Job Satisfaction in Heavy Industry

8/6/2019 Job Satisfaction in Heavy Industry

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VISION, MISSION & VALUES

OF

BHARAT HEAVY ELECTRICALS LTD.

BHEL defines its vision, mission, values and objectives as follow:

VISSION To become a world class, innovative, competitive and profitable engineering

enterprise providing total business solutions.

MISSION To be the leading Indian engineering enterprise providing quality products,systems and services in the field of energy, transportation, industry, infrastructure and the

potential areas.

VALUES

M eeting commitments makes to internal and external customers.

F ostering learning, creativity and speed of response.

R espect of dignity and potential of individuals.

L oyalty and pride in the company.

Team playing.

Z eal to excel.

Integrity and fairness in all matters.


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OBJECTIVES- BHE L defines its objectives as follows:-

Growth To ensure a steady growth by enhancing the competitive edge of BHE L in

existing business, new area and international operations so as to fulfill national expectation

for BHE L .

P rofitability To provide a reasonable and adequate return on capital employed,

primarily through improvements in operational efficiency, capacity utilization and

productivity, and generates adequate, internal resources to finance the companys

growth.

C ustomer focus To build a high degree of customer confidence by providing increased

value for his money through international standards of product quality, performance and

superior customer services. P eople orientation To enable each employee to achieve his potential, improve his

capabilities, perceive his role and responsibilities and participate and contribute

positively to the growth and success of the company. To invest in human resource

continuously and be alive to their needs.

Technology To achieve technological excellence in operation by development of

indigenous technologies and efficient absorption and adaptation of imported

technologies to sustain needs and priorities, and provide a competitive advantage to the

company.

Image To fulfill the expectation which shareholders like government as owner, employees,

customers and the country at large have from BHE L


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e) Working condition.

f) Supervision.

PAY

Wages do play a significant role in determining of satisfaction. P ay is instrumental in fulfilling

so many needs. M oney facilities the obtaining of food, shelter, and clothing and provides the

means to enjoy valued leisure interest outside of work. M ore over, pay can serve as symbol of

achievement and a source of recognition. Employees often see pay as a reflection of

organization. F ringe benefits have not been found to have strong influence on job satisfaction as

direct wages.

THE WORK ITSELF

A long with pay, the content of the work itself plays a very major role in determining how

satisfied employees are with their jobs. By and large, workers want jobs that are challenging;

they do want to be doing mindless jobs day after day. The two most important aspect of the work

itself that influence job satisfaction are variety and control over work methods and work place. In

general, job with a moderate amount of variety produce the most job satisfaction. Jobs with too

little variety cause workers to feel bored and fatigue. Jobs with too much variety and stimulationcause workers to feel psychologically stressed and burnout.

PROMOTION

P romotional opportunities have a moderate impact on job satisfaction. A promotion to a higher

level in an organization typically involves positive changes I supervision, job content and pay.

Jobs that are at the higher level of an organization usually provide workers with more freedom,

more challenging work assignments and high salary.

SUPERVISION

Two dimensions of supervisor style:

1. Employee centered or consideration supervisors who establish a supportive personal

relationship with subordinates and take a personal interest in them.


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2 . The other dimension of supervisory style influence participation in decision making, employee

who participates in decision that affect their job, display a much higher level of satisfaction with

supervisor an the overall work situation.

WORK G ROUP

Having friendly and co-operative co-workers is a modest source of job satisfaction to individual

employees. The working groups also serve as a social support system of employees. P eople often

used their co-workers as sounding board for their problem of as a source of comfort.

WORK CONDITION

The employees desire good working condition because they lead to greater physical comfort.

The working conditions are important to employees because they can influence life outside of

work. If people are require to work long hours and / or overtime, they will have very little felt for

their families, friends and recreation outside work.

De term inan ts of j ob sa tisfac tion:

While analyzing the various determinants of job satisfaction, we have to keep in mind that: all

individuals do no derive the same degree of satisfaction though they perform the same job in the

same job environment and at the same time. Therefore, it appears that besides the nature of job

and job environment, there are individual variables which affect job satisfaction. Thus, all those

factors which provide a fit among individual variables, nature of job, and situational variables

determine the degree of job satisfaction. L et us see what these factors are.

Individual fac tor s:

Individuals have certain expectations from their jobs. If their expectations are met from the jobs,

they feel satisfied. These expectations are based on an individuals level of education, age and

other factors.

Level of educa tion :L evel of education of an individual is a factor which determines the degree of job satisfaction.

F or example, several studies have found negative correlation between the level of education,

particularly higher level of education, and job satisfaction. The possible reason for this

phenomenon may be that highly educated persons have very high expectations from their jobs


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which remain unsatisfied. In their case, P eters principle which suggests that every individual

tries to reach his level of incompetence, applies more quickly.

Age:

Individuals experience different degree of job satisfaction at different stages of their life. Jobsatisfaction is high at the initial stage, gets gradually reduced, starts rising upto certain stage, and

finally dips to a low degree. The possible reasons for this phenomenon are like this. When

individuals join an organization, they may have some unrealistic assumptions about what they

are going to drive from their work. These assumptions make them more satisfied. However,

when these assumptions fall short of reality, job satisfaction goes down. It starts rising again as

the people start to assess the jobs in right perspective and correct their assumptions. A t the last,

particularly at the fag end of the career, job satisfaction goes down because of fear of retirement

and future outcome.

O th er fac tor s:

Besides the above two factors, there are other individual factors which affect job satisfaction. If

an individual does not have favourable social and family life, he may not feel happy at the

workplace. Similarly, other personal problems associated with him may affect his level of job

satisfaction. P ersonal problems associated with him may affect his level of job satisfaction.

Na tur e of j ob :

Nature of job determines job satisfaction which is in the form of occupation level and job

content.

Occupa tion level :

Higher level jobs provide more satisfaction as compared to lower levels. This happens because

high level jobs carry prestige and status in the society which itself becomes source of satisfaction

for the job holders.

F or example, professionals derive more satisfaction as compared to salaried people: factory

workers are least satisfied.

J ob conten t :


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Job content refers to the intrinsic value of the job which depends on the requirement of skills for

performing it, and the degree of responsibility and growth it offers. A higher content of these

factors provides higher satisfaction. F or example, a routine and repetitive lesser satisfaction; the

degree of satisfaction progressively increases in job rotation, job enlargement, and job

enrichment.

Situa tional va r ia b les :

Situational variables related to job satisfaction lie in organizational context formal and

informal. F ormal organization emerges out of the interaction of individuals in the organization.

Some of the important factors which affect job important factors which affect job satisfaction are

given below:

1. W ork ing c ondi t ions :

Working conditions, particularly physical work environment, like conditions of workplace and

associated facilities for performing the job determine job satisfaction. These work in two ways.

F irst, these provide means job performance. Second, provision of these conditions affects the

individuals perception about the organization. If these factors are favourable, individuals

experience higher level of job satisfaction.

2 . Supe r visi on :

The type of supervision affects job satisfaction as in each type of supervision; the degree of

importance attached to individuals varies. In employee-oriented supervision, there is more

concern for people which is perceived favourably by them and provides them more satisfaction.

In job oriented supervision, there is more emphasis on the performance of the job and people

become secondary. This situation decreases job satisfaction

3. Equi tab le r ewa r ds :

The type of linkage that is provided between job performance and rewards determines the degree

of job satisfaction. If the reward is perceived to be based on the job performance and equitable, it

offers higher satisfaction. If the reward is perceived to be based on considerations other than the

job performance, it affects job satisfaction adversely.


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4. Opp ort uni ty :

It is true that individuals seek satisfaction in their jobs in the context of job nature and work

environment by they also attach importance to opportunities for promotion that these job offer. If the present job offers opportunity of promotion is lacking, it reduces satisfaction.

Effec t of J ob Sa tisfac tion

Job satisfaction has a variety of effects. These effects may be seen in the context of an

individuals physical and mental health, productivity, absenteeism, and turnover.

P hy sical and Men tal Heal th :

The degree of job satisfaction affects an individuals physical and mental

health. Since job satisfaction is a type of mental feeling, its favourableness or unfavourablesness

affects the individual psychologically which ultimately affects his physical health.

F or example, L awler has pointed out that drug abuse, alcoholism and mental and physical health

result from psychologically harmful jobs. F urther, since a job is an important part of life, job

satisfaction influences general life satisfaction. The result is that there is spillover effect which

occurs in both directions between job and life satisfaction.

P ro duc t ivi ty :

There are two views about the relationship between job satisfaction and productivity:1. A happy worker is a productive worker,

2 . A happy worker is not necessarily a productive worker.

The first view establishes a direct cause-effect relationship between job satisfaction and

productivity; when job satisfaction increases, productivity increases; when satisfaction decreases,


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productivity decreases. The basic logic behind this is that a happy worker will put more efforts

for job performance. However, this may not be true in all cases.

F or example, a worker having low expectations from his jobs may feel satisfied but he may not

put his efforts more vigorously because of his low expectations from the job. Therefore, this

view does not explain fully the complex relationship between job satisfaction and productivity.

The another view: That is a satisfied worker is not necessarily a productive worker explains the

relationship between job satisfaction and productivity. Various research studies also support this

view.

This relationship may be explained in terms of the operation of two factors: effect of job

performance on satisfaction and organizational expectations from individuals for job

performance. 1. Job performance leads to job satisfaction and not the other way round. The basic

factor for this phenomenon is the rewards (a source of satisfaction) attached with performance.There are two types of rewardsintrinsic and extrinsic. The intrinsic reward stems from the job

itself which may be in the form of growth potential, challenging job, etc. The satisfaction on

such a type of reward may help to increase productivity. The extrinsic reward is subject to

control by management such as salary, bonus, etc. A ny increase in these factors does not hep to

increase productivity though these factors increase job satisfaction.

1. A happy worker does not necessarily contribute to higher productivity because he has to

operate under certain technological constraints and, therefore, he cannot go beyond

certain output. F urther, this constraint affects the managements expectations from the

individual in the form of lower output. Thus, the work situation is pegged to minimally

acceptable level of performance. However, it does not mean that the job satisfaction has

no impact o productivity. A satisfied worker may not necessarily lead to increased

productivity but a dissatisfied worker leads to lower productivity.

P erformanc

Extrinsicreward

Intrinsicreward

Satisfaction

P erceived equityof rewards


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this through the various ways of defense mechanism. If he is not able to do so, he opts to leave

the organization. Thus, in general case, employee turnover is related to job satisfaction.

However, job satisfaction is not the only cause of employee turnover, the other cause being

better opportunity elsewhere.

F or example, in the present context, the rate of turnover of computer software professionals is

very high in India. However, these professionals leave their organizations not simply because

they are not satisfied but because of the opportunities offered from other sources particularly

from foreign companies located abroad.


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DIMENSIONS OF JOB SATIFACTION

Job satisfaction is a complex concept and difficult to measure objectively. The level of job

satisfaction is affected by a wide range of variables relating to individual, social, cultural,

organizational factors as stated below:-

DIMENSIONS

INDIVIDU AL SOC IAL OR GA NI ZA TION AL ENVI R ON M ENT AL C UL TU RAL

FAC TO R S FAC TO R FAC TO R FAC TO R

Individual :- P ersonality, education, intelligence and abilities, age, marital status,

orientation to work.

Social fac tor s:-R elationship with co-workers, group working and norms, opportunities

for interaction, informal relations etc.

O r ganiza tional fac tor s:- Nature and size, formal structure, personnel policies and

procedures, industrial relation, nature of work, technology and work organization,supervision and styles of leadership, management systems, working conditions.

Envi ro nm en tal fac tor s:-Economic, social, technical and governmental influences.

Cul tu r al fac tor s:-A ttitudes, beliefs and values.

These factors affect job satisfaction of certain individuals in a given set of circumstances but

not necessarily in others. Some workers may be satisfied with certain aspects of their work and

dissatisfied with other aspects .Thus, overall degree of job satisfaction may differ from person to

person.


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IMPORTANCE TO STUDY JOB SATISFACTION

The importance to the study of job satisfaction level is very important for executives. Job

satisfaction study importance can be understood by the answer of the following question

1) Is there room for improvement?

2 ) Who is relatively more dissatisfied?

3) What contributes to the employee satisfaction?

4) What are the effects of negative employee attitudes?

Benefi ts of j ob sa tisfac tion s tud y Job satisfaction surveys can produce positive,

neutral or negative results. If planned properly and administered, they will usually produce a

number of important benefits, such as-

1. It gives management an indication of general levels of satisfaction in a company. Surveys

also indicate specific areas of satisfaction or dissatisfaction as compared to employee

services and particular group of employee.

2 . It leads to valuable communication brought by a job satisfaction survey. C ommunication

flow in all direction as people plan the survey, take it and discuss the result. Upward

communication is especially fruitful when employee are encouraged to comment about

what is on their minds instead of merely answering questions about topics important tomanagement.

3. as a survey is safety value, an emotional release. A chance to things gets off. The survey

is an intangible expression of managements interest in employee welfare, which gives

employees a reason to feel better towards management.

4. Job satisfaction surveys are a useful way to determine certain training needs.

5. Job satisfaction surveys are useful for identifying problem that may arise, comparing the

response to several alternatives and encouraging manager to modify their original plans.

F ollow up surveys allows management to evaluate the actual response to a change and

study its success or failure.


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Im port ance to W ork er and O r ganiza tion

F requently, work underlies self-esteem and identity while unemployment lowers self-worth and

produces anxiety. A t the same time, monotonous jobs can erode a worker's initiative and enthusiasm and

can lead to absenteeism and unnecessary turnover. Job satisfaction and occupational success are major

factors in personal satisfaction, self-respect, self-esteem, and self-development. To the worker, job

satisfaction brings a pleasurable emotional state that often leads to a positive work attitude. A satisfied

worker is more likely to be creative, flexible, innovative, and loyal.

F or the organization, job satisfaction of its workers means a work force that is motivated and committed

to high quality performance. Increased productivity the quantity and quality of output per hour worked

seems to be a byproduct of improved quality of working life. It is important to note that the literature onthe relationship between job satisfaction and productivity is neither conclusive nor consistent.. Unhappy

employees, who are motivated by fear of job loss, will not give 100 percent of their effort for very long.

Though fear is a powerful motivator, it is also a temporary one, and as soon as the threat is lifted

performance will decline.

Tangible ways in which job satisfaction benefits the organization include reduction in complaints and

grievances, absenteeism, turnover, and termination; as well as improved punctuality and worker morale.

Job satisfaction is also linked to a more healthy work force and has been found to be a good indicator of longevity. A nd although only little correlation has been found between job satisfaction and productivity,

Brown (1996) notes that some employers have found that satisfying or delighting employees is a

prerequisite to satisfying or delighting customers, thus protecting the " bottom line ." No wonder A ndrew

C arnegie is quoted as saying: " Ta k e a way my pe ople, b u t leave my fac tor ies, and s oon g r ass will

grow on th e fac tory floor s. Ta k e a way my fac tor ies, bu t leave my pe ople, and s oon we will have a

ne w and b ett er fac tory"


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SA TIS F IED E MPL OY EE

C r ea ting J ob Sa tisfac tion

So, how is job satisfaction created? W h at are the elements of a job that create job satisfaction?

Organizations can help to create job satisfaction by putting systems in place that will ensure that workers

are challenged and then rewarded for being successful. Organizations that aspire to creating a work environment that enhances job satisfaction need to incorporate the following:

y F lexible work arrangements, possibly including telecommuting

y Training and other professional growth opportunities

y Interesting work that offers variety and challenge and allows the worker opportunities to "put his or her

signature" on the finished product

y Opportunities to use one's talents and to be creative

y Opportunities to take responsibility and direct one's own work y A stable, secure work environment that includes job security/continuity

y A n environment in which workers are supported by an accessible supervisor who provides timely

feedback as well as congenial team members

y F lexible benefits, such as child-care and exercise facilities


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y Up-to-date technology

y C ompetitive salary and opportunities for promotion

P robably the most important point to bear in mind when considering job satisfaction is that there are

many factors that affect job satisfaction and that what makes workers happy with their jobs varies from

one worker to another and from day to day. A part from the factors mentioned above, job satisfaction is

also influenced by the employee's personal characteristics, the manager's personal characteristics and

management style, and the nature of the work itself. M anagers who want to maintain a high level of job

satisfaction in the work force must try to understand the needs of each member of the work force.

F or example, when creating work teams, managers can enhance worker satisfaction by placing people

with similar backgrounds, experiences, or needs in the same workgroup. A lso, managers can enhance

job satisfaction by carefully matching workers with the type of work.

F or example, a person who does not pay attention to detail would hardly make a good inspector, and a

shy worker is unlikely to be a good salesperson. A s much as possible, managers should match job tasks

to employees' personalities.

M anagers who are serious about the job satisfaction of workers can also take other deliberate steps to

create a stimulating work environment. One such step is job enrichment. Job enrichment is a deliberate

upgrading of responsibility, scope, and challenge in the work itself. Job enrichment usually includes

increased responsibility, recognition, and opportunities for growth, learning, and achievement. L arge

companies that have used job-enrichment programs to increase employee motivation and job

satisfaction.

Good management has the potential for creating high morale, high productivity, and a sense of purpose

and meaning for the organization and its employees. Empirical findings show that job characteristics

such as pay, promotional opportunity, task clarity and significance, and skills utilization, as well as

organizational characteristics such as commitment and relationship with supervisors and co-workers,

have significant effects on job satisfaction. These job characteristics can be carefully managed to

enhance job satisfaction.


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Of course, a worker who takes some responsibility for his or her job satisfaction will probably find many

more satisfying elements in the work environment. Everett (1995) suggests that employees ask

themselves the following questions:

y When have I come closest to expressing my full potential in a work situation?y What did it look like?

y What aspects of the workplace were most supportive?

y What aspects of the work itself were most satisfying?

y What did I learn from that experience that could be applied to the present situation?


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W ork er s' R oles in J ob Sa tisfac tion

If job satisfaction is a worker benefit, surely the worker must be able to contribute to his or her own

satisfaction and well-being on the job. The following suggestions can help a worker find personal job

satisfaction:

y Seek opportunities to demonstrate skills and talents. This often leads to more challenging work and

greater responsibilities, with attendant increases in pay and other recognition.

y Develop excellent communication skills. Employers value and reward excellent reading, listening,

writing, and speaking skills.

y K now more. A cquire new job-related knowledge that helps you to perform tasks more efficiently and

effectively. This will relieve boredom and often gets one noticed.

y Demonstrate creativity and initiative. Qualities like these are valued by most organizations and often

result in recognition as well as in increased responsibilities and rewards.

y Develop teamwork and people skills. A large part of job success is the ability to work well with others to

get the job done.

y A ccept the diversity in people. A ccept people with their differences and their imperfections and learn

how to give and receive criticism constructively.

y See the value in your work. A ppreciating the significance of what one does can lead to satisfaction with

the work itself. This helps to give meaning to one's existence, thus playing a vital role in job satisfaction.y L earn to de-stress. P lan to avoid burnout by developing healthy stress-management techniques.


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Assu r ing J ob Sa tisfac tion

A ssuring job satisfaction, over the longterm, requires careful planning and effort both by management

and by workers. M anagers are encouraged to consider such theories as Herzberg's(1957) and M aslow's

(1943) C reating a good blend of factors that contribute to a stimulating, challenging, supportive, and

rewarding work environment is vital. Because of the relative prominence of pay in the reward system, it

is very important that salaries be tied to job responsibilities and that pay increases be t ied to performance

rather than seniority.

So, in essence, job satisfaction is a product of the events and conditions that people experience on their

jobs. Brief (1998) wrote: "If a person's work is interesting, her pay is fair, her promotional opportunities

are good, her supervisor is supportive, and her coworkers are friendly, then a situational approach leads

one to predict she is satisfied with her job" (p. 91). Very simply put, if the pleasures associated with

one's job outweigh the pains, there is some level of job satisfaction


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MODEL OF JOB SATISFACTION


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THEORIES OF JOB SATISFACTION

Affect Theory

Edwin A . L ockes R ange of A ffect Theory (1976) is arguably the most famous job satisfaction

model. The main premise of this theory is that satisfaction is determined by a discrepancy

between what one wants in a job and what one has in a job. F urther, the theory states that how

much one values a given facet of work (e.g. the degree of autonomy in a position) moderates

how satisfied/dissatisfied one becomes when expectations are/arent met. When a person values

a particular facet of a job, his satisfaction is more greatly impacted both positively (when

expectations are met) and negatively (when expectations are not met), compared to one who

doesnt value that facet. To illustrate, if Employee A values autonomy in the workplace and

Employee B is indifferent about autonomy, then Employee A would be more satisfied in a

position that offers a high degree of autonomy and less satisfied in a position with little or no

autonomy compared to Employee B. This theory also states that too much of a particular facet

will produce stronger feelings of dissatisfaction the more a worker values that facet.

Dispositional Theory

A nother well-known job satisfaction theory is the Dispositional Theory ]. It is a very general

theory that suggests that people have innate dispositions that cause them to have tendencies

toward a certain level of satisfaction, regardless of ones job. This approach became a notable

explanation of job satisfaction in light of evidence that job satisfaction tends to be stable over

time and across careers and jobs. R esearch also indicates that identical twins have similar levels

of job satisfaction.

A significant model that narrowed the scope of the Dispositional Theory was the C ore Self-

evaluations M odel, proposed by Timothy A . Judge in 1998. Judge argued that there are four C ore

Self-evaluations that determine ones disposition towards job satisfaction: self-esteem, general

self-efficacy, locus of control, and neuroticism. This model states that higher levels of self-

esteem (the value one places on his/her self) and general self-efficacy (the belief in ones own


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competence) lead to higher work satisfaction. Having an internallocus of control (believing one

has control over her\his own life, as opposed to outside forces having control) leads to higher job

satisfaction. F inally, lower levels of neuroticism lead to higher job satisfaction [].

T wo -Fac tor T heory (M ot iva tor -H ygiene T heory )

F rederick Herzbergs Two factor theory (also known as M otivator Hygiene Theory) attempts to

explain satisfaction and motivation in the workplace This theory states that satisfaction and

dissatisfaction are driven by different factors motivation and hygiene factors, respectively. A n

employees motivation to work is continually related to job satisfaction of a subordinate.

M otivation can be seen as an inner force that drives individuals to attain personal and

organization goals (Hoskinson, P orter, & Wrench, p.133). M otivating factors are those aspects of

the job that make people want to perform, and provide people with satisfaction, for example

achievement in work, recognition, promotion opportunities. These motivating factors are

considered to be intrinsic to the job, or the work carried out. Hygiene factors include aspects of

the working environment such as pay, company policies, supervisory practices, and other

working conditions

While Hertzberg's model has stimulated much research, researchers have been unable to reliably

empirically prove the model, with Hack man & Oldham suggesting that Hertzberg's originalformulation of the model may have been a methodological artifact. F urthermore, the theory does

not consider individual differences, conversely predicting all employees will react in an identical

manner to changes in motivating/hygiene factors. ] F inally, the model has been criticized in that it

does not specify how motivating/hygiene factors are to be measured.


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Acc or ding to He r zber g f ollow ing fac tor s ac ts as mot iva tor s:

A chievement,

R ecognition,

A dvancement,

Work itself,

P ossibility of growth, &

R esponsibility.

H ygiene fac tor s a r e :

C ompany policy & administration,

Technical supervision,

Inter-personal relations with supervisors, peers & Subordinates,

Salary.

Job security,

P ersonal life,

Working C onditions, &

Status.


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Need Fulfill m en t T heory :

Under the need-fulfillment theory it is believed that a person is satisfied if he gets what he wants

& the more he wants something or the more important it is to him, the more satisfied he is when

he gets it & the more dissatisfied he is when he does not get it. Needs may be need for personal

achievement, social achievement & for influence.

a ) Need f or pe r sonal ac h ieve m en t :

Desires for personal career development, improvement in one's own life standards, better

education & prospects for children & desire for improving one's own work performance.

b) Need f or social ac h ieve men t :

A drive for some kind of collective success is relation to some standards of excellence. It is

indexed in terms of desires to increase overall productivity, increased national prosperity, better

life community & safety for everyone .

c ) Need f or influence :

A desire to influence other people & surroundings environment. In the works situation, it means

to have power status & being important as reflected in initiative taking and participation in

decision making.

In summary, this theory tell us that job satisfaction is a function of, or is positively related to the

degree to which one's personal & social needs are fulfilled in the job situation.

Documents

Job Satisfaction in Heavy Industry