The Effect of Satisfaction on Performance and Vice Versa: An Empirical Study
Keywords:
Satisfaction-performance relationship, Performance-satisfaction relationship, College students, GPA, Student characteristicsAbstract
This study examines how, when, and to what extent satisfaction affects performance at the individual level. This study replicates and extends the research on the satisfaction-performance relationship using 5,185 college students. The findings of the current study indicate that, while the effect of satisfaction on performance, as measured by cumulative grade point average (GPA), was ß=.13, the vice-versa was ß=.08. The findings suggest that although the effects and correlations were positive and statically significant, practically they were weak. This study also extends previous studies by including seven student characteristics (ACT scores, gender, family income, average hours worked, first-generation college student, lived on campus, and race) into the model. The study reveals that past performance, in our case, high school performance, as measured by ACT scores, was a strong predictor (ß=.36) of college students’ performance. Implications of the study’s findings, limitations, and multiple avenues for future research are discussed.
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