Determinants of job satisfaction in a lean environment

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the situational and dispositional determinants of job satisfaction in environments created by implementing employee-supportive lean. Design/methodology/approach The research uses a questionnaire to measure the determinants of job satisfaction (perceived job demands, perceived job autonomy and core self-evaluations) and job satisfaction. Afterwards, the paper proposes a conceptual framework and uses hierarchical multiple regression to test the relationships among perceived job demands, perceived job autonomy, core self-evaluations and job satisfaction. Additionally, the study describes the implementation of employee-supportive lean in four small companies using an action research approach. Findings The findings reveal that perceived job demands has a negative impact on job satisfaction. In addition, the authors find that perceived job autonomy and core self-evaluations have a positive impact on job satisfaction. Finally, the results show that core self-evaluations buffer the impact of perceived job demands on job satisfaction. Originality/value The present research underscores the importance of work and personal characteristics for employees’ job satisfaction in an environment created by implementing employee-supportive lean.