Satisfaction with a new job after unemployment: Consequences of job loss for older professionals.

Participants were surveyed after joining a self-help group for unemployed professionals over the age of 40 and again 1 year later. A hidden cost of job loss, especially for older workers, may be decreased satisfaction with the new job obtained after a period of unemployment. Of the 24 initially unemployed participants who sought jobs, 1 year later 16 were reemployed, and 8 were still seeking jobs. The 16 reemployed participants indicated significantly less satisfaction in their new positions, compared to the ones held previously, with regard to pay and benefits. There was no change in satisfaction with co-workers. Satisfaction with supervision, the nature of the work, and prospects for promotion had increased. Positive self-esteem and internal locus of control at the initial survey were positively correlated with job satisfaction after reemployment. Contrary to expectations, age was also positively correlated with satisfaction in the new job. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changes in newcomer job satisfaction over time: Examining the pattern of honeymoons and hangovers.

In this study, the authors contribute insight into the temporal nature of work attitudes, examining how job satisfaction changes across the 1st year of employment for a sample of organizational newcomers. The authors examined factors related to job change (i.e., voluntary turnover, prior job satisfaction) and newcomer experiences (i.e., fulfillment of commitments, extent of socialization) that may strengthen or weaken the job satisfaction pattern. Results of a study of 132 newcomers with data collected at 4 unique time periods show a complex curvilinear pattern of job satisfaction, such that satisfaction reached a peak following organizational entry and decreased thereafter. However, examination of moderating factors revealed that individuals who reported less satisfaction with their prior job and those having more positive experiences on the new job, such as greater fulfilled commitments and a higher degree of socialization, were most likely to experience this pattern. Findings from this study offer important implications for theory and research on changes in newcomer attitudes over time as well as practical insight on key factors that shape the pattern of job attitudes as individuals enter and experience a new workplace. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Relationship Between Employee Job Change and Job Satisfaction: The Honeymoon-Hangover Effect.

Recent research suggests that the turnover process is not fully captured by the traditional sequential model relating job dissatisfaction to subsequent turnover. The present study contributes to this research by modeling within-individual job satisfaction as a function of job change patterns to determine if individual work attitudes change systematically with the temporal turnover process. Specifically, the authors hypothesized that low satisfaction would precede a voluntary job change, with an increase in job satisfaction immediately following a job change (the honeymoon effect), followed by a decline in job satisfaction (the hangover effect). Though this pattern is suggested in the literature, no prior research has integrated and tested this complete temporal model within individuals. Findings based on a sample of managers supported the proposed honeymoon-hangover effect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Job satisfaction and turnover in a female clerical population.

Job-satisfaction questionnaires were administered to a sample of 350 female clerical workers. After a lapse of 5 mo. 31 girls had quit, 26 of whom had completed the questionnaire. These 26 girls reported significantly less satisfaction with their jobs than the 319 girls who remained on the job. An explanation of this finding in terms of the difficulty of finding a new job, economic pressures to remain on present job, and condition of the labor market is offered. The relationship between satisfaction and turnover is not regarded as general. The data from the subsequent 7-mo study indicate that job-satisfaction scores continue to exhibit a significant relationship to turnover over a 12-mo period. Even after a 12-mo period the terminators had reported lower job satisfaction at the time of the assessment than those who were still with the company. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Decline in life satisfaction in old age: Longitudinal evidence for links to distance-to-death.

Using 12-year longitudinal data from deceased participants of the Berlin Aging Study (N = 414; age 70-103 years, at first occasion; M = 87 years, SD = 8.13), the authors examined whether and how old and very old individuals exhibit terminal decline in reported life satisfaction at the end of life. Relative to age-related decline, mortality-related decline (i.e., distance-to-death) accounted for more variance in interindividual differences in life satisfaction change and revealed steeper average rates of decline, by a factor of 2. By applying change-point growth models, the authors identified a point, about 4 years before death, at which decline showed a two-fold increase in steepness relative to the preterminal phase. For the oldest old (85+ years), a threefold increase was observed. Established mortality predictors, including sex, comorbidities, dementia, and cognition, accounted for only small portions of interindividual differences in mortality-related change in life satisfaction. The authors conclude that late-life changes in subjective well-being are related to mechanisms predicting death and suggest routes for further inquiry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A study of attitude change in the preretirement period.

2 separate sets of factors appear in preretirees' job attitude when they refer to their past experiences in middle age (30-55). Job-related factors provide satisfaction; context-related factors determine dissatisfaction. When sources of satisfaction were examined in the preretirement period, the dominant emphasis was on the context-related factors. This change of attitude was explained in view of the change of job structure. Choosing more attainable sources on the job, the context-related in case of preretirement, is more satisfying than choosing the ones which became more difficult to attain, the job-related factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of health care reforms on job satisfaction and voluntary turnover among hospital-based nurses

OBJECTIVES: Among the consequences of downsizing and cost containment in hospitals are major changes in the work life of nurses. As hospitals become smaller, patient acuity rises, and the job of nursing becomes more technical and difficult. This article examines the effects of changes in the hospital environment on nurses' job satisfaction and voluntary turnover between 1993 and 1994. METHODS: Data were collected in a longitudinal survey of 736 hospital nurses in one hospital to examine correlates of change in aspects of job satisfaction and predictors of leaving among nurses who terminated in that period. RESULTS: Unadjusted results showed decline in most aspects of satisfaction as measured by Hinshaw and Atwood's and Price and Mueller's scales. Multivariate analysis indicated that the most important determinants of low satisfaction were poor instrumental communication within the organization and too great a workload. Intent to leave was predicted by the perception of little promotional opportunity, high routinization, low decision latitude, and poor communication. Predictors of turnover were fewer years on the job, expressed intent to leave, and not enough time to do the job well. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that although many aspects of job satisfaction are diminished, some factors predicting low satisfaction and turnover may be amenable to change by hospital administrators.     

Affect and Job Satisfaction: A Study of Their Relationship at Work and at Home.

The authors investigated 2 broad issues: (a) across- and within-individual relationships between mood and job satisfaction and (b) spillover in moods experienced at work and at home. Using an experience-sampling methodology, they collected multisource data from a sample of 74 working individuals. Multilevel results revealed that job satisfaction affected positive mood after work and that the spillover of job satisfaction onto positive and negative mood was stronger for employees high in trait-positive and trait-negative affectivity, respectively. Results also revealed that the effect of mood at work on job satisfaction weakened as the time interval between the measurements increased. Finally, positive (negative) moods at work affected positive (negative) moods experienced later at home. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Associations between dopamine and serotonin genes and job satisfaction: Preliminary evidence from the Add Health Study.

Previous behavioral genetic studies have found that job satisfaction is partially heritable. We went a step further to examine particular genetic markers that may be associated with job satisfaction. Using an oversample from the National Adolescent Longitudinal Study (Add Health Study), we found 2 genetic markers, dopamine receptor gene DRD4 VNTR and serotonin transporter gene 5-HTTLPR, to be weakly but significantly associated with job satisfaction. Furthermore, we found study participants' level of pay to mediate the DRD4 and job satisfaction relationship. However, we found no evidence that self-esteem mediated the relationships between these 2 genes and job satisfaction. The study represents an initial effort to introduce a molecular genetics approach to the fields of organizational psychology and organizational behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparative analysis of expectancy and heuristic models of decision behavior.

Examined the job selection process of 49 nursing graduates over a 5-mo period in which they searched for hospital jobs. Comparative analyses were made between V. Vroom's (1966) expectancy model and P. Soelberg's (1967) general decision process model. Job selection involved an initial screening of job alternatives on few criteria to determine acceptable alternatives from which to select job interviews. The choice from among acceptable job candidates was implicitly made weeks before the final job acceptance and was predicted by the expectancy model. The perceived valence for job alternatives did not change after the implicit decision. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alternative opportunities and withdrawal decisions: Empirical and theoretical discrepancies and an integration.

Data reported in labor market studies in which unemployment rates in a geographical area, industry, or time period are correlated with voluntary termination rates from work organizations support the hypothesized role of available alternatives in the satisfaction–quit process. Studies conducted at the individual termination-decision level support neither the theoretical propositions nor generalization of the results of analyses of aggregated data to individuals' decision to leave a job or organization. Three explanations for these inconsistencies are offered: (1) Different economies produce different work forces. (2) Job opportunities influence job satisfaction directly. (3) Job opportunities, not intentions, influence turnover directly. An integrated explanation based on the direct influence of economic/unemployment conditions of job affect, which is consistent with theoretical models of social attitudes and job affect formation as well as with empirical evidence, is presented. It is suggested that statements about the rationality of job-termination decisions must be made in view of the full range of factors that affect job utilities and utilities of alternative activities, including the utilities associated with being unemployed. (57 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Job mobility, its determinants, and its effects: Longitudinal data from the Maastricht cohort study.

This prospective study of 12,140 employees examined the effects of work characteristics and situational, psychological, and health aspects on job mobility. Before job change, the mobility group reported significantly more conflicts with the supervisor, higher physical and emotional strain, higher degree of job insecurity, lower job satisfaction, and lower degree of commitment compared with employees who did not change jobs. After job change, the mobility group reported improved autonomy, task diversity, decreased occurrence of conflicts with the supervisor, decreased physical and emotional strain, and improved training possibilities and job security than before the change. Changing jobs had a positive effect on employees with respect to job perception and job satisfaction and led to reduced fatigue and need for recovery. (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)     

Life satisfaction shows terminal decline in old age: Longitudinal evidence from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP).

Longitudinal data spanning 22 years, obtained from deceased participants of the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP; N = 1,637; 70- to 100-year-olds), were used to examine if and how life satisfaction exhibits terminal decline at the end of life. Changes in life satisfaction were more strongly associated with distance to death than with distance from birth (chronological age). Multiphase growth models were used to identify a transition point about 4 years prior to death where the prototypical rate of decline in life satisfaction tripled from -0.64 to -1.94 T-score units per year. Further individual-level analyses suggest that individuals dying at older ages spend more years in the terminal periods of life satisfaction decline than individuals dying at earlier ages. Overall, the evidence suggests that late-life changes in aspects of well-being are driven by mortality-related mechanisms and characterized by terminal decline. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The impact of psychological distress on absence from work.

The aims of this study were to examine the impact of psychological distress on absence from work; to compare psychological distress and job satisfaction as predictors of absence; and to compare the relative effects of 2 components of psychological distress, depression and anxiety, on absence. Organizational records of absence over a 3-year period were obtained for 323 health service staff in the United Kingdom, who also completed self-report measures of psychological distress and job satisfaction at the beginning of the study and 2 years later. Psychological distress, particularly depression, was found to predict absence, with higher levels of distress predicting a greater number of days and number of times absent. Job satisfaction and psychological distress independently predicted levels of absence. The psychological distress-absence relationship was not moderated by demographic variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Structural equation models of sexual harassment: Longitudinal explorations and cross-sectional generalizations.

Sexual harassment and its corresponding outcomes develop and change over time, yet research on this issue has been limited primarily to cross-sectional data. In this article, longitudinal models of harassment were proposed and empirically evaluated via structural equations modeling using data from 217 women who responded to a computerized questionnaire in 1994 and again in 1996. Results indicate that sexual harassment influences both proximal and distal work-related variables (e.g., job satisfaction, work withdrawal, job withdrawal) and psychological outcomes (e.g., life satisfaction, psychological well-being, distress). In addition, a replication of the L. F. Fitzgerald, F. Drasgow, C. L. Hulin, M. J. Gelfand, and V. J. Magley (1997) model of harassment was supported. This research was an initial attempt to develop integrated models of the dynamic effects of sexual harassment over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Quantitative analysis of prevention effect of tetrandrine on pancreatic islet beta cells injury in rats

Implementing change requires a thorough knowledge of change theory and change strategies. If change is handled correctly, initial resistors to change can eventually become ambassadors for the change. Most patients welcomed the introduction of bedside handover reports and increased job satisfaction was found among staff.     

When a happy worker is a productive worker: A preliminary examination of three models.

This 2-yr longitudinal field study examined the contributions of psychological well-being, job satisfaction, and dispositional affect--positive and negative affect--to job performance. 49 public sector management professionals from a governmental county agency participated in this study. Measures of job satisfaction, dispositional affect, and psychological well-being were available at Time 1. Measures of composite job performance were available at Time 1 and Time 2 (2 yrs later). Results show that while psychological well-being predicted job performance, the data fail to establish relations between job satisfaction and dispositional affect as predictors of job performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 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)     

Job satisfaction study of two small unorganized plants.

"The purpose of this study was to test the validity of the tear ballot on the premise that the higher the job satisfaction scores, the lower will be the job-related interpersonal communicative contacts between labor and management members. The number of job-problem sessions for a period of one year was thus utilized as the validation criterion based upon the hypothesis that the job-satisfied and happy worker has less job-related interview sessions than does the job-dissatisfied or unhappy worker; i.e., the frequence of such sessions should be inversely related with job satisfaction. Combining the data from both plants, [N's were 22 and 14] a Pearsonian coefficient of correlation of—.76 was found between job satisfaction scores and the number of job-related interview sessions." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)