Job satisfaction, performance, and growth needs: High satisfaction with co-workers, promotion opportunities, work nature, and pay accompanies high performance only among employees with strong growth needs; among those with weak growth needs, this relationship disappears, and satisfaction with promotion opportunities even correlates with lower performance; which conclusion is best supported?

Given data

• Among high growth-need employees: satisfaction ↔ high performance (positive relation).
• Among low growth-need employees: relation is absent or even negative for promotion satisfaction.

Concept/Approach (contingency perspective)Because the sign/strength of the satisfaction–performance link changes with growth need, growth need is a moderator of the relationship.

Step-by-Step reasoning1) Identify two groups by growth-need strength.2) Observe pattern difference in satisfaction–performance relation.3) Conclude moderation: the effect depends on growth need.

Verification/Alternative checkUniversal claims (“always related”) are contradicted by the weak-growth group evidence.

Common pitfallsDo not infer inevitability or necessity across all organisations; the key is conditionality.

Final AnswerThe relationship between job satisfaction and performance is moderated by growth need strength.