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The Effect of Job and Environmental Factors On Job Satisfaction in Automotive Industries
The Effect of Job and Environmental Factors On Job Satisfaction in Automotive Industries
Ergonomics
To cite this article: Siti Zawiah Md. Dawal & Zahari Taha (2006) The Effect of Job and
Environmental Factors on Job Satisfaction in Automotive Industries, International Journal of
Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 12:3, 267-280, DOI: 10.1080/10803548.2006.11076687
A methodology was developed for diagnosing industrial work, which includes questionnaire, observation,
measurements, data collection and statistical analysis. A survey was conducted to investigate the relationship
between job satisfaction and factors that affect work design in 2 automotives manufacturing companies in
Malaysia. A basic work design model was proposed. The aim of this model was to determine the factors that
influence employees’ perception towards their work. A set of multiple-choice questionnaires was developed
and data was collected by interviewing employees at a production plant. The survey focused on job and
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environmental factors. The results supported the proposed model and showed that job and environmental
factors were significantly related to job satisfaction. They highlighted the significant influence of age, work
experience and marital status on job satisfaction. Further, environmental factors, especially the surroundings,
context dependence and the building’s function, also had a significant impact on job satisfaction.
Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to Siti Zawiah Md. Dawal, Department of Engineering Design and
Manufacture, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. E-mail: <sitizawiahmd@um.edu.my>.
268 S.Z. DAWAL & Z. TAHA
short, factors affecting job satisfaction in work were created by the presence of five “core”
design can be divided into psychological, social, job dimensions, which were skill, identity,
physiological, organizational, technological and significance, autonomy and feedback. Yet, the
economical ones [1]. theory was not expected to work with equal
An industrial work design model can provide effectiveness for all individuals. Differences
a complete picture of factors involved in a work among people moderated how they reacted to
system [1]. It can be used as a tool for diagnosing their work. “Growth needs strength” appears to
work design in industry effectively. In this paper be a useful way to conceptualize and measure
a basic work design model is proposed. Its aim such differences. The basic observation was that
is to establish job and environmental factors that people who have high needs for personal growth
affect job satisfaction, which in turn affect work and development would respond more positively
design. Therefore the objective of this study is to a job high in motivating potential than people
to investigate the relationship between job and with low growth need.
environmental factors that affect work design. In Das [1] proposed a work system model
doing so a methodology has been developed to comprising of three basic elements, human,
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accomplish the objective. machine and job, interacting closely within the
work system envelope. It was the only model
that included all the three important elements
2. MODEL DEVELOPMENT
that depicted a real scenario in industry.
Studying the effects of industrial work design Unfortunately, no experimental studies of the
is a complex issue because ergonomics itself model have been published. However it is a
is multidisciplinary in nature. To understand formidable task to perform control experiments
the problems, it is necessary to identify various to determine the effects and interactions of the
factors affecting work design as well as their various work design factors [1].
effects on work design itself [1]. Both of the aforementioned models were used
The study was divided into two phases. The as a basis for developing the proposed model.
first phase was to find the relationship between Empirical results from the first model suggested
job satisfaction, work task and environmental that the core job dimensions were significantly
factors. In the second phase the relationship of and strongly related to job satisfaction measures
job satisfaction, job organizational and social [20]. On the other hand, Das [1] predicted that
factors were investigated. Only the first phase is not only job dimensions were related to job
discussed in this paper. satisfaction and suggested various other factors
Hackman and Oldham [17] developed a involved in the design of industrial work. Both
convenient measurement tool for diagnosing models have some factors in common and could
and evaluating job design. The theory proposed be considered as complementary to each other.
that the three critical psychological states The proposed model is shown in Figure 1.
Five job factors were tested: skill variety, task 3.1. Participants
significance, task identity, autonomy and feedback.
The questionnaires were distributed to the subjects
In addition, four physical environmental factors
individually. Two automotive manufacturing
were also tested to assess workers’ perception:
industries (Auto 1 and Auto 2) were involved in
relative humidity, ambient air temperature, noise
the survey. One hundred and seventy male subjects
and light.
between the ages of 18 and 40 took part in it.
Of the 170 male participants interviewed,
3. METHODOLOGY 80% in both companies held an SPM certificate
The job diagnostic survey (JDS) [17] was used as (equivalent to O levels) while others held an
a tool for diagnosing the characteristics of the job SPM certificate with other skill certificates.
and environmental factors in the survey. The JDS Sixty-nine percent of participants in Auto 1
was translated into Malay to suit the Malaysian were married, 31% were single. On the other
population. The questionnaires consisted of a set hand, 87% of the participants in Auto 2 were
of Likert-type-scale multiple-choice items [21]. To single and 13% were married. The subjects were
identify the relationship between job satisfaction between the ages of 18 to 40 with the mean age
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and the tested factors, the data were analyzed of 26.8 (SD = 5.3). Their mean work experience
using statistical methods to determine means and was 6.5 years (SD = 4.9). The age and years of
correlations. employment are presented in Figures 2 and 3.
The respondents were divided into five groups as determining procedures to be used in executing a
indicated in Figure 2. Similarly, five ranges for particular job.
work experience were indicated in Figure 3. Feedback from job: the degree to which
The age factor was normally distributed but carrying out the work activities required by the
work experience was not. Work experience job results in the employee obtaining direct and
for Auto 1 was negatively skewed while work clear information about the effectiveness of his or
experience for Auto 2 was positively skewed. her performance.
The responses indicated that 83% of the workers Four environmental factors were also tested
in Auto 1 were 26 and over while 90% of the and defined as follows.
workers in Auto 2 were under 26. Only 17% of Air temperature and humidity: an important
the Auto 1 workers were 25 and under while 10% consideration on the effects of thermal
of the Auto 2 workers were 25 and over. environment is psychological parameters such
As for work experience, 90% of the workers as level of arousal and motivation as well
in Auto 1 had worked for more than 5 years. as other factors that contribute to individual
Another 10% had work experience of less than differences [22]. The questionnaire on thermal
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5 years. Conversely, 90% of the workers in Auto comfort (temperature and humidity) adopted
2 had work experience of 4 years and less. Only American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and
10% had work experience of between 5 and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) [23]
8 years. Respondents in Auto 2 were younger definitions as “the condition of mind which
and less experienced than their counterparts in expresses satisfaction with the thermal
Auto 1. environment”. The reference to the mind
indicates that it is essentially a subjective term.
3.2. Questionnaires On the other hand, warmth discomfort has been
shown to be related to the stickiness caused by
The questionnaires were designed in three unevaporated sweat; e.g., trapped in clothing [22].
sequential sections covering (a) general back- As a result, the enquiries on thermal comfort
ground data, i.e., age, gender, years of employment, include satisfaction or comfort and discomfort
marital status and education levels; (b) job factors, on the condition explained in this paragraph. In
i.e., skill variety, task identity, task significance, addition, thermal environment measurements,
autonomy and feedback from the work; and i.e., work place temperature and relative humidity
(c) environmental factors, i.e., air temperature, were taken at each workstation.
humidity, noise and light. Noise and light: the term comfort is not usually
The five job factors were tested and defined as used when assessing the effect of noise on the
follows, according to Hackman and Oldham [17]. occupants of buildings. In practice, annoyance
Skill variety: the degree to which a job requires levels are the most useful criteria [22]. In this
a variety of different activities in carrying out study, noise level was measured throughout the
the work, which involves the use of a number of workstations and the average was taken using
different skills and talent of the employee. dB(A) values. Therefore, enquiries on noise
Task identity: the degree to which a job included annoyance or comfort or discomfort
requires completion of a “whole” and identifiable at the work place. Light can cause discomfort
piece of work, i.e., doing a job from beginning to to the occupants of an environment as well as
end with a visible outcome. pleasure and positive emotional sensations [22].
Task significance: the degree to which a job has Enquiries on illuminance included satisfaction
a substantial impact on the life or work of other or comfort or discomfort when looking at a work
people whether in the immediate organization or task. Illuminance was measured throughout the
in the external environment. workstations in lux.
Autonomy: the degree to which a job provides
substantial freedom, independence and discretion
of the employee in scheduling work and in
On the other hand, only task significance showed hand, more than 60% of the respondents from
maximum score at high level of Likert-type scale both companies chose a Likert-scale 5 for task
for both companies. significance.
Normality plots were examined for all factors
using normality probability plot and detrended 4.2. Environmental Factors
normal plot. These were taken into account prior
Responses for the environmental factors are
to using any transformation and later analyzed
shown in Figures 10 to 13 respectively. Normality
statistically. It can be seen that 50% or more
plots were examined and it was noted that most
respondents from both companies chose a Likert-
factors were normally distributed.
scale 3 for job satisfaction, skill variety, task
identity, autonomy and feedback. On the other
The 5-point Likert-type scales ranged from and ones between .65 and .30 were considered
1—very uncomfortable through 3—moderate intermediate. Factors with reliabilities lower than
comfort to 5—very comfortable and are presented .5 were not considered for further analysis.
in each figure. It can be seen that 50% or more
TABLE 1. Reliability Measures Using Cronbach’s
respondents from both companies chose a Likert- α for Tested Factors
scale 2 for temperature, humidity and noise. As
Tested Factors αAuto 1 αAuto 2
for light more than 50% of the respondents from
Job factors
Auto 1 chose a Likert-scale 3 while more than
Skill variety .77 .79
40% of the respondents from Auto 2 chose a
Identity .76 .69
Likert-scale 4.
Significance .61 .63
Autonomy .72 .69
4.3. Reliabilities Measures Feedback .86 .88
Questionnaire reliability was tested using Environment factors
Cronbach α (Table 1). Cronbach α was derived Perception on
temperature .72 .69
from the average correlations of all the items on
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of job satisfaction and were more committed to Those factors are important in determining job
co-operative effort than younger, single and less satisfaction [17], and thus help organizations
experienced ones. Clark [30] also reported that survive and be more productive.
married employees were more satisfied. In addition Das [1], Hackman and Oldham [17, 19] and
Bowen et al. [11] suggested that younger, single Umstot et al. [20] stated that job satisfaction was
and less experienced workers might have still one of the outputs in work design model that
been deciding on their career and thus this might could be determined by job factors. Results from
have precludes job satisfaction and organizational the study support this statement, suggesting that
commitment. job factors are predictors of job satisfaction in
Literature on the relationship between work, work design.
marital status and family has shown a spillover
effect between both domains. Most of the 5.2. Environmental Factors and Job
spillover studies investigated how work or career Satisfaction
satisfaction affected one’s personal life. Benin
The correlations of job satisfaction with perception
and Nienstedt [31] examined how job satisfaction
on temperature were about the same for both
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in Auto 2 compare to Auto 1 (Auto 1: 65 to the surroundings, context dependence and the
90 dB(A), Auto 2: 85–90 dB(A)). This explains building’s function.
why Auto 1 has higher correlation than Auto 2.
This conclusion supports our proposed model
Psychological responses to noise can also
produce effects on mental health and emotional of work design, particularly for the automotive
state especially if the noise adds to an already industries. Implicitly automotive industries may
stressful environment [22]. benefit from the methodology as it can diagnose
The results indicated that environment condition job satisfaction to maintain performance and
especially temperature, humidity, noise and productivity.
light could affect job satisfaction in automotive
industries. More than 60% of the respondents
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