Article Preview
Top2. Literature Review
An exhaustive amount of research exists on job-related satisfaction, much of which can be traced back to the two-factor theory of Frederick Herzberg in his study of motivation and hygiene factors (Herzberg et al, 1959). Subsequent research dealt with satisfaction because of differences between a person’s existing and ideal job conditions in the range of affect theory (Locke, 1976), job traits and individual psychological conditions (Hackman and Oldman, 1975), individual disposition (Judge et al, 1997), and management commitment to process (Rodgers & Hunter, 1993).
Despite the breadth of research, traditional and contemporary theories in job satisfaction and motivation conflict on the roles of economic and non-economic factors. For instance, while the acclaimed two-factor theory (Herzberg et al., 1959) and self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985; 2002) argue that financial benefits do not play a role in individual satisfaction, Adam’s (1965) equity theory and Porter and Lawler’s (1968) discrepancy theory claim that financial benefits, in fact, do play a role along with psychological benefits in determining levels of satisfaction. While these conflicting theories do not cancel each other out, they instead highlight the need for further research on individual preferences relating to economic and non-economic factors.