Job Satisfaction Defined

Job Satisfaction is the employee’s total positive feeling about the job and job environment. The
feeling could be measured either as cognitive (evaluative) or affective (emotional) or
behavioural components. There are countless numbers of research done in this field, and the
satisfaction measures vary in the extent to which they measure feelings or cognitions about the
job (Hulin, 2003).
Job satisfaction also includes the context of an individual’s experience of work, their quality of
work-life, and the value that a job has to offer to an employee. Sometimes, job satisfaction is
defined based on its relationships with other important factors, including general wellbeing,
work stress, control at work, homework interface, and working conditions (Tomaževič & J Seljak,
2014).

How job satisfaction has been defines throughout the history?

1) Dispositional Approach- The main focus of this approach is to explain that job
satisfaction is to some extent an individual trait. Further, the approach was narrowed
down to four Core Self-evaluations that determine one's disposition towards job
satisfaction: self-esteem, general selfefficacy, locus of control, and neuroticism (Judge,
Locke, & Durham, 1997).
2) Equity Theory suggests that if an individual thinks there is an inequality between two
individuals, the person is likely to be distressed because the ratio between the input and
the output are not equal (Huseman, Hatfield, & Miles, 1987). The main aspiration of this
theory is to maintain equity between one’s qualifications, and outcomes s/he offers vs
one who does not have or has to offer the same outcomes.
3) Discrepancy/Affect Theory -The theory advocates that job satisfaction comes from an
individual's feeling rather than his/the fulfillment of needs. The discrepancy, therefore,
appears when someone receives less that s/he wanted or expected. Edwin A.
Locke(1976).
4) Motivatorhygiene/two-factor Theory- The main attraction of this theory is to emphasize
on the assumption that the job satisfaction or dissatisfaction is led by two main factors
called the motivation and hygiene factors. Motivation factors include pay and benefits,
recognition and achievement need, etc. and in the presence of these; employees will be
satisfied. On the other hand, in the absence of hygiene factors, including working
conditions, company, policies and structure, job security, etc. employees tend to be
dissatisfied (Herzberg, 1966).
5) Job Characteristics Model - This characteristic satisfaction model is a widely used
questionnaire that includes particular job characteristics which have an influence on job
outcomes (including job satisfaction). The questionnaire has five core job
characteristics aimed to get motivated potential scoreMPS of a job and that is used as
an index to find out the likeliness of that job to influence one’s attitude and behaviour
(Hackman & Oldham, 1976).
Since there are multiple factors affecting job satisfaction few domains we will be
studying and measuring would be as follow:-
Job satisfaction domains :-
1) Work environment - how feasible is to work at home- i.e. does absence of office
infrastructure affect work pace or “satisfaction”.
2) Promotional opportunities- does working affect the perception of promotional
opportunities.
3) Supervision - how much having no supervision affects work as it is work from
home.
4) Perception of fringe benefits- perception of benefits other than salary like
shopping coupons,how much PF (provident fund) employee is being payed etc.
5) Relationship with co-worker
6) Relationship with seniors
7) Perception of organisation being employee centric or not .
8) Recognition - perception of recognition of work, includes appreciative aspect.

Test/paper referred:-
1) JDI ( job descriptive index ) - The JDI is the most valid measure of job
satisfaction and contains 72 questions. It measures five factors, the job in
general (e.g. “my work is good”), how satisfied the employee is with the
supervisor’s behaviour (e.g. “bad”), salary (e.g. “my salary is less than what I
deserve”), how satisfied with his colleagues he is (e.g., “my colleagues are
responsible”), and opportunities for promotions (e.g. “very limited”). The
questions are descriptive, and answers are given to three-point Likert- scale.

2) The MSQ provides more specific information on the aspects of a job that an
individual finds rewarding than do more general measures of job satisfaction. The
MSQ is also useful in exploring client vocational needs, in counseling follow-up
studies, and in generating information about the reinforcers in jobs.
Link - https://vpr.psych.umn.edu/msq-minnesota-satisfaction-questionnaire

3) The Job Satisfaction Survey, JSS is a 36 item, nine facet scale to assess
employee attitudes about the job and aspects of the job. Each facet is assessed
with four items, and a total score is computed from all items. A summated rating
scale format is used, with six choices per item ranging from “strongly disagree” to
“strongly agree”. Items are written in both directions, so about half must be
reverse scored. The nine facets are Pay, Promotion, Supervision, Fringe
Benefits, Contingent Rewards (performance based rewards), Operating
Procedures (required rules and procedures), Coworkers, Nature of Work, and
Communication. Although the JSS was originally developed for use in human
 service organizations, it is applicable to all organizations. The norms provided on
this website include a wide range of organization types in both private and public
sector.

4) Paper-1 )Measuring Satisfaction between Work–Life Balance and Work Stress

during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia- In this paper, Using a quantitative
approach, 472 workers who were forced to work from home all over Indonesia
participated, and the responses were analyzed using Smart-PLS software. The
study revealed that working from home, work–life balance, and work stress have
a significant effect, both directly and indirectly, on job satisfaction. The study
reveals that working from home as the new climate of working for Indonesian
workers can maintain their job satisfaction, and it is expected that they commit to
their work and fulfill their task accomplishment.

5) The goal of this research was to see if there was a link between remote work and
employee job satisfaction in the workplace. In addition, the mediators perceived
autonomy, work-family conflict, and telecommuting intensity were studied. A total of 185
employees took part in the study, which was conducted through an online poll. Remote
employment had a favourable association with job satisfaction, according to the findings.
The association between remote work and job satisfaction was moderated by perceived
autonomy, work-family conflict, and telecommuting intensity. There was no evidence of
an inverted u-shaped curvilinear association between the extent of working remotely
(telecommuting intensity) and job satisfaction, but there was evidence of a positive,
linear relationship. The findings have the primary implication that increasing remote work
in the workplace could be an effective method to boost employee job satisfaction. This is
because remote work makes employees feel more autonomous, reduces work-family
friction, and increases telecommuting intensity, all of which affect job satisfaction.

6) This paper being latest During the COVID-19 epidemic, this article tries to measure and
compare employee satisfaction among Indian and American employees who worked
from home. It also looks into how various telework and demographic characteristics
affect employee happiness when working from home. Design/Methodology/Approach:
Eight telework factors were identified based on a literature research for the goal of
measuring them. When employees work from home, they are more satisfied. Through a
survey of 125 contract-based employees in India and the United States, data was
gathered. A survey conducted online A five-point Likert scale was used to evaluate the
responses. Statistical tools such as independent variables are used to analyse data.
ANOVA, sample t-test, correlation and regression was done using SPSS Statistics
software.