Multiple discrepancies and pay satisfaction.

In this study, a mail survey was used to measure pay satisfaction, current salary, 4 personal standards of comparison, and basic demographics for 169 mental health professionals. As predicted, pay satisfaction was determined by the simultaneous appraisal of current salary against several personal standards of comparison. Explained variance in pay satisfaction rose from 26.1% when only salary and demographics were used as predictors to 46.7% when discrepancy-related variables associated with 4 standards of comparison also were used. Furthermore, R–2 for the combined discrepancy-related variables associated with all 4 standards of comparison was significantly greater than R–2 for the discrepancy-related variables associated with any single standard. These discrepancy effects took both additive and nonadditive forms. Discrepancy effects were stronger when deserved salary or minimum salary was the standard of comparison than when other's salary or average salary was. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting sales turnover from pay satisfaction and expectation.

Examined the effects of pay satisfaction (PS) and pay expectation (PE), the perceived probability of receiving more satisfying pay in another job, on withdrawal cognition (WC) and turnover. Questionnaires completed by 89 sales representatives measured affective and cognitive variables related to turnover decisions. PS and PE were correlated with WC, but PE did not contribute explanatory variance after PS. PS did, however, explain variance in WC beyond that explained by age or tenure, general (nonpay) satisfaction, amount of pay received, and PE. Only WC and PS were significantly correlated with actual turnover. After WC, no other variable explained additional turnover variance. There was no evidence of an interaction effect of PS and PE on WC or turnover. Results suggest that effects of pay on turnover are mediated primarily by PS and intentions to quit. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

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)     

Relationship between self-rated performance and pay satisfaction among sales representatives.

Tested E. E. Lawler's (1971) hypothesis that when amount of pay is controlled people who evaluate their own performance highly are less satisfied with their pay. 101 sales representatives completed a questionnaire containing measures of self-perceived performance, pay satisfaction, and other variables. They were also rated on job performance by their supervisors. The partial correlation between self-rated performance and pay satisfaction, holding amount of pay constant, was –.30, thereby supporting the hypothesis. Self-perceived performance was only slightly related to an objective measure of total sales/representative, supervisory ratings of performance, self-perceived age/tenure, or education. When these other variables were also controlled, self-perceived performance still correlated negatively with pay satisfaction. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A meta-analysis of the antecedents and consequences of pay level satisfaction.

This study reports results from a meta-analysis of 28 correlates of pay level satisfaction involving 240 samples from 203 studies conducted over the past 35 years. Results are presented in 4 categories: primary determinants, antecedents, correlates, and outcomes of pay satisfaction. The authors controlled for pay in examining relations between correlates and pay level satisfaction, as suggested by theory and when primary studies were available to do so. The authors found support for many of the relations suggested by a theoretical model and also note some limitations in the research that has tested this model. The authors recommend changes and additions to the model and suggest additional primary research in specific areas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

A behavioral analysis of the determinants of marital satisfaction.

Tested hypotheses about the determinants of global ratings of marital satisfaction, the role of reciprocity in marital interaction, and the influence of external experiences on the marital relationship. 7 nondistressed married couples made daily observations of their spouse's pleasurable and displeasurable behavior for 14 consecutive days and daily ratings of the enjoyability of their outside experiences and of their satisfaction with the relationship. Multiple regression analysis, with satisfaction ratings as the criterion variable, showed that both types of displeasurable behavior contributed to rated satisfaction, accounting together for 65% of the explainable variance. For pleasurable behaviors, a sex difference was noted, with males emphasizing pleasurable instrumental behaviors from their spouses and females emphasizing pleasurable affectional behavior. The immediate tendency to reciprocate displeasurable behaviors was stronger than that for pleasurable behaviors. The influence of external experiences was negligible. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived determinants of highs and lows in life satisfaction.

91 men and women aged about 38 yrs (members of the Oakland Growth Study begun in 1932) estimated in 1958–1959 their satisfaction in each year of their lives since high school. Results support the utility of the Life Satisfaction Chart for examining individuals' interpretations of the course of their subjective experience. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The determinants of user satisfaction with community psychiatric nursing care

A 70-year-old diabetic woman with sensory polyneuropathy presented with osteonecrosis of the toes and a plaque-like lesion on the dorsum of the ipsilateral foot. Histological diagnosis of eccrine syringofibroadenoma (ES) was made. A review of the literature reveals several cases of solitary ES of the foot in diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy. This variant of ES seems to be an eccrine sweat duct hyperplasia during the restoration of skin structures damaged by traumas in a situation of peripheral neuropathy. Diabetes and polyneuropathy should be searched for in patients with ES, particularly in acral locations.     

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)     

Gender and the relationship between perceived fairness of pay or promotion and job satisfaction.

J. Brockner and L. Adsit (1986) found that satisfaction with an exchange relationship was more strongly related to perceptions of equity among men than women. A. Kahn (1972) reported that men were more likely than women to distribute outcomes to individuals in direct proportion to their input. The authors evaluated potential gender differences among 12,979 personnel in 30 different organizational systems in (1) correlations between fairness and job satisfaction scores and (2) standardized group differences in the perceived amounts of pay and promotion fairness and expressed levels of facet and global job satisfaction. The fairness–satisfaction relationship was not higher for men, and there were no practical differences in fairness perceptions and job satisfaction between men and women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some determinants of job satisfaction: A study of the generality of Herzberg's theory.

This paper criticized the Herzberg theory that certain work-situation variables ("satisfiers") produce positive, but not negative, job attitudes, while other variables ("dissatisfiers") produce negative, but not positive, job attitudes. Several deficiencies in the methodology of the Herzberg study were discussed. There were: the narrow rang of jobs investigated, the use of only 1 measure of job attitudes, the absence of any validity and reliability data, and the absence of any measure of overall job satisfaction. It was concluded that generalizing the Herzberg results beyond the situation in which they were obtained is not warranted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of performance on managerial pay levels and pay changes.

Investigated the relationship between performance and pay in an organization with an explicit system of performance measurement and reward. Ss were 51 male department managers. Due to the possibility of unstable performance and to the influence of nonperformance factors on pay, it was expected that performance would predict pay changes better than pay levels. Results of partial correlation analysis confirm this expectation. Job level and length of service were predictive of pay levels and pay changes, respectively, but education was not. Results of multiple regression analysis indicate that the 4 independent variables accounted for approximately 50% of the variance in the dependent variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The life satisfaction of nonnormal persons.

Tested the proposition that membership in a fixed-status class would be unrelated to life satisfaction. In 2 experiments, questionnaire responses of handicapped persons (144 and 46) were compared with those of normals (151 and 44). No differences were found along the dimensions of life satisfaction, frustration with life, and mood, while some evidence indicated that the handicapped were less suicidal, more religious, more oriented toward the generalized other, and felt their lives were more difficult. Handicapped Ss who acquired their defect did not differ from those born with it. In Exp III, the observed moods of 40 mentally retarded children (mean age = 13) were compared with those of 40 normals (mean age = 13) via a time-sampling procedure while they were in class and at recess at school. Parents and teachers responded to a rating scale indexing intelligence, social adjustment, and happiness for each S. Differences uncovered favored the intelligence and social adjustment of the normals and the happiness of the male retardates. Results are construed as demonstrating essential equivalence in life satisfaction for handicapped, retarded, and normal persons. (16 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Patient satisfaction. The survey says...

Health care organizations and providers compete in a marketplace where loyal consumers are essential to a successful business. Contemporary consumers have health care knowledge and power. As employers negotiate benefits with providers, most will consider input from employees receiving care. Negative feedback from dissatisfied recipients of care can affect employers' selection of facilities and providers. This is significant leverage that health care organizations should consider when providing services to customers. Information obtained through patient satisfaction programs has proven to be a valuable source for quality improvement marketing, risk management, strategic planning, and finance initiatives. In this article, the authors describe variables associated with a patient satisfaction survey, identify key elements of a patient satisfaction survey program, and offer workable solutions to maximize patient satisfaction programs.     

The impact of rape on sexual satisfaction.

Asked 15 adult rape victims to rate, retrospectively, their satisfaction with 23 sex-related activities prior to and after the rape. Sexual satisfaction with a wide variety of sex-related behaviors decreased substantially following the rape, although autoerotic and primarily affectional experiences appeared to be unaffected by the rape. Moreover, the current satisfaction with sexual relations reported by rape victims was significantly less than that reported by a nonraped sample, even though the 2 groups did not differ in terms of frequency with which they engaged in various sexual activities or experienced orgasms. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The dynamic goal theory of marital satisfaction.

Marital satisfaction is gaining increasing concern in modern society. The current review proposes the dynamic goal theory of marital satisfaction to integrate previous findings about marital satisfaction from a life span developmental perspective. The theory argues that people have multiple goals to achieve in their marriage. These marital goals can be classified into three categories: personal growth goals, companionship goals, and instrumental goals. The priority of the three types of marital goals is under dynamic changes across adulthood. Generally speaking, young couples emphasize the personal growth goals, middle-aged couples prioritize the instrumental goals, and old couples focus on the companionship goals. Whether the prioritized marital goals are achieved in marriage determines marital satisfaction. Other factors influencing marital satisfaction can be linked with marital goals in two ways. Some factors, such as life transitions and cultural values, can affect the priority of different marital goals; while other factors, such as communication pattern, problem solving, and attribution, can facilitate the achievement of the prioritized marital goals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

How important are dispositional factors as determinants of job satisfaction? Implications for job design and other personnel programs.

According to recent research, stable dispositional factors may result in considerable consistency in attitudes such as job satisfaction across time and situations. If true, this finding may have important implications. For example, Staw and Ross (1985) argued that "many situational changes such as job redesign… may not affect individuals as intended." Such personnel programs "may be prone to failure because they must contend with attitudinal consistency" (p. 478). The present article has two purposes. First, methodological and conceptual problems with the Staw and Ross assessment of the impact of situational and dispositional factors on job satisfaction are discussed. Second, given Staw and Ross's focus on job redesign, this article examines the impact on job satisfaction of changes in two very different measures of job complexity. Findings indicate that changes in situational factors such as job complexity are important predictors of job satisfaction, consistent with Hackman and Oldham's (1975, 1976) job design model. In contrast, measurement problems preclude accurate assessment of the predictive power of dispositional factors. Contrary to the concern raised by Staw and Ross (1985) and Staw, Bell, and Clausen (1986), it does not appear likely that the success of personnel programs will be significantly constrained by the influence of attitudinal consistency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of dependence, dependency threats, and pay secrecy on managerial pay allocations.

Using an in-basket exercise, we examined the pay allocations of 117 bank managers when dependence on subordinate expertise, dependency threats in the form of a pay demand, and pay secrecy were systematically varied. Results supported expectations that dependency threats would lead to higher pay raises in the high dependence but not in the low dependence condition. Because we used an alpha level of .05, the prediction that these effects would be enhanced under conditions of pay secrecy was not significant; however, because p?=?.07 for the pay secrecy condition, a second study was conducted to further explore the pay secrecy issue. This second study, involving a separate sample of 120 bank managers, assessed the possibility that pay secrecy would have the expected enhancing effect when the study situation incorporated visible, potentially negative consequences for the pay allocator if pay raises were influenced by dependence and dependency threats. Contrary to expectations, high dependence and high dependency threats had the anticipated positive effects on the pay allocations only when pay was open. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)