Job Satisfaction

There is a distinct difference between job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Job satisfaction relates specifically to the job. While this is influenced by organizational factors, the job itself can be satisfactory even when there is little commitment to the organization. Either one can be a source of motivation, but it is important for management of an organization to know which dynamic is at play, and which one might be more valuable as a motivating force.

Tella, Ayeni and Popoola (2007) studied the issue, and found that motivation was correlated with both job satisfaction and organizational commitment, but that the correlation with job satisfaction was strong and positive while the correlation with organizational commitment was weak and negative. This means that the job is more important to motivation than the organization. Intuitively, this makes sense. Motivation is related to the job, because that is what the person does on...
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