Job Satisfaction: Time, a higher form of currency than money.

Fei Ming Chu

Florida Institute of Technology

BUS 5450 - Organizational Behavior

JOB SATISFACTION: TIME A HIGHER FORM OF CURRENCY THAN MONEY

Abstract
This integrated article explores three different peer-review articles that report on the key role

work flexibility arrangements can play in enhancing job satisfaction more than money or higher

pay. An evaluation based on various reports and research findings will aim to examine the

relationship between work flexibility and job satisfaction. This article will discuss the benefits of

an organization balancing flexible work arrangements to achieve job satisfaction, as well as the

link between different types of flexible working arrangements and how they relate to employee

performance. Final remarks/conclusion will correlate work flexibility to employee attitude.

Keywords: Attitude, Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, Work Flexibility.

JOB SATISFACTION: TIME A HIGHER FORM OF CURRENCY THAN MONEY

Organizations are increasingly challenged on ways to motivate their employees using different

means. For some, it’s the provision of higher pay; for others, incentives, recognition, flexible

work environment, etc. This article will focus on giving employees work flexibility and how this

encourages them to perform their best and participate actively in solving organizational issues

while also motivating them to achieve their goals, have better attitudes and increase job

satisfaction. Most organizations see employee job satisfaction as an important topic with

employers usually offering some form of work flexibility to their employees. A significant

amount of employees take advantage of the availability of flexible working arrangements as they

are now able to exercise some control over how they work, as long as the work gets done.

Studies performed have shown the association between the introduction of flexible working

hours and employee attitudes, individual performance, health, job satisfaction, and total well-

being of employees. These studies indicate positive correlation of job performance and

satisfaction with job flexibility. For studies that argue that there is no direct evidence linking

performance and job satisfaction with work flexibility, there is some agreement that this type of

arrangement is popular with employees and inexpensive for employers. Therefore, this type of

result still points to a positive employee outcome that evidently increases performance and

creates job satisfaction (De Menezes & Kelliher, 2016).

In the article by De Menezes & Kelliher (2016), work flexibility is defined as arrangements that

allow employees the freedom to decide on the location and timing of their work, in addition to

the amount of hours they choose to work. Examples of work flexibility arrangements that will

help employees balance the demands of their work life and personal life more effectively are

reduced hours (such as working Monday through Thursday; having Friday and the weekend off),

the ability to work remotely, and flexible working hours rather than a restrictive 8 am - 5 pm
JOB SATISFACTION: TIME A HIGHER FORM OF CURRENCY THAN MONEY

schedule. Organizations can choose between a formal form of flexible working arrangement and

an informal form. The formal form of arrangement is designed by the organization’s flexible

work policy which requires the employee to send a written request for his manager to consider.

On the flip side, the informal form of flexible work arrangement is a pre-arranged agreement that

does not require changes to an employee’s contractual employment document. In cases like this,

informal arrangements are initiated and negotiated by the individual and must be beneficial to

both the employee and the employer, be heterogeneous in nature and be variable in scope. Such

leeway in this form of arrangement is not applicable to all positions and is sometimes available

to highly skilled personnel. An important difference between formal and informal flexibility

arrangements is that once the agreement is reached in a formal arrangement, while not

impossible, it is sometimes difficult for the employer to change the agreement without formal

process. Conversely, in the informal arrangement the manager can change his mind at any time

and require the employee to return back to a standard work arrangement. Due to an inherent lack

of security within an informal arrangement, the employee will not want to risk losing his current

deal and, in order to protect the flexibility of his/her working arrangement, will feel inclined to

perform at a higher level. Because of this, informal work flexibility tends to have a greater

positive effect on how employees value and perceive their employer. It also tends to lead to

higher job satisfaction and better job performance when compared to a formal form of flexible

work arrangement (Kovacs et al., 2017).

Giving employees some say or autonomy over their work arrangements gives them a sense of

independence which is linked to job satisfaction and higher yields or performance. How is this

possible? Employees are able to work when they are at their best mentally. They feel indebted

and loyal to the employer, and they are able to better cope with higher demands from the job (De
JOB SATISFACTION: TIME A HIGHER FORM OF CURRENCY THAN MONEY

Menezes & Kelliher, 2016). Employees feel satisfied when there is a balance between what they

give to an organization (input) and what they receive (output). An employer allowing the option

of flexibility in the work arrangement creates a feeling of commitment or obligation in the

employee. This feeling of obligation is hard to achieve with monetary rewards. That being said,

the influence of money and income are usually seen as important factors when it relates to job

satisfaction, and their influence should not be underestimated. This can be due to the fact that

pay-level or monetary rewards have traditionally been seen as a status characteristic that

provides self-esteem for the employee and a source of satisfaction at work. Furthermore, it is

indicative of the employee’s worth to the organization and is usually an accurate measuring stick

in regards to level of competency and the overall appreciation and/or recognition on behalf of the

organization.

According to Neirotti et al., (2019), a lack of flexible work arrangements might push the focus of

managerial attention to center on creating an appropriate workspace rather than having it be fully

centered on business process requirements. However, an organization may encounter a point of

diminishing returns when a large portion of its employees practice a flexible work arrangement.

This can ultimately result in a reduction of the overall organizational performance due to a lack

of certain process conditions which can lead to difficulty in coordination. Work flexibility by

itself can also have severe limitations if there is a lack of employee involvement and

accountability, or a lack of organizational commitment. Moreover, work flexibility, employee

involvement and accountability, as well as organizational commitment are all directly correlated

to the role technology plays in the professional and social integration of employees working

away from job premises or at home. Essentially, no matter how business processes are arranged,

the probability of abuse in a work flexibility policy is high, whether intentionally or

JOB SATISFACTION: TIME A HIGHER FORM OF CURRENCY THAN MONEY

unintentionally, due to personal distractions and pursuit of non-work-related needs and

requirements (Neirotti et al., 2019).

In conclusion work flexibility correlates positively with employee work attitudes such as

organizational commitment, job involvement and job satisfaction. By promoting work flexibility,

organizations treat their employees as primary resources and recognize that their employees play

a vital role in achieving the organization’s objectives. Moreover, they have the certainty of

fostering increased job satisfaction. The advantages for organizations when employees are

satisfied with their jobs are numerous and include an increase in employee output/performance,

employee empowerment, increased commitment, increased profitability, stress reduction, better

employee health, enhanced job involvement, and improved employee retention. Organizations

should be fully committed to the successful implementation of work flexibility in order to avoid

the abuse of work flexibility benefits by their employees. In my opinion, further research needs

to be conducted into the possible reasons why a flexible work policy may not influence the job

satisfaction of employees in certain situations, and the reasons behind this lack of satisfaction as

it relates to the present arrangement practiced by the organization. These reasons could help

identify ways in which organizations could play a more important role in balancing increased job

satisfaction on the part of beneficiaries of flexible working arrangements, while simultaneously

keeping employee involvement and commitment high.

JOB SATISFACTION: TIME A HIGHER FORM OF CURRENCY THAN MONEY

References

De Menezes, L. M., & Kelliher, C. (2016). Flexible Working, Individual Performance, and

Employee Attitudes: Comparing Formal and Informal Arrangements. Human Resource

Management, 56(6), 1051–1070. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21822

Kovacs, C., Stiglbauer, B., Batinic, B., & Gnambs, T. (2017). Exploring Different Forms of Job

(Dis)Satisfaction and Their Relationship with Well-Being, Motivation and

Performance. Applied Psychology, 67(3), 523–556. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12128

Neirotti, P., Raguseo, E., & Gastaldi, L. (2019). Designing flexible work practices for job

satisfaction: the relation between job characteristics and work disaggregation in different

types of work arrangements. New Technology, Work and Employment.

https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12141