Section I: IntroductionBackgroundJob satisfaction is an organizational behavior topic that is often overlooked and underappreciated. Job satisfaction can energize and motivate employees to give their best effort resulting in a stronger work performance. Studies have shown that employees who are given excessive workloads, limited growth opportunities and minimal compensation, are not as engaged and their work performance suffers as a result. Job satisfaction can have a different meaning to different people because some individuals are pleased by money and others by job content. Employees are expected to do their jobs effectively, however if these individuals feel valued and are satisfied this could improve their performance at work.HypothesisThis research project sought out to prove the notion that job satisfaction can have a positive effect on individuals in an organization. Through historical research and reviewing journal articles, this project looked at the various effect job satisfaction has on employees.Importance of the Study/Purpose of ResearchThe importance of this study is to show the significance of job satisfaction and how it can affect an individual at work. This study will help people understand what job satisfaction is and what it means to them personally. Job satisfaction is a topic that is overlooked by many and needs to be studied to show its relevance. By proving the hypothesis correct, job satisfaction will be seen as a valuable concept that individuals need to be aware of.The purpose of this research project was to prove the theory that job satisfaction can have an impact on an individual in an organization. The data collected showed that satisfied employees are more motivated to do their jobs. This research project is informative to both employers and employees by showing them that job satisfaction should be studied when looking at individual and organizational performance. The impact job satisfaction has on employees has not been studied thoroughly enough in the past and the subject needs to be addressed.Questions to be AnsweredWhat is Job Satisfaction?Does job satisfaction have the same meaning to everyone?Who is responsible for job satisfaction: employees or employer?Are there any negative effects of Job Satisfaction?How can job satisfaction have an effect of individuals in an organization?AssumptionsManagers that were interviewed were from various businesses and industries around Southern California.All that participated in the survey were currently employed and represent a diverse workforce.Articles, Journals, Books and Websites accessed through Cal Poly Pomona Library databases were accurate and up to date.DelimitationsAll participant in the survey were willing to participateAll managers were willing to be interviewed for this projectThe data for this project came from books and databases at the Cal Poly Pomona libraryTermsJob Satisfaction – the feeling of pleasure or excitement that you experience when you know your job has value. This feeling can come from job content, work load, compensation and growth opportunities.Value- the importance, worth and usefulness of somethingJob Content- the responsibilities and duties assigned to a job.Behavior- the confidence, enthusiasm and discipline of a person/group at a particular time.Organizational Commitment- a state in which an employee identifies with an organization and its goals and wishes to stay as a member of the organization.MethodologyThe first step of this research project was to collect a sufficient number of articles and journals from databases at the Cal Poly Pomona library to back up the hypothesis. Most of the articles and journals found were from the year 2013 to the present to ensure their relevance. After enough resources were collected, they were reviewed and compiled to build my study. The literature that was reviewed was properly cited to ensure the authors received their credit. Most of the data presented for chapter 3 was collected through a survey consisting of 15 questions that focuses on how individuals feel about their current job and if the employees felt more valued in their position, would they be more productive? After the survey, interviews were conducted with 10 managers to confirm the validity of the survey and the accuracy of the literature review. The final step was the conclusion and summarization of the research. Recommendations were added in this section to help employers and employees understand that giving individuals satisfaction in the job will lead to improved performance.Organization of the StudySection I: Introduction- This chapter presented the topic of the study and the hypothesis. Chapter 1 also includes the purpose of the study, the assumptions and delimitations and terms used throughout this study. Lastly, there is an outline of the entire study and how it will be presented.Section II: Review of Related Literature- The chapter presented the journal articles, websites, books and previous studies about job satisfaction. The purpose of this chapter is to gather relevant information and review what has already been said about this topic.Section III: Quantitative Analysis with Questions & Interviews- This chapter presented the data collected from the survey and the interviews. The questions from the survey and interviews are included in this chapter as well as the results from this study.Section IV: Findings & Discussion- This chapter showed whether or not the data supported the hypothesis.  This chapter also includes the researcher’s thoughts on the results of the data.Section V:  Summary, Conclusions & Recommendations- This chapter concluded the report with a summary of the research. This chapter also included recommendations on how individuals should view job satisfaction as a motivator.Section VI: References- This chapter provided a list of the journals, articles, websites and books that were used throughout this report.Section II: Literature ReviewJob Satisfaction is a concept that can often be overlooked because most people do not understand what it is. Job satisfaction is defined as the pleasant or positive emotional state that you receive from your work environment, culture, duties and responsibilities, salary etc. In 1976, Edwin A. Locke defined job satisfaction as “a pleasurable emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experience” (Mahdi, Zin, Nor, Sakat, & Naim, 2012, p. 1520). Locke’s definition of job satisfaction was frequently used in the journal articles that were reviewed. Job satisfaction can be all of those factors are just one of them, it just depends on the individual. Employee satisfaction can also be seen as a key ingredient to recognition, promotion and achieving goals. This concept can have a number of effects on employees that includes: positive behavior, better productivity and a stronger commitment to their organization. Satisfaction at work can make individuals excited about their job and as a result, they become more engaged. Becoming more engaged at work make individuals focus more and work harder to achieve their objectives. Satisfied employees often feel valued and want to reciprocate that to their organization. When an employee is experiencing satisfaction at a company, they are likely to stay with that organization because they don’t want to lose it. If an individual is really satisfied with their job, they may even postpone their retirement plans. For some jobs like doctors or nurses, job satisfaction is crucial because they are dealing with human lives. Job satisfaction is an interesting topic in organizational behavior because it has a different meaning to everyone. Job satisfaction can come from monetary gain, job content, career growth etc. “There is no such definition of employee satisfaction which has global acceptance, but job satisfaction has so many definitions in the text. Its due to some certain reasons which are different people interpret job satisfaction uniquely because different aspects influenced people which includes individual qualities, needs, values, emotions and anticipations” (Shahzad Zeb, 2016, p. 457).One misconception about job satisfaction is that it happens as soon you start a job, but it takes a while to obtain. “Managers and workers alike pursue job satisfaction in the often-naïve belief that it leads directly and surely to that other work ideal” (J. Walton Blackburn, 1992). Unfortunately, job satisfaction is a concept that people don’t think about until someone brings it up in conversation or reads about it in an article.Job satisfaction is an important topic because it has the power to motivate and energize individuals to give their best effort. Job satisfaction can reduce employee turnover rate because satisfied employees don’t usually leave their organizations. “Employees with higher job satisfaction believe that the organization will be satisfying in the long run, care about the quality of their work, are more committed to the organization, have higher retention rates and are more productive” (Shah, 2015, p. 31). High employee turnover rate can be very troublesome for companies because it can give them a bad reputation. Satisfied employees are also more engaged with their work and organizational culture, so they usually seek organizational citizenship. These employees also feel valued and want to return the favor by committing to the organization. Being satisfied at work can also extend the lifecycle of an employee because it lowers the chance of burnout.Having satisfied employees can also attract individuals to an organization because everyone wants to work for a company that treats them well. Some examples of companies that attract individuals because of happy employees would be Target, Kaiser, and Amazon.  Another reason job satisfaction is important is the negative effect dissatisfied employees can have on a company. Dissatisfied employees have been known to express their negative perceptions about their employers on forums, social media and in the office. Once an employee become dissatisfied with their job, that feeling grows and become more apparent to others. Individuals who work in the human resources department know that satisfied employees cause less problems in the office, making less problems for them. “Firms cannot afford dissatisfied employees as they will not perform up to the standards or the expectations of their supervisor, they will be fired, resulting firms to bear additional costs for recruiting new staff” (Abdul Raziqa, 2015, p. 718). Job satisfaction is a topic that is worth studying for employers and employees because it helps them reduce of organizational issue they might face.Being satisfied as work can energize and motivate individuals to give their best effort and go beyond their goals. “Job Satisfaction is the essential component for employee motivation and encouragement towards better performance” (Abdul Raziqa, 2015, p. 718). Employees who are satisfied and happy usually take more pride in their work and the final outcome is more accurate and complete. Job Satisfaction allows employees to put their minds at ease which helps them handle pressure to meet deadlines and deal with difficult customers. When employees are tired, stressed and disengaged from work, their productivity becomes low and quality of work is sloppy. Job satisfaction and performance can be seen as a tradeoff. “Job motivation can increase productivity and encourage the employees to be more efficient, create a positive working environment, and fulfill their schedule successfully” (Abbas Rahmati, 2018, p. 30). Organizations give employees satisfaction in the workplace and in return employees give them high performance and quality work.Satisfied employees will also work harder to ensure their job security when an organization faces a merger and downsizing. These employees will go above and beyond their job duties to show that they are worth keeping. Employers who provide employees with substantial compensation, benefits and growth opportunities usually have people lining up to work for them. So, when a company is known to provide job satisfaction, employees try to raise the bar with their performance because they know that someone is ready to take their position and satisfaction.Satisfied employees are also known to have a positive energy in the workplace and are really easy to work with. These employees are great team players and can cause far less problems than other employees. “Most satisfied employees tend to have very high self-confidence, which boosts their performance” (Sang Long Choi, 2016, p. 3) Job satisfaction can cause individuals to take on extra projects and work overtime with any complaints. Employees who experience this job satisfaction feel valued and empowered, which removes any frustrations or resentment individuals usually feel about work.  However, job satisfaction can also result in these individuals becoming complacent and arrogant.If individuals are satisfied with their job and enjoy coming to work, their commitment to that organization will be strong. There have been studies that show a correlation between job satisfaction and organizational commitment. “Job satisfaction and organizational commitment have been shown to be positively related to performance” (Saimir Suma, 2013, p. 45). Employees who find their job satisfying, usually want to stay with that organization and move up the ladder.  These individuals are always involved in organizational functions like holiday parties and company picnics. Another way employee try to commit to their organization, is to get organization citizenship. Organizational citizenship can be defined as a person’s voluntary commitment to an organization that goes beyond their contractual tasks. Once this citizenship occurs, these employees become ambassadors for their company, internally and externally. One of the journal articles reviewed stated that “Workers who are happy at work will even devote private time to their work activities, they will be creative and committed” (Bakotic, 2016, p. 119). They can clear up any misconceptions about a company with their personal experiences. An example of this would be an Adidas employee who always wears the brand and promotes it on social media.Lastly, employees that experience job satisfaction don’t want to take a risk in leaving their company, to join an organization that will disappoint them. Once an employee leaves an organization that treats them well, there are always other people looking to fill that spot making it almost impossible for them to return. Employees who leave these organization usually have regrets about leaving even if they are working at new company. Organizations that provide employees with job satisfaction make an investment in these individuals. Satisfied employees give companies a return on that investment by staying with them and going beyond their duties to increase organizational performance. If individuals are satisfied with their jobs and enjoy organizational citizenship, they may not want to retire. Satisfied employees that are really engaged within their organization view employment as their purpose. These individuals are normally reluctant to give up that purpose to retire. “Employees with high levels of job satisfaction are unlikely to intend to retire because they feel valued in their job and enjoy their work tasks” ( (Rudolph, 2017, p. 285). Some occupations like doctors or police officers provide people with a sense of purpose that makes it hard for them to say goodbye to their work. Satisfied employees might also postpone retirement because they feel that they can still move up the in the organization. Individuals who are in the late stages of their career may just start experiencing job satisfaction and that can revitalize their spirit to work and performance at a high level. Retirement can give people a high level of uncertainty, especially to individuals with a satisfying job. “An employee with continuance commitment finds it difficult to give up his organization due to the fear of the unknown ‘opportunity cost’ of leaving the organization or having few or no alternatives. Employees with high level of this type of commitment therefore remain a member of the organization because they need it” (Nagar, 2012, p. 270). Some of these individuals may even push back when their employers are encouraging retirement. Retirement usually excites employees who are experiencing job burnout or are displeased with their company. However, satisfied employees can be frightened by the thought of retiring from a job that meets their needs versus sitting at home and collecting a pension.Section III: Quantitative Analysis with Questions & InterviewsQuestions:Used Google Survey as the platform to conduct survey questions regarding job satisfaction at the work place throughout the spring semester. Participants used in this survey are fellow college students ranging from the age of 18-30, fellow work employees in the public and private work sector, and fellow family members from 18-60. Eighty-three different perspectives all with different background were generated into results about job satisfaction.Question 1:The first question asked in the Google Survey was “Are you more productive when you have a positive mindset?” Question was asked to see if positive mindset at work can make them more productive as satisfied employee is a happy employee. Out of 81 survey responses, 78 (96.3%) participants choose “yes” to 3 (3.7%) choose “no”. Majority agreed that having a positive, clean mindset at work brings out the most out of the individual.Question 2:Second question asked in the Google Survey was “If growth opportunities at work, would you be satisfied?” Implementing this question was to see if growth opportunities can contribute to gratification. Out of 81 survey responses, 78 (96.3%) participants choose “yes” to 3 (3.7%) choose “no”. Majority agreed to selecting “yes” due to their current situations at work. Focusing in on “no” results, those individuals didn’t like working for their organization or already attain high level positions.Question 3:Third question asked in Google Survey was “How content are you with your current employer?” The results depicted 52 (64.2%) participants selected “somewhat satisfied”, 16 (19.8%) participants selecting “extremely satisfied”, 9 (11.1%) choose “somewhat dissatisfied” and 4 (4.9%) choose “extremely dissatisfied”. These results shown were to many reasons such as companies not treating their employees fairly on numerous amounts of things. However, this question concluded not everyone in an organization can be happy because everyone works for different reasons.Question 4:Question four in Google Survey asked “Does upper management at your current employer affect your job satisfaction?” Question asked to know whether or not upper management negatively affected their job satisfaction. Out of 81 total responses, 75 (92.6%) individuals selected “yes” while 6 (7.4%) selected “no”. Those who choose “yes” and “no” know the positive and negative effectiveness at work such as toxic leadership, micromanagement or incompetence from upper management. Even those effective leadership styles in positive work relationship.Question 5: Question five asked “How much of an impact do you think work culture at your job affects on satisfaction?” This question wanted to know how much of an impact the work culture can have on job satisfaction. The majority of participants believe that the work culture has a significant impact on job satisfaction. 83 responses, 70 (83.1%) choose being “significant factor”, 10 (12%) choose being “only factor”, with the minimal rest falling under “small factor/no factor”.Question 6:Question six asked in the Google Survey was “How likely are you going to recommend your current employer?” The purpose of this question was to see if individuals would recommend their organization at friends and family. Individuals answered this question based on the level of their satisfaction. Out of 82 results, 55 (67.1%) choose “somewhat likely”, 15 (18.3%) choose “extremely unlikely”, 9 (11%) choose “somewhat unlikely”, and 3 (3.7%) choose extremely unlikely.Question 7:Question seven in the Google Survey asked, “How important is job happiness to yourself?” This question wanted to know how important job satisfaction was to individuals. All of the participants believed that job satisfaction was either moderately important or extremely important. 82 responses, 50 (61%) choose “extremely important”, 28 (34.1%) choose “moderately important”, and 4 (4.9%) choose “not important.”Question 8:Question eight in the Google Survey asked, “Do you believe your job satisfaction can affect your work performance?” Out of 81 responses, 76 (93.8%) choose “yes” while 5 (6.2%) choose “no”.Question 9:Question nine asked in the Google Survey, “If you’re unhappy with the work culture, leadership and job duties of the job, would more money help the dissatisfaction?” 81 results, 61 (72.3%) choose “no” while 23 (27.7%) choose “yes”.Question 10:Question ten asked in the Google Survey, “How likely are you to stay with a company if you feel satisfied with the work?” The purpose of this question was to see how committed individuals were to their organization. 83 results, 42 (50.6%) choose “somewhat likely”, 39 (45.8%) choose “very likely”, and the rest of the 2 (5%) made up of “very unlikely/somewhat unlikely”.Question 11:Question eleven in the Google Survey asked, “How happy are you with your decisions process at your current workplace?” This purpose of the question was to know whether individuals are satisfied with their level of decision making at work. 81 responses, 57 (70.4%) choose “satisfied”, 10 (12.3%) choose “dissatisfied”, 8 (9.9%) choose “very satisfied”, and 6 (7.4%) choose “very dissatisfied”.Question 12:Question twelve asked in the Google Survey was “Do you think job satisfaction is meaningful topic?” 83 responses, 78 (94%) choose “yes” while the other 5 (6%) choose “no”.Question 13:Question thirteen asked in the Google Survey, “What does job satisfaction do to an employee?” The purpose of this question was to find out what effect individuals believe job satisfaction can have on them. 83 responses, 62 (73.3%) choose “all of the above”, 18 (21.7%) choose none of the above, 3 (3.6%) choose “increases morale”, and 1 (1.2%) choose “increase productivity.Question 14:Question fourteen asked in the Google Survey, “Which of the listed below options do you believe to be relevant with Job Satisfaction?” This question in the survey wanted to know what job satisfaction means to you. 81 responses, 58 (71.6%) choose work culture being the most important, followed by 13 (16%) in “salary, while the 7 (8.6%) choose benefits, and remaining 3 (3.7%) choose “other”.Question 15:Question fifteen in Google Survey asked, “If you’re happy with your job and promotion is coming soon, would you push retirement for a later date?” This question wanted to find out if individuals would consider working past their retirement date if they felt they were going move up in the organization. 83 responses, 70 (83.1%) choose “yes” for delaying retirement while the other 13 (16.9%) choose “no” to retire when stated.Interviews:Managers interviewed have had past or previous experience in managerial levels in wide array of organizations. Conducted brief interviews with five managerial position individuals with different experiences and asked about what their opinion on job satisfaction.Interviewee 1:What’s your name and what is your position?My name is Drew Jenkins, position is Community Services Specialist in Parks and Recreation for City of Chino.How long have you been at this company?I’ve been with this company for 4 years.How would you define job satisfaction?First thing that comes to the top of my head when thinking job satisfaction is waking up eager to go to work.What aspect of your job brings you job satisfaction?My job position, especially how hard I’ve worked to where I’m at. I’m hungry to be in a higher position and authority only makes me more satisfied.Do you think job satisfaction has an effect on your work performance?Yes.Interviewee 2:What’s your name and what is your position?Manni Kaur, I work for the Orange School District as an Assistant Principal at a high school.How long have you been at this company?I’ve been here for 2 years.How would you define job satisfaction?Defining by getting along with everyone while everyone enjoys the job environment and tasks.What aspect of your job brings you job satisfaction?That I can provide a impact on students pathway through success by showing them opportunities.Do you think job satisfaction has an effect on your work performance?Yes.Interviewee 3:What’s your name and what is your position?Paramjit Kaur, my position is manager of Subway Chino Branch.How long have you been at this company?I’ve been at this company for over 14 years.How would you define job satisfaction?Job satisfaction is receiving good salary with great benefits as well as having fun at work.What aspect of your job brings you job satisfaction?Having a connection with customers and making sure their fast trip to subway is memorable.Do you think job satisfaction has an effect on your work performance?Yes.Interviewee 4:What’s your name and what is your position?Eric De’Trindad, my position is Community Services Specialist for City of Chino under Parks and Recreation.How long have you been at this company?I’ve been with this organization for 3 years.How would you define job satisfaction?Having fun and coming to happiness with my position. Enjoy what you do and try your hardest.What aspect of your job brings you job satisfaction?Is achieving the goals I’ve set for myself throughout the year.Do you think job satisfaction has an effect on your work performance?Yes.Interviewee 5:What’s your name and what is your position?Beatriz Holguin, my position is Shift Lead/Manager at Halal Guys.How long have you been at this company?I’ve been with the company for 1 year and 6 months.How would you define job satisfaction? I would define job satisfaction as getting the respect from my coworkers and upper management for being a good worker.What aspect of your job brings you job satisfaction?Having management letting you take control of the work environment without having to micromanagingDo you think job satisfaction has an effect on your work performance?Yes.Interviewee 6:What’s your name and what is your position?Nicholas Gallardo, position is Community Services Coordinator for City of Chino under Parks and Recreation.How long have you been at this company?I’ve been with the company for 3 years.How would you define job satisfaction?I would define job satisfaction overall happiness in your current position.What aspect of your job brings you job satisfaction?Working with so many different people in a big city and changing ideas of the old ways and bringing innovative ideas.Do you think job satisfaction has an effect on your work performance?Yes.Interviewee 7:What’s your name and what is your position?Sabrina Gill, my position is Shift Lead/Manager at Halal Guys.How long have you been at this company?I’ve been with the company for 3 monthsHow would you define job satisfaction?Define it as not having to worry about looking for another job because you have all that you need.What aspect of your job brings you job satisfaction?Brining up others on my work team, kind of as a sports team but leading them through difficult busy times to make it out with no problems.Do you think job satisfaction has an effect on your work performance?Yes.Interviewee 8:What’s your name and what is your position?Ravneet Singh, my position is Lead Administration Analyst for Zoox (ride sharing startup).How long have you been at this company?I’ve been with the company for 7 months.How would you define job satisfaction?Defining plain and simple by making really good money with great benefits. Don’t have to worry about financial stress otherwise.What aspect of your job brings you job satisfaction?Making the amount of money I do always satisfies me.Do you think job satisfaction has an effect on your work performance?Yes.Interviewee 9:What’s your name and what is your position?Lexus Muro, I work at Starbucks as a store manager Downey.How long have you been at this company?I’ve been with the company for 2 years.How would you define job satisfaction?You can define it as bringing happiness to yourself by doing things you like doing the most.What aspect of your job brings you job satisfaction?Honestly helping people, its hard job dealing with customers in food industry but with a big smile on your face, makes it little easier.Do you think job satisfaction has an effect on your work performance?Yes.Interviewee 10:What’s your name and what is your position?Mayra Lozano, I work as a Store Manager at Vans Retail Store.How long have you been at this company?I’ve been with the company for 2 years.How would you define job satisfaction?Job satisfaction is simple, coming in happy is all you need to know it you’re satisfied with your job.What aspect of your job brings you job satisfaction?My position is a plus, getting this experience as Store Manager gives me skills to use elsewhere in another managerial role.Do you think job satisfaction has an effect on your work performance?Yes.Section IV: Findings and DiscussionAfter conducting the survey and interviews, the data collected from both experiments favored the hypothesis statement; can job satisfaction have a positive impact on individual in an organization? Eighty-three total people participated in the survey and all of the individuals were currently employed. The ten managers that were interviewed had job satisfaction and other terms defined for them. Two of the five managers that were interviewed worked for the same organization but had different positions. This was done to find out how two different individuals at two different positions view job satisfaction at the same organization. The data provided enough information to justify to the effects of job satisfaction that were found during the research process. The survey and interviews also provided enough data to answer the research questions in Chapter 1.What is Job Satisfaction? In Chapter 1, job satisfaction was defined as the pleasure and/or excitement you get from the work you do. Job satisfaction can pertain to salary, work culture, benefits etc. Job satisfaction is a concept that motivates and energizes individuals to work harder. Satisfaction at work represents the difference between employee’s expectation and experience. The smaller the gap, the more satisfaction an individual receives from their job. Job Satisfaction can result in stronger commitment to an organization, better productivity and improved morale.Does job satisfaction have the same meaning to everyone?Although job satisfaction has a clear definition, this concept will have a different meaning to everyone. In the survey, the majority of the participants stated that the work culture contributes the most to job satisfaction. However other participants thought that salary, benefits, perks and job duties give them job satisfaction. When the interviews were conducted, all of the participants had a different meaning for job satisfaction. Drew Jenkins, the Community Services Specialist for Chino viewed job satisfaction as being eager and excited to go into work. While Ravneet Singh, a Lead Administration Analyst for Zoox, viewed job satisfaction as good money and benefits. Lexus Muro, the store manager at Starbucks, stated that the “overall happiness at your current position is how I view job satisfaction”. These individuals all viewed job satisfaction differently because this concept does not have a universal meaning.Who is responsible for job satisfaction; employees or employer? This question was asked in the survey and the majority of participants believe that ‘it depends how you view job satisfaction”. Since everyone has a different view on job satisfaction, the answer could be management, employees, all of the above or none of the above. An individual who believes that salary equals job satisfaction would say that management is responsible. The same can be said for individuals who say the