How strong is the correlation between job performance and job satisfaction?
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Conventional wisdom holds that there is a strong connection between job satisfaction and performance. The general concept is that when an employee is happy with his or her working situation, the level of efficiency exhibited by that employee will be higher. Over the years, many employers and employees alike have held to this belief, and placed a great deal of emphasis on making sure employees are satisfied with their jobs in order to trigger the desired outcome of higher productivity. There are others who hold that there is no direct connection between job satisfaction and performance, but that the two are indirectly linked based on the personality of the employee rather than any type of direct correlation. Show
Popular wisdom draws a direct link between job satisfaction and performance. If the employee is assigned tasks that are in line with his or her skill sets, can be performed in a reasonable period of time, and leave the employee with a sense of accomplishment at the end of the work day, the idea is that the level of performance will be higher. The employee benefits from deriving some personal satisfaction from a job well done, while the employer benefits from increased productivity. The employee satisfaction may be enhanced by rewards offered by the employer in response to the increased performance, such as an increase in salary or wages, a promotion, or some other form of recognition. Conversely, low job satisfaction has been thought to be directly linked to poor job performance. Essentially, if an employee is assigned tasks outside the scope of her or her expertise, and has difficulty managing those tasks, the level of satisfaction with the job is greatly decreased. This can result in the development of an apathetic attitude within the employee that in turn leads to decreased performance and a loss to the employer. Proponents of the idea that there is a direct connection between job satisfaction and performance note that by making the best use of employee skills by assigning tasks that are in line with those talents, the employee is happier on the job and shows that happiness by being more productive. In addition, taking steps to recognized and reward employees for work well done in turn increases loyalty to the employer and adds to the satisfaction, setting the stage for continued high performance levels. An alternative to this understanding of the connection between job satisfaction and performance focuses more on the mindset and attitude of the employee being the factor that has an effect on both job satisfaction and performance. Within the scope of this theory, it is the personality of the employee that ultimately determines how happy an individual is with his or her job and how much effort is put into the assigned tasks. Attributes such as the emotional stability of the employee, his or her level of self-esteem, and even the general work ethic of the individual determine whether or not the employee is satisfied with the job and how much effort will be put into performing at optimum levels. With this understanding, job satisfaction and performance are the results of the employee’s internal processes and not directly related to the efforts of an employer to make the workplace and the assigned tasks a good fit for the employee. Debate on whether there is a direct correlation between job satisfaction and performance or simply the results of the employee’s own personality and mindset has been engaged for a number of years and will likely to still be debated for many more. With research used to support both concepts, employers and employees alike are more likely to answer the questions within their individual settings based on what mindset the employee brings into the workplace, what the employer does to equip the employee to work effectively within the setting, and how both regard the role of the other in making the workplace a productive atmosphere. For this reason, a simple answer that fits every situation may not be possible.  After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including SmartCapitalMind, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling. After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including SmartCapitalMind, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling. You might also LikeRecommendedAS FEATURED ON: AS FEATURED ON: Related Articles
Discussion CommentsI'm not trying to be theoretical but I think that the connection between employee job satisfaction and performance depends on how we define satisfaction. I know people who would define job satisfaction as a nice paycheck. I also know people who would define it as being appreciated for their hard work. So maybe it all depends on what satisfies people and how they perform in relation to that. I personally think that those who are satisfied with their jobs will always perform better than those who are not satisfied. It's true that some people are motivated by fear of failure. So they might perform even if they are not entirely satisfied with their job. But those who are satisfied will eventually overtake them in performance. I used to think that employees' performance could be approved by increasing job satisfaction. But then I found out about a theory called the achievement motivation theory. This theory says that different people have different achievement needs. Some people seek achievement greatly. These individuals tend to perform better and move up into leadership positions. Others do not seek achievement, in fact, they do not experience a sense of achievement despite finishing projects and tasks as directed. Such employees remain as subordinates. If the connection between job performance and satisfaction is based on the sense of achievement an employee feels after completing his work, then this theory implies that the relationship can be weak or even nonexistent at times. How strong is the correlation between job performance and job satisfaction quizlet?There is a moderate positive correlation between job satisfaction and job performance. There is a strong positive correlation between job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
How does job satisfaction relate to job performance?Job satisfaction is linked to improved performance: the more satisfied employees, the better their performance, the better organizational output. Depending on whether it is used as a single or multi-variable construct, it can measure different things and highlight different areas.
Is there a significant relationship between job satisfaction and job productivity?On average, positive workplace satisfaction boosts productivity by 31% – with unhappy workers' performance a full 10% less productive than their content colleagues. And with only 65% of US employees content with their job, employers are eager for improvements to increase job satisfaction in their employees.
Why is job satisfaction not strongly related to job performance?Therefore, job satisfaction does not directly affect job performance even though job satisfaction is quite high. This is because they tend to be satisfied with the same things as an everyday routine in annual periods, as a result, that does not directly affect job performance.
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