JOB ATTITUDE AND SATISFACTION 1

Job Attitudes and Satisfaction

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Question 1

Job attitudes and satisfaction are crucial concepts that affect employees' motivation and

performance in the workplace. Yet, these concepts are not straightforwardly drawing

controversies because of the different interpretations, a phenomenon that can be connoted as

‘contested concepts.’ The following are the three main components of attitudes.

Effective component: Relates to an employee's emotional or mental reaction to a certain event.

Behavioral component: Relates to a person's actions or behaviors toward a certain event.

Cognitive component: Refers to a person's beliefs or perceptions regarding a certain event.

According to the expectancy hypothesis, people are motivated to engage in a certain

action depending on how much they value that conduct and how likely they are to achieve their

goals. Employees' expectations of reaching desired goals, such as professional progression,

employment security, or work-life balance, may impact their attitudes and job satisfaction.

The Two-Factor Hypothesis by Herzberg Herzberg claims that job satisfaction and

discontent are two distinct phenomena that are affected in different ways. Dissatisfaction is

generally fueled by "hygiene" variables like compensation, working conditions, employment

security, and interpersonal connections. In contrast, satisfaction is mostly fueled by "motivator"

elements like recognition, success, career growth opportunities, and meaningful employment.

While individuals who are unsatisfied with their jobs may be more indifferent and prone to

absenteeism and turnover, satisfied employees are more engaged and devoted to their work

resulting in productivity (Rožman & Štrukelj, 2021). 

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As per Kollmann et al., (2020), Equity Theory contends that views of fairness and equity

impact employment satisfaction. Workers evaluate their inputs (efforts, experience, and skills) to

their outputs (e.g., income, benefits, acknowledgment), and if there is a mismatch, they may

be unsatisfied. Employees are more likely to be pleased and devoted to their jobs when they

believe their contributions are adequately compensated. 

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References

Kollmann, T., Stöckmann, C., Kensbock, J. M., & Peschl, A. (2020). What satisfies younger

versus older employees, and why? An aging perspective on equity theory to explain

interactive effects of employee age, monetary rewards, and task contributions on job

satisfaction. Human Resource Management, 59(1), 101-115.

Rožman, M., & Štrukelj, T. (2021). Organisational climate components and their impact on

employees' work engagement in medium-sized organisations. Economic Research-

Ekonomska Istraživanja, 34(1), 775-806.