Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PROJECT REPORT
ON
SUBMITTED TO
SASMIRAS INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES & RESEARCH,
SASMIRA MARG, WORLI, MUMBAI
BY
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
DECLARATION
Pallavi Kolambkar.
Date
CERTIFICATE
Signature
Name
Project Guide (Internal)
Date :`
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I also like to extend our gratitude to all staff and our colleagues
of College of Management, who provided moral support, a
conductive work environment and the muchneeded inspiration
to conclude the project in time and a special thanks to my
parents who are integral part of the project.
Pallavi Kolambkar
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter No.
Title
Declaration from the student
Certificate from Guide
Acknowledgement
Introduction
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
Literature Review
Research Methodology
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
Bibliography
Page No.
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1DEFINITION OF JOB SATISFACTION
Job satisfaction is an individuals felling regarding his or her work. It can be
influenced by a multitude of factors. The term relates to the total relationship between an
individual and the employer for which he is paid. Satisfaction does mean the simple feeling
state accompanying the attainment of any goal; the end state is feeling accompanying the
attainment by an impulse of its objective.
Job satisfaction has many dimensions. Commonly noted facets are satisfaction with
the work itself, wages, and recognition, rapport with supervisors and co-workers, and chance
for advancement. Each dimension contributes to an individuals overall feeling of satisfaction
with the job itself, but different people define the job differently. There are three important
dimensions to job- satisfaction:
1) Job- satisfaction refers to ones feeling towards ones job. It can only be inferred but not
seen.
2) Job satisfaction is often determined by how well outcomes meet or exceed expectations.
Satisfaction in ones job means increased commitment in the fulfilment of formal
requirements. There is greater willingness to invest personal energy and time in job
performance.
3) The terms job-satisfaction and job attitudes are typically used interchangeably. Both refer
to effective orientations on the part of individuals towards their work roles, which they are
presently occupying.
Though the terms job-satisfaction and attitudes are used interchangeably, there are
differences between the two. Attitude refers to predisposition to respond. Job-satisfaction, on
the other hand, relates to performance factors. Attitudes reflect ones feelings towards
individuals, organizations, and objects. But satisfaction refers to ones attitude to a job. Job
satisfaction is, therefore, a specific subset of attitudes.
Job satisfaction is the result of employee perception of how well the job provides those
things that are viewed important. For the success of any organization, job satisfaction has
vital importance. The employees who are satisfied are the biggest assets to an organization
whereas the dissatisfied employees are the biggest liabilities.
In fact no organization can successfully achieve its goal and mission unless and until those
who constitute the organization are satisfied in their jobs. Dissatisfaction leads to frustration
and frustration leads to aggression. It is believed that employees dissatisfied with their job
may be militant in their attitude towards the management. Dissatisfaction is infectious and
quickly spreads to other employees and is likely to affect the morale and working of other
employees and image of organization.
A dissatisfied worker may seriously cause damage to the reputation and property of the
organization and harm its business interest. Job satisfaction/dissatisfaction is the result of
various factors which are related to the present job situations. These various factors are
opportunities for career advancement, amount of tension at work, work involvement,
relations with colleagues and supervisors, due recognition of merit, sufficient emoluments
and good working conditions, grievances removal, feeling of fatigue and loneliness and
prestige of the organization. Job satisfaction is a complex and important concept for human
resource managers to understand most employees do not believe their work is being properly
rewarded. Nor do they believe that their companies are doing enough to attract high quality
performers, train them, or manage them effectively.
5) Another benefit of satisfaction surveys is that they help management assess training needs.
Usually employees are given an opportunity to report how they feel this supervisor performs
certain parts of the jobs such as delegating work and giving adequate job instructions. Since
employees experience these supervisory acts, their perceptions may provide useful data about
the training of their supervisors.
6) A job-satisfaction survey is an indicator of the effectiveness of organizational reward
systems. There is a positive relationship between performance and satisfaction. This
relationship will be strong when rewards (intrinsic and extrinsic) are distributed equitably
contingent upon performance. Now, job-satisfaction surveys can provide some clues as to the
effectiveness of the organizational rewards system. They help managers judge whether the
best performers are receiving the most rewards and the most satisfaction from their jobs. The
best performers are likely to quit if they are not suitably rewarded.
7) One of the best uses of job-satisfaction surveys is in the evaluation of the impact of
organizational changes on employee attitudes. For example, the management wants to know
whether the job redesign programme recently implemented in the organization has resulted in
increased satisfaction to the employees. By comparing pre-change data, and post change data,
it is easy to determine what impact the redesigned work has on employee attitudes.
8) Finally, it is not that satisfaction surveys benefit only management. They are useful to
unions too. Often, both management and union argue about what the employees want, but
neither really knows. The job-satisfaction survey is one way to find out. It is for this reason
that unions support surveys.
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Extrinsic outcomes, however, are objects or events, which follow from the employees own
efforts in conjunction with other factors or persons not directly involved in the job itself. Pay,
working conditions, co-workers, and even supervision are objects in the work place which are
potentially job-outcomes, but which are not a fundamental part of the work. Dealing with
others and friendship interactions are sources of extrinsic outcomes.
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The concept of job satisfaction underwent several changes and in course of time several
theories were advanced. There are vital differences among experts about the concept of job
satisfaction. In this section the researcher will examine some widely used theories in
contemporary job satisfaction research.
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Using the Porter and Lawler model, suppose that a salesclerk is motivated to expend efforts
on her job, from this job he/she expects to receive two types of rewards: intrinsic (internal)
and extrinsic (external). For this sales- clerk intrinsic rewards could include a feeling of
accomplishment, a feeling of recognition, or other motivators. Extrinsic rewards might be
such items as pay, benefits, good working conditions, and other hygiene factors. The
salesclerk compares his/her performance with what he/she expected and evaluates it in light
of both types of rewards he/she receives. He/she then reaches some level of job satisfaction or
dissatisfaction. Once this level is reached, it is difficult to determine what he/she will do. If
he/she is dissatisfied, he/she might put forth less effort in the future, he/she might work
harder to get the rewards he/she wants, or he/she might just accept his/her dissatisfaction. If
he/she is highly satisfied, it does not always mean he/she will work harder. He/she may even
slack off a bit, saying, I got what I wanted.
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Thus, the theory encompasses not only job characteristics and job satisfaction, but also work
design principles, psychological studies and motivation. The attraction of such an ambitious
model has been amplified by its clear specification of concepts and relationships between
them and readily available measuring instrument. Particularly well established are the
relationships between job characteristics and job satisfaction.
1.7.1-Personal Dispositions:
Personal disposition is the first source of job dissatisfaction. It is not surprising that many
who have studied these outcomes have focused on individual differences, because
dissatisfaction is an emotion that ultimately resides within the person. Negative affectivity is
a term used to describe a dispositional dimension that reflects pervasive individual
differences in satisfaction with any and all aspects of life. Individuals who are high in
negative affectivity report higher levels of aversive mood states, including anger, contempt,
disgust, guilt, fear and nervousness across all contexts (work and no work). People who are
high in negative affectivity tend to focus extensively on the negative aspects of themselves
and others.
They are also more likely, in a given situation, to experience significantly higher levels of
distress than others- which implies that some people bring dissatisfaction with them to work.
Another construct useful in understanding dispositional aspects of job satisfaction is the
notion of core self- evaluations. Core self-evaluations have been defined as a basic positive or
negative bottom-line opinion that individuals hold about themselves. A positive core
evaluation reflects the personsself-image on a number of more specific traits, including high
self-esteem, high self- efficiency internal locus of control, and emotional stability. These
factors, both alone and together, have been found to be quite predictive of job satisfaction
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It can increase work complexity for employees and provide valuable cross training in jobs so
that employees eventually understand many different jobs. This makes for a more flexible
workforce and increases employees appreciation of the other tasks that have to be
accomplished for the organization to complete its mission. In addition to the specific task
performed by an individual, in the broader scheme of work, each person also has a role in the
organization. The persons role in the organization can be defined as the set of expected
behaviours that both the person and other people who make up the social environment have
for the persons in that job.
These expected behaviours include all the formal aspects of the job and usually much more as
well. Three aspects of organizational roles stand out as significant influences on jobsatisfaction: role ambiguity, role conflict, and role overload. Role Ambiguity refers to the
level of uncertainty about what the organization expects from the employee in terms of what
to do or how to do it. Ambiguity associated with work methods and scheduling are two of the
most problematic forms of ambiguity, but by far the most critical dimension in terms of
predicting job-satisfaction is ambiguity around performance criteria. Employees have strong
needs to know precisely how they are going to be evaluated on the job- and when this is
unclear, job satisfaction suffers.
A second source of dissatisfaction is Role Conflict: recognition of incompatible or
contradictory demands by the person who occupies the role. Role conflict occurs in different
forms. For example, a member of cross-functional project team might have a project manager
as well as manager in her functional area who holds mutually exclusive expectations for the
employee. Another form of role conflict occurs when the employees may be occupying more
than one role at a time and the roles have incompatible expectations. Conflict between work
roles and family roles, for example, is common in organizations. In order to help employee
manage role conflict, companies have turned to a number of family-friendly policies in order
to both recruit new talent and hold onto the talent they already have. These policies may
include provisions for childcare, eldercare, flexible work schedules, job sharing,
telecommuting, and extended maternal and paternal leaves. Although these programs create
some headaches for managers in terms of scheduling works and reporting requirements, they
increase the level of employee commitment to the organization.
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They have also been linked to increased organizational citizenship behaviours on the part of
individual employees, as well as enhanced organizational performance, especially in
organizations that employ a large percentage of female employees. Role conflict is especially
a problem when employees are asked to take assignments overseas that are highly disruptive
to other members of the family. Research shows that the inability to effectively manage this
type of role conflict is the single biggest cause of expatriate turnover. Dissatisfaction can also
arise from role overload, a state in which too many expectations or demands are placed on the
person (whereas role under load refers to the opposite problem). There can be either too much
or too little task scope. Research on job stress has focused primarily on high scope jobs (jobs
that require the person to manage too many things), as we have noted, role overload seems to
be an increasingly prevalent problem in todays organizations because of their emphasis on
downsizing and cost cutting. A 2001 survey, for example, indicated that 46% of American
workers felt they were working too many hours. Roughly a quarter of those surveyed worked
six days and over 50 hours a week.
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Third, ones supervisor or co-workers may help the person attain some valued outcome. For
example, a new employee may be uncertain about the goals to pursue or what paths to take to
achieve those goals. He/she will likely be satisfied with a supervisor or with co-workers who
can help clarify those goals and paths. Many organizations foster team building both on and
off the job (such as via softball or bowling leagues), because a supportive environment
reduces dissatisfaction. The idea is that group cohesiveness and support for individual group
members will be increased through exposure and joint efforts. Although management
certainly cannot ensure that each stressed employee develops friends, it can make it easier for
employees to interact a necessary condition for developing friendship and rapport.
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CHAPTER 2
Literature Review
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30
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The second part of the study was an experiment. Participants completed a mindfulness
self-training program. They were given written material and were told to follow the
program over 10 working days. The training could easily be adapted by employees. It
taught them how to observe and become aware of thoughts and emotions without getting
caught up in reactions to them. The intervention also included informal daily exercises
that bring awareness to patterns of thinking, reacting and feeling. These exercises come
from mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction
programs. A control group also filled in the diary but received no mindfulness training.
The researchers found that those who went through the mindfulness intervention had
significantly higher levels of mindfulness than controls. The trained group also had higher
levels of job satisfaction and felt less emotional exhaustion.
Emotional exhaustion occurs when people try to suppress or control their emotions.
The more we try to suppress these emotions or the thoughts that accompany them ('I
can't make it, I will fail, I am going to explode'), the more energy it requires, said Hugo
Alberts, a co-author of the study. Instead of attempting to avoid or reduce a negative
emotion, mindfulness requires willingness to stay in contact with the emotion and allow it
to be."
Most people experience mindfulness, but to varying degrees. Increasing your mindfulness
takes practice, but the study participants saw improvements in just 10 days.
Alberts recommended you stop for a few minutes during your day and direct attention
inward as follows:
1. Become Aware
* Sit in an erect position and if possible, close your eyes.
* Bring awareness to your inner experience and acknowledge it, by asking: "What
thoughts are going through my mind?" As best you can, acknowledge thoughts as passing
mental events.
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What feelings are here? Turn toward any unpleasant feelings, acknowledging them
without trying to make them different. What body sensations are here right now? Quickly
scan the body to pick up any sensations of tightness or bracing, acknowledging the
sensations, but not trying to change them.
2. Gather and Focus Attention
* Redirect the attention to the physical sensations of the breath, focusing on your
abdomen, expanding as the breath comes in, and falling back as the breath goes out. Use
each breath as an opportunity to anchor yourself into the present. And if the mind
wanders, gently escort the attention back to the breath.
* The breath helps you to connect to the present moment. If you are directing attention to
the breathing, you are not thinking. If you are thinking, you are not in the moment.
2.3- Why some employees get greater work satisfaction from smaller
companies
Till a few years back, most graduating students would dream of big ticket jobs in large
corporations, which doesn't seem to be the case anymore. The dramatic economic forces
that have changed the way we work have led people to believe that working for small
corporations has its own advantages.
Working for a big company used to be about heavy annual perks or big projects, not so
any more. Smaller companies seem a better deal in terms of job satisfaction, better job
role and appreciation. This is where they get a larger role to play and work beyond their
routine tasks.
Big companies often promise a fat pay package, but the satisfaction that comes from
working for a smaller company is way more. Employees today not only look for a
satisfactory remuneration, but also for the right growth opportunities, work flexibility,
healthy working relationship and the freedom to take new initiatives - and this comes as a
package in smaller companies only. "Job descriptions are more flexible and you will have
the chance to do a wider variety of tasks much earlier in your career," opines Ashish
Arora, Founder and MD, HR Anexi.
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Job satisfaction is another factor which employees rate high in their list of things they
want from organisations. Anupama Beri, Head HR, Snapdeal.com, believes that level of
satisfaction or contentment in a small business is way higher for an employee. Some of
the reasons are:
> Employees have more visibility at the work place
> Lesser layers and hence more accountability giving people an additional sense of
motivation and satisfaction
> Ideas are taken more openly and experimenting is easier
> Approachability of the senior is another booster
Following the chain of hierarchy is crucial in larger companies. Therefore, connecting
with the CEOs/ MDs becomes next to impossible. Small companies, however, work on
friendly terms and believe in transparency at work place. Arora says, "One of the best
advantages of working in a small firm is the opportunity to work directly with the CEO
and other HOD's, whereas in a larger company the best you might get to do is greet these
people." Another advantage comes in the form of easy promotions. He adds, "Promotions
come by easier when working for a small company. It becomes easy to notice those who
are excelling in their work. Therefore, it is easier for senior management to decide to give
you a raise or promotion that you deserve."
Other advantages
> Work and contributions are noticed
> Make you feel an important part of the company
> Individual decisions taken into consideration
> Be able to choose the direction of growth
> Good performer? Chance to grow with the company
> Higher learning opportunities
> Transparency between the employees and bosses
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Though there are pros and cons in either, the quality of work that an employee gets to do
in smaller companies is often the deal breaker for most employees. Salaries might be not
be comparable or the team size might be small, but employees get an assured job
satisfaction while working for smaller companies. Here, the phrase - Be a big fish in a
small pond - is apt according to Arora.
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"Companies should consider surveying their own workforce to gauge their satisfaction
levels. Insights from employees can point employers in the right direction for shaping a
positive and creative work environment and developing formal career development
programmes," said Lovleen Bhatia, co-founder and CEO, Edureka, in an exclusive
conversation with TimesJobs.com.
Organisations in the BFSI and Consumer Durables/FMCG industry have been rated as
having the best corporate culture, according to candidate reviews on JobBuzz.com.
What else matters?
Other reasons cited by candidates for leaving their job in the JobBuzz.com poll included:
Family reasons Lack of challenging opportunities Opting for higher education Turning
entrepreneur Long commuting hours Relocation
Human capital is a company's greatest asset. It is believed that a company is only as good
as the people it keeps. Hence, it is important to figure out the things that matter to the
employees and work towards their expectations. AravindSankaran, director of global
marketing and sales (Far East), Marlabs Inc. feels that from the time the employee joins
till they leave, continuous engagement is a key tool to ensure that they love their
company, job and environment.
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'Ethics and Workplace' survey conducted for Deloitte & Touche USA. Also, 91% said
workers who enjoy a good work-life balance are more likely to behave ethically, it said.
"To the extent that they are dissatisfied, they also get disengaged. When they get
disengaged, perhaps, they just don't take the time or energy or think fully about making
the good decisions," said Sharon Allen, chairman of the board of directors of Deloitte &
Touche USA.
The behaviours of managers and direct supervisors were said to be the most significant
factors in encouraging or discouraging good behaviour at work, the survey said. "They
reinforce the importance of setting the tone at the top," Allen said. "What they do matters,
and what they do makes a difference, and they are always in some way being observed,
and they are being used as role models, whether they know it or not.
"Showing preferential treatment toward certain employees, taking credit for other people's
accomplishments and rewarding employees who behave badly were the most frequently
cited examples of managers behaving badly, the survey showed. Examples of good
management were giving proper credit where due, being straightforward and honest and
treating employees equally, the survey said.
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CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
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3.4.1 POPULATION:
Population includes 100 respondents from various industries.
3.4.2 SAMPLE SIZE:
Due to the time constraint, the sample size is limited to the 100 respondents from various
industries from Mumbai.
3.4.3 SAMPLING METHOD:
The job descriptive index (JDI), was first discussed in Smith, Kendall and Hulins
publication of the measurement of satisfaction in work in retirement, 1969. This 90-items
scale is design to measure employees satisfaction with their jobs by looking at 5
important aspects and facets of the job satisfaction which are present job, present pay, and
opportunities for promotion, supervision, and co-workers. It has been widely used and
researched for over forty years, and it has become one of the most popular job
satisfactions. Survey instruments (DeMeuse, 1985; Zedeck, 1987). In fact, more than
12000 research studies are currently archived by JDI Research Group.
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CHAPTER 4
DATA PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS
CHAPTER 5
40
Management (SHRM).
The good news: A vast majority of employees responding to the January survey
female and older workers, in particular said they are satisfied with their current jobs.
The human resource professionals responding also said that their workforces were
CONCLUSIONS
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Employee Responses
1. Job security
HR professionals Responses
Relationship with their immediate
2. Benefits
supervisors
Management recognition of
3. Compensation/pay
4. Feeling safe in the work
environment
5. Communication between
abilities
management
RECOMMENDATIONS
industry
Gauging employees understanding of, and agreement with, corporate rules policies and
mission
Flexible work arrangements, possibly including telecommuting
Training and other professional growth opportunities
Interesting work that offers variety and challenge and allows the workers opportunities to
BIBLOGRAPHY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JobSatisfaction
http://www.expresscomputeronline.com/20061120/technologylife03.shtml
http://managermenthelp.org/prsn_wll/job_stfy.htm
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-05252004-122551/unrestricted/Travisdiss.pdf
http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/tella2.pdf
http://www.enotes.com/business-finance-encyclopedia/job-satisfaction
http://stress.about.com/od/workplacestress/a/jobsatisfaction.htm
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