c

c c 


 




c
cc
c

c 
c 
c
c

cc


c  c



c cc

  c!

c"c

c$! %c&c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

°
 


     
    

 ........................................................................................................... 

 °   ............................................................................................. !

 "  "
........................................................................................... #

 $%

.......................................................................................... &

   $ '

 %' 





................................................................................................................................ &(
$
 )*  
................................................................................................. &+
$  

 , 


.................................................................. 
-  °

........................................................................................... !

 .............................................................................................................................. .

 ' ........................................................................................................................... (c
c
cc
c

c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

    



° e point of study presented to our groups for analysis and interpretation is a strong
example of t e role of developmental psyc ology in real life situations, more specifically in
workplace environments w ere uman psyc ology plays a more significant role t at many
managers seem to realize.

° e point presented for t is discussion is an important sub-field of developmental

psyc ology called Nature versus Nurture, or nativism versus empiricism. An advocate of t e
nativist belief would argue t at many uman traits are in erently ereditary and t us not
acquirable; an empiricist on t e ot er and would contend t is point by emp asizing t e
importance of learning and believing umans are capable of learning all kinds of traits. Alt oug
t e debate of natural traits versus nurtured traits is an old issue, current developmental
psyc ologists do not take extreme sides and try to prove t eir point. ° is is w ere evolutionary
developmental psyc ology comes into play and elps psyc ologists explore t is relations ip
between genes and environments.

° e minutiae of t e arguments presented from bot side of t is debate and conclusions

ac ieved detail t e literature of t is report. ° e first part of t is report explains t e nature of t e
argument and importance of t e factors associated wit t e possible conclusions of t is report
done by Maria and °e reem. ° e second part of t is report covers an in-dept analysis of t e
argument and all factors t at relate genetics to uman be avior, t e significance of t e role of
genetics and its consequential et ical considerations done by A med.

Before going in to t e dept of t is discussion, t ere remains t e point of t e importance

of t is issue. W ile determining t e role of genetics in uman be avior is a significant endeavor
on its own and provides muc insig t into understanding t e complex link between genes and
environments, t e importance of understanding be avior is of fundamental significance in
organizational be avior.

Understanding t e be avior of employees can elp understand w at motivates t em, w at

drives t em and ow t ey be ave and respond to different incentives and initiatives. ° is
information is of significant importance to managers w o ave to deal wit a large number of
employees over t eir lifetimes and face many problems understanding t em all.

&c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees


 °   
°o be working in an organization, job satisfaction on t e employees¶ part is very crucial.
A person needs to be, if not completely but to some extent, satisfied wit t e job t at t ey are
performing. ° at is t e only way a person can perform at its best. ° e efficiency of one¶s
performance measures wit ow appy a person is wit w at and ow t ey perform an activity
or a service.

° ere are many w ic can determine w et er a person is satisfied wit t eir job or not.
Firstly, a person can observe t e be avior of an employee. For example, w at is t eir be avior
like at work, or ow t at person treats ot ers? Secondly, observing w et er t e gossip runs
freely in t e office. ° irdly, finding out w et er employees are paying attention to work or
spending time playing games or using social websites. If t ese are t e factors seen at a
workplace, t ey are bound to see employee t at are very un appy from t eir jobs. Un appy
employees do not generally work for t e production of a company. ° ey ave complete ideas of
w at t e goals and motives are of a company. However, because of t eir lack of interest, t ey do
not always contribute. It is obvious t at if a person were satisfied from t eir job, t ey would stay
longer and grow a loyalty for t eir company. In addition, if employees feel t at t ey belong to a
certain place, t ey would automatically come up wit new and innovative ideas for t e
betterment of t at company, work ard and satisfy t eir customers.

°o ensure maximum job satisfaction, t ere are evaluation surveys done in different
companies to know w at is going wrong in t e company t at is causing t e employees not to
work at t eir best.

Managers, as a w ole, perform an enormous role in t e employees¶ job satisfaction.

Researc es provide t e evidences t at managers can control four different areas on t e be alf of
t eir employees¶ satisfaction wit t eir job. ° at includes,

Oc Mentally c allenging work

Oc Equitable rewards
Oc Supportive working conditions
Oc Supportive colleagues

èc'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

We will discuss all t ese factors in detail below.

" ' 

ienerally, people opt for jobs in w ic use t eir skills and abilities to do various tasks
efficiently and excessively. If a person gets a job t at requires very low skill work and a dull
follow-up of w at t eir superiors ave done, t at person mig t soon lose interest in it or even be
unable to work at all. ° e most important t ing in bring out t e most of a person¶s efficiency is
acknowledging t at t ey are given a job t at t ey like and are well adapt to. For example, if an
introverted person, good at numbers, got placement in a marketing field, e/s e would probably
never work w ole eartedly. How managers can improve t is state of misjudgment is by judging
w ic person is rig t for w at type of job. If a person is good at numbers, assign im/ er to a job
in w ic numbers are included so t at t ey can use t eir skills and ability to perform more
efficiently and prove to be an asset for t e company.

Furt ermore, people work best if t ey receive a psyc ological feedback on appreciation;
receiving frequent appreciation for a job well done is an important factor for employees¶ job
satisfaction. In t is way, t e job converts to a mentally rewarding one, and people look forward
to accomplis t e targeted goals.

)/
 


Firstly, t e necessity of doing a job is, to earn money. A proper amount of pay t at a
person gets sets t e standards for a job satisfaction. If a person is not getting t e correct amount
of pay as compared to t e amount of work t at e/s e does, t e company is bound to ave a very
un appy and unsatisfied employee. Unsatisfied employees t erefore make very inefficient
workers and ence, affect t e company. ° erefore, t e basic t ing one needs to understand ere
is t at job salary s ould be appropriate enoug to matc wit t e amount of work a person does.

Secondly, proper rewards to an employee for jobs well done can also improve t e job
satisfaction. W en an employee works at t eir best, t ey expect some sort of feedback from
t eir bosses. In t e core of t eir mind, t ey ave t is expectation t at if t ey work ard, t eir
company would get t e profitability out of it. If t e company would get t e profitability, in return
t ey would get t e amount of bonus t at is set for t e level of post t at t ey work. Appreciation,

c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

along wit t e proper amount of bonuses and incentives can ave, to some extent, very satisfied
employees.

„ 0 



heople work t eir best if t eir surrounding is comfortable. A proper environment can be
t e biggest factor. A person given t e latest equipment to work wit and t e proper working
environment can get motivation out of it to work at t eir best. Managers can in turn create a very
ealt y work environment in order to make t e employees want to work at t eir best. Safety is
also a very essential ingredient in a working environment. If a person feels some sort of
insecurity regarding a place t at t ey are working for, t ey would most defiantly worry about
t eir safety and not pay muc attention to t eir work. W at managers can provide in t is regard
is a safer environment w ere people do not ave to worry about anyt ing ot er t an t eir work.
° ey can create a very professional environment and a very safe one in turn for people to be
more comfortable, relaxed, and motivated to perform t e tasks given to t em.

Ot er t ing t at can be included in supportive working conditions is t e fact t at some

people like to work close to ome. W at managers can offer to t ese types of employees are
small low cost apartments t at are situated close t e workplace, so t at for one, t ey can be
easily accessible. Second, t ey would ave t e sort of satisfaction t at t ey ave a good job and
working environment and it is close to ome as well. For example, some companies ave some
of t eir project in very remote areas. W at t ey do is, create small colonies for t eir worker so
t at t ey are close to work and can be called at any time.

„ 0 



° e biggest t ing t at comes rig t after a good working environment is, a workplace
aving friendly and supportive colleagues. For a person to work at t eir best, t ey need some sort
of motivation in t e form of competition. °oo muc competition can also decrease a person¶s
efficiency to work. In t at case, t ey need motivation in t e form of support from ot ers. Having
very friendly and supportive people around can at times is very elpful in making efficient
workers working at t eir best.

c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

Researc s ows t at t ere is more to a job t en just earning money. Some people work
for t eir social interactions. For t em, a job is a very good way to increase t e interaction
between people. Furt ermore, t e work environment of an employee also majorly depends upon
t e type of be avior of t eir boss. If a person were aving a very uptig t and rigid boss, t e
employee would be under t e stress of trying to perform t e most efficient job and coming up
wit t e most effective suggestions. In turn, t at leads to very lame decisions at time and can
cause a mind to work even less efficiently. In comparison, if a boss as a very friendly and open-
minded nature, is very adaptive, and listens to new ideas put forward by t eir employees, t en
t ey would be aving more efficiently working workers. ° e role of a manager ere can be t at
t ey form a friendly environment for employees and be open to different ideas.

)',  

Employee retention is a very necessary component for a company to establis itself.

Moreover, t e main way to carry out employee retention is to ensure satisfaction of t e
customers.

°aking acknowledgement from an article written by Susan M. Heat field at About.com

iuide, °op 10 Ways to Retain Your ireat Employees it explains t ere ³Employee retention
matters.´ ° is is very true. Of course, at t e starting point of iring, t e selected employees are
t e ones w o are good assets for t e job and can prove to be efficient in t eir work. If for some
reason, t eir needs and wants are not stratified, t ey tend to lose interest and work less
effectively, in turn giving less to t e company t an t ey can. ° e four points mentioned earlier
are a sort of guidelines for mangers on ow to improve t eir employees¶ job satisfaction. ° is
report only discusses a few of t e ten points in t e article.

Oc )'
  
1  Firstly, a person in lead s ould ave a very
innovative and adaptive nature. ° ey s ould be open-minded to new ideas and listen to
w at t eir employees ave to say. Sometimes, it appens t at t e employees at a lower
level come up wit t e most effective ideas. An uptig t or rigid boss will never ave
efficiently working employees. ° at mig t well lead to a turnover on t eir employees¶
part and ence, cause t e company to lose t eir valued worker. ° erefore, employee
involvement is very necessary.

"c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

Oc     

  /
    Secondly, t e perception of fairness

and equitable treatment is very necessary. Favoritism or taking sides can lead ot er
people to believe t at no matter w at t ey do or come up wit and no matter ow ard
t ey will work, t ey would not get enoug encouragement or reward as t e boss¶s
favorite employee. ° erefore, it is crucial on t e manager¶s part t at t ey treat t eir all
employees equally, ave a fair treatment of rewards or punis ments.
Oc [      '2
 
   No matter w at t e circumstance may
lead to a manager to be very critical, t ey s ould never t reaten a person¶s job or income.
° at mig t lead to a very stiff be avior on t e employee¶s part and mig t lead to tense
work environment, not as muc efficient working and finally, to a turnover. ° erefore, it
is necessary for a manager to understand t e fact t at no matter w at t e circumstance
may lead to a person to do, t ey s ould never t reaten t eir employees¶ job or income.
Oc †''2
*
A person can very easily lose interest in t eir
job if t eir employer does not know t em. Managers are to create a friendly but firm
environment for t eir employees to work at t eir best. It is important for t e employer to
know t eir employees by name and post. ° is leaves a very positive impact on t e
employees¶ mind and make t em work extra ard to remain in t eir boss¶s good books.
(Heat field, 2010)

 

c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees


 "  "


After study of t e w ole issue, I believe t at environmental factors are t e ones t at ave
more impact on employee satisfaction t an genetics. ° is is because among all t e traits and
be avioral aspects motivation is t e most important and wort y one t at employees bring wit
t em to work and t is is t e trait t at is ig ly affected by environmental stimuli and conditions.
° is is also visible from Maslow¶s Hierarc y of Needs t eory. ° e five major needs mentioned
in it namely, p ysiology, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization ig ly depend on
environmental factors. If managers analyze employees based on t is ierarc y, t ey can rig tly
judge w at s ould be done more and on w at grounds to increase employee satisfaction and
motivation.

On t e ot er and discovering, renewing and boosting up t is trait is one of t e managers

most important and tricky jobs. All of t e organizational balance depends on t e correlation of
t ese factors. Employee motivation and satisfaction about work is t e blend of rewarding t e
employee's needs and prospects from work and t e w ole environment.

As t e size of an organization increases, it becomes more difficult for t e managers and

executives to andle communicate and interact effectively wit t e employees. ° us, dynamics
of employee satisfaction associated to manager¶s c ange wit t e size of a certain organization.
° ere is a vast importance of manager¶s relations ip and communication wit employees in
building and reinforcing satisfaction. ° e managers w o display a strong emp asis on
employees, a firm commitment to et ical be avior and w o keep employees informed about t e
direction and motives of t e company in w ic it is eading are t e ones w o build more ig ly
engaged workforces and outperform t eir competitors.

(Ismail, Haniff, Kim, Deros, & Mak tar, 2010)

In fact, w atever environment managers provide to increase employee satisfaction wit in

t e domain of t eir areas of accountability, and even beyond, t ey will still face certain situations
and drawbacks. ° is is mainly because t ere are inevitable scenarios t at are unmanageable in
addition to t ese factors.

" ' 

ÿc'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

I believe t at employees never want to remain indulged in a job w ere t ey ave to

perform repetitive tasks repeatedly, even if t ere as to be repetition of some tasks in a job, some
area of t e job s ould be in accordance to employee¶s interest. It is a researc ed based analysis
and scientific notation t at umans respond to external stimuli t at c allenges t eir abilities and
matc es t eir abilities and talents. ° erefore, it is natural for employees being umans to get
satisfaction from nature of work or job. For creativity and innovation, it is not wrong to ask for
autonomy and independence in decision-making and in ow to move towards accomplis ing
work and job by t e employees. For t at purpose, a manager s ould consider some important
aspects.

Employees s ould ave a certain level of aut ority and independence to make decisions
and use t eir intuition w ile doing t eir job. ° is provision supplements from aving regular
c eck and balance systems for t em. °o build up employee interest and skills in t e job
managers s ould keep en ancing t eir work levels at different stages. °o boost up employees
managers s ould give t em aut ority under domains to raise t eir voice in decision-making
areas. Keeping employees in confidence and providing t em wit adequate information is very
essential. It is an observation t at giving attention to employees also boosts t eir morale and
working capacity. Managers are responsible for addressing employee complaints and concerns
and even if t ey are not in position to solve it completely t ey s ould take notice of it and do
w atever is in t eir domain.

)/
, 


Critics believe t at t is factor is one of t e strongest drivers for employee satisfaction. It

is a common practice by managers to relate or attac rewards wit monetary values. °rue it is for
many cases but sometimes t e workers and employee only want is a simple appreciation gesture
from t e manager or even a t ank you note. Managers t at do visit and p rase well-performing
employees affect t em very positively.

"But I like to think that a lot of managers and executives trying to solve problems miss the
forest for the trees by forgetting to look at their people -- not at how much more they can
get from their people or how they can more effectively manage their people. I think they

âc'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

need to look a little more closely at what it's like for their people to come to work there
every day."
(iordon Bet une, Continental Airlines, Internet Sources)


Researc as also proven t at t ere is a strong correlation between reward,

reimbursement plans and employee satisfaction. A reward perceived to be fair and olding future
linkage of employee wit t e company profits is t e strongest of all equitable rewards.

„ 0 



I t ink t at t is environmental condition is one of t e most important ones. °o begin wit

all kind of employees are always eager to know about t eir as well as mutual performance of t e
company. For t e purpose, t ere s ould be an open communication c annels in an organization
to build a smoot flow of information. W en an employee is involved in decision making
processes of an organization it gives im feel of comfort and linkage t at directly increases is
satisfaction level. ° e following elaborates t is:

"The essence of competitiveness is liberated when we make people believe that what they
think and do is important - and then get out of their way while they do it."
(Jack Welc , ieneral Electric, Internet Sources)

„ 0 



I believe for some people only monetary values may matter but t ere are t ose people
w o care about ot er substantial t ings suc as learning and working in a friendly and ealt y
environment. For some workers t eir interaction wit t eir peers and even boss is more
important t an bonuses to en ance t eir level of satisfaction. We all know t at t ere mig t not be
a single person w o does not like to get credit for somet ing e\s e as performed well. W en
managers give employees c ances to learn, grow and appreciate t em for t eir performances, it
completely boosts up t eir moral and t eir satisfaction level increases greatly.

c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

XBringing together the right information with the right people will dramatically improve
a company's ability to develop and act on strategic business opportunities.´

(Bill iates, Microsoft, Internet Sources)

It is a common belief and even proven by researc t at an environment of mutual respect,

involvement and open communications increases employee satisfaction levels and t eir loyalty
to work.

c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees


 $%



After aving read t e argument in question and done my fair s are of researc on t e
issue, my personal opinion is t at genetics play a very significant role in determining t e level of
job satisfaction for employees.

° e link between personality and gene structure is still a subject of intensive study; t e
degree of stability of t e results of genetic studies for use in matters outside t e domains of
experimentation is questionable owever. If a case of a purely genetics related scenario is
considered, w ere t e subjects in a work environment will only differ on t eir gene structure, it
will be observed t at t e same level of work environment variables will ave vastly varying
results on t e performance of employees. ° is is because studies s ow t at uman genes are
accountable for at least 30% of t eir personality traits.

° e best example of suc studies is t e extensive amount of genetic researc on twins

and t eir be avioral patterns. All t e studies indicated acutely peculiar be avioral attributes
common in t e adult twins under study, bot raised away from eac ot er. ° is insig t was one
of t e first indicators of genetic influence on uman be avior. Furt er studies of similar nature
ave gone as far as to s ow t at job satisfaction standards in suc segregated twins were almost
strikingly similar.

° e point of suc studies is t at t ey rule out t e factors of similarity in environmental

influence on bot twins since t e twins were raised in very different environments in many
cases; t e similarities were found in spite of t e environmental differences and attributed to
genes.

In lig t of suc experimentation, a conclusion presented says t at genes attribute at least

30 percent of t e differences in personalities between people. On t at note, consider a
ypot etical work place scenario wit nullified environmental factors of influence. In t at
environment a manager, using incentives like appreciation, recognition, pay raise, and
positive/negative reinforcement will ave absolutely no effect on employees w o are genetically
disposed to be dissatisfied wit t eir jobs. Even wit environmental factors accounted for, a
manager¶s influence on t e job satisfaction of suc employees will not be entirely effective, or as

&c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

effective as for an employee wit a more moderate attitude and more inclination towards being
satisfied.

° e following excerpt gives a very interesting picture of t e scenario related to genetics and job
satisfaction:

³´espite extensive evidence highlighting the influence of genetics in the business world, this
critical connection has been glossed over by corporate leaders and management gurus. Now, for
the first time, author Scott Shane explains why genes matter, and how an understanding of their
relationship to behavior is of vital importance to employers, employees, and policy makers. This
eye-opening resource begins with an incisive look at the basic function of genes and their effects
on organizational behavior, providing a real-world analysis of how genes influence numerous
aspects of our professional lives, from the jobs we choose, to how effectively we make decisions
and manage people. Born Entrepreneurs, Born Leaders also delves into role that genetics plays
in creativity and innovation, and focuses on how genes affect our tendency to start companies.´

(S ane, 2010)

° ere is anot er side to t is scenario as well, owever, one t at explains t e complexity

and t us unreliability of gene studies because of t e s eer intricacy in genetic algorit ms and t e
very frequent rate of reac ing no results. Even simple functions can be ard to attribute entirely
to genes, t us t e factual association on personality traits and be avioral pattern are downrig t
impossible to attribute to genes alone. Josep D. McInerney, director of t e Foundation for
ienetic Education and Counseling, gives a very good explanation of t is p enomenon:

³Traditional research strategies in behavioral genetics include studies of twins and adoptees,
techniques designed to sort biological from environmental influences. More recently,
investigators have added the search for pieces of ´NA associated with particular behaviors, an
approach that has been most productive to date in identifying potential locations for genes
associated with major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Yet even here
there have been no major breakthroughs, no clearly identified genes that geneticists can tie to
disease. The search for genes associated with characteristics such as sexual preference and basic
personality traits has been even more frustrating.

XSuch are the allure and misunderstanding of genetics among press and public, however, that
even preliminary findings of genetic influence provoke misleading statements about "genes for" a

èc'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

particular behavior, as if genetic causation had been established. In fact, genes can do nothing by
themselves. All of their actions and influence are mediated by proteins²gene products²and until
we understand something about the proteins involved in the myriad steps that produce a given
trait, and about the individual uniqueness to which they contribute, it is difficult to propose a
plausible biological explanation for the trait's expression. The uniqueness is compounded by the
non-linear nature of those myriad steps. Indeed, pervasive uniqueness suggests that there is no
fixed essence in human behavior, only variation, a concept central to all of biology and one that
Galton's famous cousin, Charles ´arwin, used to build his revolutionary theory of evolution by
natural selection

XTo this already complex calculus we must add the knowledge that biological processes that
combine to produce behaviors or any other complex traits cannot exist apart from the unique
experiences of the individual, perhaps dating as far back as experiences in the womb. An
accounting of those experiences and of their interactions with one's unique biological constitution
would confound our ability to make sound predictions about the occurrence of a given behavior,
even if we knew that predisposing genes were present.´

(McInerney, 1999)

° is opinion owever as c anged muc in lig t of recent studies as newer developments

elp unravel t e complex essence of t e long debated µnature versus nurture¶ dic otomy of
uman be avioral explanation. ° e remaining report will s ow t e effect of genes on be avior,
as seen in actual studies and experiments conducted by researc ers working to explore t e
intricacies of uman genetics. 

c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees






Our group concedes to t e fact t at genetic involvement does indeed play a role in
determining t e be avior of employees on some level, and t ese genetic afflictions can affect t e
working abilities of employees. In addition to t is agreement owever, t ere is no contention in
t e group about t e acceptance of t e fact t at environmental factors, t e ones termed µnurtured
traits¶ in personalities, play a significant role in employee job satisfaction too.

A preliminary example of t e balance created between bot mediums is t e following

ypot etical scenario:

Scenario:

An employer conducts intensive testing to evaluate employees, specifically selecting t ose

ambitious employees w o prove to be genetically ardworking, ave defined goals and are easily
motivated to ac ieve t em, some even able to self-motivate for suc purposes. ° e employer will
ave assembled t e perfect working team and t e progress of t ose employees will be outstanding
for t e initial duration of work. Over time, owever, t e manager may experience employee
dissatisfaction and turnover. If t e manager made no mistakes in determining t e be avioral
attributes of employees, ow t en did t e genetically perfect team of most suitable employees
fail?

° e answer to t is dilemma lies in t e work conditions maintained by t e employer. Even wit

t e most suitable employees w o fit t e job-description in all ways, if t e work environment does
not give t e employees motivation to work and c allenging work t at t ey aspire to take on, ot er
employers will take advantage of t e situation and take away an ot erwise perfectly adapted
employee. ° e solution t us would be for t e employer to maintain a work environment t at
keeps employees motivated and interested in t e work t ey do.

Before going into t e details of t e points t at ig lig t t is ac ieved armony it would

be interesting to review t e external factors and t eir effect on job satisfaction. ° e next section
starts wit a simple model of uman psyc ological be avior for reference and correlation to
personal satisfaction.

c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

$
 )*  


"
2
% '[


Abra am Maslow, a professor of hsyc ology at Brandeis University and t e founder of

umanistic psyc ology, created t e famous ierarc y of needs, w ic e presented in is 1943
1
paper A Theory of Human Motivation .

° e t eory describes five basic levels of uman needs, w ic describe t e be avior of

umans based on t e significance and level of a need. ° e five basic levels from most to least
significant are:

1.c h ysiological needs

2.c Safety and security need
3.c Association, love and belonging needs
4.c Esteem based needs
5.c Self Actualization needs

° e ierarc y model explains t at on t e most primal level of existence, t e most

fundamental uman needs are survival. Human be avior suggests t at a person driven to an
extreme will t ink about is/ er p ysiological well being first. Wit t e p ysiological needs
secured, a person focuses on safety and security of self and t ose related to im/ er. Wit t e
securities and safety needs cared for, a person desires to be loved and associated wit , w ic
makes t e t ird level of needs. Most of t e population of t e world lies wit in t ese t ree levels.
After t ese levels are t e needs to create esteem and self-imagery and lastly t e need to excel and
grow beyond t e norms and standards of a system.

° e following grap s ows Maslow¶s Hierarc y in a pyramid structure, resembling t e level

and importance of a need, t e bottom most being t e most essential for t e structure and t e top
most being t e least important:

ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc

c2
  
 )c **c +)c(  c
,
+c-.c-âè./èâ"c

"c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

Returning to t e topic at and, t e four traits t at affect employee job satisfaction as described in
t e case are:

1.c Mentally c allenging work

2.c Equitable rewards
3.c Supportive working conditions
4.c Supportive colleagues

Evaluation of eac in a brig ter lig t will s ow t at almost all of t e listed factors can fall on
any level on Maslow¶s Hierarc y. On t e surface, all t ese factors satiate t e p ysiological
needs. Employees can continue t eir work and in turn earn enoug to satisfy t eir fundamental
p ysiological needs.

c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

A step above t at, improving t e environment of employees and increasing t eir

satisfaction wit t eir job fulfills t eir security needs, most notably in t e form of job stability
and ability to take care of t eir dependent associates.

ioing furt er up, supportive work conditions elp employees associate and relate to t eir
work environment and peers. ° at again satisfies a need and increases overall satisfaction.

A step above t at, providing employees wit rewards and support will do wonders to
t eir esteem. ° e lack of esteem and recognition is an issue a lot of financially and p ysically
well off employees suffer from, t e apparent emptiness and ollowness employees mig t feel
can be eradicated if employers can provide t em wit opportunities to increase t eir self-esteem
and make t em feel special and wanted.

Lastly, t e final t ing improved work conditions can elevate an employee to t e self-
actualization level ± enabling t em to associate t e ig est level of psyc ological comfort wit
t eir jobs.

It takes little effort to relate to all scenarios and conclude t at improved job conditions
can really elp employees ac ieve ig er levels of satisfaction and psyc ological comfort. ° e
actual story owever does not remain as simple once t e ereditary and be avioral effects of
genetics on personalities are included in t e picture.

$  0 - 



°o begin t is side of creating an employee w o fits bot sides of t e nature/nurture

psyc ological satisfaction model, t e first part is to explain t e role of genetics in uman
be avior:

³ ay back in 1932, Harold Carter found statistical evidence that whether people want to become
doctors, commodities traders, ranchers, firemen, automobile salesmen, or any number of other
occupations, has a genetic component; identical twins are attracted to more similar jobs than
fraternal twins, even than same-sex fraternal twins. Subsequent research has shown that genes
affect fairly specific dimensions of job preferences. For instance, a study by University of
Minnesota psychologist Tom Bouchard and his colleagues showed that 21 percent of the
difference between people in their interest in law enforcement is genetic, while ´eborah

ÿc'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

Betsworth and Bouchard found that genes explain about 46 percent of the difference between
people in their interest in "academic comfort."

XAlthough genetic effects exist for specific job preferences, they tend to be stronger for broader
categories that represent the major skills and activities involved in those positions. For instance,
a study by ´avid Lykken and his colleagues showed that 32 percent of the difference between
people with respect to their responses about occupational interests²for instance, whether you
like carpentry, or buying and selling, or public speaking²are genetic. But 53 percent of
categories of interests, such as preference for adventurous work, intellectual work, or agrarian
work, is hereditary.´ (S ane, ° e ienetics of Job C oice, 2010)

In t e paper, Genetics of Human Behavior2 owever, t e main fact broug t forward is

about positivism and reductionism concerning genetic be aviors. ° e paper explains
reductionism as t e belief t at genetics alone can satisfactorily explain t e nature of uman
be aviors. Reductionism t us is in effect a form of dogma t at recommends application of
p ysical laws to uman psyc ology. ° e paper contends t at t e actual complexity of uman
nature and its relation to genetics owever is muc more complex. ° e main setback of genetic
researc is t e reception of all kinds of ideas wit out any serious scrutiny and t e immediate
acceptance of suc researc . ° e ype created is over t e researc and resulting findings, a few
good examples are linkages of genes to diseases like sc izop renia and depression, and traits like
intelligence and alco olism. W at fails to appen owever is t e coverage of subsequent
criticism and often proven inconsistency of suc claims in later times, resulting in t e prevalence
of suc dogmas.

° e paper suggests against discrimination of people on grounds of genetic evidence alone

because uman be avior is a very complex study t at involves many complex factors like
external influences and social structures. Condemning a person¶s attitude because of genetic
be avior is in effect disregarding t e effect of society on creating t at attitude, as presented by
Lewontin3.

ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc
2
Moncrieff, J. (1998) Genetics of Human Behavior, London: Institute of hsyc iatry.
3
Lewontin, R. C. (1993) t e ´octrine of ´NA, London: henguin. c

âc'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

In lig t of t e two opposing sides of t e picture, t e point of interest is t e following

statement presented in a book on understanding genetic be avior and its formation:

³Scientists realize that genes by themselves do not control behavior. Genes enable organisms to
respond to and use what is around them in their environments. At the same time, environments
influence the actions of genes.

XUnfortunately, the term Xenvironment´ often leads to confusion because it has a different
meaning in behavioral genetics than the one that ordinarily comes to mind. As an ecological
term, environment means the physical world. As a genetic term, environment means all influences
other than inherited factors. Here¶s a short list of some typical environmental factors that to one
degree or another affect behavior: family and friends, home and workplace, and specific
experiences from everyday life. These are aspects of our external, social world. Other
environmental factors belong to the internal, biological world: nutrients, hormones, viruses,
bacteria, toxins, and other products that affect the body during prenatal development and
throughout life.

X eople working in the field of behavioral genetics agree that genes and environments are both
essential and interdependent factors in behavior. Their field is called behavioral genetics, not
because they think genes are more important than environments but because they use gene-based
research tools to sort out the factors that contribute to the variation in behavior.´ (Baker, 2003)

By now t e complex two-sided picture of µnature versus nurture¶ in terms of uman

be avioral explanations seems to mold into a smoot er more compre ensible structure t at
enables understanding of t e exact nature of uman be aviors and t e roles genetics and
environments play in determining t ese be aviors.

In lig t of t e evidence presented, it is conclusive t at w ile t ere are no clear indicators

describing t e exact role of genetics in uman be avior, t ere are also no evidential records
calling genes unrelated in determining it. ° us to make a complete picture of ow genes and
environmental factors correlate to create distinct be aviors in umans it must be accepted t at
genetics is relatively a young field and t ere remains muc to be discovered before any ironclad
conclusions can be made. ° e evidence so far still suggests against neglecting t e role of genes
in determining t e possible be avior of a person.

&c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

Managers need to understand t at genetic significance does play a role in employee

performance and be avior; it is truly unfair to disregard an employee for a job based on genes
alone. It is wise to note owever, t at if a successful met od of determining genetic traits and job
fits emerges, finding employees w o can better suit a job fit and t en providing t em wit job
motivation and improvement factors will ave muc greater results t an doing t e same for an
employee w ose genetic disposition tends to mismatc t e job description.

Some very simple examples are t e case of a mat ematician and a sales manager
applying for t e same jobs. ° e parts of t eir be avior t at attribute to genetic elements are t e
logical and computational skills of t e mat ematician and t e c arisma and communication skills
of t e sales manager. W en bot people apply for a job in a pricing department, w ere working
around numbers is essential for t e job description, t e mat ematician will be at ease and even
be appy wit out motivation and encouragement from t e employer. ° e sales manager owever
will not be comfortable wit t e nature of t e job, regardless of ow muc e/s e wants to do
t at job and t e employer providing enoug incentives to ensure success. On t e ot er and, t e
opposite scenario occurs if t e job is in a sales department. In bot cases, t e manager wastes
more effort and resources trying to satisfy an employee w o is genetically indisposed to t e kind
of work and gets lower results t an an employee w o needs little to no motivation and performs
muc better.

c As Scott S ane concludes in is article The Genetics of Job Choice:

³Of course, your genetic makeup doesn¶t guarantee that you will prefer certain types of
occupations, have high job satisfaction, change positions infrequently, or start companies. After
all, genes don¶t determine anything about your work-related behavior; they just influence it. You
can easily prefer certain occupations, be satisfied with your job, have high job stability, or
become an entrepreneur whether you have the relevant genetic predispositions or not. The odds
are just greater for the genetically inclined than for the rest of us.´ (S ane, ° e ienetics of Job
C oice, 2010)

&c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

$  

 , 




° e previous part as successfully concluded t at managers need to take care of bot t e

genetic disposition and t e environmental affluence of employees to ensure t ey work
successfully and remain satisfied wit t eir jobs.

° is case is of significant importance to Organization Be avior and related issues

because one of t e largest problems managers face is keeping employees satisfied and reducing
t eir rate of turnover. An insig t into t e factors t at affect job satisfaction can elp an ot erwise
confused employer understand w y is/ er employees quit t eir jobs despite t e employer¶s best
efforts to provide t e perfect working environment to employees.

A case of concern ere is ow to acquire an actual quantitative and qualitative evaluation

of an employee based on environmental and genetic indicators, w ic can s ow ow compatible
t e employee is wit t e job description. For a number of jobs t is procedure can be simple as
t e job description is simple enoug and a few simple preliminary tests and interviews can filter
in most potential candidates. Jobs of t is nature are mostly sales and networking related jobs
w ere employees employ and demonstrate rigorous repetition of t eir skills and abilities. ° e
results from suc jobs are plain to see and employee attitude and motivation is easy to detect.

° e case tends to get complicated in larger organizations owever, w ere t ere is a

significantly reduced direct level interaction between managers and employees. Ot er scenarios
w ere t is situation can be difficult to detect is in ierarc ical organizations w ere t e upper
command cannot or will not commune frankly wit lower levels, e.g. t e military, and places
w ere t e nature of t e job is complex and job interactions are rare, e.g. workers in a studio or
production crew members in a filming company. Employees in suc jobs mostly face negligence
in personal interactions wit employers and employers rely on classical met ods to estimate
increases in job satisfaction.

In all suc scenarios, a more evaluative system of selection of employees will elp bot
t e employee and employer in maintaining ig er levels of job satisfaction and increasing t e
overall output.

&&c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees

-  °




Alt oug t is case points at a very critical factor in organization be avior related
problems and ypot etically links to a possible solution to a very large problem faced by
employers ± t e problem of job satisfaction and turnover - t is case fails at providing a solid
picture of w at employers and managers need to do in order to create satisfied employees.

° e reason w y t e empirical evidence about t e direct influence of genetics provided in

t is case fails to fit into any generalization for use in real life problems is t e complex nature of
uman be avior and t e severely intricate roles of genes and environmental factors in
influencing be avior. ° e study of genetics is a very young one and t ere are many intricate
factors involved w en considering genetic generalizations. ° e role of genetics and be avior in
its entirety is a vast field and goes well beyond t e scope of t is study.

Current met ods to discern genetic be aviors in umans are generally complex and
tedious; moreover, t e results can often be frustrating, as years of a researc may yield no
suitable findings. ° e case in concern is a very insig tful one in terms of t eorizing t e possible
causes of satisfaction and dissatisfaction in employees owever, t e extent of resources it would
take to scientifically screen and evaluate w et er employees can actually matc a job description
genetically are far too ludicrous in terms of t e investment of time and money in t em.

In t e future if simpler met ods of detecting t e genetic presence of satisfiers in a

person¶s personality are discovered, it would be of significant advantage to employees and
employers in improving t eir work conditions and increasing output.

&èc'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees




 ° e conclusion to t is case is t e obvious understanding of t e fact t at bot genes and

environmental factors play significant roles in determining ow a person be aves. ° e important
point to note ere is t at genetic markers and environmental presences only indicate w at t e
be avior of a person could be.

° ere are no ironclad rules for and against using genetics and be avioral predictions to
evaluate an employee¶s performance w en t e employee cannot get a c ance to prove ot erwise.
° is case merely gives an insig t into t e involvement of genetics in determining be avior, and
in all of t e references provided, t e indication is t at genetics play a role in determining
be avior owever it is difficult to use it as an absolute indicator.

In addition to t e uncertainty and inaccuracy of genetic screening and testing, one of t e

most controversial issues is t e et ical premise to t is case. Some consider t e rig t to screen
employees by employers productive to better work environments and performances w ile ot ers
argue t at suc screening, in addition to being erroneous at times, is a violation of t e privacy
and security of employees. ° e full scenario of t e et ical standpoint on genetic screening is in
t e paper Ethics and Genetics: Susceptibility Testing in the  orkplace:

³Those in favor of genetic screening are probably justified in citing employee benefit, corporate
responsibility, and economics as reasons for using genetic testing to select against certain
employees while protecting those already employed who may be susceptible. Opponents to
screening also provide persuasive arguments for the need for concern about justice and
discrimination, scientific validity and privacy. There are further concerns, particularly in the
U.S., regarding risks to employees¶ insurability (for both health care and life insurance) (Murray
et al., 2001).  hile we find the arguments against screening at this time are in general more
persuasive (given the rather low accuracy of testing, the low utility of risk information, and the
clear potential for injustice and discrimination), screening may be a viable option ± both
technically and ethically ± in certain specifiable situations either now or in the future. Obviously
the accuracy of testing methods must be improved but more importantly, testing must be
administered in a just and respectful manner.´

(MacDonald & William-Jones, 2002)

&c'c( 
c
c
 Managers Can Create Satisfied Employees


 '

[1]. Maslow, A. H. (1993) A Theory of Human Motivation, hsyc ological Review: 370-96

[2]. Moncrieff, J. (1998) Genetics of Human Behavior, London: Institute of hsyc iatry

[3]. Lewontin, R. C. (1993) t e ´octrine of ´NA, London: henguin.

Baker, C. (2003). BEHAVIORAL GENETICS: An introduction to how genes and environments

interact through development to shape differences in mood, personality, and intelligence.
Was ington D. C.: American Association for t e Advancement of Science and ° e Hastings
Center.

S ane, S. (2010). The Genetics of Job Choice. ° e Journal of t e Americal Enterprise Institute.

Heat field, S. M. (2010, November). Top Ten  ays To Retain Your Great Employees. Retrieved
from About.com: Need. Know. Accomplis .:
ttp:// umanresources.about.com/od/retention/a/more_retention. tm

Ismail, A., Haniff, M., Kim, C., Deros, B., & Mak tar, N. (2010). A Survey on Environmental
Factors and Job Satisfaction Among Operators in Automotive Industry. American Journal of
Applied Sciences , 7 (4): 556-561.

MacDonald, C., & William-Jones, B. (2002). Et ics and ienetics: susceptibility °esting in t e
Workplace. Journal of Business Ethics , 35: 235-241.

Murray, William D., James C. Wimbus and Dan R. Dalton (2001) ienetic Screening in t e
Workplace: Legislative and Et ical Implications. Journal of Business Ethics, 29(4): 365-378

McInerney, J. D. (1999, November-December). Judicature: Genes and Behavior. Retrieved from

Judicature ienes and Justice:
ttp://www.ornl.gov/sci/tec resources/Human_ienome/publicat/judicature/article4. tml

S ane, S. (2010). Born Entrepreneurs, Born Leaders. Oxford University hress.

&c'c( 
c
c