Job SatisfactionEssay Preview: Job SatisfactionReport this essayJob SatisfactionAbstractThe issue of Job Satisfaction, Motivation in the workplace and the role of Job Characteristics have been the cause of intensive research for many years now and have given rise to many theories, formed on the basis of extended research by psychologists, social scientists and HRD managers.
The concept of job satisfaction, though of considerably recent origin, is closely linked to motivation in the workplace and is a causal factor in improved performance in the workplace. These issues are again linked to Job Characteristics, which primarily describe the inherent features of a job, which can again motivate or demotivate workers, and whose tweaking can thus change a the inherent motivational features of the job.
During recent times an impression has been gaining ground that all is not well with the satisfaction and motivational levels of workers in British business, a fact that is also borne out to a certain extent by recent surveys.
It is the purpose of this research assignment to delve deeply into the matter and investigate all the above areas as well as linked developments. This will enable the establishment of causal relationships between these variables and possibly enable the research come up with fresh perspectives and practicable effective solutions for the improvement of worker satisfaction and national productivity.
ContentsSerialDescriptionIntroductionBackgroundStatement and Significance of Research ProblemsResearch QuestionsPurpose of StudyLimitations of StudyLiterature ReviewCurrent Thinking on Employee MotivationThe Importance of Job CharacteristicsHarassment in the WorkplaceEffect of Use of Computers on Job SatisfactionImprovement in Job SatisfactionCurrent Levels of Job Satisfaction in the UKResearch Design and MethodologyResearch StatementChoice of Analytical ApproachChoice of Information ScenarioPopulation and SamplingData CollectionData AnalysisReferencesA. Introduction1. BackgroundThe worth of employees in the running of organizations has been analyzed and debated by management experts, sociologists and psychologists in depth and detail. A number of theories, most of them the result of painstaking and detailed research, are in use to explain human psychology in the workplace, the stressors and destressors of a working environment, and the reasons behind employee performance, or for that matter, the lack of it.
For all practical purposes, employee satisfaction is essential for corporate success and all famous leaders of corporate enterprise apparently were also exceptional leaders of men. Low attrition rates in companies is an indication of stable and employee friendly HR policy and a barometer of corporate well being. The onset of higher employee turnover brings with it indications of difficult times ahead and is considered as a serious competitive disadvantage by business and financial analysts.
The issue of job characteristics and employee satisfaction has been looked at from a number of perspectives. One view, which is followed by many, is the importance of money. A number of employers feel that in todays multiple opportunity, flexi choice, work from home environment, money is the basic reason for a person to take up a job, furthermore that people work only for money. Companies that pay more usually get the most applications be it at college graduation time for new entrants to the work force, or later on for mid career shifts for middle and senior people. This school of thought feels very strongly that employees join organizations, work and leave only for monetary considerations and all other reasons, which involve non-monetary factors like challenging assignments, caring environments, recognition and open communication channels are nothing more than idle talk and blandishment, meant to cover up the stigma associated with behaviour that is mercenary and devoid of any other so called redeeming features.
There are again many management experts and HRD specialists who feel that the theory of money being the only real choice in an employment choice in a free market situation has many serious limitations and indeed is deeply flawed. These experts feel that while money is an important factor in the contemplation of an employment decision there are a number of other factors, which also influence such choices.
The truth is far more complex and while the cynical continue to believe in the overwhelming supremacy of money, in its power to buy happiness and satisfaction, be it in personal life or the workplace, a number of management thinkers, social scientists and corporate managers feel otherwise, advocating and using distinctly different HR philosophies and policies.
These include the understanding of need hierarchies like Abraham Maslows theory of needs and Clayton Alderfers ERG theory of motivation, the thinking of Herzeberger and McClelland and the various theories of goal setting and motivational processes. A number of organizations base their HR practces upon an understanding of these various theories and their adaptation to the business environment. Another variable which has come to occupy a permanent factor in HR policy making is employee reaction to the comparatively new practice of having to spend a significant part of working time in front of laptops and computer screens, be it any job profile, such is the pervasiveness of Information Technology in all areas of corporate life.
Alderfers ERG theory of motivation
A core problem in HR in the world is how to ensure that successful workplaces are well organized and run properly. Given the new culture of modern business environments and the changing nature of technology there is an increasing number of people in positions of authority to hold public office, especially for managers with an increasingly large amount of financial resources. To ensure that HR is successful workplace leaders require better decision-making outside of their own office and this is by no means the case as we are living with many more responsibilities. There is also the risk that managers who may be more comfortable managing public interest issues will be expected to be less effective in these cases. To put it simply, a clear understanding of a broad set of values and strategies will help them achieve their goals.
The new corporate culture of today needs to be revised with a focus on providing strong management experience that is as successful as possible for all stakeholders, both public and non-public. In this regard, the HR reform program has the potential to address this. To begin the process of HR reform, HR departments, employees, unions and other stakeholders should consider developing new policies, procedures and standards which will reflect the best of the modern business environment as well as all of the elements presently in play. For instance: HR policy should recognize that there is an opportunity to improve the efficiency of HR by having employees and stakeholders more accountable, so that employee and non-member experience is enhanced and employee contributions are reduced;
In accordance with the HR reform plan, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) should develop guidelines that clarify the processes for using this system in a non-public setting. The guidelines should be presented in conjunction with a comprehensive workgroup which is available through the Office of Public and Community Relations
The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) should review and create new HR reforms and regulations with the support of the Federal Government and its Member States. To ensure quality, continuity and efficiency and to ensure that all stakeholders share the benefits and responsibilities of collective and nonprofit work, it should consider: the need to improve performance criteria for individuals; the needs to enhance employee collaboration; the need for staff and staff flexibility to manage and report on performance, particularly in high-stress and low-paid and low-impact work environments; the need to improve a company’s corporate governance process.
The Department of Veterans Affairs’ new corporate culture and goals should align. To better align it, the HR reform and regulations should be revised so that current criteria and policies, such as current employee performance reviews and compliance practices, are updated every 15 to 24 months. At the same time, new business models and new technologies will need to be developed and introduced to allow new hires with limited experience and experience to succeed. Because the Secretary must use appropriate measures to improve the quality of these initiatives, a new definition of the “new corporate culture of today” will be developed and an evaluation implemented to develop and refine them should the new policy changes become law.
Under the proposed reforms, a new definition of a new “new corporate culture of today” is to be developed and implemented to facilitate the implementation of policies and standards and the establishment of effective control bodies within the Department.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is developing new policies and standards that will address the needs of veterans and those affected by war and related human rights violations. The Department needs to use the new system because it is the most efficient and responsive way to engage in the new kind of work involving public policy and the management of public lands. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (MOVA) currently plans to allocate $10.4 million over four years to support the implementation of this new system. Under the proposed changes, the new corporate culture of today is to include:
Ensuring good and accurate reporting and reporting of public performance audits.
Establishing a system for managing and reporting all employees’ information about performance improvements.
Conducting a full accounting of such improvements, including a thorough accounting of their cost effectiveness.
Adoption of a revised, current corporate culture code. These changes will ensure that improvements are carried out as quickly as practicable in an efficient manner.
Enhancing employee accountability.
Training and training of managers and executives. Training and training can improve employees’ ability to report to employees using “self-report” technologies that take employees’ performance information and generates a measure of performance at a higher level. The Department has already worked to improve employee performance tracking practices by improving employee accountability. The new corporate culture requires that managers work collaboratively to help employees achieve excellence. It supports teamwork through an ongoing, ongoing review
In doing so, HR policy should include greater accountability and accountability in each department and organization as well as accountability for all employees working in positions of public authority;
HR officials should work to improve the quality of training and training of our employees and ensure it is effective in developing the policies, procedures and standards that will best facilitate the successful creation of new HR departments;
As part of this framework, HR’s policy-making committees should examine a range of current and future policies and practices and adopt a framework for all departments and organizations by which to ensure that HR is successfully pursuing their mission and mission areas. This framework should help identify the specific steps that are necessary to achieve a better HR environment, or at least provide a base to start. It needs to be based upon a set of basic values such as respect for individuals as well as the personal freedoms that allow for their self-expression and autonomy;
In its initial stages of implementation, HR should provide a series of tools to help individuals understand some basic rights and freedoms that are currently being passed around internally in HR and within the workplace;
In the long term, HR should look for ways to strengthen and increase the ability to represent and educate working groups, particularly the public sector, with key work-related issues such as quality assurance and governance at the business level;
In the longer term, HR shall focus on making IT more user friendly, which is critical in implementing the current HR framework;
In the UK the ocurrence of bullying in the workplace has been drawing the attention of corporate managements and sociologists for the last few years. It is today thought to be one of the main causes of stress in the workplace and results in a number of adverse effects upon the physical and mental well being of employees and is