
• The BIAJS differs from other job satisfaction measures in being
comprehensively validated not just for internal consistency reliability,
temporal stability, convergent and criterion-related validities, but also
for cross-population invariance by nationality, job level, and job type.
• Reported internal consistency reliabilities range between .81 and .87.
6. SELECTION OF A SUITABLE MEASURE OF JOB
SATISFACTION
◦ A good measure of job satisfaction has the following characteristics:
1. It is reliable.
2. It is valid.
3. It is discriminating.
4. It is comparable.
◦ Developing a good measure requires significant expertise and resources and should be undertaken by individuals with strong backgrounds in
psychometrics and statistics. The unfortunately common strategy of writing a few items and assuming they provide a measure of job
satisfaction is inappropriate. Without evidence of quality, homegrown measures may yield erroneous interpretations and conclusions.
◦ Multiple good measures of job satisfaction are available, so the choice depends in part on purpose. For example, is the measure of job
satisfaction easy to administer, score, and interpret? Does it support the types of interpretations needed, e.g., overall job satisfaction versus
different areas or facets of job satisfaction. Is the reading level appropriate? Is the measure available in different languages so that
organizations can assess satisfaction in the first languages of employees throughout the world? Finally, how much does it cost? Answers to
these questions will be very helpful in selecting the best possible measure of job satisfaction for the purpose at hand.
7. VARIATIONS IN THE MEASURES OF JOB
SATISFACTION
Qualitative versus Quantitative measures:
Quantitative measures of job satisfaction, based on numerical
ratings assigned to closed-ended response items, are by far the
most used types of measures. Structured interviews, content
coding of open-ended response items, and other qualitative
measures of job satisfaction offer an enriched interpretation of
findings obtained from quantitative measures. They are not
recommended in place of quantitative measures, because they
do not lend themselves to drawing comparisons across groups
of employees or organizations.
Overall, versus Facet measures:
Given the different purposes for measuring job satisfaction,
both overall and facet measures have been developed. Overall
measures provide a global assessment of job satisfaction and
may require the summation of several general items, the
summation of items measuring a broad set of facet areas of
satisfaction, or both. Facet measures focus on the assessment of
satisfaction with different aspects of the job, which typically
include dimensions such as supervision, pay, co-workers, and the
work itself. Unlike an overall rating, facet measures yield a
diagnostic profile of satisfaction so that one may identify areas
that might be high or low.
8. Single versus Multiple measures:
It is appealing to think that a well-written single item will be a
good measure of overall job satisfaction or different facets of
job satisfaction. They would be short and easy to complete,
score, and interpret. Unfortunately, they typically have low
reliability and validity. Reviews of published measures of job
satisfaction commonly include multiple items.
General versus Occupation specific measures:
Most measures of job satisfaction are developed for use across
occupations. These general measures are useful for most
organizations. However, measures of satisfaction have been
developed for specific employee populations, e.g., nurses, human
service employees. Although such measures may be more
sensitive to the issues of a profession or job grouping, they are
not available for many occupations and prohibit cross-
occupational comparisons.
9. IMPORTANCE OF JOB SATISFACTION FOR AN
ORGANIZATION
◦ The importance of job satisfaction for any organization is huge as it is linked to many variables, including productivity, absenteeism,
turnover, etc. It is discussed below in the following points:
1. Lower Turnover: Turnover can be one of the highest costs attributed to the HR department. Retaining employees helps create a better
environment and makes it easier to recruit quality talent and save money. The bottom line: satisfied employees are typically much less likely to
leave.
2. Higher Productivity: Irrespective of job title and pay grade, employees who report high job satisfaction tend to achieve higher productivity.
3. Increased Profits: Keeping employees safe and satisfied can lead to higher sales, lower costs, and a stronger bottom line.
4. Loyalty: When employees feel the company has their best interests at heart, they often support its mission and work hard to help achieve its
objectives. And they may be more likely to tell their friends, which helps spread goodwill.
5. Increased Customer satisfaction: If the employees are satisfied with their job, then they can give better customer service and we know that
customer retention and loyalty are dependent based on the given service of the employees. If customers’ loyalty is increased, automatically it will
lead to an increase in profit.
10. 6. Employee Absenteeism: It is likely that a satisfied worker may miss work due to illness or personal matters, while an unsatisfied worker is
more likely to take “mental health” days, i.e.; days off not due to illness or personal reasons.
7. Satisfied employees tend to handle pressure better: Employees who are happy with their jobs are willing to participate in training programs
and are eager to learn new technologies, software which would eventually help them in their professional careers. Satisfied employees accept
challenges with a big smile and deliver even in the worst of circumstances. Employee satisfaction is of utmost importance for employees to
remain happy and deliver their level best. Satisfied employees are the ones who are extremely loyal towards their organization and stick to it even
in the worst scenario. They do not work out of any compulsion but because they dream of taking their organization to a new level. Employees
need to be passionate about their work and passion comes only when employees are satisfied with their job and organization overall.
8. Innovation: When the employees are motivated and valued at their workplace and are rewarded for their work, they put extra efforts. They
come out with the ideas and strategies that are novel and innovative in nature. Plus, they execute the same in the finest possible manner as they are
happy and satisfied. With the competition in the market getting tougher with each passing day and time, it is very crucial for the firms to come
out with products and services that are innovative and cutting edge in nature and overall approach.
9. Safety of the confidential data : The management of the firm needs to share some of the confidential information pertaining to legal and
financial aspects with the employees related to those specific tasks. And there is a lot of trust and faith involved as information or data leak can
have hazardous effects on the growth and progress of the firm. And if the employees are highly satisfied and motivated, they will never share the
confidential information outside especially with the competitors of the firm. It is a very nuanced, delicate, and intricate point to be discussed, but
if we look at its depth, the conclusion is that the firm needs to realize the Importance of Job Satisfaction for its long- term growth.