Job satisfaction and stress

Agenda
Importance Job Satisfaction Break Stress (video) Discussion of group projects

Importance
Your Life:
Morning Work Evening

Jobs have a major influence on well-being in life. Affect life satisfaction, health, and general well-being through job satisfaction and stress.

Definition
Job satisfaction

How positively workers feel about their jobs. A collection of attitudes (beliefs and values) that workers have about their jobs.

Job satisfaction and organizational outcomes

Low & inconsistent relation to performance Slight relation to absenteeism Moderate relation to turnover intentions Moderate relation to customer satisfaction Strong relation to organizational commitment Strong relation to organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) Unionization activity

Job satisfaction and personal outcomes

Mental health Physical health Life satisfaction Family well-being

Measuring Job Satisfaction

1. Overall satisfaction

Satisfaction with job in general.

Faces scale, job in general scale.

2. Facet satisfaction

Satisfaction with particular facets of a job.

Work, people, promotions, supervision, pay. JDI, MSQ

Overall job satisfaction

Faces scale:

Place a check under the face that expresses how you feel about your job in general (6 faces ranging from very happy to very unhappy) What is your job like most of the time? (pleasant, bad, ideal12 items)

Job in General Scale (JIG)

Facet satisfaction
Job Descriptive Index
YOUR WORK (e.g., fascinating, satisfying, boring, creative, challenging) THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH (e.g., stimulating, boring, slow, stupid, responsible) YOUR SUPERVISOR (e.g., hard to please, impolite, praises good work, tactful, up-do-date) YOUR JOB IN GENERAL (e.g., hectic, tense, calm, comfortable)

Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire

Long form measures satisfaction on 20 5-item scales:
Ability Utilization Co-workers Moral Values Achievement Creativity Recognition Activity Independence Responsibility Advancement Security SupervisionHuman Relations Authority Social Service SupervisionTechnical Company Policies Social Status Variety Compensation Working Conditions

Measuring Job Satisfaction

Overall Satisfaction. Example:
(1=strongly disagree, 7=strongly agree) 1. I feel fairly satisfied with my present job. _______ 2. Most days I am enthusiastic about my work. _______ 3. Each day of work seems like it will never end. _______ 4. I find real enjoyment in my work. _______ 5. I consider my job rather unpleasant. _______

Job Dissatisfaction

Dissatisfaction is driven by discrepancies between desired and actual outcomes (discrepancy theory).

Individual Determinants of Job Dissatisfaction

Disposition

Negative affectivity Dysfunctional thought patterns

Negative Affectivity
The following questions ask about your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with several things. Consider each item carefully and enter the response that best represents your feelings about them:
1. 2. 3. 4.

5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

The way people drive Dissatisfied Telephone service Dissatisfied Public transportation Dissatisfied 8 by 11 paper Dissatisfied Your telephone number Dissatisfied No. 2 pencils Dissatisfied The color of stop signs Dissatisfied Self-service gas stations Dissatisfied The size of refrigerators Dissatisfied The people you know Dissatisfied The highway system Dissatisfied Neutral

Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Satisfied

Satisfied Satisfied Satisfied Satisfied Satisfied Satisfied Satisfied Satisfied Satisfied Satisfied

Organizational Determinants of Job Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction

Perceived Fairness

Distributive (equity) Procedural Sufficiently challenging and enriching work

Pay Promotions (sense of progress) Growth-assisting lateral moves Social climate

Job Characteristics

Rewards

Changing Job Satisfaction

Cognitive Dissonance Theory:

Attitude Behavior?

People adjust behavior according to attitudes. People adjust attitudes according to behavior: Change the behavior and the attitude will follow.

Behavior Attitude

Changing Job Satisfaction

Old model:

Good job Job Satisfaction Performance Performance Rewards Job Satisfaction Modeling correct (desired) behaviours Role-playing behaviours Social reinforcement of behaviours

New model:

Goldstein & Scorcher proposed training model

STRESS yuck!
A psychological reaction to a stressor that has the potential to make a person feel tense or anxious.

Why do people experience stress?

Stress is a response to perceived threats to ones goals that produce a sense that one cannot accomplish or obtain them.

Organizational consequences
Absenteeism Turnover Negative workplace relations (conflict) Decrease in work quality Lower productivity Compensation claims, legal expenses Health care costs

Personal consequences
Heart disease Ulcers Memory loss Immune-deficiency Obesity Erectile dysfunction, decreased libido Depression Relationship troubles Bad mood, unpleasant to be around Violence Depression Suicide Early death (Karoshi)

Job Stress
Video example:

Causes of Job Stress

Dangerous working conditions Role ambiguity (unclear standards for evaluation) Role conflict (conflicting demands from different roles) Load demands or overload (students at the end of term) Lack of control (low autonomy) Heavy responsibilities (especially for others) Interpersonal conflict (fights with co-workers) Workplace harassment

Personal stress management tactics

Problem solving (changing the situation!) Active Coping

Changing behavioral and cognitive reactions Improved diet and exercise Relaxation training Withdrawal

Passive Coping

Failure to Cope

Self-medication and self-destruction

Reducing or coping with stress: some managerial responses

Job redesign Social support Family-friendly HR policies Stress management programs Work/life programs Employee fitness

Group project discussions

Project proposal:

Identify group, organization, topic, & methods Due Friday, February 4 (beginning of class)