Describe about the Motivation and Job satisfaction are subjective and affected by variables like cultural influences, personal relationships outside work and unknown domestic situations?
Determination of the factors that influence the job satisfaction of an employee has become a significant point of interest (Weiner, 2013). Based on the traditional belief, where employees were expected to be motivated by the effective management models and organizational motivation strategies, however this concept has been overshadowed by the theories that states subjective variables like cultural influences, personal relationship and unknown domestic situations has noteworthy impact on the motivation and job satisfaction of employees (Herzberg et al. 2011).
This particular body of research undoubtedly value the effects of external phenomena on job satisfaction that have been largely overlooked.
Empirical researches consistently focus to identify the determinants of job satisfaction, and evident suggests that the key contributory factors to the subject include cultural influences (societal values, norms and belief), socio-demographic variables (e.g. gender, marital status, age, and degree of education), etc (Chambers et al. 2014).
Based on the research by Hofestede (2012), a number of researchers advance the view that cultural values are remain stable and consistent over time (Elliot & Dweck, 2013). At such a position, the culture is viewed as the homeostatic quasi-equilibrium and hence, even though the empirical support to it is less, one can hypothesize that the cultural values tends to have a stable influence on job satisfaction over time. The research initiated by Hofestede introducing a national cultural framework within the organization setup. Within this framework, the researcher develops a set of cultural dimensions with the focus to characterize the concept of national culture that was defined as “the collective programming of mind that inherently distinguishes the category of people or members of one group from the other” (Wigfield & Guthrie, 2013).
Considering this framework, an argument arises that states, culture resembles one’s mental software which is significantly stable in nature and considered to be a consistent reliable predictor to determine how individuals are likely to think and act within the society. According to Wigfield etal. (2015), industrialization is said to be documented as distinct shifts from traditional to secular-rational value systems. While in the post-industrialization phase, it greatly connects with the survival values and self-expression. Within this shift in culture, it is often observed a significant degree perseverance of traditional values. The variation in cultural values within the industrialized society, this perseverance attribute to the difference in cultural heritage and significantly to the religious heritage.
However theoritising the appropriate nature association between cultural values and job satisfaction is a difficult call. In relation to it, Grana et al. (2012) discusses how effectively the managers in multinational organization must be aware of the cultural differences, for example trading across borders in different countries. In some case, certain management strategies may lead to positive employee outcomes while the strategy used on employees on certain culture, however the effect of the strategy may be less effective when applied on employees from other cultures. This implies to the fact that cultural attitude (both at the national and individual level) is likely to possess a mitigating effect between various input by management and outcome of employee including the job satisfaction.
For instance, it is theorised that the cultural values of an individual significantly affect their expectations for various aspects related to their job and workplace. If the expectations are exceeded by the reality, it results into a higher level of job satisfaction and vice-versa.
Again, Armitage et al. (2012) cited that, individualism, a certain cultural value (i.e. the degree at which an individual prefer to live firm sense of personal identity thereby opposing the concept of collectivism that refers to the preference of group identity) is likely to lead an individual to desire and perform self-directed and autonomous task in their job. In relation to it, if the employer increases the level of autonomous task for certain group of employees, it is expected that the job satisfaction for the group of employees holding certain cultural values will increase greatly than the ones that do not hold the specific cultural values.
Moreover, the influence of cultural values on job satisfaction and effects of cultural values on participating in organizational decision making, have been empirically explored by Chevallier et al. (2012), whose empirical results demonstrate that, advancement towards the traditional values may result into high level of job satisfaction, on the other hand, advancement towards the survival values result in low level of job satisfaction.
Unfavourable domestic situation may arises due to the inappropriate work life balance or other situational crisis that effect the employee job satisfaction. A satisfied workforce is important to drive the success of organization. According to Lin & Lu (2011), work-life balance is the major motivation of employees that drive the employees to remain with organization rather than the monetary benefits of salary.
Armitage et al. (2012) defined job satisfaction as an emotional or affective response towards one’s job. An employee feel de-motivated to impart his best efforts at work and maximum efficiency to achieve the organizational goals due to the domestic situation that may arises due to the conflict between work-life balance. Herzberg et al. (2011) cited that, this particular conflict takes three forms i.e. conflict in time, behaviorial conflicts and conflict out of tension between roles.
The conflict of time arises when demand imposed by different roles played by the employee makes it difficult for him to manage time efficiently. The preoccupation of the individual with one role affects the individual’s ability to perform the tasks respective to the other role played by him/her, even if the individual is physically present (Chambers et al. 2014).
Conflict arising due to tension between roles resulting into stress generation/de-motivation while performing one role affects the way a individual perform to fulfil the demand of other roles. For instance, stress and fatigue experience at work has significant impact on the family life at home and vice-versa, which in turn result into de-motivation and effect the job satisfaction
Behavioural conflict refers to the specific phenomenon that states, behaviour of individual specific to one role is incompatible is incompatible with the behaviour required by the other role. For instance, domestic issues and problems outside work effect the person’s ability to work efficiently or cater the attitude expected at work. Thus gives rise to situation where the individual feel unfit and de-motivated and could not adopt the divergent demands (Chambers et al. 2014).
Researchers indeed highly acknowledge the reciprocal nature of job satisfaction with various domestic situations and adopt a bidirectional perspective of work-domestic conflict.
Individuals have an perseverance of having more flexibility to engage in personal or family commitments rather than improving their commitments towards work. According to (), there are basically two types of interferences that effect the job satisfaction:
The employment contract dictates the working time of an individual whereas the family time of an individual is entirely depends on the individual’s discretion. The time clash of these two aspects creates an imbalance between in two directions respectively thereby leading to dissatisfaction in job and turnover intentions. Work and family interferences fundamentally operates in two directions.
First, work demands for more time and energy from the employee hindering the activities towards family (personal relationships). For instance, attending of marketing tours and or meetings early morning leads the individuals to compromise their personal life and duties towards the personal relationships. Researchers call this as work interference with the personal life (Herzberg et al. 2011).
Second, responsibilities and duties towards the personal relationships (family) interference with the individual’s commitment and performance towards work. For instance, worrying about the sick dependants at home, such as responsibility towards spouse and partners many a times divert the attention of individuals from responsibilities related to work thus leading to work a situation where family interfere in work.
Moreover when employees cannot balance between the two domains of work and personal life, they tends to feel unsatisfied with the job and likely to withdraw from work related activities. Herzberg et al. (2011) suggested about the various levels of stress that employee’s posses that can lead to conflict between personal life and work which in turn leads to quitting of job. According to Armitage et al. (2012), interference of work with personal relationship is significantly and positively related to the intentions of turnover. On the other hand, the perception of employee to control over management of work and personal life is significantly and negatively related to the turnover intentions.
The above literature attempts to associate the variables work and personal life that are interlinked with each other. Again, the study tries to analyze the various sources of conflict that has significant effect on the organizational and individual level of outcomes.
Four models have been considered below that dictates the relationship between variables.
Fig- Relationship between family domain and work domain
(Herzberg et al. 2011)
Fig- Relationship between family domain and work domain with the presence of moderating variables
(Herzberg et al. 2011)
Fig- Relationship between FWI/WFI to work and personal life conflict and its respective outcomes at individual and organizational level
(Herzberg et al. 2011)
Fig- This models explains the relationship between individual’s work and personal life conflict and its significant outcome that affects the organization.
(Herzberg et al. 2011)
The literature review reveals that most of researches that has been done in the past are based on the platform of empirical researches that tried to identify the determinants of job satisfaction through conventional motivational models that management theories. In reference to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (motivational model) dictate that on fulfilment of five levels of hierarchy i.e. the physiological needs, safety needs, need of love, esteem and self-actuation, a person is motivated to work towards the achievement of organizational goals. However, the literature discussed above present theories that goes against the Maslow’s hierarchy stating that, individual’s perseverance to job satisfaction is depends on various other factors that goes beyond the boundary of these five factors (Armitage et al. 2012).
Majority of conventional literature linking cultural impact on job satisfaction has been demonstrated at the organizational level. For example job satisfaction has been illustrated to be positively related with the culture of organization that are likely to promote the opportunities for growth and fairness at work. In contrast to this, this report draws attention to the job satisfaction associated with the national cultural values, measures of society and attitude on individual level (Chambers et al. 2014).
Hence, manager working across the environment of multi-culture should not be culture blind while practicing human resources. With the focus to motivate employees at work, managers must be aware of and respect for the cultural differences of cross-cultural workforce at the organization. Perhaps, a transparent communication across departments at organization will facilitate better understanding of the impact and influence on job satisfaction of employees (Chambers et al. 2014).
Again, drawing attention to the Herzberg’s two factor theory, advance two significant factors i.e. Hygiene or maintenance factors and motivators or growth factors that were expected motivate and offer job satisfaction to employees (Chambers et al. 2014).
According to this model, Hygiene factors such as salary, favourable working conditions, and interpersonal relationship with colleagues, administration and company policy were the major influence of job satisfaction (Armitage et al. 2012).
Similarly, Growth factors/motivators such as opportunities to growth, challenging work, responsibility and recognition and sense of achievement have great impact on employee motivation and increase their job satisfaction.
However, the literature presented above, shows that the above mentioned factors by Herzberg’s are of little use while determining the actual reason of employee motivation. Based on the above literature, work to family interference plays is a significant reason for which employees lose their motivation and commitment towards work. The research made above has identified the conflict between work and personal life or various domestic scenarios, and its impact on employees. If an individual is disturbed with personal relationship and incapable to balance between the two, the individual’s commitment towards the organizational objectives decreases significantly thus resulting into an intention of turnover. At such a situation the Herzberg’s motivational factors such as workplace achievement, promotion, salary, favourable working conditions with colleagues does not comes into play neither by relieving the person from the situation or conflict. On analyzing the theoretical models that help to comprehend the various motivators of job satisfaction also highlight that long working hours, stressful job, competing demand of family and cultural issues, work and personal conflicts is a major reason for imbalances within the life of individuals. Even though the management models of motivational strategy must not restricted to motivational factors of incentives, perks, participation in organizational decision making, rather the HR policies and practices must explore their duty to provide employees with supportive work environment, enough space should be provided to employees so that they balance their work and personal relationships outside work, efforts to reduction in time conflict and interference between work and family (Chambers et al. 2014).
Shifting from the conventional methods of motivation and models, attempts to improve the work-life balance of employees
Conclusion
While determining the factors that influence jobs satisfaction of an employee has been growing importance for organizations. On analysing the impact of cultural values on the individual’s attitude towards job satisfaction, has yield two significant aspects:
1. The impact of traditional values on job satisfaction of employees are found to be time-invariant
2. The significance of survival values has declined the job satisfaction in great ways since it is not time-invariant and reinvent across time.
Determining the factors that influence jobs satisfaction of an employee has been growing importance for organizations. From the study analyzed above, it is evident that motivation and job satisfaction of an individual is affected by a number of variables. The generalized models of motivation and management theories weighed the satisfaction rate of employees with factors like salary, promotion, favourable work culture, recognition and rewards, interpersonal relationship with colleagues. However, these previous researches conducted overlooked the major influencing factors like effect of culture, interpersonal relational relationship of employees and unknown domestic situations that are said to have high impact on increasing rate of employee turnover. Management awareness and respect towards the culture of employees policies of work-life balance is said to achieve a more harmonious balance between the employees work responsibilities and duties of personal life and personal interest. The key considerations so far has been focussed on aid of working parents towards their childcare responsibilities, and also considers the responsibility of employees towards elder care, opportunities for education and training, and the need of personal time in order to combat the negative stress experienced at workplace. It is concluded that such factors influence on employee satisfaction towards their job and motivation to perform with dedication. The above literature demonstrate the need of structural changes in organizations that mainly focuses on respect to ones’ cultural and traditional values , norms and belief, alteration of working routines and rules focusing on the employee benefit such as reduction in long hours of work, child care and parent care initiatives, work life balance initiatives, support from peer group, alteration of management styles and practices that would play a crucial role in bringing about a balance between work and personal life and cultural issues. This proves that the conventional models of motivation and management practices are of little use in informing the organizational motivation strategies.
References:
Armitage, C. J., Wright, C. L., Parfitt, G., Pegington, M., Donnelly, L. S., & Harvie, M. N. (2014). Self-efficacy for temptations is a better predictor of weight loss than motivation and global self-efficacy: Evidence from two prospective studies among overweight/obese women at high risk of breast cancer. Patient education and counseling, 95(2), 254-258.
Chambers, R. A., Taylor, J. R., & Potenza, M. N. (2014). Developmental neurocircuitry of motivation in adolescence: a critical period of addiction vulnerability.
Chevallier, C., Kohls, G., Troiani, V., Brodkin, E. S., & Schultz, R. T. (2012). The social motivation theory of autism. Trends in cognitive sciences, 16(4), 231-239.
Elliot, A. J., & Dweck, C. S. (Eds.). (2013). Handbook of competence and motivation. Guilford Publications.
Grana, R. A., Ramo, D. E., Fromont, S. C., Hall, S. M., & Prochaska, J. J. (2012). Correlates of tobacco dependence and motivation to quit among young people receiving mental health treatment. Drug and alcohol dependence,125(1), 127-131.
Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., & Snyderman, B. B. (2011). The motivation to work(Vol. 1). Transaction Publishers.
Lin, K. Y., & Lu, H. P. (2011). Why people use social networking sites: An empirical study integrating network externalities and motivation theory.Computers in Human Behavior, 27(3), 1152-1161.
Weiner, B. (2013). Human motivation. Psychology Press.
Wigfield, A., & Guthrie, J. T. (2013). Motivation for reading: An overview.Motivation for Reading: Individual, Home, Textual, and Classroom Perspectives: A Special Issue of Educational Psychologist, 32(2), 57-58.
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