Re-examining the job satisfaction–job performance link: a study among Irish retail employees

Abstract

The job satisfaction–job performance link is a topic which has generated discussion in the psychological literature for decades, and one which remains contentious still. Current research has called for the reinvestigation of this relationship in light of improved understanding of the complex nature of job satisfaction, improved measures and advanced statistical techniques. The current study examines the link between job satisfaction and job performance within a sample of, often overlooked, retail employees (N = 416), whilst drawing out the key facets of job satisfaction acting to predict job performance. Results show a weak, but significant relationship between job satisfaction and job performance r = .24, p < .001. Multiple regression was used, with the model explaining a significant amount of variance in job performance scores: R² = .228, F(5, 192) = 11.31, p lt; .001. Findings highlight the impact of satisfaction with nature of work, communication and contingent rewards on job performance (β = .42, t(192) = 5.46, p < .001; β = .22, t(192) = 2.62, p = .01; β = −0.21, t(192) = −2.47, p = .01, respectively). The findings have implications for retail organisations, with a message that Irish retail managers may be able to improve job performance levels within their organisations without adding significantly to operating costs.

Keywords:

• job satisfaction
• job performance
• retailing
• economic downturn
• Ireland

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.