Job Satisfaction: An Analysis Based on Expectancy and Equity Theories

This research aimed to study job satisfaction in a scenario characterized by a new work culture, which has modified the rigid vertical organizational structure and proposed new payment methods, flexible production systems, and defined new profiles based on job competencies, all geared towards seeking greater competitiveness. In this context, the new work demands are reflected in employee satisfaction. Through a descriptive comparative study conducted in three companies located in the Bajío region (Mexico), whose economic activities are in the food, chemical, and metal-mechanical industries, the authors can access the respective work environments that characterize them. This allowed the authors to describe these companies based on their administrative models and the job satisfaction of their employees. The results on job satisfaction are interpreted based on proposals such as the expectancy theory and Stacy Adams' equity theory.