3 • Managing Job Satisfaction and Morale
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tivity; however, this is not always the case. Some dissatisfied employees are productive because they hope that hard work will lead them to a better job. Also, some satisfied employees are unproductive—they enjoy a job that does not keep them under heavy pressure.
A sound supervisory strategy is to assume that high satisfaction and morale will lead to productivity gains for some employees. The produc¬tivity gains may be sufficient to offset the fact that improving satisfaction will often have no effect on productivity. For example, increasing the job satisfaction of an already highly productive employee would not leave much room for improvement. Another problem is that sometimes em¬ployees cannot increase their productivity in the short range even if they feel better about the company. One constraint might be a cap on produc¬tivity set by machinery and equipment.
High job satisfaction is particularly important for the productivity of employees whose work involves extensive contact with people. A recent study conducted with managers showed that managers with high job sat¬isfaction were more likely to:²
Listen to others.
Show awareness and concern for the feelings of others.
Be tactful.
Have good emotional control.
Accept criticism.
These behaviors are more likely to improve the productivity of workers whose jobs involve extensive contact with people. For instance, it is important for supervisors and sales representatives to listen to others and to be tactful. If a supervisor does not listen carefully to employees, the supervisor may not learn about problems until they have gotten out of hand. Tact is important for the supervisor because employees will often lose respect for a tactless supervisor. Sales representatives are expected to be good listeners and to be tactful. Listening provides clues about what customers really want, and customers expect to be treated cour¬teously.
Cooperative Behavior and Good Citizenship
Although improved satisfaction may not always lead to improved produc¬tivity, it often leads to improvement in other aspects of job performance.
²Stephan J. Motowidlo, “Does Job Satisfaction Lead to Consideration and Personal Sensi¬tivity?” Academy of Management Journal, December 1984, p. 914.
