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Job satisfaction is a nebulous concept. Managers talk about it a great deal, but, if pressed to explain exactly what they mean are hard pushed to provide a precise definition. Vroom had described it as:

At this moment in time two sets of values present in society are in conflict with each other. On the one hand we have a powerful technical value system which tells us to make maximum possible use of technology so that we may become more wealthy and comfortable. On the other hand we have a humanistic value system which tells us to beware of technology for it is a mirage which will lead us to disaster rather than success. Somewhere in between these two value systems is another which says technology is essentially neutral; whether it produces gains or losses depends entirely on the decisions that are taken on how it shall be used. Supporters of this middle position are a group of researchers from seven European countries who are working together in an attempt to influence one form of technology — computers to move in a direction which produces human as well as technical gains. This paper is a report on one aspect of our research. We argue that computers and information technology represent a powerful resource for improvement at all levels of society; but for this improvement to come about, alternative ways of using the technology must be identified and choices made in terms of human psychological needs.

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/eb055207. When citing the article, please cite: Enid Mumford, (1972), “JOB SATISFACTION: A METHOD OF ANALYSIS”, Personnel Review, Vol. 1 Iss: 3, pp. 48 - 57.

In 1970, a quite new approach was introduced to the debate about job satisfaction. Briefly, Enid Mumford, who had been conducting research in this field, suggested that,

The Summer 1972 issue of Personnel Review contained an article by Enid Mumford setting out a framework for analysing job satisfaction. This article presented a theoretical and practical approach for evaluating and measuring job satisfaction, together with a definition which equated job satisfaction with the fit between what an employee was seeking from work and what he was receiving or, in other words, the fit between job needs and expectations and the requirements of the job. This analytical framework has since been used extensively in industrial and commercial organizations as a means for assisting the design of the human part of computer systems. The method has been used in the following way.

Discusses the role and problems of the socio‐technical action researcher at different stages of a project. It is based on the author’s personal experience when using action research as a method for assisting the successful democratic design and implementation of information systems.

IN HIS masterly book “Planning and Control Systems: a framework for analysis” R. N. Anthony attempts to clear up some of the confusion which seems to befog both the theory and practice of planning. He distinguishes between two aspects of planning which he sees as fundamentally different — namely, strategic planning and what he calls management planning and control. He defines strategic planning as policy formula‐tion and goal setting for the organization as a whole; a process which involves deciding on company objectives, choosing the resources to be used to achieve these objectives and the policies which are to govern the acquisition, use and disposition of the resources. Stated in these terms strategic planning is very much a staff and top management process. Management planning and control he defines as a type of planning concerned with the administration of the enterprise — for example, bringing new systems of work into operation and formulating personnel practices to meet departmental needs. He sees these localized planning functions as line activities.

This article presents a method for systematically catering for human needs when introducing computer systems. It covers the diagnosis of these needs through an examination of the “fit” between what the firm requires of its employees and what employees are seeking from the firm. Data derived from this diagnosis is used to construct organisational profiles as an aide to planning strategy, and as a basis for socio‐technical systems design which has the objective of meeting technical and human needs at one and the same time. A method for monitoring the implementation of computer systems has been developed. This checks that the system does not deviate from its social objectives and provides a feedback system for correction. Lastly an evaluation of the success of the new system in human terms is made by examining the post‐change “fit” between organisational and individual needs.

Small business is seen by many developing countries as an important means by which they will advance. In Papua New Guinea, small business development has high priority and is vigorously pursued by agencies of the central government. Lack of management and accounting expertise amongst national entrepreneurs has required these agencies to seek new ways of supporting their enterprises. In the more developed countries, small business has been turning to computer use more and more during the seventies and computer systems were investigated in Papua New Guinea to see whether they could be applied to this problem of lack of expertise. The experiences of existing expatriate commercial computer users in the early seventies, however, were discouraging and computer methods were not applied to the problem. Beginning at this time, the author researched the possible reasons for these experiences with a view to defining acceptable performance criteria for a new system which would meet the needs of Papua New Guinean small businessmen generally. As the research progressed it became clear that the major problem was not so much technical as one lying in the area of man‐machine communication.