Essay on Job Dissatisfaction

According to Knicki and Fugate (2015 p57), job satisfaction is the reflection of how an individual likes his/her job. They define it as an effective emotional response towards the various facets of a persons job. This implies that individuals may be satisfied with one aspect of their job and dissatisfied with another. Studies done by Gallup to assess if the level of job satisfaction has been going down over the years, in 50 states, in the United States, indicated that 87.5% of the Americans were satisfied with their jobs as compared to 86.9% in 2010 (Kinicki & Fugate, 2015 p57). The studies were supported by a nationwide survey that indicated that American workers were highly motivated.

Many organizations have devised numerous insights, which they can apply to manage and boost job satisfaction. These models include understanding and meeting employee needs, meeting the job expectations of the employees, structuring the job and its rewards, and hiring employees with the appropriate disposition (Kinicki & Fugate, 2015 p58). Attitudes and behavior correlate with job satisfaction according to studies, and these five stated approaches can be used to tackle any issue that could arise regarding behavior or attitudes (Kinicki & Fugate, 2015 p61).

Understanding the values and attitudes of employees plays a significant role in curbing job dissatisfaction. Moreover, values lay the foundation for the understanding the attitudes and motivation of employees because they influence their perceptions. According to the author in Chapter two of the module book, the notion underlying value attainment is that job satisfaction results from the idea that a job allows for the fulfillment of an employees essential values. In support of this, Mencl and Lester (2014 p7) assert that value fulfillment relates positively to job satisfaction.

Social perception and managing diversity is the second concept that contributes mainly to job satisfaction. Today, the world is a global village, and many organizations employ a diverse workforce. Diversity arises in religion, color, race, ethnicity, gender, level of experience, and age (Kirton & Greene, 2015 p67). Additionally, these employees have individual differences and emotions. In chapter four of the module book, the author argues that understanding ones perceptions is necessary because it affects decision-making and creation of interpersonal relationships in the organization. Once an employee relates well with colleagues, then they gain satisfaction working in that company. Similarly, effective strategies for managing diversity in a team ensure that the company is free from any form of discrimination, which results in job satisfaction among employees (Kirton & Greene, 2015 pg 70).

According to the Christian teachings, job satisfaction is a by-product of the abundant life of Jesuss promises (John 10:10). The teachings from the book of Ecclesiastes say a lot about work. Solomon emphasizes in Ecclesiastes 1:2 that everything is meaningless, especially work as verse 3 says what does the man gain from all his labor which he toils under the sun (Gehrlein, 2016 n.d). Eccl. 3:11 says, eat drink and find satisfaction in his toil as this is the gift of God. In Philippians 4:12-13, Apostle Paul emphasizes that it is important to be content whether in scarcity or plenty and that I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me. In John 5:17, Jesus answers his disciples that His father, (God) has been working, and He too has been working. In Genesis 1:31, points out that God saw everything that he had made and it was good. This implies that as Christians, it is important to find satisfaction in our work as God, and his Son does (Gehrlein, 2016 n.d).

Reference

Gehrlein, R. (2016). Do You Have Personal Job Satisfaction?. Institute for Faith, Work & Economics. Retrieved 7 October 2017, from https://tifwe.org/finding-personal-job-satisfaction/

Kinicki, A., & Fugate, M. (2015). Organizational behavior: a practical, problem-solving approach.

Kirton, G., & Greene, A. M. (2015). The dynamics of managing diversity: A critical approach. Routledge.

Mencl, J., & Lester, S. W. (2014). More alike than different: What generations value and how the values affect employee workplace perceptions. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 21(3), 257-272.