Employee And Employee Motivation And Positive Discretionary Behaviour

Increasing productivity and sparking motivation in employees, are challenges that managers, businesses, and organizations have struggled with for centuries. While there are many beliefs about which method(s) yield the best results, and what is considered to be the desired result, a ‘one-size-fits-all’ management technique still does not exist. The current movement in psychology, called Positive Psychology, focuses on what is “right” in an individual, and not on their faults. This basic concept is starting to extend its influences into the workplace, making it seem that Positive Psychology may become the key ingredient corporate culture, and all places of employment alike, have needed to promote success and satisfaction in their lines of work.

Landis, E. A., Vick, C. L., & Novo, B. N. (2015). Employee attitudes and job satisfaction. Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, 12(5), 37-42. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1764139256?accountid=12085

A broad general definition of discretion is a perceived freedom of street-level bureaucrats to make choices that concern the sort, quantity, and quality sanctions and rewards that are offer when implementing a policy. The management style of different government entities can have an adverse or beneficial effect when implementing the same policy because the public servant(s) (1) possess more knowledge or loopholes on the rules, (2) the agency’s operationalize the policy somewhat differently, (3) employee/manager relationship is what enables them to adjust to the circumstances, or (4) the personality of the street-level bureaucrat is more rule-following or

Four articles have been critically analysed to conclude that job satisfaction is the most common cause of behavioural changes in the workplace (Chang, Daly, Hancock, Bidewell, Johnson, Lambert, & Lambert, 2006; Chang, Bidewell, W., Huntington, Daly, J., Johnson, Wilson,

The challenge is to balance the two scenarios and find a middle-of-the-road approach to that can give a hint or foretell when employees fall into one of the two extremes. However, Strand and Dore’s study pinpointed role stressors, supervision, performance recognition, and rewards as possible factors that contribute to job satisfaction, depending on the individual and level of responsibility, and employee’s number of years with the employer, the role in the organization, working conditions suitability, and lack of external client resources as a contribution to job dissatisfaction. With factor such as performance recognition, the role, and working conditions overlapping into both job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction, human resource personnel need to play a judicious balancing act. While Franek & Veera (2008) agreed with Strand & Dore on working condition as one factor that influence a level of job satisfaction or dissatisfaction, they also identified remuneration and benefits, promotion system, individual employee relationship with immediate supervisor, social relationship, organizational justice and the job itself. Overall, the authors identified situational factors which are associated with individuals and dispositional factors which are associated with an individual’s

With the major changes and reforms occurring in the external environment as well as changes in the work demands and contractual position of employees, employee well-being has become an issue that cannot be simply swept away (Vanhala & Tuomi, 2003). According to Bakker (2015) employee well-being is one of the most popular researched area among organisational psychologist. Further Grant, Christianson & Price (2007) comment that employee well-being is a hot topic in organisational life and that organisations are seriously investing in employee well-being strategies.

During the 1950’s and 60’s, Frederick Herzberg found himself questioning employee satisfaction. He wanted to understand it better, and he conducted studies with different people to try to understand how someone’s attitude could affect how much they are motivated. During his studies, he began asking people about situations they had been in that made them feel really good or

It was found that the good attitudes affect job performance more than the bad attitudes. The study showed, negative attitude resulted in some degree of physical or psychological withdrawal from the job and the degree of loyalty is varying based on job satisfaction. Finally, although the participants themselves perceived that mental health is affected, the results showed no clear evidence for that. In order to increase satisfaction, the motivation factors must be improved (Herzberg et al., 1959). Thus, it is said that, the motivation can improve the motivation level among

Reinforcement theory is similar to expectancy theory. It refers those contingent pay forces individuals to increase the level of their performance (Skepm-Arlt & Toupence, 2007).

As organisations have developed to suit and cater for an increasingly competitive marketplace, so too have the ideas and notions of job satisfaction. In fact, these ideas and notions have developed to such an extent through both theoretical and empirical means that it has now become the most important application of human resource management within the workplace. In its simplest form, job satisfaction is an attitudinal variable with which to judge an employee’s inclination towards their work. However, these attitudinal variables are so diverse and wide-ranging that it is fundamentally

Dissatisfied employees are usually emotionally and mentally detached from the organization, become less committed and are more prone towards leaving the organization (Lok and Crawford 2008). The positive or negative feelings related to the job, perception that work is not imposed, emotional response to tasks and, physical and social work conditions refer to job satisfaction (Herzberg et al., 1959; Locke, 1983; Iaffaldano, and Muchinsky, 1985). The individual within a work environment builds an attitude towards the job on the basis of the perception of the presence and absence of the job characteristics concerning their particular needs (Porter, 1961).

Job satisfaction is the very important factor in general quality of life because it is closely connected with working life (e.g. Argyle, 1989; Bang & Lee, 2006), with family life, everyday life, and mental health (Orpen, 1978; Schmitt and Bedeian, 1982; Faragher, Cass & Cooper, 2005). Level of job satisfaction is also highly related to turnover, absenteeism rate, work productivity or accomplishment (Muchinsky, 1977; Organ, 1977). Many researchers (e.g. Cherrington, 1994; Acorn, Ratner & Crawford, 1997; Ostroff, 1992; Spector, 1997) state that employees who experience high job satisfaction contribute to organisational commitment, job involvement, their physical, mental health and overall well-being are improved. Job dissatisfaction on the

Topics concerning job satisfaction are commonly studied. Some of the reasons for this can be identified. According to Kalleberg (1977, p. 124), personal value systems of researchers are significant in terms of driving job satisfaction studies, the humanitarian perspective as Spector (1997, p. 2) pointed out, gives rise to job satisfaction studies. Some researchers further argued that job satisfaction is not only the thing employees should have but also the thing they have the opportunity to get access to (Cranny et al. 1992 cited in Fitzpatrick, 1993, p. 372). Also, from a utilitarian perspective (Spector, 1997, p. 2), belief that job satisfaction is related to performance and functioning of organisations encourages more researches in job satisfaction. And evidence linking job satisfaction to life satisfaction and the intention to improve productivity and functioning performance through better employee experiences are also important motivators (Kalleberg, 1977, p. 124). Furthermore, job satisfaction can be a diagnostic tool in performance and functioning checking. Besides, as a matter of study concentration, job satisfaction is significant factor to study for all researchers who are interested in

Additionally, Locke (1976) defined job satisfaction as “a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experiences” Besides, Davis and Nestrom (1985), defined job satisfaction as “combination of positive or negative feelings that workers have towards their work, which is closely linked to individual’s behavior in the work.” Furthermore, according to Smith, Kendall, and Hulin (as cited in Cook, 2008) job satisfaction has been defined as “feelings or affective responses to facets of the (workplace) situation”.

Dissatisfied and satisfied employees in the workplace can affect their productive and job performance. The work place, promotions, advancements, and supervisors are things that can cause an employee to be satisfied or dissatisfied at work. In my workplace some of my supervisors have driven my attitude. Robbins (2007) states, “attitudes are evaluative statements-either favorable or unfavorable-about objects, people or events.” (Robbins and Judge, 2007, p. 75) When I was first promoted to Sergeant and transferred to supervisor the Criminal Investigations Unit, I was excited about the new opportunity and the knowledge I would learn and give. My attitude towards the workplace and towards my employees was high and willing to help or produce a positive work environment. As a Christian in a non-Christian workplace, a great attitude towards job satisfaction can be found in the Bible. In Ecclesiastes 5:18 (New Living Translation), it says, “I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun and during the short life God has given them.” The workplace can be stressful but when you have good leadership they can effectively change the attitude of the people they serve.