Factors Affecting Employee's Perception on Job Satisfaction: Case of United States International University (USIU)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/hrlj.1633Abstract
Purpose: This study sought to establish the factors that affect employee's perception on job satisfaction in USIU. Specifically, the study assessed the effect of employee's perception of personal factors, social factors, and organizational factors on job satisfaction.
Methodology: The research design was descriptive in nature, across-sectional survey based on selection of elements regarding the population of interest and presented in frequency and percentage distributions. The population in this study comprised 365 full time employees (both academic and administrative). A sample of 79 full time employees was targeted to represent the population of interest. The sampling technique used consisted of a non-probability sampling technique that was purposive sampling based on the population of interest. Questionnaires were tested through a pilot testing process and thereafter were distributed to 79 full time employees. The data was coded and entered in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and analyzed via descriptive statistics then presented in tables for clarity and ease of understanding.
Results: With respect to personal factors and job satisfaction, this study concluded that employees with strategic management styles were more characterized by conscientiousness and openness to experience, while those with strong interpersonal management styles were most characterized by extraversion, agreeableness, and high emotional stability. Thus, all Big Five traits should be given attention in the study and application of organizational behavior. In addition, social factors and job satisfaction, the study concluded that job satisfaction is affected by the demographic similarity between supervisors and subordinates by the way in which supervisors assign tasks, the extent to which subordinates and supervisors like and respect each other, and the role of fairness in the workplace. And final, in regard to the organizational factors and its effect on job satisfaction, the research study concluded that organizational reward system must be as objective and as fair as possible and be administered contingently on the employee's exhibiting critical performance behaviors. Thus, employees should be rewarded in accordance to their contribution in the achievement of organization goal and observation.
Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study made several recommendations among them that employer (USIU) ought to give attention to all Big Five traits in the study and application of organizational behavior. It also recommended that USIU human resource department should propose organizational restructuring that influences the natures of interactions at work which affect coworker relationships and which in turn affect job satisfaction. It further recommended that USIU should go through a trial-and-error approach before they settle into unique reward systems that works best for their full-time employees.
Downloads
References
Babbie, E. (2009). The Practice of Social Research. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsmith.
Barber, E. A., Dunham, B. R. & Formisano, A. R. (2009). The Impact of Flexible Benefits on Employee Satisfaction: A Field Study. Personnel Pyschology. Vol. 45, pp. 55-57.
Baron, A. R. (2007). Behavior in Organizations. Boston, MA: Wiley.
Barrick, R. M. & Mount, K. M. (2008). The Big Five Personality Dimension and Job Performance: Personnel Psychology. Vol. 51, pp. 849-857.
Bono, E. J. (2010). Organizational Behavior. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications. Branden, N. (2008). Self-Esteem at Work. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Cohen-Charash, Y. & Spector, E. P. (2003). The Role of Justice in Organization: Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. Vol. 86, pp.278-321.
Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. (2008). Business Research Methods. Jersey City, NJ: Prentice- Hall.
Cropanzano, R. (2007). The Relationship of Emotional Exhaustion to Work Attitude: Applied Psychology. Vol. 50, pp. 953-968.
Dirks, T. K. (2008). The Use of Rewards to Increase and Decrease Trust: Organization Science.Vol. 14, pp. 18-31.
Distenfano, K. M. & Pryer, W. M. (2009). Perception of Leadership and Job Satisfaction:Internal and External Employee Research. Vol. 67, pp. 24-47.
Dwyer, D. J. & Ganster, D. C. (2006). The Effects of Job Demands and Control on Employee Attendance and Satisfaction: Organizational Behavior. Vol. 12, pp. 595-608.
Eisenberger, R., Armeli, S., Rexwinkel, B., Lynch, P., & Rhodes, L. (2007). Reciprocation of Perceived Organizational Support: Behavioral Neuroscience. Vol. 86, pp. 42-51.
Ferrin, L. D. & Dirks, T. K. (2008). The Use of Rewards to Increase and Decrease Trust: Organization Science. Vol. 14, pp. 18-31.
Greenberg, J. & Robert, A. B. (2004). Behavior in Organization. Jersey City, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Greengrass, M. (2005). Emotion and Cognition Work Together in the Brain: Monitor on Psychology. Vol. 33, pp. 18-25.
Gully, H. M. (2012). Organizational Behavior. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
Israel, G.D. (2002). Determining Sample Size. Gainesville, FL: Thomson-Wadsmith.
Judge, A. T. & Bono, E. J. (2010). Relationship of Core Self-Evaluation Traits-With Job Satisfaction: Personnel Psychology. Vol. 86, pp. 80-92.
Kirkman, L. B., & Shapiro, L. D. (2O11). The Impact of Cultural Values on Job Satisfaction in Self-Managing Work Teams: Role of Employee Resistance. Vol. 44, pp. 557-569.
Kolb, D., Rubin, I. & McIntyre, J. (2007). Organizational Psychology. Jersey City, NJ: Prentice- Hall.
Kreitner, R. & Kinicki, A. (2009). Organizational Behavior. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Kristof, L. A. (2005). An Integrative Review of its Conceptualizations, Measurement, and Implications: Person-Organization Fit. Vol. 49, pp. 1-49
Lee, T. W., Mitchel, T. R., Holtom, B. C., McDaniel, L. S. & Hill, J. W. (2006). The Unfolding Model of Voluntary Turnover: Academy of Management. Vol. 32, pp. 450-462.
Levy, E. P. (2006). Industrial/Organizational Psychology: Understanding the Workplace. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Liao, H. & Rupp, D. E. (2006). The Impact of Justice Climate and Justice Orientation on Work Outcomes: A Cross Level Multifoci Framework. Vol. 64, pp. 224-238.
Locke, E. A. (2006). The Nature and Causes of Job Satisfaction: Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Vol. 12, pp. 22-36.
Lord, R. G., Klimoski, R. J., &Kanfer, R. (2002). Emotions in the Workplace: Understanding the Structure and Role of Emotions in Organizational Behavior. Vol. 18, pp. 341-355.
Luthans, F. & Stajkovic, D. A. (2009). Behavioral Management and Task Performance in Organization: Personnel Psychology. Vol. 56, pp.155-194.
McShane, L. S. & Glinov, M. V. (2011). Organizational Behavior. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
Mitchell, R. T. & Wood, E. R. (2007). Supervisors Responses to Subordinate Poor Performance: Organizational Behavior and Human Performance. Vol. 14, pp. 123-138.
Mossholder, K. W., Bedeian, A. G., & Armenakis, A. A. (2007). Moderating Effects of Self- Esteem and Organizational Level: Organizational Behavior. Vol. 28, pp. 224-234.
Myers, G. D. (2008). Social Psychology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Nelson, L. D., & Quick, C. J. (2010). Organizational Behavior. Colombus, OH: South-Western.
Robertson, T. I., & Baron, H. (2009). Conscientiousness and Managerial Performance: Occupational Psychology. Vol. 73, pp. 171-180.
Schwartz, J. & Rock, D. (2007). The Neuroscience of Leadership: Strategy and Business. Vol. 43, pp. 1-10.
Scott, L., Shaw, D. J., & Duffy, K. M. (2008). Merit Pay Raises and Organization-Based Self- Esteem: Organizational Behavior. Vol. 29, pp. 967-980.
Spector, E. P. (2008). Industrial and Organizational Psychology. New York, NY: John Wiley.
Toulouse, J. M. (2008). Top Executive Locus of Control: Relationship to Strategy Making, Structure, and Environment. Vol. 32, pp. 237-253.
USIU. (2004). Employees Handbook. Nairobi, KE: USIU Library.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Wanyama Shikuku, Dr. Zachary Mosoti
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.