Cognitive complexity and the perceived dimensionality of pay satisfaction.

This study explored the possibility that cognitive complexity can account for differences in the number of perceived dimensions with which individuals conceptualize pay satisfaction, as measured by the Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire. Using 2 independent samples of 1,969 certified teachers, it was found that mean group differences in cognitive complexity may account for the differences previously found in the literature. It was suggested that additional basic research be performed on how individuals conceptualize pay satisfaction and that more useful measures of cognitive complexity be developed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intermediate linkages in the relationship between job satisfaction and employee turnover.

The relationship between job satisfaction and turnover is significant and consistent, but not particularly strong. A more complete understanding of the psychology of the withdrawal decision process requires investigation beyond the replication of the satisfaction–turnover relationship. Toward this end, a heuristic model of the employee withdrawal decision process, which identifies possible intermediate linkages in the satisfaction–turnover relationship, is presented. Previous studies relevant to the hypothesized linkages are cited, and possible avenues of research are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in correlates of job satisfaction.

Compared the relationships between evaluations of specific job attributes and overall job satisfaction for men and women. Data from a 1977 national survey of 1,524 Canadians show differences between the sexes in assessed quality of job attributes. Although some hypotheses concerning gender differences for strengths of relation between evaluations and satisfaction were confirmed, the magnitude of these differences was small. Results are discussed in relation to changing attitudes toward work on the part of women. (French abstract) (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Employee age as a moderator of the relation between perceived work alternatives and job satisfaction.

This study was designed to explore whether employee age influences the relation between perceived work alternatives and job satisfaction. Moderated regression analyses were conducted using the survey responses of 226 employees between the ages of 24 and 50 who worked for a mental health institution. The analyses revealed that a Perceived Work Alternatives?×?Employee Age interaction significantly predicted job satisfaction. Neither organizational tenure nor employee educational level accounted for job-satisfaction variance beyond that accounted for by perceived work alternatives alone, nor did they interact with perceived work alternatives to predict job satisfaction. These findings indicate that employee age is associated with the relation between perceived alternatives and job satisfaction. They also provide some insight into which of a number of age-related effects may be most pertinent to this relation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between voluntary employer changes and perceived job stress in Taiwan.

Although the career strategy of voluntary employer changes has been recognized, it remains unclear whether those adopting such a strategy pay a price of higher job stress or experience a benefit of lower job stress. Two competing hypotheses of the relationship between voluntary employer changes and perceived job stress were proposed. Data from a survey of master's of business administration degree holders in Taiwan supported the hypothesis of a negative relationship. Those with more voluntary employer changes perceive lower job stress. This finding expands the knowledge of the link between behavioral characteristics and job stress. The situations for this finding are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Favorable self-perception, perceived supervisory style, and job satisfaction.

Compared interrelationships of favorable self-perception as measured by biographical data, perceived supervisory style of the boss, and job satisfaction of 128 administrators and professional employees of a state department of public instruction. All ss were given the administrative attitude questionnaire and the biographical information blank. Data indicate that ss with a high level of favorable self-perception were less likely to perceive the supervisory style of their boss as supportive and reported lower levels of job satisfaction than those with a low level of favorable self-perception. More supportive styles of supervision were found to be associated with higher levels of job satisfaction, although the effect was moderated by favorable self-perception. Results are discussed in terms of the relationship between expectations, experience, and attitudes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Another look at the job satisfaction-life satisfaction relationship.

The relationship between job satisfaction and life satisfaction has been heavily researched over the years. In spite of this research interest, results have not proved conclusive in demonstrating the causal nature of the relationship. In the present study, a causal model was hypothesized and tested that involved simultaneous consideration of cross-sectional and longitudinal effects between job and life satisfaction. This type of analysis has not previously been conducted and allows the strongest conclusions to date regarding the causality between these constructs. Results based on a national probability sample of workers indicate that job and life satisfaction were significantly and reciprocally related. The cross-sectional results suggest a relatively strong relationship between job and life satisfaction, but the longitudinal results a weaker relationship over a 5-yr period, particularly with respect to the effect of job satisfaction on life satisfaction. The meaning of these results in the context of past research on the job satisfaction–life satisfaction relationship is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A causal-correlational analysis of the job satisfaction and performance relationship.

Gathered job satisfaction and performance data from about 80 newly hired female telephone operators after 1 and 3 mo work experience. This was not an experimental study, but tentative causal inferences were drawn from these longitudinal data by using a combination of cross-lagged and dynamic correlations. The overall relationship between satisfaction and performance was slightly positive, but the direction of causality was unclear. When job satisfaction was split into extrinsic and intrinsic components, the data suggest that performance causes intrinsic satisfaction and that extrinsic satisfaction causes performance. Both the type of job and the fact that these were new hires were offered as alternative explanations for these results. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Causal connections among managers' merit pay, job satisfaction, and performance.

Used the frequency-of-change-in-product-moment and cross-lagged correlation techniques to analyze field study data obtained from 62 managers over 2 yrs. Results indicate that merit pay caused satisfaction and increased the correlation between these 2 variables. Satisfaction was an effect and not a cause of performance. Performance increased the correlation between performance and satisfaction. The merit-pay-causes-performance hypothesis was not supported, but results suggest the possibility of reciprocal causation. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pay, equity, job gratifications, and comparisons in pay satisfaction.

In an investigation of the determinants of pay satisfaction, we held telephone interviews with 248 fully employed men in Dane County, Wisconsin, asking about their income, job satisfaction, and other economic and demographic matters. The social and industrial-organizational psychology literature suggests that pay satisfaction could be influenced by at least four major considerations: the economic benefits received on the job, the extent to which earnings are regarded as fair or deserved, comparisons with other people's pay, and noneconomic job satisfactions. Measures of these possible determinants were established by a factor analysis of 29 items, and the index of pay satisfaction was based on another factor analysis of 8 items. Using these factors and several demographic variables in a multiple regression analysis, we found that three of our four types of psychological determinants made major contributions to predicting pay satisfaction, with the most powerful set of predictors being equity considerations, although material benefits associated with living standards and intrinsic job satisfaction were also major predictors. Social comparisons contributed virtually nothing. Small, significant effects were found for age, occupation, education, and past unemployment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptions of promotion fairness and promotion candidates' qualifications.

A sample of 336 undergraduate students (168 women and 168 men) read summaries of fictitious court cases prompted by 1 of 4 possible promotion decisions in 1 of 3 different jobs or occupations. Ss assessed the fairness of the promotion decision and the qualifications of the promoted and nonpromoted employees. Women and men perceived promotion of a member of the opposite sex instead of a member of their own sex as significantly less fair than any of the other 3 possible promotion decisions (opposite sex instead of opposite sex, same sex instead of same sex, or same sex instead of opposite sex). Perceptions of promotion candidates' qualifications, however, were not influenced by sex, job sex type (masculine vs sex neutral), or promotion decision or by any interactions of these variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A critique and experimental design for the study of the relationship between productivity and job satisfaction.

"It is argued that the present approach to the study of the relationship between employee output and job satisfaction is not fruitful. What is needed is an examination of the characteristics of workers who are operating at a satisfactory level of both output and job satisfaction with workers and groups of workers who are not operating at such a level. A procedure is described which will permit the location of the workers who are operating at this 'optimal' level." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Informational influence as a determinant of perceived task characteristics and job satisfaction.

Task characteristics and informational cues about the task were manipulated in a laboratory investigation of the impact of objective task design and informational influence in determining employees' perceptions of task characteristics and job satisfaction. Although a manipulation check involving 33 control Ss confirmed differences between the 2 experimental tasks (enriched and unenriched), results of the experiment with 42 graduate business students showed the major determinant of perceptions of task characteristics (Job Diagnostic Survey—JDS—and the Job Characteristic Inventory) and job satisfaction (JDS) to be informational influence in the form of cues about the task as either enriched or unenriched. Findings suggest that (a) job characteristics may be socially constructed as well as objective realities and that (b) perceptual measures of task dimensions may be susceptible to bias from informational cues. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does affective disposition moderate the relationship between job satisfaction and voluntary turnover?

J. Weitz (1952) argued that job dissatisfaction would be more predictive of turnover if it was considered in light of an individual's predisposition to be satisfied with everyday life events. In the present study it was hypothesized that affective disposition moderates the relationship between job satisfaction and voluntary turnover. With data collected from a sample of nurses, support was indicated for the hypothesis. The more positive the disposition of the individual, the stronger the relationship that was observed between job dissatisfaction and turnover. Furthermore, individuals dissatisfied with their jobs but positively disposed to life in general were the individuals most likely to quit. Implications of the results for future research and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between job satisfaction and job performance between western and tribal Black employees.

Examined the effect of westernization on the job performance/job satisfaction relationship in 132 Black male 1st-level supervisors in 15 different South African factories. When the sample was split into western and tribal subgroups, the relationship between performance and satisfaction was significantly higher among western Ss. The 2 subgroups were also compared on measures of intrinsic motivation, instrumentality, and valence of job rewards. Because the western subgroup only obtained a significantly higher score on the measure of intrinsic motivation, it is suggested that it may be because they are more concerned about performing well than that the performance–satisfaction relationship is higher among western employees. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender and perceived pay entitlement: Testing for effects of experience with income.

This article reports on 2 studies where variations on a research design from the literature on gender and perceived pay entitlement were used to test for effects of past pay experience and salience of the pay experience for the participants. In Study 1 with 72 undergraduates, level of previous income was not a predictor of self-payment behavior for women or men, and men allocated more pay to themselves than did women. In Study 2 with 74 undergraduates, women and men did not differ on perceived entitlement when the income and work experience were made salient, but they did in the nonsalient condition, as in Study 1. Also, past income and self-pay were positively correlated for women in the salient condition. Further, when the data from Study 1 and Study 2 from the same condition (past income nonsalient) were combined, those with the higher previous income level paid themselves more than did others, among both men and women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender and the relationship between job experiences and psychological distress: A study of dual-earner couples.

Examines the association between job role quality and psychological distress in a sample of 300 full-time employed dual-earner couples, controlling for such individual level variables as age, education, occupational prestige, and marital quality, and for such couple level variables as length of marriage, parental status, and household income. The magnitude of this effect is compared for men and for women. Results indicate that job role quality is significantly negatively associated with psychological distress for women as well as for men and that the magnitude of the effect depends little, if at all, on gender, casting doubt on the widely held view that job experiences more significantly influence men's mental health states than women's. The results are discussed in the context of differentiating between sex and gender differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in the relationship between perceived social support and student adjustment during early adolescence.

The current study is an investigation of early adolescents' perceptions of social support from parents, teachers, classmates, and close friends, and how that support is related to measures of students' adjustment on a range of behavioral indices. Data were collected on a sample of 246 students in Grades 6 through 8 using the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS), and the Parent Rating Scale of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-PRS). Analyses using the social support subscale scores (Parent, Teacher, Classmate, and Close Friend) replicated past research in finding gender differences on mean levels of perceived social support, with girls perceiving higher levels of classmate and close friend support than boys. In addition, girls reported significantly more support from close friends than any other source, whereas boys reported significantly less support from classmates than any other source. Finally, results demonstrated gender differences in the relationship between social support and several indices of student adjustment, and provided evidence for the importance of considering gender differences in planning future research related to social support. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)