Effect of Effort-Reward Imbalance on Job Satisfaction of Personnel Working in Sealed Cabin of Mechanical Equipment

Objective  To study the job satisfaction of personnel working in sealed cabin of mechanical equipment, assess the effect of effort-reward imbalance on job satisfaction, and to lay a practical and theoretical foundation for further targeted prevention and intervention measures.

Method  A multi-stage stratified cluster sampling survey was conducted among 350 personnel working in sealed cabin of mechanical equipment in Xinjiang in early August of 2016. The Chinese version of Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) and the Chinese version of Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) questionnaire were distributed. A total of 348 questionnaires were returned, and after invalid questionnaire eliminated, 332 questionnaires (94.86%, 332/350) were valid. To study the distribution of MSQ score related to demographic characteristics, the subjects were divided into high and low score groups according to the average scores of three ERI sub-scales and ERI index of 1 respectively. The effect of effort-reward imbalance on job satisfaction were assesed by hierarchical regression analysis.

Result  The intrinsic, extrinsic, and general satisfaction scores of MSQ were 43.96±6.60, 29.17±5.50, and 73.13±11.37, respectively. Among demographic characteristics, educational level, pre-enlistment identity, and position affected MSQ scores, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05); preenlistment place of residence, whether being only child, and whether smoking had no effect on MSQ scores (P >0.05). The scores of intrinsic satisfaction, extrinsic satisfaction, and general satisfaction of the low effort group were higher than those of the high effort group (P<0.01); while the scores of the low reward group were lower than those of the high reward group (P<0.01). The scores of extrinsic satisfaction and general satisfaction in the low over-commitment group were higher than those of the high over-commitment group (P<0.01 or P<0.05). The scores of intrinsic satisfaction, extrinsic satisfaction, and general satisfaction of the ERI index <1 group were higher than those of the ERI index ≥ 1 group (P<0.01 or P<0.05). After selected demographic variables controlled, the independent variable that affected intrinsic satisfaction was reward, and the impact was positive, b=0.198 (P<0.01); the independent variables that affected extrinsic satisfaction were effort and reward, the impact of effort was negative, b=-0.299 (P<0.01), and the impact of reward was positive, b=0.142 (P<0.01); the independent variables that affected general satisfaction were effort and reward, the impact of effort was negative, b=-0.506 (P<0.01), and the impact of reward was positive, b=0.263 (P<0.01).

Conclusion  Educational level, pre-enlistment identity, and position could affect the job satisfaction of personnel working in sealed cabin of mechanical equipment. In selected occupational setting, effort-reward imbalance could affect job satisfaction: Effort has a negative predictive effect on extrinsic satisfaction and general satisfaction, and reward has a positive predictive effect on intrinsic satisfaction, extrinsic satisfaction, and general satisfaction.