Description

The Overall Job Satisfaction Survey (OJSS) is a psychometric instrument designed to assess employees’ general level of job satisfaction and attitudes toward their work environment. The questionnaire was developed by Brayfield and Rothe (1951) and represents one of the widely used measures for evaluating overall satisfaction with employment.

The OJSS consists of six statements that examine employees’ feelings, attitudes, and overall evaluation of their current job. Participants indicate their level of agreement with each statement using a five-point Likert scale, providing a quantitative measure of general job satisfaction.

The instrument focuses on the overall emotional evaluation of work rather than specific job characteristics, making it suitable for organizational psychology research, human resource management studies, and workplace evaluations.

Data Analysis and Use

Data collected through the OJSS are analyzed quantitatively to determine employees’ overall satisfaction with their jobs.

Higher scores indicate greater job satisfaction, reflecting positive attitudes, enthusiasm, and enjoyment related to work. Lower scores indicate reduced satisfaction and may suggest dissatisfaction with the current work environment.

The questionnaire can be used to investigate relationships between job satisfaction and other organizational variables, such as workplace climate, organizational commitment, employee motivation, performance, and retention.

In organizational research and practice, the OJSS can support the identification of workplace issues and contribute to the development of interventions aimed at improving employee well-being and organizational effectiveness.

Objective

The primary objective of the Overall Job Satisfaction Survey (OJSS) is to measure an individual’s general satisfaction with their job.

The instrument aims to identify employees’ overall perceptions and emotional responses toward their work, allowing researchers and organizations to evaluate satisfaction trends, recognize areas requiring improvement, and design strategies to enhance workplace conditions.

Structure and Content

The OJSS consists of six items assessing overall feelings and attitudes toward employment.

The statements examine aspects such as satisfaction with the current job, enthusiasm toward work, enjoyment derived from professional activities, and comparison of one’s job experience with that of other workers.

The six statements are:

“I am often bored with my job” (reverse-scored).

“I feel fairly well satisfied with my present job.”

“I am satisfied with my job for the time being.”

“Most days I am enthusiastic about my work.”

“I like my job better than the average worker does.”

“I find real enjoyment in my work.”

Scoring

Participants respond to each statement using a five-point Likert scale:

1 = Strongly Disagree
2 = Disagree
3 = Neutral
4 = Agree
5 = Strongly Agree

The total score is calculated either by summing the responses or by calculating the average score across items.

The first item, “I am often bored with my job,” is reverse-scored because agreement with this statement reflects lower job satisfaction.

Higher total scores indicate greater overall job satisfaction, whereas lower scores indicate reduced satisfaction with one’s work.

Statistical Analysis

Statistical analysis of the OJSS may include descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and comparisons between different employee groups.

Descriptive statistics, such as means and standard deviations, provide information regarding overall satisfaction levels within a sample.

Correlation and regression analyses may be used to examine relationships between job satisfaction and other organizational or psychological variables, including motivation, organizational commitment, workplace stress, and performance.

Group comparisons may also be conducted to examine differences in job satisfaction according to demographic characteristics, occupational roles, or workplace conditions.

Validity

The OJSS demonstrates content validity through its focus on the overall affective evaluation of work satisfaction.

The scale has been extensively used in organizational psychology research to assess general job satisfaction and examine its relationship with workplace-related variables.

Its theoretical foundation is based on the concept that job satisfaction represents an individual’s overall positive or negative evaluation of their employment experience.

Reliability

The reliability of the OJSS is commonly evaluated through internal consistency analysis using Cronbach’s alpha.

The six-item structure provides a concise measure of overall job satisfaction while maintaining acceptable reliability in organizational research applications.

Reliability values may vary depending on the occupational group and cultural context in which the questionnaire is applied.

References

Brayfield, A. H., & Rothe, H. F. (1951). An index of job satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 35, 307–311.

Oyler, J. D. (2007). Core self-evaluations and job satisfaction: The role of organizational and community embeddedness. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.