Work Values and Job Performance

Aspects of organizational behavior like work values and job satisfaction have largely been studied in the west , however , despite the difference in culture , the theories and concepts gained from these studies have been applied to the rest of the world . Thus , to be able to support or contradict the general views regarding work values , this study has been conducted to explore the work values of Taiwanese workers using a scale that has been developed in the West . The researcher 's hypothesized that given the great cultural differences between Taiwanese workers and western

workers , the Taiwanese workers would not have the same work values as their western counterparts

Building on the previous researches on work values and the scale developed by Super (1975 , the researchers discussed how western workers and affluent societies ' work values have evolved , from being a source of livelihood to that of a means for self-actualization . The authors borrowed this from the motivation theory of Maslow that proposed that after lower need have been met , higher needs are brought into focus , and the highest of which is self-actualization . Further , the researcher said that if actual work values do not match the ideal work values , then the worker would have difficulty in adjusting to the job and hence job satisfaction will suffer and may often lead to high turnover rates . The independent variable is the work values since it is held constant and is inherent to the workers , while the dependent variables are job satisfaction and turnover intention since both behaviors are affected by the independent variable as demonstrated by previous researches . The study surveyed 219 adult workers to determine their work values and to measure their job satisfaction as well as turnover intention . The gathered data was analyzed using statistical tools to determine the variation and frequency of responses or identified work values

The research findings revealed that for the Taiwanese workers , the most important aspects of the job are opportunities to use my personal abilities , material gratification ' and interpersonal satisfaction , this shows that although Taiwanese workers have varied work values , and that material gratification is one of the most sought after , it cannot also be disregarded that to use personal abilities signify a need for self-actualization . Thus , as opposed to the assumptions of the researchers that Taiwanese workers would probably value economic returns than self-actualization is not supported . And the need for interpersonal satisfaction is a reflection of the Taiwanese 's culture that places importance on smooth interpersonal relationships Another finding of this study is that work values correlated with job satisfaction and job turnover intentions . This means that when there is lesser discrepancy between actual work values and ideal work values workers are more satisfied and have fewer intentions of leaving the company . Moreover , it was also found that demographic and job related variables correlated with job satisfaction and job turnover intentions This shows that educational attainment , years of service , work environment and the like influences the level of satisfaction the worker has for...