Research called the moderator role of generation differences in the effect of job satisfaction on work commitment

The fact that individuals perform their tasks within an organization with motivation and enthusiasm is considered a critical factor for institutions to achieve strategic goals such as productivity, competitiveness, and employee engagement. At this point, the effects of the frequently emphasized concepts of job satisfaction and work engagement on organizational dynamics in the literature are becoming increasingly significant. Job satisfaction refers to the overall happiness and contentment employees feel about their jobs, while work engagement reflects the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral involvement of employees in their institutions and tasks. A deeper understanding of the strong relationship between these two concepts not only enriches the literature in human resources management and organizational behavior but also offers new practical perspectives. In this master's thesis, the interaction between job satisfaction and work engagement has been examined in detail, along with how this relationship might be shaped in the context of generational differences (X, Y, and Z generations). The literature often emphasizes that the participation rates of X, Y, and Z generations in the business world differ and that each generation has distinct characteristics in terms of values, expectations, and attitudes. Therefore, whether the generational factor moderates the relationship between job satisfaction and work engagement has been identified as a key research question in this thesis. The primary objective of the study is to reveal the extent to which job satisfaction influences work engagement in organizations and to test whether this effect significantly varies across generational differences. The research was designed within a quantitative framework, using a survey method for data collection. The data were obtained from employees of 4- and 5-star hotels operating in the Alanya district of Antalya, representing X, Y, and Z generations. A total of 400 valid surveys were analyzed. The survey consisted of two main sections: The first section included the demographic characteristics of the employees (gender, age, marital status, educational level, total work experience, etc.), while the second section included "Job Satisfaction" and "Work Engagement" items adapted from validated scales in the literature. The data were initially analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage) and difference tests (t-test, ANOVA) in SPSS 26 software. Then, structural models were tested using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS- SEM) via SmartPLS 4 software. The findings of the study strongly demonstrated that job satisfaction has a positive and significant effect on work engagement. This result indicates that employees with higher job satisfaction are more committed to their organization, attribute more meaning to their work, and voluntarily make greater efforts to achieve organizational goals. High job satisfaction not only reduces employee turnover rates but also increases overall performance and productivity, thereby enhancing the organization's competitiveness. The findings obtained in this thesis emphasize that internal strategies aimed at improving job satisfaction play a critical role in enhancing employee satisfaction and consequently strengthening work engagement. On the other hand, the moderating effect of generational differences on the job satisfaction–work engagement relationship was not statistically supported. This finding suggests that generational differences do not always determine organizational attitudes. The fact that employees from different generations share similar needs and expectations regarding core issues such as salary, promotion, fair management, recognition, and work- life balance may have prevented the statistical visibility of the moderator effect. Additionally, the presence of organizational policies such as flexible working hours, multicultural work environments, or effective feedback mechanisms, which may balance generational differences in the institutions where the study was conducted (4- and 5-star hotels), could explain the absence of observable generational differences in the results. Data obtained in the context of demographic variables also revealed noteworthy results. It was determined that married employees have higher job satisfaction and work engagement levels compared to single employees, while employees in the 18-24 age group (Generation Z) showed lower levels of job satisfaction and engagement than other age groups. Furthermore, it was observed that as work experience and tenure increased, organizational commitment and satisfaction levels also rose, whereas satisfaction levels were relatively lower in departments with high physical workload and repetitive tasks. These findings highlight the importance of considering factors such as age, marital status, and job characteristics when designing human resources policies in organizations. In conclusion, this thesis once again demonstrated the significant and positive effect of job satisfaction on work engagement while showing that generational differences do not have a statistically significant moderating effect on this relationship. Keywords: Job Satisfaction, Dedication to Work, Generational Difference