A dynamic model of the longitudinal relationship between job satisfaction and supervisor-rated job performance
Job satisfaction and job performance represent two of the most important and
popular constructs investigated in organisational psychology. Issues relating to
the nature and significance of their relationship has fascinated organisational
researchers since the beginning of this discipline. In the present study, we
aimed to clarify the direction of plausible influences between these two constructs
by using a dynamic latent difference score model (McArdle, 2009) and
a large sample of employees who were followed for five years (N51,004). The
findings provided support for a reciprocal model of relationships. Satisfied
workers generally demonstrated higher job performance over time than did
unsatisfied workers. Job performance, however, is a significant contributor of
an individuals satisfaction with their work. The contribution of this study to
the literature lies in its use of Latent Difference Score models to more accurately
capture the longitudinal dynamics of the relationships between job performance
and job satisfaction.