Level of Job Satisfaction

Abstract This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the relationship between job satisfaction and academic background for employees in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, the research had the main objective of identifying the job satisfaction levels of employees in Saudi Arabia who are working in jobs that are not connected to their academic backgrounds. The study used a mixed methodology approach, which is a combination of both qualitative and quantitative methodology, with the data collection methods basing on these approaches. Data was collected mainly through a combination of interviews and survey questionnaires conducted and issued to about 300 employees.

The results of the study pointed out that most employees in Saudi Arabia are not satisfied with their current jobs. In addition, the results from the interview revealed that the fit between current employee job engagement and the academic qualifications that the employees had was weak. The weakness could be attributed by the fact that most graduates only find jobs that are not related to their academic qualifications. The lack of consistency between academic qualifications of employees and the jobs that they engage in varies from industry to industry in Saudi Arabia. The study also reported that the incongruence between job requirement of the employees and their educational background has a big impact on the level of employee satisfaction. Such incongruence causes the workers to become less productive on the tasks that they perform.

Overall, the level of job satisfaction of employees in Saudi Arabia working in jobs not connected to their academic background is low; this stems from the fact that most employees in Saudi Arabia are in jobs that are not connected to their educational background. It can also be inferred from the study that the incongruence between the job requirement of employees and their educational background has caused the satisfaction of employees to reduce significantly.