Most prior research on the measurement and prediction of job satisfaction has utilized statistical tools that require the analysis to be cross-sectional. The results of these studies are based on interpersonal comparisons. However, it is well known that interpersonal utility comparisons cannot be rigorously interpreted. Thus, this study attempts to predict the level of job satisfaction for a new breed of professionals - the data processing professional - using discriminant analysis. Based upon past studies and the expectancy-value framework, various models were developed and tested to obtain a model with the maximum predictive ability. The implications of the results derived with the discriminant analysis are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Cummings, Larry L. and Aly M. El-Salmi. "The Impact of Role Diversity, Job Level, and Organizational Size on Managerial Satisfaction,"Administrative Science Quarterly, 15 (March, 1970), pp. 1-10.
2.
Bass, Frank M."Fishbein and Brand Preference: A Reply,"Journal of Marketing Research (November, 1972), p. 461.
3.
Blood, M. R."The Validity of Importance,"Journal of Applied Psychology, 1971, 55, pp. 487-488.
4.
Cohen, Joel B., Martin Fishbein, and Olli T. Ahtola. "The Nature and Uses of Expectancy Value Models in Consumer Attitude Research,"Journal of Marketing Research, vol. IX, no. 4 (November, 1972), pp. 456-460.
5.
Dubin, Robert. The World of Work (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1958), pp. 243-246.
6.
Dubin, Robert. Human Relations in Administration (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968), pp. 297-299, 317-320.
7.
Evans, Martin G."Conceptual and Operational Problems in the Measurement of Various Aspects of Job Satisfaction,"Journal of Applied Psychology, 1963, 55, pp. 93-101.
8.
Fishbein, Martin A."The Search for Attitudinal-Behavioral Consistency," in Joel B. Cohen, ed., Behavioral Science Foundation (New York: Free Press, 1973), pp. 245-252.
9.
Hall, Douglas T. and K. E. Noughlim. "An Examination of Maslow's Need Hierarchy in an Organizational Setting,"Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1968, 3, pp. 12-35.
10.
Juhn, Daniel S."Need Fulfillment, Satisfaction, and Importance of Clinic Managers in the United States,"Annual Proceedings of the Southern Management Association, 1974, pp. 14-19.
11.
Morrison, Donald G."On the Interpretation of Discriminant Analysis,"Journal of Marketing Research, vol. VI (May, 1969), pp. 156-163.
12.
Porter, Lyman W."A Study of Perceived Need Satisfactions in Bottom and Middle Management Job,"Journal of Applied Psychology (February, 1961), pp. 1-10.
13.
Porter, Lyman W. and Edward E. Lawler. Managerial Attitudes and Performance (Homewood, Ill.: Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1969)
14.
Pruden, Henry O., William H. Cunningham, and William D. English. "Nonfinancial Incentives for Salesman,"Journal of Marketing (October, 1972), pp. 55-59.
15.
Pruden, Henry O. and Richard M. Reese. "Interorganization Role-set Relations and the Performance and Satisfaction of Industrial Salesmen,"Administrative Science Quarterly (December, 1973), pp. 601-609.
16.
Rosenberg, Milton J."Cognitive Structure and Attitudinal Affect,"Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology (November, 1956), pp. 367-372.
17.
Rosenberg, Milton J."Inconsistency Arousal and Reduction in Attitude Change," in Ivan D. Steiner and Martin Fishbein, eds., Current Studies in Social Psychology (New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1965), pp. 121-134.
18.
Snedecor, George W. and William G. Cochran. Statistical Methods (Ames, Iowa: The Iowa State University Press, 1967)
19.
Siegel, Jacob P. and Dennis P. Stein. "Need Satisfaction and Performance of Department Store Buyers and Department Managers: Implications for Management,"Journal of Retailing (Spring, 1974), pp. 67-72.
20.
Sheridan, John E. and John W. Slocum. "The Direction of the Causal Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Work Performance,"Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1975,14, pp. 159-172.
21.
Schneider, Benjamin C. and Clayton P. Alderfer. "Three Studies of Measures of Need Satisfaction in Organizations,"Administrative Science Quarterly (December, 1973), pp. 489-505.
22.
Tausky, Curt. "Carrer Anchorage Points of Middle Managers," Unpublished Doctoral Thesis, Department of Sociology, University of Oregon, 1963.
23.
Vroom, V. H.Work and Motivation (New York: Wiley, 1964).
24.
Wall, T. D. and Payne, R."Are Deficiency Scores deficient?"Journal of Applied Psychology, 1973, 58, pp. 322-326.
25.
Wanous, J. P. and Lawler, E. E."Measurement and Meaning of Job Satisfaction,"Journal of Applied Psychology, 1972, 56, pp. 95-105.
