Motivating Employees and Creating Job Satisfaction Essay Example

However, if factories are removed but workers are retained, they can create a new and improved factory. This quote highlights the significance of job satisfaction.

Moreover, job satisfaction is essential because it serves as a prerequisite for customer satisfaction. The evaluation of job satisfaction is examined by Hian Chye Koh and El'fred H.

According to Y. Boo (2001), the Job Description Index (JDI) is a questionnaire that consists of specific statements and questions. The JDI measures job satisfaction in five dimensions: supervision, pay, work, co-workers, and promotion.

The participants will provide answers with 'Yes', 'No' or 'Can’t decide' to the given statements in order to understand the level of job satisfaction. To evaluate job satisfaction, we can refer to previous literature reviews by Spencer (1997), Vander Putten et al. (1997), and Volkwein and Zhou (2003). Employers need to classify personal and job characteristics. Based on these characteristics, employees must design a perceived working environment that can accommodate the different needs of workers.

The perceived working environment comprises two categories of factors: intrinsic rewards and extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic rewards pertain to the employees' personal satisfaction. For example, their supervisor may acknowledge their efforts. Extrinsic rewards, on the other hand, focus on the job environment, such as management style and staff relationships.

The path to achieving job satisfaction involves understanding both personal and job characteristics and then determining the appropriate perceived working environment. Once data is collected based on these characteristics and various factors, job satisfaction can be achieved. Motivation, which is the process of energizing, directing, and sustaining a person's efforts toward a goal, serves to activate, maintain, and direct behavior towards a specific goal.

By fulfilling the basic needs and desires

of employees, a company can achieve specific objectives. Moreover, offering profit sharing as a form of motivation is an effective technique for sustaining high-quality employee performance during periods of significant profit generation. Additionally, training can also be utilized to enhance and guide employee performance if they fail to meet minimum requirements. Furthermore, motivation not only decreases production costs but also fosters job satisfaction, leading to increased employee engagement and performance improvement. These factors ultimately result in higher company productivity but lower turnover rates.

Therefore, a company can reduce production costs, which is related to job satisfaction, according to Maslow's Need Hierarchy theory (A.H.).

In his 1943 work, Maslow presented a hierarchical model of human needs. This model comprises five categories: physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization. According to Maslow's theory, individuals tend to prioritize fulfilling their basic physiological needs before pursuing higher-level ones. Physiological needs encompass vital necessities for survival like air, water, and food. Following these are safety needs which aim to ensure protection against potential harm through assets and job security.

According to the hierarchy of needs, social needs are connected to interactions like feeling a sense of belonging and friendship. In contrast, esteem needs entail wanting respect and admiration from others, as well as striving for freedom, independence, and career success. Lastly, self-actualization is seen as the most important need. During this stage, individuals aim to unlock their maximum potential in their professional pursuits.

However, the need for satisfaction is never fully met as psychological growth brings about new opportunities. Once a lower-level need is fulfilled, it loses its power to motivate. Only the higher level of needs can bring satisfaction. According

to Maslow, only 10% of individuals achieve self-actualization.

According to Frederick Irving Herzberg (1959), job satisfaction is influenced by two factors: hygiene factors, such as company policies, working conditions, and salaries, and motivators, such as the nature of the job, achievement, and interest. If hygiene factors are lacking or poorly managed, it will result in dissatisfaction. However, these factors alone do not motivate individuals to strive in their roles. Instead, motivators provide the solution for encouraging performance and job engagement.

People will be motivated when these motivators are included. According to a research conducted by Ozkan Tutuncu and Deniz Kucukusta, it is commonly misunderstood that wage is a strong motivational factor, but this has been proven to be inaccurate. The researchers surveyed employees from Turkish Quality Awards Winners and collected data through questionnaires. They used various statistical methods for analysis and concluded that wage is merely a hygiene factor, aligned with Herzberg's theory.

The conclusion of the study indicated that there is no definite correlation between wage and job satisfaction. Job enrichment, on the other hand, is seen as a significant approach to enhancing job satisfaction by increasing employees' responsibilities and task variety. This method has been recognized as the most essential factor in creating job satisfaction. Previously, employees believed that monetary compensation was the sole motivator for workers.

In order to increase productivity among employees, the traditional method was to provide a higher salary. However, in today's society, many employees prefer to be acknowledged and commended for their effort, as money alone is no longer satisfactory. To effectively motivate employees, it is crucial to grant them more autonomy and empower them to make decisions regarding task completion. This

not only enhances the job but also results in greater job satisfaction. By recognizing their contributions, employees develop a sense of belongingness and are more likely to remain motivated and loyal to their organization.

(B) Job rotation allows employees to use different skills and complete various tasks. It gives them the chance to learn about an organization, broaden their knowledge, and gain new experiences. This is particularly beneficial for individuals with monotonous jobs or limited expertise in specific areas. While job rotation does not lead to more responsibility, it does help employees develop advanced skills. Thus, it can be seen as a factor that contributes to personal growth.

(C) Job Enlargement: Job enlargement is the concept of broadening the range of tasks given to employees horizontally. This means assigning them different tasks that require similar skill levels and responsibility, thus reducing specialization and enhancing job attractiveness. The objective of job enlargement is to convert a monotonous job into an engaging one by introducing variety and eliminating repetitive tasks. Although it can alleviate dissatisfaction, it may not substantially enhance employee satisfaction.

Effective strategies for increasing job satisfaction must be implemented by managers in order to ensure that employees are adequately satisfied with their work. This section will explore the seven motivational strategies identified by Stephen J. Carroll and Henry L. Tosi, and assess their effectiveness in achieving job satisfaction. Within the realm of management, effectiveness refers to the ability to achieve desired outcomes, regardless of the resources expended in the process.

The text below presents seven motivational strategies that can potentially improve job satisfaction for workers. However, the effectiveness of a strategy increases when it incorporates positive motivational factors.

1.Teamwork: Managers

utilize this strategy by organizing employees into workgroups, aiming to motivate them to achieve better performance through peer pressure. By collaborating with team members, employees receive support and recognition from each other. This approach also fosters a positive relationship between workers and their supervisors, making it an effective method for achieving job satisfaction.

2.Personal involvement: With this strategy, employees have the freedom to set their own performance levels based on their expectations. As most employees perceive themselves as responsible for meeting targets, this strategy becomes highly effective in enhancing job performance. The inclusion of responsibility makes it a compelling motivator.

3.Work enhancement: Jobs are designed to be challenging and fulfilling within this strategy. Accomplishing demanding tasks and having opportunities for self-improvement provide employees with a strong sense of achievement. Consequently, they develop a positive attitude towards their jobs. The use of rewards as a motivational tool can enhance employee performance even more than the absence of rewards does. However, managers face challenges in determining suitable rewards due to varying employee preferences.Furthermore, it is important to note that salaries and bonuses alone have a minimal effect on job satisfaction as they provide limited fulfillment for employees. Occasionally, managers may provide particular privileges as an exchange for desired work performance.

There may be a problem when employees disagree and cannot compromise with their supervisors. Improper use of this exchange may result in job dissatisfaction.

complaints about companies and affect employee relationships. In general, this strategy is not effective in improving job satisfaction.

The strategy of enhancing job satisfaction through negative factors such as supervision, company policy, and relationship with the boss is considered the least effective.

Case study: McDonalds

McDonald's implements various methods to create job satisfaction for their staff. They provide insurance for sudden accidental death and travel accidents, as well as lower-priced dental services. Employees receive incentive pay in addition to their base pay. They have access to financial planning services and can invest in McDonald's shares, allowing them to have ownership and reinvest dividends. Additionally, employees can receive education subsidies of up to $5,250 per year and an extra week of paid time off on anniversary years. This helps them balance their work and life.

Cathay Pacific prioritizes employee job satisfaction by meeting their physiological, safety, and social needs. One way they accomplish this is through offering a fully customizable benefits package, making them the first employer in Hong Kong to do so. Furthermore, staff members can take advantage of various discounts on transportation services, dining options, hotels, and more. Cathay Pacific also creates an environment that promotes personal career growth by encouraging employees to take ownership and responsibility for their own professional development.

Through various planned initiatives such as career planning workshops and online learning,

the staff is able to develop practical and specific career plans.

References

1. Ryan E. Smerek and Marvin Peterson (2006). "Examining Herzberg’s Theory: Improving Job Satisfaction among Non-Academic Employees at a University", 229-250
2. Hian Chye Koh and El’fred H. Y. Boo (2001). "The Link Between Organizational Ethics and Job Satisfaction: A Study of Managers in Singapore". Journal of Business Ethics 29, 309–324
3. Philip E. Carlan (2007). "The Search for Job Satisfaction: A Survey of Alabama Policing", 74-86
4. Michael K. Smucker, Warren A.

Whisenant, and Paul M. Pedersen (2003). An Investigation of Job Satisfaction and Female Sports Journalists, 401-407

Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace.

(1998). Human Resources Management. New York: Houghton Mifflin. Ghoshal, Sumantra, and Bartlett, Christopher A. (1997). The Individualized Corporation: A Fundamentally New Approach to Management.

New York: Harper Business

, McHugh, James M., and McHugh, Susan M. (1999). Understanding Business, 5th ed. Boston: Irwin/McGraw-Hill.

, Hughes, Robert J., and Kapoor, Jack R. (1999). Business, 6th edition. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

Maslow. (1943) A Theory of Human Motivation.

Frederick Irving Herzberg. (1959) The Motivation to Work.

Ozkan Tutuncu; Deniz Kucukusta. (2009)Canonical correlation between job satisfactionand EFQM business excellence model. Springer Science+Business Media B. V.

Stephen P.

Robbins and Mary Coulter wrote a book titled "Management". It is the 10th edition of the book and was published in 2009. The text can be found in Chapter 15. Another text written by Bunderson and Thompson is titled "The call of the wild: Zookeepers, callings, and the double-edged sword of deeply meaningful

work".

Administrative Science Quarterly, 54, 32-57.

The names Culbertson, S. S. and Payne, S. C. are mentioned in a paragraph surrounded by opening and closing

tags.

The text discusses the changes in newcomer job satisfaction over time and examines the pattern of honeymoons and hangovers. The source cited is the Journal of Applied Psychology, volume 94, pages 844-858. The authors are Hackman, J. R. and Oldham, G. R.

(1976). Motivation through the design of work: Test of a theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 16, 250-279. Harrison, D. A.

Newman, D. A.; Roth, P. L. (2006).

The role of job attitudes is examined in a meta-analysis that compares integrative behavioral outcomes and time sequences. The study is published in the Academy of Management Journal, volume 49, issue 2, pages 305-325. The authors of the study are Locke, E.A. and Latham, G.

P. (2004). What should we do about motivation theory? Six recommendations for the twenty-first century. Academy of Management Review, 29, 388-403.

Vandenberg, R. J. (1995) conducted research on the critical psychological states, which are an often overlooked aspect of the job characteristics model.

Journal of Management, 279-303

The article titled "Self-affirmation and self-control: Affirming core values counteracts ego depletion" published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (95, 770-782) explores the connection between self-affirmation, self-control, and ego depletion. The authors of the study are Seibert, S., Crant, J. M., and Kraimer, M.

L. (1999). Proactive personality and career success. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84, 416-427.