A Proposed Kano-inspired Framework Applied to Job Satisfaction for Mature Singaporeans

Job redesign is often imposed by management as a blanket intervention across the company, not taking into account employee variability such as age, gender, position, and physical demands. Popular job satisfaction questionnaires not only do not account for such factors but also do not recognize the non-linearity of job satisfaction. This study introduces a framework using the Kano model [1] applied to job satisfaction. The model aims to discover job attributes and its affects by categorizing job attributes into three distinct Kano qualities. Importance Grid Analysis was reinterpreted in this study to complement the Kano questionnaire by determining improvement priorities. The steady increase of mature workers in the work force has prompted a relook at job design due to the different needs and capabilities of mature workers as compared to younger workers. The framework was then applied in a case study consisting of 210 mature employees in Singapore. Through this case study, we were able to identify the affect of job attributes and set improvement priorities for mature employees. Age was also found to have a significant effect on overall job satisfaction, stressing the importance of recognizing changing expectations with age. Management can then implement job redesign specifically for mature employees.