Content Theory Of Job Satisfaction

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1.INTRODUCTION- Almost two-third of a human’s life is spent working. It starts with the necessity to earn a living but gradually goes way beyond that. It is human nature to want more of things which they already have in abundance. But, the level of satisfaction gradually decreases. According to a 2011 survey of U.S. households by the Conference Board, job dissatisfaction is widespread among workers of all ages across all income brackets. The study found that only 47% of those surveyed say they are satisfied with their jobs, down from 61.1 percent in 1987, the first year in which the survey was conducted. Job satisfaction can be said to be one of the most researched topics of organizational behaviour. It is the most widely investigated job …show more content…

THEORIES OF JOB-SATISFACTION- There are several differences of opinion amongst experts regarding the various components and theories of job satisfaction. Even though they may be different and varying but somewhere down the line, they are also overlapping. The prominent theories are categorized into two types- Content theories and Process Theories. (Foster, 2000). Content Theories- the content theories try to identify the specific things affecting the satisfaction levels of an employee. These theories basically concentrate on “what” motivates employees. Some of the important content theories are as follows- a) Maslow’s Need Hierarchy- based on human psychology, this theory identifies five levels of needs. Once a given level of need is satisfied, the next higher level activates automatically (Maslow, 1943). The five levels are- - Physical needs which are the basic needs like Food, Water, Sex etc. - Safety needs like safe working condition, job security, stability, protection etc. - Social needs like cohesive work group, professional associations, friendly supervision …show more content…

- Self-actualization needs like challenges in jobs, achievements etc. b) Herzberg’s Two-Factor theory- this theory is also known as the motivator-hygiene theory. Herzberg and his associates tried to find out the factors which are the “turn-ons” and “turn-offs” for an employee (Herzberg et al,1959). This theory points out the factors which make an employee feel good/bad about their jobs. The factors which lead to satisfaction are known as “motivators” and those leading to dissatisfaction are “hygiene factors”. The motivators are- - Achievement -

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