For an employee, it is essential to work in a safe and favorable workplace environment to demonstrate a significant performance. However, there might be an issue regarding the extent to which the process of improving these environmental conditions affects the employee’s job satisfaction and whether this affectation takes place at all.
Erro-Garces and Ferreira (2019) have conducted a notable investigation related to the question mentioned, considering workplace environmental conditions as a crucial factor. This paper aims to address the noticed above issue using the introduced article as a scholarly foundation to demonstrate a strong rationale and a coherent train of thought.
The problem of job satisfaction (JS) has always been a theme to concern for a plethora of scholars, employers, and organizations. Hence, Erro-Garces and Ferreira (2019) had a vast amount of available and necessary data to exhaustively summarize and analyze the relationships between workplace environmental conditions and JS. They developed and applied a noticeable methodology that allowed them to deal with plenty of different variables, as well as providing a number of consistent findings and conclusions.
First of all, the academicians show a relation between salary and job satisfaction. They assume that monthly earnings are statistically inconsiderable after taking into account several individual characteristics, work, and labor agreement conditions. “In contrast, salary change is positive and statistically significant” (Erro-Garces and Ferreira, 2019, p. 943).
The abovementioned findings allow suggesting that employees adapt to their absolute amount of income. Then, the ones who feel underemployed, or those who wish to earn more, demonstrate lower JS. The scholars assume that the level of salary might be considered as an important but not essential factor that affects JS.
Furthermore, the type of employing organization also matters as workers who are self-employed or employed by not a large firm report a relatively high JS. The given fact takes place due to several factors such as warm relationships with colleagues, a great extent of involvement, and growth opportunities in small and medium companies (Erro-Garces and Ferreira, 2019). However, it should be stated that the authors pay more considerable attention to the below factor as it seems to have a crucial role in JS.
The scholars claim that environmental factors are statistically substantial and require particular attention. Erro-Garces and Ferreira (2019) argue that “the perception of health or safety risks has a strong negative association with JS” (p. 943). However, they remark that it is not the only environmental condition that matters. Here, it seems reasonable to note that all the above statements relate to the average European country, which means that the coefficients vary according to some geographical, cultural, and economic circumstances.
Now, it is critical to empathize that the exposure to infection materials is the only solid and consistent variable that remains stable despite the latter factors. It allows concluding that workplace environmental conditions might be the most important point that affects JS. The authors state that due to improving workplace environmental conditions, “cleaner production can lead to better financial outcomes for firms and better environmental outcomes for society” (Erro-Garces and Ferreira, 2019, p. 945). Thus, if these conditions get better, job satisfaction will also improve.
To sum everything up, the authors provided the audience with a significant piece of work. The content of the article might contribute to an in-depth understanding of the issue discussed and serve as a foundation for recognizing the importance of workplace environmental conditions within the scope of JS.
The scholars also investigated the other important factors, such as the level of earnings and the size of an employing organization. Nevertheless, given the fact that exposure to infection materials is an exceptional factor, they concluded that JS has the most robust and constant relationship with the environmental situation at work.
Reference List
Erro-Garces, A. and Ferreira, S. (2019) ‘Do better workplace environmental conditions improve job satisfaction?’ Journal of Cleaner Production, 219(3), pp. 936–948.