Measuring Job Satisfaction and Commitment

Job satisfaction is measured in one of two ways: standard job satisfaction inventories or
custom-designed satisfaction inventories. Commitment is usually measured through standard
commitment inventories.

Commonly Used Standard Inventories

1. Measures of Job Satisfaction

One of the first methods for measuring job satisfaction was developed by Kunin (1955) and is
called the Faces Scale.

Figure 10.1

Simulation of Faces scale of Job Satisfaction

Faces scale is easy to use, therefore this method is no longer be use because it lacks
sufficient detail and lacks construct validity.

The most commonly used scale today is the Job Descriptive Index (JDI). The JDI,
developed by Smith, Kendall, and Hulin in 1969 and most recently revised in 2009, consists of 72
job-related adjectives and statements that are rated by employees. The scales yield scores on
five dimensions of job satisfaction: supervision, pay, promotional opportunities, coworkers, and
the work itself.
 Figure 10.2

Job Descriptive Index

 2. Measures of Commitment

Most measures of organizational commitment are relatively short and tap aspects
similar to the three types of commitment: affective commitment, continuance commitment, and
normative commitment.

a. Affective commitment:
 I would be very happy to spend the rest of my career in this organization.
 I really feel as if this organization’s problems are my own.
b. Continuance commitment:
 It would be very hard for me to leave my organization right now, even if I wanted to.
 I believe that I have too few options to consider leaving this organization.
c. Normative commitment:
 I would feel guilty if I left my organization now.
 This organization deserves my loyalty.
d. Other measures involving:
 Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ)
A 15-item questionnaire developed by Mowday, Steers, and Porter (1979) to measure
three commitment factors: acceptance of the organization’s values and goals,
willingness to work to help the organization, and a desire to remain with the
organization. Although the questions tap three factors, most people using the scale
combine the factors to yield one overall commitment score (Kacmar, Carlson, &
Brymer, 1999).
 Organizational Commitment Scale (OCS)
A nine-item survey developed by Balfour and Wechsler (1996) that measures three
aspects of commitment: identification, exchange, and affiliation. Sample questions
include, “I felt like a part of the family at this organization” and “What this
organization stands for is important to me.”
Question:
What type of measurement method that would fit best to measure the employees
satisfaction and commitment?