The Effects of Perceived Upward Influence Rewards and Personality Moderators on Job Satisfaction and Productivity in an Employee Suggestion Program

The extent to which work satisfaction, task satisfaction, suggestion quantity and suggestion quality may be affected by upward influence and reward in a suggestion program was investigated using 160 students as subjects. Locus of control and growth need strength were investigated in terms of their effects as personality moderators. Subjects offered suggestions during three trials for nine topics representing university problems. The percentage of suggestions accepted by a review committee was manipulated as four levels of an upward influence condition (0'/o, 25'/0, 50'/o and 75'/o). In addition, subjects were randomly assigned to either a no-reward or reward condition, in which subjects contingently received lottery tickets to win prizes based on the number of suggestions that were accepted by the review committee, The results indicated that (a) upward influence had an effect on task satisfaction when personality moderators were included in the analyses, and (b) reward and upward influence conditions had an effect on suggestion quantity and quality such that rewarded subjects in higher upward influence conditions offered more and better quality suggestions. Discussion focuses on this study's generalizability to the workplace and considerations for implementation of an employee suggestion program.