Job Satisfaction Importance

Job satisfaction has been an important topic over the years (Akfopure, 2006). The association between man and labor has always concerned the attention of philosophers. Work plays a big factor in a man’s life. Work is social reality and social expectancy to which men seem to ratify. It provides status to the individual and at the same time it binds him to the society. An employee who is satisfied with his job would perform his duties well and be committed to his job, and subsequently to his organization. Thus, it is of greatest importance for employers to know the factors that can affect their employees’ job satisfaction level since it would affect the performance of the organization as well.

According to Meyer, John P., Stanley, David J.,

(2008), Job satisfaction doesn’t have to mean pursuing the ultra-glamorous or making money from your hobby. You can work at job satisfaction, and find it in the most unexpected places. The heart of job satisfaction is in your attitude and expectations; it’s more about how you approach your job than the actual duties you perform. Whether you work on the farm, a production line, in the corner office or on the basketball court, the secret is to understand the key ingredients of your unique recipe for job satisfaction. There are three basic approaches to work: is it a job, a career, or a passion? Depending on which type of work you are in right now, the things that give you satisfaction will vary. If you work at a job, the compensation aspects of the position will probably hold more appeal than anything else, and have the greatest impact on whether you stay or go. If you work at a career, you are looking for promotions and career development opportunities. Your overall satisfaction is typically linked with your status, power, or position. If you work at a passion, the work itself is the factor that determines your satisfaction, regardless of money, prestige, or control. Inevitably, these are generalizations, and you will probably find that you get satisfaction from more than one approach to work. Being aware of the type of work you are doing, and the things you need for job satisfaction, will help you to identify and adjust your satisfaction expectations

This theory states that within each individual exists a hierarchy of five need levels. The needs range from basic or lower level needs to higher level needs which are: Physiology, Safety, Belongingness and love, Esteem and Self-actualization. Physical needs are the base from the hierarchy. It includes the basic human needs such as the need for air, water, food, exercise and freedom fromm diseases. It is commonly achieve by the human being. Once these basic needs are achieved, then they will go for the other level which is the security. This level includes the need of safety, shelter and stability. In term of the working environment, it means that an employee may demand for the job security, they can have a stable job, being treated fairly and have a good pay for their job. The third phase is the social, it includes the need of being loved, and experience the feeling of belongingness and inclusion. In the work place, the employee needs to feel the sense of belonging and acceptance, once they have this feeling, it helps them to achieve the satisfaction on this level. Let’s say one cannot fulfill this level, for example he is facing problem in his marriage; it could lead to the failure on this level. After fulfilling this level, it comes to another level which is the ego or known as self-esteem and followed by the highest level which is the self-actualization (Corpuz, 1997