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RESEARCH PAPER: JOB SATISFACTION
Research Paper: Job Satisfaction
Kelley Kelley
School of Business, Liberty University
Author Note
Kelley
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Kelley.
Email:
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RESEARCH PAPER: JOB SATISFACTION
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide a problem-solving perspective for the
organizations lack job satisfaction. The organizational framework that will be discussed is
covered in three steps. The first step will include the history behind the problem by discussing
organizational challenges. The second step will cover some of the causes to the problem, include
the theory chosen from the chosen article, and a biblical perspective. The article is taken from the
National Library of Medicine, and it examines job satisfaction in the healthcare field, precisely
medical laboratories, and how it is related to Herzberg’s two-factor motivation theory (Alrawahi
et al., 2020). Additionally, it discusses how job capacity, recognition, leader-follower
relationships, and professional development can all have factors in the level of job satisfaction.
Alrawahi et al. (2020) explored that to realize job satisfaction, the satisfier and dissatisfier factors
of Herzberg’s theory need to be synchronized. Finally, step three will be suggested
recommendations for my organizations problem of job dissatisfaction and using scholarly articles
to support these recommendations.
Keywords: job satisfaction, Herzberg two-factor theory, leader-follower relationship
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RESEARCH PAPER: JOB SATISFACTION
Research Paper: Job Satisfaction
Introduction
In my military organization as a recruiter, it can be high pressure and high intensity to
meet our mission. Every year we must meet a goal, so it is critical that leadership plays an
important role to germinate growth, productivity, and job satisfaction. Military recruiting
requires a recruiter to where multiple hats and be able to get applicants in the pipeline efficiently
and effectively. After the pandemic, it is getting more challenging to compete with the civilian
sector, therefore, much is required by a sole recruiter to cover a specific area of responsibility.
Step 1: Define the Problem
Organizational Challenges
There has been a trend over the last few years of job satisfaction being atrophied.
Recruiters are becoming more disengaged and trying to go through the motions. For example, a
few recruiters I know were highly engaged a year ago, but recently they have become subpar
workers with zero sense of urgency. The teams are not showing excitement about team building
events, in fact, most are not showing up at all to participate. Kinicki (2021, p. 64) explores the
attitudes that go along with job satisfaction, and they are: motivation, job involvement,
withdrawal thoughts, and professed stress. I have provided examples that are closely connected
with the four attitudes.
The next outcomes are behavioral related and those are: job performance, organizational
citizenship behavior, counterproductive work behavior, and turnover (Kinicki, 2020, p. 64).
There are recruiters and leaders that show counterproductive work behavior by not training, but
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instead doing the job for them. This behavior is not teaching recruiters the correct way to do the
job and not holding them accountable.
The last outcomes are at the organizational level, and these include, accounting and
financial performance, and customer service. Customer service I hold high in value, and I expect
others to do the same, but again there is a continued down slide of recruiters and leaders sinking
deeper into idleness. Applicant complaints are going up and this all stems from job
dissatisfaction because most do not value their work.
Currently my team is suffering from a disengaged laissez-faire leader, so this person is
the key player when it comes to job satisfaction as a root cause. Our leader is not involved to the
point where we must go around him to get anything done. We as a team want to be great but poor
leadership is sucking the life out of everyone and he is not aware of this. We have provided
feedback on multiple occasions, and unfortunately it is not working. Klasmeier et al. (2022)
explores a study that was conducted with 149 teams to determine if abusive leadership or laissez-
faire leadership was more detrimental. Even though abusive supervision lowered team trust,
surprisingly, the study revealed the laissez-faire leaders were more ineffective and damaging to a
team or organization (Klasmeier et al., 2022). This discovery explains a lot, because I have had
both styles of leadership, and I am in agreement that a team struggles more with a laissez-faire
leader. This leadership style is disengaged, avoids making decisions, disappears when they need
you the most, and does not communicate. In contrast, even though abusive supervision displays
destructive and inappropriate behavior they still make decisions, have goals, and allocate daily
duties (Klasmeier et al., 2022). Our teams’ careers are being stunted. For example, the
opportunity of promotion is at risk, because they don’t have a leader to support, mentor, and
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guide them to become competitive for promotion. This opportunity is at the top of list of
importance.
Step 2
The Sultanate of Oman takes its healthcare systems seriously when it comes to managing
people and providing growth, productivity, and job satisfaction, which is the center of this paper
(Alrawahi et al., 2020). One hospital discussed in the article is, Royal Hospital, in which they
have been represented as a significant breakthrough and has extreme autonomy (Alrawahi et al.,
2020). This healthcare sector of Oman is called the Ministry of Health, in which they
“established a framework to enroll many healthcare professionals and introducing a referral
system throughout its healthcare organizations” (Alrawahi et al., 2020, para. 1). The main point
of this system is to consider job satisfaction.
Organizational Theory
In this article, Alrawahi et al. (2020) explores the Herzberg two-factor theory for job
satisfaction. Two motivating factors to this theory are satisfiers (motivators) and dissatisfiers
(hygiene factors) (Alrawahi et al., 2020). An example of one of the causes of a dissatisfier is
supervision, which is the cause to my organizations job dissatisfaction. According to the themes
listed in the article, there are more hygiene factors in our organization than there are motivators.
Some of Herzberg hygiene factors are relationship with leaders, workload, cooperation, and
promotions. “Herzberg’s two-factor theory hygiene factors must be met in order to prevent
dissatisfaction” (Alrawahi et al., 2020, para. 4). The author’s findings of Herzberg’s theory
uncovered that promotion prospects were a motivating factor, but after awhile it becomes a
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dissatisfier. Likewise, in my organization the employees honor promotion, but the supervision is
absent and not mentoring so it has become a dissatisfier.
Relevant Portions
The most relevant parts of the article that I felt were in align to my organizations problem
are professional development and relation with leaders. These are two factors that rate high for
job satisfaction, which is what is hindering my organization. According to Smet (2022) effective
professional development is important to maintain job satisfaction and lower turnover rate. I
know that in the military you can not quit whenever you feel like it, but it lowers the morale
considerably. There are many ways that the author describes as beneficial for professional
development such as attending “courses or seminars, education conference and workshops,
attending qualification programs” (Smet, 2022, para. 1.3). Another observation in this article is
that when people are feeling a higher need for professional development from their supervisor,
their job satisfaction is inevitably going to go up (Smet, 2022).
The second relevant factor, relationship with leaders, is another foundational competency
that builds and stabilizes job satisfaction. Zhao et al. (2020) explores how work engagement is
contagious to employees, so the more that leaders and followers are engaged the higher the job
satisfaction. The effects of a leader not being engaged in my organization are very noticeable.
Many workers are not engaged, they complain, walk around disgruntled, and do not participate
in group activities. I truly believe there is so much potential in them, but over the course of three
years there motivation has atrophied. For example, we have tried to do volunteer opportunities
and I suggested a few of them take charge so they could get experience of leading a team of
volunteers, but they do not show enthusiasm or tenacity. A proven study about crucial gap was
explored and Zhao et al. (2020) explains that leaders play an important role by being engaged,
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and when they are not engaged it effects the subordinate’s enthusiasm, perception, and
performance. Moreover, leaders that are engaged will provide ways to gain more opportunities
for growth, and leaders willing to invest more time into their workers (Zhao et al., 2020). The
author stress that communication is vital to be successful because there will be more of a leader-
follower trust relationship. In contrast, leaders that are not engaged will not display growth
development and provide a sense of imagination to obtain goals (Zhao et al., 2020). Leaders who
exuberate positive emotions, encourage a vision, enthusiasm, persistence and take challenges
head on, will positively effect subordinates (Zhoa et al., 2020).
Biblical Perspective
Whenever I think of being a leader who is fully engaged with their team, I think of Jesus
being fully engaged with his disciples. Jesus was continuously teaching them to do their work,
showing them to be a servant first, even when they felt like they were incapable of fulfilling their
mission.
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles
exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it
shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your
minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the
Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom
for many (King James Bible, 2005, Matthew 20:25-28).
This verse is one that leaders need to imitate, being a servant for their employees.
Servanthood is getting down to their level and builds trust. It also impacts the leader to best
understand what makes their teams happy and what doesn’t.
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Step 3: Recommendations
It is true that when people have job satisfaction, they will be more creative, productive,
enhanced morale, create meaningful relationships, and be willing to participate in group
functions (Shaari et al., 2022). According to Shaari et al. (2022) research shows that leadership
style plays a huge role to job satisfaction.
A laissez-faire leader leaves employees confused and feeling uncertain of what their
major roles are. Some recommendations for my organizational supervision to boost job
satisfaction due to a laissez-faire include, have professionals come and train the leader to find
ways to be transformational and communicative, train the supervisor to see the importance of
stepping away from being disengaged and show how involvement will improve the team
(Lundmark et al., 2021). Additionally, Lundmark et al. (2021) suggests aligning each employee
with key roles, so they know what is expected of them. Also, when it comes to adopting change,
the laissez-faire leader will need to establish specific roles and communicate thoroughly.
Problem Solving Approach
It has been three years and there has not been a change to remove the laissez-faire
leadership style and turn it into a transformational style, therefore; the best approach to solve this
problem is to the dissolve the whole thing by removing or eliminating the situation by replacing
the leader (Kinicki, 2021). New employees come to the team and after observation, they too are
affected, and everyone can see it unfold.
Personality Style and Strengths
My personality trait of ESFJ fits well into a transformational leadership style. This style
would add value to the recommendations for solving the job satisfaction problem for my team. I
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use my extroverted personality to lift up and motivate my co-workers. I use my sensing trait to
be able to see how emotions are affecting everyone, and I learn to adapt to those emotions by
using critical emotional intelligence. Moreover, my feeling trait would be beneficial in making
decisions based off wisdom and discernment since I take my time to research the 2nd and 3rd order
affects. Finally, as a judger I thrive on having a schedule and structure in my work life and
personal life. This trait would highly benefit dealing with the recommendation of improving job
satisfaction; I will shed light in a dark environment (Kroeger et al., 2002).
Biblical Integration
My recommendation was to remove the leader, but it would be very difficult to do that so
it may not be realistic. That said, I would have to step in and use my God-given strengths and
gifts to mediate the problem. It would not be easy to sacrifice time to take care of the team’s
well-being, but it is my calling to help people in need. The saying goes “we must give up, to go
up”. When I’m in line with God’s word, He will give me the skills to carry out the call, he will
equip me to motivate, communicate, and have a servant’s heart.
Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee:
be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For, behold, I have made
thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land,
against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and
against the people of the land (King James Bible, 2005, Jeremiah 1:17-18).
Jeremiah had to sacrifice heaps to fulfill the call of God. He was so young and felt he
wasn’t qualified to be a prophet, but God equipped him. This is how God will equip me to be
able to help my team enhance their job satisfaction, by showing them the value they are having
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in the community. I will also act as a go-between when information gets funneled down to make
sure everyone knows what is going on. I will need to bridge the gap for mentoring and finding
emerging leaders by focusing on their strengths, which is significant to development.
Conclusion
There are so many ways that someone can make an impact on peoples lives even though
they may not be in a supervisory role. Anyone can be a leader, even at the lowest level. I talked
about the organizational challenges and some of the implications in Step 1. In Step 2, I discussed
the scholarly article I picked for this report and what the author felt toward the Herzberg’s two-
factor theory. I covered the most relevant concepts to my organizations problem, and I also
conversed a biblical perspective on what servanthood means, and how Jesus demonstrated this in
perfection. In Step 3, I covered some recommendations and how my strengths will contribute to
the change. Finally, I provided deep insight of how the Lord would use me to help bridge a gap
with my team; carrying a vison of being the leader they never had.
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References
Alrawahi, S., Sellgren, S. F., Altouby, S., Alwahaibi, N., & Brommels, M. (2020). The
application of herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation to job satisfaction in clinical
laboratories in omani hospitals. Heliyon, 6(9), e04829-e04829.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04829.
King James Bible. (2005). Expositor’s Bible.
Kinicki, A. (2021). Organizational behavior. A practical, problem-solving approach. 3rd edition.
https://prod.reader-ui.prod.mheducation.com
Klasmeier, K. N., Schleu, J. E., Millhoff, C., Poethke, U., & Bormann, K. C. (2022). On the
destructiveness of laissez-faire versus abusive supervision: A comparative, multilevel
investigation of destructive forms of leadership. European Journal of Work and
Organizational Psychology, 31(3), 406-420.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2021.1968375
Kroeger, O., Thuesen J., & Rutledge H. (2002). Type talk at work.
Lundmark, R., Richter, A., & Tafvelin, S. (2021). Consequences of managers' laissez-faire
leadership during organizational restructuring. Journal of Change Management, 22(1),
40-58. https://doi.org/10.1080/14697017.2021.1951811
Smet, M. (2022). Professional development and teacher job satisfaction: Evidence from a
multilevel model. Mathematics (Basel), 10(1), 51. https://doi.org/10.3390/math10010051
Zhao, Y., & Xie, B. (2020). Social effects of engaged leaders on subordinates' experiences in the
workplace. Social behavior and personality, 48(9), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.9244
