Job satisfaction and target earnings

The starting point of this paper is the idea that individuals are characterized by hierarchical behaviour. This idea, which is quite popular in other social sciences, implies that the individual sets priority targets which are ordered in terms of urgency or importance. The paper tests the hypothesis in the context of a utility-from-work framework. In particular, the paper uses data on a random sample of British workers who report levels of satisfaction from their work. The empirical results indicate the presence of hierarchical behaviour. In particular, workers earning below the target level get more satisfaction than those earning above the target level.     

Job satisfaction and firm size: An interactionist perspective

This study used Schneider's Attraction-Selection-Attrition Framework, an interactionist approach, to examine the effects of firm size on job satisfaction. While the initial fit between individuals and their jobs had significant positive influence on job satisfaction, firm size, contrary to prevailing wisdom, only played a moderating role along with individuals' values. The joint effects of size with initial fit and intrinsic values were negative, whereas the joint effects of size with initial fit and extrinsic values were positive. These results showing firm size acting only as a moderator suggest that to ask the question “Is job satisfaction greater for larger or smaller firms?” is too simplistic.     

The effects of union membership on absence from work due to illness

A simple model of the effects of unionization on absenteeism due to illness is developed and tested. It is argued that unions lower absenteeism through providing a monopoly wage, but raise it by providing liberal sick-leave benefits. Data from the Michigan Panel Study of Income Dynamics are used to test the model. In regressions which control for human capital and demographic characteristics as well as working conditions, it is found that the net effect of unionization is to encourage absence.     

Relationship of service satisfaction to life satisfaction and perceived well-being

Two procedures for gaining patients' evaluations of health services were compared: (a) the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-18B), a direct approach assessing the setting and services actually encountered, and (b) the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ), an approach that indirectly assesses satisfaction with service by inquiring about general health care attitudes. Results from 148 public health patients indicated that the PSQ produced the most acceptability problems and was tapping aspects of life satisfaction other than service satisfaction. However, the PSQ produced significantly lower reports of satisfaction. Additional comparison and interpretation of typical responses generated from the two approaches suggested, on the whole, that the CSQ-18B data provided clearer, more efficient, and more useful information for program planning and evaluation. In this study, service satisfaction measured by the CSQ-18B did not have any significant relationship to global or multidimensional (LDQ-30) measures of life satisfaction and well-being. In contrast, over a third of the variance in PSQ scores was accounted for by measures of life satisfaction. It appears that the PSQ elicits attitudes toward the more generalized health care delivery system as well as aspects of life satisfaction rather than reactions to specific services actually received.     

Consumers' self-care algorithms for the common cold: implications for health education interventions

Two hundred ninety-seven young adults enumerated a self-care plan with at least seven behaviors for the management of a cold with a fever. They summarized satisfaction with their self-care activities and the role of self-care after a lecture on self-care in managing the common cold. Half of the participants relied solely on self-care, and the other half said they would seek medical attention. Having a fever directed two thirds of the sample in their decision making concerning treatment. Five percent would change their self-care behaviors as a consequence of the instruction. Methodological and theoretical implications for self-care interventions are discussed.     

Job burnout and affective wellbeing: A longitudinal study of burnout and job satisfaction among public child welfare workers

Workplace experiences that threaten the affective well-being of child welfare workers pose a hazard to child protection organizations as a whole. This study tests a series of proposed interrelationships of workplace demands and resources as predictors of burnout development and the subsequent impact of burnout on affective worker well-being (e.g. job satisfaction) using longitudinal data collected from a sample of public child welfare workers. This study uses multi-group path models to test hypotheses about the temporal order of the relationships between work demands and resources, burnout, and job satisfaction. The hypothesized models were tested individually by social support in the workplace and specialized child welfare training. The overall theory-driven conceptual model tested performed as was hypothesized with some noteworthy exceptions. Findings from the multi-group path models suggest that the type and level of job resource moderate the relationship between job demands, burnout and job satisfaction. Job demands had diverging effects on several relationships in the model with the exception of two relationships. The relationships between emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction were consistent across all groups and models. This finding suggests that regardless of social support and specialized training, emotional exhaustion is positively related to depersonalization and negatively related to job satisfaction. All models demonstrated good model fit. This article describes the implications of study findings on future research and workforce management practices in child welfare organizations.     

Job Satisfaction and Intention to Seek Graduate Education

This study of the relationship between job satisfaction and intention to seek graduate education among human service workers tests the hypothesis that intention will be stronger among satisfied senior practitioners (those in their current job for three or more years) and among dissatisfied junior workers. In November 1993, a questionnaire designed to measure various aspects of both job satisfaction and intent to pursue graduate education was distributed to all 83 bachelor-level human service workers in four agencies. Moderated regression analyses, with several control variables from background information about the 67 respondents, repeatedly supported the hypothesis. Discussion also covers secondary findings, limitations of the study, and implications of the principal finding for both educators and social service administrators.     

Job matching and return to work: Occupational rehabilitation as the link

Return to work after injury or illness is important for the worker and the employer. Medical providers manage and treat the worker with the illness or injury. Except in cases of focused specialists, the medical professional's role is to take care of a patient, rather than empower a worker. As much as there is promotion of the workers compensation health care system to be similar to sports medicine, there are significant dissimilarities. One major barrier is that the medical caregivers do not know the demands of jobs as they would know the details of sports. Thus, there is a gap in returning a worker to function as the medical professional cannot accurately match the worker to specific jobs. A new model of job function matching, based on research and skills of occupational rehabilitation professionals, is proposed to bridge the gap between the medical community, the employers and the workers.     

Treatment foster parent satisfaction: Survey validation and predictors of satisfaction,retention, and intent to refer

Treatment foster parents are invaluable for youth in treatment foster care, therefore it is imperative for programs to measure their satisfaction in their role. However, the concept of treatment foster parent satisfaction is not fully developed, and there is a need to develop measurement tools specifically for treatment foster parents. Based on previous research and available foster parent satisfaction surveys, we developed a brief 28-item scale that measures four constructs related to overall treatment foster parent satisfaction: Professional Parenting Role, Treatment Foster Parent Efficacy, Support from Staff, and Quality of Training. Additionally, the scale assesses overall satisfaction, likelihood to continue as a treatment foster parent, and likelihood to refer others to become treatment foster parents. We also assessed which of the four constructs predict high and low scores on these three metrics. Results can be used to target interventions to improve treatment foster parent satisfaction.