Mood Fluctuations Can Affect Work.

• Position: Brief Article

Gauging job satisfaction is like measuring the tidewaters--both can change with the time of day. That's one reason why typical measures--such as surveys and polls --are not very useful, maintains Howard Weiss, professor of psychology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. "Job satisfaction is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the science and practice of work behavior." Research shows that whether you rate your job satisfaction as high or low has little effect on work behaviors such as job performance, absenteeism, or turnover. "That's counterintuitive and will no doubt surprise the average manager."

Weiss, who studies job satisfaction, says daily events drive the emotional states of employees and thus affect their behavior and overall job satisfaction. While an unhappy employee can be productive and may decide for other reasons not to quit the job, his or her attitude may negatively impact fellow workers, customers, or clients.

A once-a-year survey of employee attitudes gives only a snapshot of office morale. "Too often, organizations assume that employees' feelings are constant," Weiss notes. "Actually, workplaces are more like emotional cauldrons, with daily circumstances influencing employee feelings and job performance."

In fact, daily turmoil may be the most important factor affecting job satisfaction. He suggests supervisors be "events managers," controlling...