Job factor importance for job satisfaction and dissatisfaction across different occupational levels.

3 occupational levels of employees, 155 first-line managers, 182 middle managers, and 181 professional employees, judged the importance of 18 job factors as contributing separately to job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction. Occupational level of the respondent did not significantly affect the judged order of importance of the factors for either job satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Similar content factors were judged most important while similar context factors were judged least important in contributing to both job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The relationship between the importance of the job factors in contributing to satisfying or dissatisfying situation is generally not significant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differential need satisfactions of mine workers in northern Canada.

Administered an 18-item adaptation of L. Porter's (see PA, Vol. 36:2LI01P) needs satisfaction questionnaire during individual interviews with 228 workers in 5 geographically isolated mining camps in the Canadian sub-Arctic, where turnover is high and apparent satisfaction low. Response analysis indicates that (a) a consistent hierarchy of need importance existed across camps; (b) fulfillment and dissatisfaction of lower needs varied with actual camp conditions; (c) high social fulfillment and low dissatisfaction were universal; (d) different autonomy perceptions might discriminate between managers and rank-and-file workers; and (e) low fulfillment and high dissatisfaction in the higher order needs of esteem and self-actualization formed consistent patterns in each camp, contributing to high turnover in northern mines. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Regression analysis of three variations of the two-factor theory of job satisfaction.

Tested 3 distinct variations of the 2-factor theory by reanalyzing data previously published by L. Waters and C. Waters (see record 1970-01432-001). No support for any of these 3 frequently assumed versions was found. Results of this and several prior studies are explained by assuming the existence of 2 main effects: (a) intrinsic job factors are generally more potent for predicting overall job attitudes, and (b) overall job satisfaction is more predictable than overall job dissatisfaction. Neither effect requires the assumptions of the discontinuity of satisfaction and dissatisfaction or the assumptions of dimensional differences between intrinsic and extrinsic job factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Job characteristics as satisfiers and dissatisfiers.

It is often assumed that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are opposites, and that one is the mere negation of the other. This assumption of convertible bipolarity is examined by administration of 2 questionnaires to 80 Ss in which the importance to satisfaction and the importance to dissatisfaction of various job characteristics are compared. Correlational and variance analyses both indicate that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are, for the most part, unrelated and not complementary functions, rather than negatively related poles of a single bipolar continuum. Results of studies and theories utilizing a single satisfaction-dissatisfaction continuum are thus questionable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Are Herzberg's motivators and hygienes unidimensional?

To test the assumption that Herzberg's 2 classes of factors affecting job satisfaction and dissatisfaction (motivators and hygienes) represent unidimensional constructs, 187 female and male college students ranked the importance of 5 motivators and 5 hygienes. The unfolding technique in 1 dimension developed by Coombs was then applied to these preference orders. The results clearly indicate the absence of a unidimensional attribute underlying both the motivators and the hygienes and suggests that Herzberg's 2-factor theory may be an oversimplified representation of job satisfaction. A literature review also shows that these 2 factors may not be independent. Nevertheless, the basic distinction between intrinsic and environmental job characteristics seems to be a useful one for purposes of research. (21 ref.) (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)     

A study of the relationship between need satisfaction and absenteeism among managerial personnel.

Examined the relationship between need satisfaction and absenteeism for a sample of 40 managers in a state organization. The data indicate a positive relationship between dissatisfaction and absenteeism. The larger the need deficiencies, as measured by L. W. Porter's (see record 1963-05789-001) questionnaire format, the greater the rate of absenteeism. The relationship between dissatisfaction and absenteeism held when controlling for the effects of hierarchical level. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bias for the (un)attractive self: On the role of attention in causing body (dis)satisfaction.

Objective: Body dissatisfaction plays a key role in the maintenance of eating disorders, and selective attention might be crucial for the origin of body dissatisfaction. A. Jansen, C. Nederkoorn, and S. Mulkens (2005) showed that eating disorder patients attend relatively more to their own unattractive body parts, whereas healthy controls attend relatively more to their own attractive body parts. In 2 studies, we investigated whether this bias in selective attention is causal to body dissatisfaction and whether an experimentally induced bias for attractive body parts might lead to increased body satisfaction in women who are highly dissatisfied with their bodies. Design: We used a between-subjects design in which participants were trained to attend to either their self-defined unattractive body parts or their self-defined attractive body parts by use of an eye tracker. Main Outcome Measures: State body and weight satisfaction. Results: Inducing a temporary attentional bias for self-defined unattractive body parts led to a significant decrease in body satisfaction and teaching body-dissatisfied women to attend to their own attractive body parts led to a significant increase in body satisfaction. Conclusion: Selective attention for unattractive body parts can play a role in the development of body dissatisfaction, and changing the way one looks may be a new way for improving body dissatisfaction in women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correlates of job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction among female clerical workers.

Correlated degree of overall satisfaction, overall dissatisfaction, and overall satisfaction/dissatisfaction with measures of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with several aspects of the work situation for 160 female clerical workers. Tabulations were made of responses to open-ended questions concerning reasons for positive and negative feelings about the company. The results of these analyses offer no support for the 2-factor theory of job satisfaction, but are consistent with the traditional framework in which any variable can be both a "satisfier" and a "dissatisfier." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When ratee satisfaction influences performance evaluations: A case of illusory correlation.

M. T. Iaffaldano and P. Muchinsky's (see record 1985-21607-001) meta-analysis suggested that the satisfaction–performance relation constitutes an illusory correlation. Two experiments are reported that investigated whether this illusory correlation may systematically bias performance evaluations when ratee satisfaction levels are known. In Experiment 1, students who were told that an instructor was satisfied rated his performance more favorably than students who were told that he was dissatisfied. In Experiment 2, subjects performed an in-basket task and completed a satisfaction questionnaire prior to evaluating a ratee's performance on a similar in-basket task. Subjects appraised a satisfied ratee more favorably than they appraised a dissatisfied ratee. In addition, subjects provided with bogus feedback indicating that their task satisfaction was high evaluated their own performance more favorably than subjects provided with dissatisfaction feedback. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Risk for suicidal ideation in the U.S. Air Force: An ecological perspective.

Objective: Suicidal members of the U.S. military often fail to disclose their suicidal urges and behaviors. Military suicide prevention efforts may therefore be enhanced if they also target less stigmatized psychosocial factors that may decrease risk of suicidality. In keeping with Bronfenbrenner's (1977, 1994) model, this study simultaneously examined 4 ecological levels (i.e., individual, family, workplace, and community) of factors variously associated with increased or decreased risk for suicidal ideation. Method: Active-duty U.S. Air Force members (N = 52,780; 79.3% male; 79.2% non-Hispanic White; mean age = 31.78 years, SD = 7.38) completed the 2006 Community Assessment survey (a biennial, anonymous survey conducted at 82 U.S. Air Force bases worldwide), including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (2008) 5-item measure of past-year suicidality along with scales assessing an array of potential predictors. Results: The 1-year rate of suicidal ideation, defined as (a) more than rarely thinking about suicide or (b) ever seriously considering suicide, was approximately 4%. In multivariate models, for men and women, individual- (depressive symptoms and alcohol problems), family- (relationship satisfaction and intimate partner victimization), workplace- (hours worked), and community-level (social support) variables were retained in the final model. However, some sex differences in retained predictors were noted (e.g., men: dissatisfaction with the U.S. Air Force way of life; women: workplace relationship satisfaction and financial stressors). Conclusions: Addressing depressive symptoms and alcohol use, facilitating healthy relationship functioning, and increasing job satisfaction and social support may aid military suicide prevention efforts. These findings illustrate the importance of attending to multiple levels of potential influence when designing integrated suicide prevention and intervention programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Job satisfaction, counterproductive behavior, and drug use at work.

Conducted a study of 1,327 wage and salaried workers to determine whether the ecologically based inference that counterproductive behavior and drug use at work are symptoms of job dissatisfaction. There was a significant association between job satisfaction and self-reports of counterproductive behavior only among men 30 yrs old or older. Similar results were found for drug use at work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Replication of white-collar-blue-collar differences in sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

Asked 31 white-collar and 14 blue-collar employees to describe sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction on the job. These critical incidents were classified using the Schneider-Locke event-agent classification system. White-collar employees were more likely to derive satisfaction and dissatisfaction from "motivator" events (especially achievement/failure) and blue-collar employees from "hygienes" (especially money). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exploring careers with a typology: What we have learned and some new directions.

Holland's (1985a) typology of persons and environments is outlined, and support for the theory as an explanation of stability and change in careers and work satisfaction is summarized. Studies show that people flourish in their work environment when there is a good fit between their personality type and the characteristics of the environment. Lack of congruence between personality and environment leads to dissatisfaction, unstable career paths, and lowered performance. The results of recent research designed to strengthen the explanatory power of Hollands's typology and link it to the Big Five personality factors is described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The continuance and spillover of everyday tensions in distressed and nondistressed families.

This study compared 38 distressed and 35 nondistressed families on 2 interaction processes: the continuance of tensions involving the same family members and the spillover of tensions from one family subsystem to another. One parent reported perceptions of family tensions and satisfaction ratings each day for 2 wks. Sequential analyses revealed that distressed, compared with nondistressed, families experienced (1) greater continuance of tensions, particularly tensions that occurred the following day during the same time period, and (2) more spillover, particularly between marital and child-related tensions. Correlations with daily satisfaction ratings indicated that marital dissatisfaction in distressed families is highly related to the occurrence of marital tensions. These data support the importance of examining daily events and multiple family subsystems in order to understand family distress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A randomized controlled trial of brief interventions for body dissatisfaction.

The authors examined the relative effectiveness of 3 different approaches to the experience of body dissatisfaction compared to a control and ruminative attention control condition, with respect to increasing weight and appearance satisfaction. One hundred female undergraduates (mean age = 24.38, SD = 9.39) underwent a body dissatisfaction induction procedure, which significantly decreased levels of weight and appearance satisfaction. Participants were then randomized, 20 to each of 5 groups: control, ruminative attention control, acceptance, distraction, and cognitive dissonance. With the exception of the control group, participants were briefly trained in their assigned technique and were asked to practice this over the next 5 min while repeated measures of weight and appearance satisfaction were recorded. Acceptance, cognitive dissonance, and distraction were superior to both control conditions in increasing weight satisfaction and were superior to a control condition in improving appearance satisfaction. Only acceptance was superior in improving appearance satisfaction compared to a ruminative attention control. The evidence suggests that acceptance is a promising approach to investigate further with respect to its efficacy for reducing body dissatisfaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Body image and strategies to lose weight and increase muscle among boys and girls.

This study examined factors that influence body image and strategies to either lose weight or increase muscle among children. Participants were 237 boys and 270 girls. Body mass index (BMI), body dissatisfaction, cognitions and behaviors to both lose weight and increase muscles, as well as self-esteem and positive and negative affect, were evaluated. Self-esteem was associated with body satisfaction, positive affect predicted strategies to lose weight and increase muscles, and negative affect predicted body dissatisfaction and cognitions to lose weight and increase muscles. Boys were more likely to focus on changing muscles. Respondents with higher BMIs were more focused on losing weight but not muscle. The discussion focuses on health risk behaviors related to eating and exercise among children. (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)