It has been said that if a person loves their job they will never work a day in their life. However, creating an environment where the employees love their job goes beyond the passion that they may have for their field. This is clear as many employees often change companies even if they stay in the same line of work due to their dissatisfaction in the working environment of “Misery” in the “Cave” (Tressell, 1955). As human resource departments are well aware that the turnover of employees can have dramatic negative implications for the organization (Tett & Meyer, 1993). Therefore, it would be of a great benefit to an organization to create an environment whereas the employees found the job satisfying and their participation in decision making was valued by the organization (Watt, 2007). In order to achieve this, the organization must take into consideration the factors that foster such an environment. It is the intention of the present research to discuss the factors related to job satisfaction and the participatory environment in an effort to make recommendations to organizations that will improve the job satisfaction in the work place and decrease the turnover rate which will result in diminishing the associated negative implications for the organization.
According to Greenhaus and Powell (2006), the level of job satisfaction for the employee has serious influences on their levels of satisfaction in other areas of their lives. This includes their satisfaction levels in their home life and family matters. Additionally, these areas of their lives can also affect their level of job satisfaction. For this reason, Greenhaus and Powell (2006) recommend that the organization should foster an environment that shows a true concern for the wellbeing of the employee and allows time for them to balance all of the areas in their lives. This creates a scenario whereas “work-to-family enrichment occurs when work experiences improve the quality of family life, and family-to-work enrichment occurs when family experiences improve the quality of work life” (Greenhaus & Powell, 2006, pg. 73). In other words, all areas of life work together to improve the overall experience for the individual.
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"Making Work More Satisfying and Participatory".
Billett (2002) explains that continued learning also helps to improve the level of job satisfaction for the individual. This helps the individual employee to not only grow in their knowledge, but have an opportunity to move forward in their career, provide additional insight in problem solving, and feel a sense of accomplishment and value. If the organization does not provide this sense of value, the staff will resort to daydreaming or trying to beat the clock (Hamper, 1991; Woodcock, 1944). Ragins, Cotton, and Miller (2000) note that, when this is achieved through a mentor program within the organization, not only does the learner gain this sense of value but also the mentor is able to feel the same. It is therefore possible to have individuals in both the mentor and mentored positions simultaneously and further magnify this element of job satisfaction as each member of the staff has something to teach others through the process of continued learning. This type of program does not cost the organization any additional labor but can be considered a very valuable factor for reducing the turnover rate by improving the levels of job satisfaction.
Another significant factor regarding the level of job satisfaction can be discussed in the realm of the participatory environment. According to Muindi (2011) “in a globalizing world with a better educated workforce that is no longer inclined to be seen and not heard, a new management style is in fact called for” (pg. 1). In other words, globalization and improved educational opportunities have created a world full of talented employees who no longer wish to blindly follow a leader. These individuals have mastered areas in their field that could greatly improve the conditions within the organization, bring in new profit, and help to make the structure of the organization more apt to show an increase in profits. The employees want this knowledge to be acknowledged and utilized rather than pushed to the side out of the fear that the employee may have an idea that is beyond the scope of the knowledge or perspective of the management team.
While Noah (2008) recognizes the necessity for leadership in the workplace, there is a significant need to alter the way in which the leaders have been trained to lead from above. Instead, Noah (2008) recommends utilizing the knowledge of the staff members for the purpose of improving the organization rather than maintaining a direct hierarchy that serves only to boost the ego of the management team. This can then create an imbalance in the power structure of the organization (Hughes, Lowe, & Krahn, 2014). Noah (2008) claims that the management team must be willing to acknowledge the employees as a vital part of the decision making processes not only because they may have a high level of academic training but also because they work directly in the field and may be able to see a potential solution to a problem that would not be viewable from above. This allows the workers to provide input on decisions that will affect their own working conditions, improve the production levels for the organization, and bridge the gap that has traditionally remained in the communication between the workers and the management team (Noah, 2008).
Wrzesniewski and Dutton (2001) refer to this improved level of communication and participation in the decision making process as being an environment that encourages the workers to craft their own working conditions. When an individual feels that they have created their environment, they are much more likely to enjoy being in that environment. When a person feels that their opinions have been heard and considered even if they are not accepted as being the best possible scenario they are more likely to feel comfortable making additional suggestions in the future. Wrzesniewski and Dutton (2001) state that the employees then take ownership in their jobs, their own identities, and the organization. When they feel that they are valuable and that the organization’s success or failure is a direct reflection of their own input then they are so connected to that organization that they do not feel that it would be in their best interest to leave the organization to look for other opportunities. The job satisfaction is then improved and the turnover rate would greatly decrease through the encouragement of this participation.
Work is a part of life that many people dread as it is required in order to fund the other areas of life that are considerably more enjoyable (Sennett, 1972). However, the balance between these areas has been shown to aid in all areas of satisfaction. Additionally, continued learning through mentorship has been shown to help to improve the level of job satisfaction. Of course, this increased focus on learning along with the learning that took place prior to employment has created a work force that is prepared and capable to add valuable insight to the decision making process. It is important that the management team not continue to consider the work place as a hierarchy whereas they are to lead from above. Instead, the management team must acknowledge and welcome the input of the employees. Not only will this provide the management team with a different angle of insight on which they can base their decisions, but it will also improve the levels of job satisfaction among the workers. When job satisfaction levels improve, then the turnover rate will decrease. This will not only save the company money, but will also increase the levels of production as the tenured employees will continue to provide valuable insight to the management team.
- Billett, S. (2002). Critiquing workplace learning discourses: participation and continuity at
work. Studies in the Education of Adults, 34(1), 56-67. - Greenhaus, J. H., & Powell, G. N. (2006). When work and family are allies: A theory of work-family enrichment. Academy of management review,31(1), 72-92.
- Hamper, B. (1991). Excerpt from Rivethead: Tales from the assembly line (pp. 92-91). New
York: Warner Books. - Hughes, K., Lowe, G., & Krahn, H. (2014). Work, Industry, and Canadian Society. Chapters 5-6.
- Muindi, F. K. (2011). The relationship between participation in decision making and job
satisfaction among academic staff in the school of business, university of Nairobi. Journal of Human Resources Management Research, 2011, 1-34.
