Job satisfaction versus job engagement: A comparative analysis on perceptions of accountability and turnover

Abstract

Job satisfaction assesses extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, leading to productivity. Job engagement internalizes an organizationʼs mission. Job engagement focuses an individualʼs efforts towards achieving meaningful results. Conceptually, job engagement must (1) establish the link between job engagement and organizational outcomes and (2) offer substantially more than currently provided by job satisfaction. Job engagement must be better than a common placebo or only a marginal improvement over job satisfaction. The Federal Employee View Survey (2013) includes global satisfaction and Job engagement indexes. Job satisfaction and job engagement are used as independent variables linked to productivity outcomes (accountability) and exit (intent to leave). Global satisfaction clearly provides a useful measure for productivity outcomes and exit. Job engagement adds usefully with regard to the accountability productivity outcome. However, using both constructs introduces redundancy.