Project Report

On
Job Satisfaction

Under the guidance of

Prof. Rakesh Agrawal

SUBMITTED BYApurv Sunil (PGP16042)

Amod Tripathi (PGP16010)
Ankit Agarwal (PGP16051)
Dingoo Karthick (PGP16008)
Mohit Bhavsar (PGP16057)
Rahul Ghimiray (PGP16027)

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction...................................................................................................................2
Summary of the readings and research questions:......................................................3
Job Satisfaction differences across countries................................................................3
Job Satisfaction- Job Performance Relationship across Cultures...................................4

Organisational size and job satisfaction........................................................................5

Job Satisfaction and Leader Behaviour:........................................................................6
Relationship between Job performance and Job satisfaction........................................7
What would make you more satisfied and productive at work?...................................8
Inferences from Questionnaire......................................................................................9
Conclusion...................................................................................................................10
References..................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Job Satisfaction is of prime importance for every employee. When we brainstormed for the
selection of the topic for the project, we chose it as Job Satisfaction. While we were
discussing, we all agreed that we are here for the good job and overall development. Further,

we had conversation that being satisfied with whatever job we do is very important.
Moreover, few team members already have work experience. After leaving that job and
coming here in IIM Kashipur to pursue MBA definitely raised the question as to why we left
our job. Hence, we thought to consider our research topic for term project as Job Satisfaction
and hence did some research on it. Little bit of research on job satisfaction ignited our
interest to know more about it. What all factors affect the Job Satisfaction? How it varies
from person to person? These questions compelled us to finally decide our topic as Job
Satisfaction.

SUMMARY OF THE READINGS AND RESEARCH

QUESTIONS:
This section deals with various factors which affects the Job Satisfaction. It also includes the
answers of our research questions. Below are the research questions of our group:
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What Accounts for Job Satisfaction Differences Across Countries?

How does culture play a role in relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Job

Performance?
How does organization size impact job satisfaction?
How does relationship between leader and subordinate impact Job Satisfaction?

Based on our research and readings, Job Satisfaction varies with countries, organization size,
job performance, leaders and subordinates relationship. We will further discuss all the
factors in details.

JOB SATISFACTION DIFFERENCES ACROSS

COUNTRIES
Our research focussed on whether the job satisfaction is different in across countries or not. It
also discusses the strength of these factors in job satisfaction. Pichler and Wallace have done
the study of these differences across countries. As per their study, Job Satisfaction differences
are mainly due to two types of factors: Individual factors and Institutional factors. Individual
factors accounts for the subjective evaluation of employees experiences. These factors are
further sub-divided into Extrinsic and Intrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors are Autonomy,
Challenge, Significance whereas Extrinsic factors are Career development, Financial
Rewards. Institutional Factors are factors due to inherent national differences like
unemployment rates, average salary and wages, their degree of socioeconomic inequality,
unionization level. Our research suggests that differences across countries are mainly due to
individual factors. The institutional factors, though, can be used to understand and explain
the effects of individual as well as compositional factors. Europe has almost same job
satisfaction due to high homogeneity as compared to the other parts of the world. But Job
satisfaction may have prominent impact of institutional factors in various countries due to
disparate geographic regions.

JOB SATISFACTION- JOB PERFORMANCE

RELATIONSHIP ACROSS CULTURES
This section deals with how Job performance is related to Job Satisfaction. The authors
(Thomas Ng Kelly Sorensen and Frederick Yim) used several theoretical frameworks in their
study to explore the relationship. In particular, they examined whether the cultural
dimensions and aspects identified by previous researchers are empirically related to the
strength of the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance. The authors also
distinguished between two types of performance: task-specific performance directly related
to the job and "contextual" performance, related to altruism and citizenship in the workplace.
The study was based on four hypotheses. The first set of hypotheses proposed that the
satisfaction-performance relationship would be stronger in individualistic cultures.

The

second set of hypotheses also proposed that the job satisfaction-performance relationship
would be stronger in low-power-distance cultures. The third set of hypotheses proposed that
the satisfaction-performance relationship would be stronger in low-uncertainty avoidance
cultures. Finally, the fourth set of hypotheses proposed that the satisfaction-performance
relationship would be stronger in masculine cultures.
To test these sets of hypotheses, Ng, Sorensen, and Yim used meta-analysis. They reviewed
287 articles to determine the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance
across cultures. The results of their meta-analysis are fascinating. With respect to Hofstede's
framework, Ng, Sorensen, and Yim found that three of his four dimensions were significantly
related to effect sizes observed (i.e., individualism, power distance, and masculinity).
Moreover, the directions of these three effects were aligned with the hypotheses. Specifically,
cultures that emphasize high individualism, low power distance, and/or high masculinity
tended to display a stronger relationship between job satisfaction and performance on jobrelated tasks.

Ng, Sorensen, and Yim found fewer moderating effects between job satisfaction and
contextual performance than when the focus was on task performance. Indeed, they found no
significant results for the culture dimensions described in the theoretical frameworks. One
possible explanation for this is that culture prescribes stronger behavioural norms for in-role
behaviours (i.e., on job-related tasks) than for the extra-role behaviours included in
contextual performance. Consequently, the moderating effects of culture may be more likely
when task performance is the focus.
To summarize, Ng, Sorensen, and Yim's study provides preliminary evidence that culture
matters to the job satisfaction-task performance relationship. Overall, Ng, Sorensen, and Yim
have made two major scholarly contributions. First, they have further solidified researchers'
confidence in the existence of the satisfaction-performance relationship. More important,
they have highlighted the importance of distinguishing between task performance and the
broader concept of contextual performance.

ORGANISATIONAL SIZE AND JOB SATISFACTION

Organization size can be defined in simple terms as how many employees are present at any
particular location. i.e. any geographical location. Job satisfaction is defined by the attitude
and behaviour of an employee towards its company and her or his co-workers. The
psychological object is also taken into account.
The survival of a group or a company highly depends on the satisfaction of their employees
in the work environment. Organizational size is inversely related to job satisfaction. With the
change in organization size many organizational variables changes. These variables are
closely related and responsible for the relationship between the size of the organization and
the satisfaction of its employees. The variables are organizational structure, leadership and
worker needs and expectations.

With an increase in the size of an organization, the structure of the organization changes. The
following are the specific changes which occur with change in organization structure
1. The number of organizational level increases.
2. The line of communication between the top management and the employees
increases.
3. More number of managers start monitoring the employees i.e. the span of control
increases at managerial and operational level.
4. The issues in co-ordination also increases.
The above mentioned changes does impact the satisfaction of an employee towards its
organization to a great extent.
With an increase in the size of an organization, the domain of work which the employees are
assigned with becomes very narrow and most of the time they have to do the same work.
This leads to monotonicity and hence the employees are not that satisfied with their work.
Although, level of job satisfaction can be increased among employees by making them feel
that they matter to the organization and providing them roles in decision making processes
for rank and file groups.

JOB SATISFACTION AND LEADER BEHAVIOUR:

It is observed that job satisfaction is closely related to the behaviour of the leader. In this
context we study two different types of leadership styles and their effect on the job
satisfaction of the employees.
1. Transactional Leaders: these are the leaders that believe in guiding the employee
at every step of their job. They do not give room for any innovation and maintain close
control over their subordinates. This kind of a leader can demotivate a employee who
believes in finding new solutions and good for ones who avoid responsibility.
2. Transformational Leaders: these are the leaders who believe in leveraging the
knowledge of their employees to the fullest. They give room for innovative ideas. They
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motivate their employees and make them feel the importance of their work. These leaders are
not good for employees who often try to avoid work. But the model of leadership is great
when it comes to people who are problem solvers and who work best in free form. It is the
type of leadership that is expected in leaders at higher level management.
Thus we can conclude that in different situations different types of leaderships are important
and the best leaders are those who can be dynamic when faced with different situations.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOB PERFORMANCE

AND JOB SATISFACTION
Model 1Job performance leads to job satisfaction
Morale-Productivity theory or Attitude leads to behaviour.
Organ suggested that the original satisfaction causes performance notion may well
have been based on a broader conceptualization of performance, including such
organizationally valued behaviours as following the rules, not making waves,
attending regularly, and generalized compliance.
Model 2Job satisfaction leads to job performance
Lawler and Porter (1967)
Lawler and Porter questioned not the existence of the association of satisfaction and
performance, but rather why and how they were related. The essence of Lawler and
Porter's conclusion was that performance may lead to rewards, and rewards to
satisfaction.
Model 3The relationship between job performance and job satisfaction is moderated by other
parameter
Most investigated moderator is reward contingency.
Salary is one of the important factor and it should be linked to performance.

 Job complexity is also a major factor.

Self Esteem is also a crucial feature.

(M. M. Petty, Oct., 1984)

WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU MORE SATISFIED AND

PRODUCTIVE AT WORK?
It is found that a few factors related to work effect the level of satisfaction that a person
experiences. These factors are as follows
1. Health and Well-being: A person experiences higher level of satisfaction when his
health and well-being is guaranteed. This allows him both psychological and
physiological strength and energy to person better at work.
2. Trust and Safety: It is observed that an employee who can trust the organization that
she or he works for and feels safe about his status in his team, first and then the
organization, can perform better as he does not have to bother about the externalities
that can jeopardise his safety.
3. Enjoyment and Satisfaction: Studies show that there is a direct co-relation between
job satisfaction and the level of enjoyment that a person can garner both inside and
out of work.
4. Focus and Prioritization: When a person is given specific and un-ambiguous tasks
where he has to focus all his energies into the task at his hand. Thus increasing his
efficiency at the work given to him.
5. Meaning and significance: When the work done by him seems to be of importance
then the satisfaction derived by him in achieving higher level of performance is
higher. Similarly, if a person perceives his contribution to the end product as
significant enough then his level of satisfaction in doing such work increases.

INFERENCES FROM QUESTIONNAIRE

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1. When asked about choosing between a challenging job or stable one, 88.9% of the
respondents chose to have a challenging job
2. When people asked about the preferred mode of inducements, 64.4% chose intrinsic
rewards over extrinsic rewards.
3. The preferred mode of communication was an informal mode of communication with
62.2% in favour of it.
4. When asked about the external environment, people were almost equally divided
between the parameters of salary and level of development of the nation.
5. About 91% of the people observed, found the role of supervisor to be extremely
important while getting the work done.
6. 68% of the people preferred specialized roles over generalized roles.

CONCLUSION
Based on the study of various articles related to Job Satisfaction, the below conclusions can
be drawn:
Organization size is inversely proportional to Job Satisfaction
Institutional factors influence Individual factors affecting job satisfaction
The type of the sub-ordinates and the leader heading it also has an effects on job
satisfaction

REFERENCES
1. Author(s): Michael Beer Source: The Academy of Management Review,
http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=5bdf1df3-91f4-4ea4-bec4980d0393d1a8%40sessionmgr105&vid=1&hid=120

2. Author(s): M. M. Petty, Gail W. McGee and Jerry W. Cavender Source: The Academy of

Management Review, Vol. 9, No. 4 (Oct., 1984)

http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/258493.pdf

3. Author(s): Yunxia Zhu and Jianmin Feng Source: The Academy of Management Review,
Vol. 24, No. 1 (February 2010), pp. 86-87

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http://www.jstor.org/stable/25682390?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

4. Author(s): Nikos Bozionelos and Kostantinos Kostopoulos Source: The Academy of

Management Review, Vol. 24, No. 1 (February 2010), pp. 82-84
http://www.jstor.org/stable/25682388?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

5.

What Would Make You More Satisfied and Productive at Work? - HBR

https://hbr.org/2013/11/what-would-make-you-more-satisfied-and-productive-at-work

6. Author(s): enzo valenzi, gary dessler Source: The Academy of Management Journal,
1978, Vol. 21, No. 4, 671-678.
http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c8737fac-35e4-42da-8588f013d662c0eb%40sessionmgr106&vid=1&hid=120

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