THE EFFECTS OF JOB CHARACTERISTICS ON EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION AND INTERNAL WORK MOTIVATION: EVIDENCE FROM SELECTED ETHIOPIAN MANUFACTURING FIRMS

Manufacturing companies in Ethiopia have practiced different motivational schemes to enhance productivity in quantity and quality, yet the results were not satisfactory as intended. Employees are not happy and not motivated at their job. To find out the causes of dissatisfaction and demotivation, this study implemented the widely used Hackman and Oldham Job Characteristics Model to investigate the relationship between core job characteristics and personal outcomes (satisfaction and internal motivation). Participants of this study were 456 employees randomly selected from 9 manufacturing companies in Ethiopia. Correlation, Linear Regression, and independent t-test have been implemented to predict the proposed hypothesis. The Regression analysis results demonstrated that all five job characteristic dimensions efficiently predicted personal outcomes with the exception that task significance has no significant relationship with Internal work motivation. The mean Motivation Potential Score of private and public companies was determined and a significant difference between the means of the two groups was found. As the current study did not include all components of JCM such as Psychological State and Growth Need Strength, an all-inclusive research approach is recommended for future study.