Using the DEMATEL model to explore the job satisfaction of research and development professionals in china's photovoltaic cell industry

The high-tech industry is a capital, and technology-intensive industry that attaches great importance to the speed of innovation. Only by constantly updating and enhancing technology can competitive vitality be maintained. Consistent innovation entails the contribution of research and development (R&D) personnel, whose competitiveness and capability impel a company's growth, yet high-tech industries typically lack such indispensable professionals. Thus, reducing R&D personnel turnover has become a major human resources management challenge for innovative companies. To explore the job satisfaction of R&D personnel, this study applied the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method to propose a set of relevant criteria, with the research procedure comprising three steps. First, criteria for evaluating R&D personnel's job satisfaction were proposed. Second, causal relationships and degrees of influence between the criteria were determined. Third, a criteria model was constructed to evaluate R&D personnel's job satisfaction. According to the study's results, compensation (X1), promotion (X2), supervisors (X3), and job nature (X10) were the primary factors for problem solving and improving the satisfaction associated with these criteria can contribute to the satisfaction with others. Thus, managers should further emphasize these four criteria to increase the job satisfaction of R&D personnel, thereby retaining them or attracting more of such professionals. The findings yielded by the application of this criteria model provide a reference for high-tech companies to use to improve the job satisfaction of their R&D personnel.