Factor impact job satisfaction of telecom engineers in ho chi minh city

1

SIGNIFICANT OF RESEARCH

The purpose of this study is to investigate factors affecting job satisfaction of
telecom engineers in Ho Chi Minh City and also to examine differences in job
satisfaction based on demographic variables such as gender, age, degree and years
of working.
Data was collected by mailing to all telecom engineers who work at
Mobiphone, Vinaphone, S-Fone, Nokia-Siemens, Huawei, Ericsson and other
companies of the information industry in Ho Chi Minh City.
The process of research will include two main steps: the pilot research and the
main research. The pilot research will be qualitative by making deep interview
with ten senior engineers in order to check the content, meaning of words using in
the measurement scales and create the main questionnaire that would be used in the
main research. Then the main research is quantitative with 244 via email to get
data. The Cronbach’s Alpha is used to measure reliability, the Exploratory Factor
Analysis attempts to indentify underlying variables and regression analysis is used
to test the research model and hypotheses.
The results confirm that firstly, telecom engineers in Ho Chi Minh City were
generally satisfied with their jobs. Secondly, no significant differences in job
satisfaction were found in some aspects of gender, age, degree, years of working
and types of business. Finally, factors such as income, training and promotion,
supervisor, co-workers, job characteristics, working condition and benefits are
positively related to job satisfaction of telecom engineers.Of the six impacting
factors, income is the most influential in job satisfaction of these engineers.
This study also provides some explanations to the question why some telecom
engineers are more satisfied with their jobs than others. Thereby, this study will
contribute to improving the quality of their work lives.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HO CHI MINH CITY

PHAN THANH TUNG

FACTORS IMPACT JOB SATISFACTION OF
TELECOM ENGINEERS IN HO CHI MINH CITY

MAJOR: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
MAJOR CODE:
60.34.05

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION THESIS
SUPERVISOR: DR. DINH CONG KHAI

HO CHI MINH CITY - 2011


MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HO CHI MINH CITY

PHAN THANH TUNG

FACTORS IMPACT JOB SATISFACTION OF TELECOM
ENGINEERS IN HO CHI MINH CITY

MAJOR: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
MAJOR CODE: 60.34.05

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION THESIS

SUPERVISOR: DR. DINH CONG KHAI

HO CHI MINH CITY - 2011


1

ACKOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my special thanks and gratitude to my supervisor, Dinh
Cong Khai, for his keen interest and guidance which lead to the pursuit of this
research. His suggestions, encouragement and understanding are greatly appreciated.
I would like to thank many of my colleagues at Mobiphone Company, Vinaphone
Company, S-Fone Company, Nokia-Siemens Company, Huawei Company, Ericsson
Company and other companies of the industry who helped me during the collection of
the data.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of my teachers at Faculty of
Business Administration, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City for their
teachings and guidance during my MBA course.
I would like to especially express my thanks to all of my classmates, my friends for
their support and encouragement.
Ho Chi Minh City, 2011-12-02
Phan Thanh Tung


2

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to investigate factors affecting job satisfaction of

telecom engineers in Ho Chi Minh City and also to examine differences in job
satisfaction based on demographic variables such as gender, age, degree and years of
working.
Data was collected by mailing to all telecom engineers who work at Mobiphone,
Vinaphone, S-Fone, Nokia-Siemens, Huawei, Ericsson and other companies of the
information industry in Ho Chi Minh City.
The process of research will include two main steps: the pilot research and the
main research. The pilot research will be qualitative by making deep interview with
ten senior engineers in order to check the content, meaning of words using in the
measurement scales and create the main questionnaire that would be used in the main
research. Then the main research is quantitative with 244 via email to get data. The
Cronbach’s Alpha is used to measure reliability, the Exploratory Factor Analysis
attempts to indentify underlying variables and regression analysis is used to test the
research model and hypotheses.
The results confirm that firstly, telecom engineers in Ho Chi Minh City were
generally satisfied with their jobs. Secondly, no significant differences in job
satisfaction were found in some aspects of gender, age, degree, years of working and
types of business. Finally, factors such as income, training and promotion, supervisor,
co-workers, job characteristics, working condition and benefits are positively related
to job satisfaction of telecom engineers.Of the six impacting factors, income is the
most influential in job satisfaction of these engineers.
This study also provides some explanations to the question why some telecom
engineers are more satisfied with their jobs than others. Thereby, this study will
contribute to improving the quality of their work lives.
Key words: income, promotion, supervisor, co-workers, job characteristics,
working condition and benefit, job satisfaction.
ii


3

CONTENT

ACKOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................................................... i
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. ii
CONTENT .............................................................................................................. iii
List of Tables ............................................................................................................ v
List of Figures.......................................................................................................... vi
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................ 1
1.1 Background ..................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Research questions .......................................................................................... 3
1.3 Research objectives ......................................................................................... 3
1.4 Research methodology .................................................................................... 3
1.5 Scope of the research ...................................................................................... 4
1.6 Research structure ........................................................................................... 4
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................. 6
2.1 Job satisfaction definitions .............................................................................. 6
2.2 Determinants of job satisfaction...................................................................... 7
2.3 Related documentation and researches on job satisfaction in IT sector ....... 12
2.4 Measurement of job satisfaction ................................................................... 18
2.5 Theoretical model and hypotheses ................................................................ 19
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH MODEL ..... 22
3.1 Research process .......................................................................................... 22
3.2 Main research ................................................................................................ 25
CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH RESULT AND FINDING ........................................ 27
4.1 Descriptive statistics of sample ..................................................................... 27
4.2 The construct measurement scale.................................................................. 28
iii

4.3 Verification the different level of satisfaction in personal characteristics .... 35
4.4 Hypotheses assessment ................................................................................. 36
CHAPTER 5: RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................... 37
5.1 Results ........................................................................................................... 37
5.2 Recommendations ......................................................................................... 37
5.3 Limitations of this study and recommendations for future research ............. 39
REFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 41
APENDIX 1: Data analysis .................................................................................... 43
APENDIX 2: The original questions...................................................................... 47

iv


4

List of Tables

Table 4.1: Demographic Statistics of the Respondents …………………………..27
Table 4.2: Cronbach’s Alpha …………………………………………………..…28
Table 4.3: Factor Analysis ……………………………………………………..…29
Table 4.4: Rotated Component Matrixa ………………………………………..…30
Table 4.5: Mean, Standard Deviation and Correlation Coefficient ……………....32
Table 4.6: Summary output of Regression Analysis …………………………..…33
Table 4.7: Summary output of Regression Analysis after remove two factors….. 34
Table 4.8: Personal characteristics and job satisfaction ………………………….35
Table 4.9: Conclusion about the hypotheses ……………………………………..36

v

5

List of Figures

Figure 3.1: The Research Process ………………………………………………..22
Figure 4-1: Result of multiple linear regression …………………………………36

vi


1

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background
According to the Information Technology (IT) Retention Report prepared by
Predictive Systems (Http://www.predictive.com), the cost of losing a trained
employee to a competitor is at least $200,000. In order to maintain competitive
advantage, it is critical that organizations increase their efforts to retain their IT
employees. Previous evidence suggests that people change their jobs for several
reasons that are not always related to compensation. For example, a survey of
young engineers in EE Times Salary and Opinion Survey found that most
engineers who changed their jobs are dissatisfied with their previous career
development (Http://www.eetimes.com/salarysurvey/1999). They would rather
take a pay cut to work for an interesting and career enabling position. Thus, overall
job satisfaction of IT professionals is a significant issue to be studied in order to
better understand the retention and development of IT professionals within the
firm. Employees with higher job satisfaction care about the quality of their work,
more commit to the organization, have higher retention rates and are more
productive (Irvine and Evans, 1995; McMurtrey, 2002; McNeese, 1997). In

contrast, low job satisfaction can lead to poor job performance, higher employee
turnover and low employee morale.
The information and communication technology industry is growing
worldwide, penetrating all sectors and services. Therefore, organizations are
formulating different formulas and mechanisms to provide a competitive and
challenging working environment to attract the best human resources around the
globe.
Vietnam's telecom market was worth $10 billion USD in 2010. Its teledensity is
at 81.41 per 100 people, meaning that Vietnam's telecom industry is expected to
grow. Between 2005 and 2010, the country's telecom sector grew 47.8 percent each
year. In the last 3 years, Vietnam’s mobile phone market has boomed, exceeding
the economy’s 8% average growth rate. It is predicted by Wireless Asia that
Vietnam will have 80 million mobile users by 2011, growing at a rate of 270%
from 2007’ level. The International Telecommunication Union has also named


Vietnam as the world's second fastest growing telecom market after China. 60
percent of Viet Nam’s population is under 30 years old, and this group has a high
literacy rate of 96 percent. These factors have contributed Vietnam being included
among the world's top 20 destinations for software outsourcing and information
technology services.
Even with the rapid growth in the Information and Technology Industry (ICT)
sector, Vietnam still faces some serious challenges. These struggles are highlighted
below: Vietnam's IT industry is hardware-focused, largely due to widespread
software piracy, and the lack of effective intellectual property protection in the
country. The Business Software Alliance puts Vietnam's software piracy rate last
year at 90 percent. According to experts, Vietnamese companies gain greater
awareness of the need for security. The market needs to be educated on the
importance of security and availability. The sense of technical discipline is not as
good as it should be. Human resources and management skills still remains a big

problem. Human resource training in the country is weak, both in quantity and
quality, and far below what is required by Western standards. Human resource
development should be established to help IT workers master new technology and
conduct research and development activities. Viet Nam, unlike much of the
Southeast Asia countries has good access to venture capital but capitalization of
many IT companies in Vietnam is limited.
It is important to note that employers in this tight labor market have been
suffering from high turnover rates and difficulties in employee recruitment,
retention, and retraining. Furthermore, the global competition has led to a case of
“brain drain”, whereby countries are losing their most skilled professionals to other
countries. In that context, the brain drain scenario has been significant in the IT
sector in Viet Nam, whereby the majority of skilled employees have been seeking
jobs abroad aiming for higher pay and more opportunities for training and
development. So telecom companies could address working conditions, attract
candidates, provide incentives for long term employment for effective engineers,
and enhance organizational effectiveness.
For this reason, it is necessary to conduct research related to telecom engineers’
job satisfaction in Ho Chi Minh City such as the impact of income, training and
2


promotion, working condition, job characteristic, supervisor, co-workers and
benefits on telecom engineer’s job satisfaction to provide evidence of the
relationship between these factors.
In summary, companies are concentrating on how to improve their training
quality to catch up with the labor market demand. In Viet Nam, there are not many
researches on job satisfaction in IT industry, especially in telecom industry about
engineers’ quality and other related factors such as income, promotion, working
condition, supervisor, job characteristics, colleagues and benefits. Meanwhile, this
study will provide basic information about telecom engineers’ job satisfaction,

which can be very useful for building strategies to stimulate engineer’s working
effectiveness.
1.2 Research questions
Question 1: What factors impact telecom engineer’ job satisfaction?
Question 2: Are there differences in job satisfaction in groups with different
personal characteristics such as gender, age, degrees and years of working of the
respondents?
1.3 Research objectives
Base on the research questions, this study was implemented to identify the store
image drivers of consumer loyalty to achieve the following objectives
 Explores the impact of factors such as income, supervisor, co-workers, training
and promotion, job characteristics, working conditions, benefits on job
satisfaction.
 Quantify the importance level of each independent factors in the relationship
with job satisfaction
 Determine the effects of the variables such as gender, age, degree attainment,
years of working and type of business to job satisfaction levels.
1.4 Research methodology
The pilot research will be qualitative by making deep interview with ten senior
engineers in order to check the content, meaning of words using in the
measurement scales and create the main questionnaire that would be used in the
main research. The questionnaire is adapted from the literature and the field

3


visits, as well as the comments gathered from the interviews. The reason is to
test measurement model, research model and the hypotheses.
In the next step, data is collected the appropriate response scheme from
telecom engineers by sending questionnaires to the fellow friends who worked

in telecom sector. Individuals are asked to indicate the extent of satisfaction or
dissatisfaction with the questionnaire items concerning on a five-point Likerttype scale ranging from 1 (strongly dissatisfaction) to 5 (strongly satisfaction).
After collecting data, the measurement scales will be verified by using the
Cronbach’s Alpha ratio and the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) is used to
refine the measurement scales. Finally, the hypotheses are tested by using
regression analysis.
1.5 Scope of the research
This research is conducted in Ho Chi Minh City. The research subject is the
telecom engineers in multiple telecommunication companies such as Mobiphone,
VinaPhone, Nokia, Ericsson, Huawei Company and other companies of the
industry. The results of similar studies in other populations may differ, and thus the
results should not be over generalized.
Further, the study used a self-report measure (questionnaire) and may have a
self-reporting bias. For example, a respondent may feel ashamed to report failure
related to a career choice that they have continued for several decades. Also,
questionnaires do not offer the opportunity to probe deeply into feelings or
opinions, nor can items be clarified if there is any confusion as to what an item is
intended to mean.
Moreover, other factors not considered in this study may have influences on the
respondents that are more important for job satisfaction measurements. For
example, home life, previous work experiences, personal economic factors, and
work locations may have substantial or significant impacts on job satisfaction.
1.6 Research structure
The structure of this research will include 5 chapters. Chapter 1 will introduce
research

background,

research

objectives,

research

questions,

research

methodology, research scope and research design, and research structure. To attain
objectives of the study, a survey of the related literature that was undertaken is
4


presented in Chapter 2. The chapter therefore provides the theoretical grounding
that forms the premise of the study. Chapter 3 provides an in depth discussion of
the research methodology used to investigate the research problem and research
model. The design for the sample selection and size, research instruments,
procedures and the statistical techniques used to analyze the data are also
highlighted. Chapter 4 focuses on the results of the research study. Chapter 5 deals
with the discussion of the results. Conclusions are drawn based on the obtained
results and the possible practical implications of the research findings are
highlighted.

5


2

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

There exists an extensive body of the literature related to job satisfaction. First,
I will review a few definitions of job satisfaction and certain arguments in defining
the concept. Second, I will identify specific important factors affecting job
satisfaction in the literature, from which I will draw my research model and
research hypotheses.
2.1 Job satisfaction definitions
To begin a discussion on job satisfaction, one might logically begin with a
definition. According to Webster’s Dictionary (1986), job satisfaction refers to
how well a job provides fulfillment of a need or want, or how well it serves as a
source or means of enjoyment. Job satisfaction is defined more specifically in the
literature, and several theorists have generated their own workable definitions. Of
those researchers, Hoppock (1935) is perhaps the most widely cited, although
others have emerged with definitions reflecting more current theoretical
underpinnings of job satisfaction. Some of the versions use the terms job attitudes,
work satisfaction, and job morale interchangeably, which may explain the lack of a
standardized job satisfaction definition.
Hoppock (1935) offered one of the earliest definitions of job satisfaction when
he described the construct as being any number of psychological, physiological,
and environmental circumstances which leads a person to express satisfaction with
their job. Smith (1969) defined job satisfaction as the feeling an individual has
about his or her job. Locke (1969) suggested that job satisfaction was a positive or
pleasurable reaction resulting from the appraisal of one’s job, job achievement, or
job experiences. Vroom (1982) defined job satisfaction as workers’ emotional
orientation toward their current job roles. Similarly, Schultz (1982) stated that job
satisfaction is essentially the psychological disposition of people toward their
work. Siegal and Lance (1987) stated simply that job satisfaction is an emotional
response defining the degree to which people like their job. Finally, Lofquist and
Davis et al. (1991), defined job satisfaction as “an individual’s positive affective
reaction of the target environment ... as a result of the individual’s appraisal of the
extent to which his or her needs is fulfilled by the environment”.

6


The definition of job satisfaction has visibly evolved through the decades, but
most versions share the belief that job satisfaction is a work-related positive
affective reaction. There seems to be less consistency when talking about the
causes of job satisfaction. Wexley and Yukl et al. (1984) stated that job satisfaction
is influenced by many factors, including personal traits and characteristics of the
job. To better understand these employee and job characteristics and their
relationship to job satisfaction, various theories have emerged and provided the
vital framework for future job satisfaction studies. Early traditional theories
suggested that a single bipolar continuum, with satisfaction on one end and
dissatisfaction on the other, could be used to conceptualize job satisfaction. Later
revisions of the theory included a two-continuum model that placed job satisfaction
on the first scale and job dissatisfaction on the second (Brown, 1998). These later
theories focused more on the presence or absence of certain intrinsic and extrinsic
job factors that could determine one’s satisfaction level. Intrinsic factors are based
on personal perceptions and internal feelings, and include factors such as
recognition, advancement, and responsibility. These factors have been strongly
linked to job satisfaction according to O’Driscoll and Randall (1999). Extrinsic
factors are external job related variables that would include salary, supervision, and
working conditions. These extrinsic factors have also been found to have a
significant influence on job satisfaction levels according to Martin and Schinke
(1998).
2.2 Determinants of job satisfaction
A review of the literature shows that numerous variables have been investigated
in their relationship to job satisfaction. These variables include demographic data
(e.g. age, gender, and race) and extrinsic variables (e.g. salary, supervision, and
working conditions).
2.2.1

Demographic variables

Studies investigating job satisfaction indicate that personal determinants such as
race, gender, educational level, tenure, age and marital status have impact on job
satisfaction. There are a number of definitions and concepts of job satisfaction
found in the literature.
Gender
7


Several studies conducted with regard to the relationship between gender and
job satisfaction have yielded contradictory results (Chiu, 1998). A study conducted
by Murray and Atkinson (1981) investigating gender differences in determinants of
job satisfaction, reflected that females attach more importance to social factors,
while males place greater value on pay, advancement and other extrinsic aspects.
In support, Tang and Talpade (1999) maintain that there is a significant difference
between males and females in terms of job dimensions impacting on job
satisfaction. Their study found that men tend to have higher satisfaction with
remuneration in relation to females, while females tended to have higher
satisfaction with co-workers than males.
Findings of a survey looking at issues affecting women in the South African
workforce indicated similar findings with regard to females. The majority of
respondents revealed that they were satisfied with their jobs. The factors that
contributed the most to their job satisfaction were the company of co-workers, the
opportunity to learn new things and factors inherent in the job itself (Robbins,
2003).
Educational level
An investigation by Crossman and Abou-Zaki (2003) in the Lebanese banking
sector found that no statistically significant relationship existed between job

satisfaction and education. Although the relationship was not significant, their
research found that a relationship between job satisfaction and education existed.
In this regard respondents in possession of a school certificate reported the lowest
level of overall job satisfaction, while employees with a university certificate
reported the highest level of overall job satisfaction. The researchers highlighted
possible factors such as a lack of skills and less favorable treatment by
management as contributing to lower satisfaction levels among staff in possession
of a school certificate.
Years of working
Ronen (1978) cited in Oshagbemi (2003) found tenure to have a U-shaped
relationship with job satisfaction. In this respect, Ronen maintains that employee
satisfaction declines within the first year of employment and remains low for
several years, after which it increases. Furthermore, he maintains that employee
8


expectations are high at the time of appointment, but when these expectations are
not met, the result effect leads to a drop in job satisfaction. As the employee
becomes more mature and experienced, the initial expectations decline to a more
realistic level thereby making such expectations more attainable, coinciding with
increased job satisfaction.
Age
Mixed evidence exists regarding the relationship between age and job
satisfaction (Robbins, 2003). According to Greenberg and Baron (1995), older
employees are generally happier with their jobs than younger employees, while
people who are more experienced in their jobs are more highly satisfied than those
who are less experienced. This view is supported by Drafke and Kossen (2002).
The researchers state that job satisfaction typically increases with age as older
workers have more work experience and generally have a more realistic view of
work and life in comparison to their younger counterparts. They are of the opinion

that younger workers have less experience to draw on and have an idealistic view
of what work should be like.
Research conducted by Okpara (2004) amongst managers within an IT
environment found a significant relationship between job satisfaction and age.
Similarly, earlier research supported this finding. Rhodes (1982) cited in
Oshagbemi (2003) supports the findings that the relationship between job
satisfaction and age is significant. The author reached this conclusion after a
review of the findings of seven other separate studies conducted on the relationship
between age and job satisfaction.
Present position (rank)
Oshagbemi (1997) investigated the effects of rank on the job satisfaction of UK
academics. The results indicated that rank had a direct, positive and significant
effect on the job satisfaction of university teachers, but not age or gender.
Lecturers were least satisfied with their jobs followed by senior lecturers, readers
and professors in that order. In addition, the interaction effect between rank and
gender on job satisfaction was statistically significant. This means that although
gender by itself is not significantly related to job satisfaction, it is significant when
compared together with the rank of university teachers. Female academics at
9


higher ranks, namely, senior lecturers, readers and professors, were more satisfied
with their jobs than male academics of comparable ranks.
2.2.2

Organizational factors

Remuneration/pay
Research appears to be equivocal regarding the influence of pay on job
satisfaction. According to Bassett (1994), a lack of empirical evidence exists to

indicate that pay alone improves worker satisfaction or reduces dissatisfaction. The
author is of the opinion that highly paid employees may still be dissatisfied if they
do not like the nature of their job and feel they cannot enter a more satisfying job.
In a study conducted by Oshagbemi (2000) amongst United Kingdom academics, a
statistically significant relationship between pay and rank of employees and their
level of job satisfaction was established.
However, a study conducted by Young and Worchel (1998) in the public sector
failed to find any significant relationship between pay and satisfaction. Similarly,
results from a survey conducted by Brainard (2005) amongst postdoctoral scientific
researchers found pay and benefits to be weakly associated with job satisfaction.
The existence of both financial reward and recognition has been found to have a
significant influence on knowledge workers (Arnolds and Boshoff, 2004; Kinnear,
1999; Kinnear and Sutherland, 2000). Individuals view their remuneration as an
indication of their value to the organization. They compare their inputs to received
outputs relevant to that of others (Nel, 2004).
Supervision
Research demonstrates that a positive relationship exists between job
satisfaction and supervision (Koustelios, 2001; Peterson, Puia and Suess, 2003;
Smucker, Whisenant, and Pederson, 2003). Supervision forms a pivotal role
relating to job satisfaction in terms of the ability of the supervisor to provide
emotional and technical support and guidance with work-related tasks (Robbins,
2003). According to Ramsey (1997), supervisors contribute to high or low morale
in the workplace. The supervisor’s attitude and behavior toward employees may
also be a contributing factor to job-related complaints (Sherman and Bohlander,
1992). Supervisors with high relationship behavior strongly impact on job
satisfaction (Graham and Messner, 1998). Wech (2002) supports this view by
10


adding that supervisory behavior strongly affects the development of trust in

relationships with employees. The author further postulates that trust may, in turn,
have a significant relationship with job satisfaction.
Promotion opportunities
A number of researchers are of the opinion that job satisfaction is strongly
related to opportunities for promotion (Pergamit and Veum, 1999; Peterson, 2003;
Sclafane, 1999). This view is supported in a study conducted by Ellickson and
Logsdon (2002) with municipal government workers where satisfaction with
promotional opportunities was found to be positively and significantly related to
job satisfaction. Kreitner and Kinicki (2001) however, state that the positive
relationship between promotion and job satisfaction is dependent on perceived
equity by employees.
Co-worker
A number of authors maintain that having friendly and supportive colleagues
contribute to increase job satisfaction (Johns, 1996; Kreitner and Kinicki, 2001;
Luthans, 1989). Findings of a survey conducted by Madison (2000) on more than
21000 women occupying the most demanding jobs indicated that those participant
who lacked support from co-workers, were more likely to suffer from job
dissatisfaction. Another survey conducted amongst 1250 FoodBrand employees
found that positive relationships with co-workers enhance job satisfaction (Berta,
2005).
Empirical evidence indicates that relationships with colleagues have
consistently yielded significant effects on job satisfaction of federal government
workers in the United States (Ting, 1997). A study conducted by Viswesvaran,
Deshpande and Joseph (1998) further corroborated previous findings that there is a
positive correlation between job satisfaction and co-workers.
Job characteristic
As the model features the work of R. Hackman and G. Oldman (1974), a work
would bring fulfillment staff general satisfaction and create better performance if
the design job satisfaction the following characteristics: the use of different skills,
employees understand the tail of proceeding through certain significance for

economic production activities general business of the enterprise work that allows
11


employees to make a certain number of rights to complete its work and staff will
be responsible for their decisions, the work must have mechanisms of feedback
evaluation superior to what people have done to draw experience for next time. In
addition, to get the satisfaction of staff need time to do the work in accordance with
their capacity (Weiss, 1967).
Working conditions
For this research the working conditions are factors that affect health and
comfort of employees at work, including time suitable (Skalli and colleagues,
2007), the comfort and safety at work (Durst, 1996), the equipment needed for the
job (Bellingham, 2004) and for time spent traveling from home to the company
(Isacsson, 2008).
Benefit
According to Artz (2008), benefits play the role of welfare agencies that are
important in determining the level of job satisfaction. He added that the welfare
effects to job satisfaction. First, welfare is a component to the employees that the
company paid to the employee, that portion of remuneration affects the agreement
job satisfaction. Second, welfare effects sometimes replace wages.
2.3 Related documentation and researches on job satisfaction in IT sector
Robbins and Judge (2009) also point out that jobs that pay high salaries have
job satisfaction levels no higher than those that are paid much less. Good benefits,
however, do appear to satisfy. They also point out that perceptions of fairness have
an impact on one’s job satisfaction. “Job satisfaction comes down to conceptions
of fair outcomes, treatment, and procedures. If you don’t feel that your supervisor,
the organization’s procedures, or pay policies are fair, your job satisfaction is likely
to suffer significantly” (Robbins and Judge, 2009, p. 85).
Job satisfaction has been of interest to organizational researchers, due to its

relationships with job performance and/or organizational commitment (Christen
and Lyer, 2006). More importantly, employed individuals spend most of their time
doing their jobs. As a result, individuals’ feelings about their jobs are likely to
affect those impacting their lives in general. In fact, Judge and Watanabe’s (1994)
literature review and their study support this view by showing a positive
relationship between job and life satisfaction. Furthermore, according to Judge and
12


Llies, (2004), job satisfaction affects one’s positive mood after working. In turn,
job satisfaction is important regarding personal well-being and organizational
effectiveness.
A great deal of study has been spent on understanding job satisfaction in
general as it relates to the entire organizational enterprise. But few researches have
been done in understanding job satisfaction factors as it relates specifically to
Information Technology (IT) professionals. As this field works and changes at
breakneck speeds and is such a critical component of any successful enterprise, it is
useful to understand job satisfaction factors specifically related to this field to curb
the detrimental effects of job dissatisfaction such as loss of skilled staff and
knowledge and insider attacks.
Ghazzawi(2008) held his own study of 132 IT professionals and found that
technology professionals are generally satisfied. 53% of his participants indicated
overall satisfaction. According to the survey, top satisfiers were the ability to keep
busy all the time (88%), the ability to do things that don’t go against one’s
conscious (84%), the way the job provides for steady employment (79%), the
chance to work alone (77%), the chance to try own methods of doing the job
(76%), the way co-workers get along (76%), working conditions (73%), the chance
to do things for other people (72%), the chance to do different things from time to
time (71%), and the chance to do something that makes use of abilities (68%). Key
sources of dissatisfaction included the way company policies are put into effect

(37%), chances for advancement (38%), and pay and perceived workload (2008).
In his report, Ghazzawi (2006) studied job satisfaction as it related specifically
to IT. He noted that based on the IT World Canada Salary Survey 2006, 58% of
survey respondents stated that they were satisfied with their job. The highest marks
for satisfaction came from Senior Management (66%), IT managers (61%), and IT
Staff (53%). In the 2006 Network World Salary Survey, Ghazzawi showed that
respondents found flexible work schedules and family friendliness to be most
satisfying and stock options, performance incentives and bonuses, and annual
raises to be least satisfying. He pointed to factors of dissatisfaction from
Cummings’ study such as security threats, working long hours to complete an

13


implementation or to resolve technical issued, being placed on call, and dealing
with political red tape when IT is already moving at breakneck speed.
Ghazzawi (2008) found that those who are satisfied by how the boss treats other
people will be satisfied with the competence of the boss in making decisions.
According to his results, 59 percent of respondents are satisfied with the
competence of the supervisor in making decisions except for in technical support
(38%). 54 percent of respondents were satisfied with the way the boss handled
workers, again, aside from technical support where 43 percent indicated that they
were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied and 19 percent indicated that they were
neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. The majority of respondents (54%) also stated that
they were satisfied with the level of praise they received for doing a good job
except for those in technical support (47%). The majority indicated that they are
not happy with their pay as it relates to their perceived workload. 30.5 percent
stated that they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied, 21 percent indicated that they
were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, and 61 percent of technical support marked
that they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. Finally, respondents were not

satisfied with their chances at advancement. 34 percent stated that they were
dissatisfied or very dissatisfied and 28 percent noted that they were neither
satisfied nor dissatisfied. In technical support, 57 percent stated that they were
dissatisfied or very dissatisfied and 24 percent noted that they were neither
satisfied nor dissatisfied.
As his study was limited to 132 IT professionals, more research is needed;
however, judging by this study, there is a real problem with satisfaction levels
among technical support professionals compared to other IT professionals. This
alone is grounded for further study.
Vitell and Davis (1990) studied the relationship between ethics and job
satisfaction amongst Management Information System (MIS) workers and found
that MIS professions are more satisfied with their job when top management
stresses ethical behavior and when they are optimistic about the relationship
between ethics and success in their organization (1990). They also found that
unethical climates lead to job dissatisfaction and state that fostering a more ethical
environment may be one approach to increasing job satisfaction levels. “MIS
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professionals are more likely to be dissatisfied with all aspects of their work,
perhaps with the exception of pay, when managers throughout their industry
frequently engage in unethical behavior. They are also likely to be dissatisfied,
especially with co-workers and supervisors, as well as with the work itself, when
managers in their company often engage in unethical behavior. Thus, unethical
climates are linked to job dissatisfaction (Vitell and Davis, 1990, p. 491). They
also found that those who are most optimistic regarding the relationship between
ethical behavior and success tended to be the most satisfied with their jobs. In
conclusion, perceived ethics and job satisfaction are closely related.
MIS is a very fast moving field and is unique in many ways. Studies indicate
that the majority of IT professionals are satisfied with their jobs, but effort needs to

be directed at improving conditions and attitudes in the subfield of technical
support. Ethics was also found to have a close relationship with job satisfaction. As
each of these studies was small in size, larger and more recent studies are needed.
Further, because of the speed of change in MIS, new stressors and factors for job
satisfaction and dissatisfaction may be introduced very quickly.
Ghazzawi (2006) listed pay in relation to perceived workload to be a cause for
job dissatisfaction, so it is transparent that the majority of MIS professionals in his
study did not feel that they were aptly compensated for their perceived workload.
Rather than increase salaries, Raghavan et al. discuss other options for decreasing
perceived workload and role ambiguity and found that allowing employees to have
flexible work schedules eased perceptions of workload. They also found that
support and training strategies influenced perceived workload as well as diminish
role ambiguity. However, they found that telecommuting does not have any effect
on perceived workload and can actually increase stress levels by blurring the
boundary between work and home. Rather than increasing salaries to offset the
imbalance between perceived workload and compensation, decreasing the actual
stressor may have an identical affect.
In the MIS literature, early IT satisfaction research looked at the correlation
between the task and the feelings towards task for programmers/analyst by using
the Hackman and Oldham’s Job characteristics Model (Couger and Zawacki,
1981). The assumption of the Job Characteristic Model is that workers are working
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independently, which may limit its external validity in certain industries like
software engineering. Goldstein (1984) extended this model by adding role
ambiguity and role conflict perceived by the workers, and the quality of leadership
provided by the worker’s supervisor and peers. They found that role ambiguity and
role conflict were negatively correlated to job satisfaction, while leadership
variables were positively correlated. Based on data on career orientations of 464

MIS employees, Magid et al. (1992) found that employees had higher job
satisfaction and stronger commitment to their organization if their career
orientations were more aligned with their job setting. They documented that job
satisfaction was significantly related to organizational context factors and IS work
stress. In a recent study, Moore (2000) observed that among a large set the factors
influencing work exhaustion included role ambiguity and role conflict, lack of
autonomy and lack of rewards. He concluded that these factors were also important
contributors that would lead to reduced job satisfaction, reduced organizational
commitment, and higher turnover.
We view job satisfaction as emerging from a variety of factors, including
characteristics of the organizational environment, specific features of the job, and
the personal characteristics of the worker.
The study about job satisfaction in the United States and other countries gave
the following results: 49% of workers surveyed in the United States that
completely or very satisfied with the work, only a very small number of answers
were not satisfied. The rate for that completely or very satisfied with the job in
some other countries as follows: Denmark (62%), Japan (30%) and Hungary
(23%). Research identifies factors of job satisfaction include: women, safety in
work, working space, high salary, relationship, moving time to work, supervision,
training and promotion. Research results also suggested that levels of satisfaction
in the work of women higher than men and levels of satisfaction by age liked Ushaped curve, security issues on the job is most important (Andrew et al., 2002).
Tom W. Smith (2007) has taken some results as follows: survey results of
employees working in many areas showed that there were 47% of the employees
are very satisfied with the job. In particular, the unskilled group satisfaction was

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