Basic Concepts of Employee Job Satisfaction

BASIC CONCEPTS OF EMPLOYEE JOB SATISFACTION A. Definition of Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction is often associated with the level of individual satisfaction with the organization in providing rewards. Job satisfaction is subjective because each individual has a different level of job satisfaction. In simple terms, this is influenced by the characteristics and needs of different individuals. Locke (1976) (in Hartini et al., 2021, p. 93) states that there is an effective or emotional aspect of job satisfaction when defining job satisfaction as a pleasant positive emotional state that results from assessing one's work or work experience. This is in line with the definition of Robbins et.al (2018) (in Hartini et al., 2021, p. 93) defining "job satisfaction as a positive feeling about work resulting from evaluating its characteristics". According to Handoko (2011) (in Sujati, 2018, p. 7) job satisfaction is the pleasant or unpleasant state of employees in viewing their work. In line with Handoko's opinion, Dadang (2013) (in Sujati, 2018, p. 8) states that job satisfaction is an emotional state that is pleasant and unpleasant towards work, job satisfaction reflects a person's feelings towards their work. Job satisfaction is related to the emotional aspects of employees which determine employee behavior in carrying out their duties and responsibilities. Employees who feel satisfied with their work tend to be more active and productive, whereas employees who do not get job satisfaction tend to be passive and can even result in absenteeism from work. Davis & Newstrom (2005) (in Sujati, 2018, p. 9) emphasize that "Job satisfaction is the favorable or unfavorableness with which employees view their work." Job satisfaction is a feeling of happiness or displeasure that employees feel about their work. Job satisfaction also refers to the benefits obtained by employees in carrying out their work. Furthermore, Davis (in Sujati, 2018, p. 9) thinks that someone who is happy and happy in carrying out their work will be considered to have job satisfaction, in contrast to someone who feels difficult and unhappy in their work, they do not get job satisfaction in carrying out their work. Umar (2011) (in Nabawi, 2019, p. 174) states that job satisfaction is a person's feelings and assessment of their work, especially regarding their working conditions, in relation to whether their work is able to fulfill their hopes, needs and desires. In connection with meeting needs, Rivai and Mulyadi (2012) define job satisfaction as a worker's assessment of how far their work as a whole satisfies their needs. This opinion emphasizes the aspect of an individual's assessment of his workload and his needs, when the rewards or rewards obtained are in accordance with what the individual has done, a feeling of satisfaction will arise. Based on the definition described above, it can be concluded that job satisfaction is related to individual emotions, whether positive or negative, which influence their productivity at work. Employees who get job satisfaction are reflected in the positive attitude shown when carrying out their work duties and how the employee interacts with other employees. Meanwhile, employees who do not get job satisfaction will show negative attitudes such as being lazy and being absent from work. The level of job satisfaction for each individual is different, as previously explained, the main factor causing this is individual characteristics. In this regard, there are theories that reveal differences in job satisfaction for each individual. The theory of job satisfaction according to Rivai (in Sujati, 2018, pp. 10-12) can be described as follows. a. Discrepancy theory (discrepancy theory) This theory measures individual job satisfaction by calculating the difference between what is supposed to be and what is actually obtained (rewards). b. Justice theory (equity theory) This theory suggests that people will feel satisfied or dissatisfied depending on the justice obtained in the work situation. The main components in justice theory are inout, outcome, justice, and injustice. c. Two factor theory (two factor theory) This theory formulates job characteristics into two groups, namely satisfiers, which means factors needed as a source of job satisfaction, and dissatisfiers, namely factors that result in job dissatisfaction. B. Factors that Influence Job Satisfaction Basically, individual job satisfaction factors are divided into 2 (two), namely internal factors and external factors. Internal factors are factors that originate from within the individual himself, such as needs, hopes and perceptions. Meanwhile, external factors are factors that come from outside the individual, such as environmental conditions, policies, co-workers, and so on. According to Usman (2010) (in Bahri and Nisa, 2017, p. 13) job satisfaction is motivated by factors, namely: 1. Service rewards. 2. Feeling safe. 3. Interpersonal influence. 4. Working environment conditions. 5. Opportunities for development and self-improvement. Next, McKenna revealed several causes of job satisfaction, including: 1) Fair salary and benefits, promotions (career opportunities), 3) work itself, 4) leadership, 5) teamwork, 6) working conditions, and 7) suitability personality and work. Employee characteristics generally influence the level of job satisfaction, thereby determining the factors that influence it. This results in different effects on each employee, whether major, minor or moderate, on job satisfaction. In more detail, job satisfaction can be influenced by the following factors. D. Measuring Job Satisfaction Measuring job satisfaction can use critical incident techniques and interviews. This technique can be described as follows. 1. Use of the critical incident technique, in this technique employees are asked to focus their attention on situations or events related to job satisfaction. After that, it is necessary to identify factors that can cause job satisfaction. Through this technique, respondents will gain freedom to express themselves and express their opinions. 2. Interview, the interviewer has a greater opportunity to identify data related to job satisfaction because the interviewer can ask questions according to the data needed. (Hartini et al., 2021, p. 104).