Participation’s Influence on Job Satisfaction

• Published date: 01 March 2004
• Date: 01 March 2004
• DOI: 10.1177/0734371X03259860
• Author: Soonhee Kim,Bradley E. Wright
• Subject Matter: Journal Article

10.1177/0734371X03259860 ARTICLE

REVIEWOFPUBLICPERSONNELADMINISTRATION/March2004

Wright,Kim/IMPORTANCE OF JOB C HARACTERI STICS

Participation’s Influence on

Job Satisfaction

TheImportanceofJobCharacteristics

BRADLEY E. WRIGHT

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

SOONHEE KIM

Syracuse University

A structural equation model was proposed to analyze the impact of employee par-

ticipation and job characteristics on job satisfaction. The current studyfound

that participative decision making has a significant positive effect on perfor-

mance feedback, task significance, and career development support. Perfor-

mance feedback was positively related to job specificity and career development

support. Task significance and career development support were, in turn, posi-

tively related to job satisfaction. These findings suggest that participation has an

important, albeit indirect, effect on employee job satisfaction through its influ-

ence on job characteristics. The implications of these findings for public

management are discussed.

Keywords: participation; job characteristics; job satisfaction; human resource

development

As a result of an emphasis on performance and results-oriented govern-

ment services, researchers in public administration and government

agencies have stressed effective human resource management strategies such

as empowerment and participative management (Kim, 2002; Ting, 1996;

U.S. General Accounting Office, 1999; U.S. Merit Systems Protection

Board, 1998a, 1998b). Although such strategieshave a direct impact on orga-

nizational performance by maximizing the utilization of the organization’s

human resources, they also may have a number of indirect effects by reducing

costs associated with those resources. Several researchers (Eby, Freeman,

Rush, & Lance, 1999; Pierce, Rubenfeld, & Morgan, 1991; Thomas &

Velthouse, 1990) have argued that enhancing individual perceptions of

empowerment and fair treatment may intensify affective reactions toward

18

Review of Public Personnel Administration,Vol. 24, No. 1 March 2004 18-40

DOI: 10.1177/0734371X03259860

© 2004 Sage Publications

work and, ultimately, reducera teso ftu rnoverand absenteeism. In partic ular,

studies have demonstrated that participative decision making can be benefi-

cial to workers’mental health and job satisfaction (Cotton, Vollrath, Froggatt,

Lengnick-Hall, & Jennings, 1988; Fisher, 1989; Miller & Monge, 1986).

Defined as the “pleasurableor positive emotional state resulting from the

appraisal of one’s job or job experience” (Locke, 1976, p. 1300), job satis-

faction represents an interaction between employees and their work envi-

ronment by gauging the congruence between what employees want from

their jobs and what employees feel they receive. Although job satisfaction

has long been expected to have important implications for organizational

productivity, a review of empirical evidence fails to support the assertion

that job satisfaction has a direct effect on productivity (Iaffaldano &

Muchinsky, 1985; Kahn & Morse, 1951; Katz & Kahn, 1978; Mitchell,

1979; Vroom, 1964; Wechsler, Kahane, & Tannenbaum, 1952).

Job satisfaction has, however, been found to have an important, albeit

indirect, influence on organizational productivity by reducing costs associ-

ated with absenteeism and turnover (Brooke & Price, 1989; Carsten &

Spector, 1987; Farrell & Stamm, 1988; Heneman, Schwab, Fossum, &

Dyer, 1983; Lawler, 1994; Locke, 1976; Spector, 1997; Tett & Meyer,

1993). With respect to organizational performance and individualproduc-

tivity, absenteeism and retention are significant targets for current human

resource management in private and public sectors (Carsten & Spector,

1987; Eby et al., 1999). One study suggests that replacement costs are

about 50% to 60% of an employee’s annual salary (Wysocki, 1997). Other

costs may be even more important for government agencies. Understaffing

because of excessive turnover among correction officers, for example, may

be linked to prison escapes (Blase, 2001). Given the significant cost of

employee absenteeism and turnover for organizational performance, schol-

ars must clearly identify variables related to quality of work life that affect

job satisfaction in government agencies, such as participative management,

job characteristics, and supervisor support (Bruce & Blackburn, 1992;

Rainey, 1997).

Since the 1990s, one of the leading agendas of public management has

been implementing effective human capital strategies to enhance govern-

ment performance and accountability. However, the efforts of making the

connection of strategic human resource management to organizational per-

formance in the public sector have been hindered because of the constraints

of civil service systems and traditional public personnel management.

Scholars found that the civil service system emphasizing rules and regula-

tions, control systems, political context, limited autonomy, and flexibility

Wright, Kim / IMPORTANCE OF JOB CHARACTERISTICS 19