Two studies examined the relation between job level and job satisfaction. Study 1 was a metaanalysis of the relation between job level and job satisfaction using data drawn from 35 independent samples (N= 18,534). It was found that as job level increased, so did job satisfaction. Several possible moderators of this relation were identified. Study 2 was a primary study of the relation between job level and job satisfaction using 4 measures of job level and 5 facets of job satisfaction (N = 530 in 4 hospitals). There was a high degree of convergence among the measures of job level and a consistently positive relation between the job level and job facet satisfaction measures. These studies suggest that the relation between job level and job satisfaction is positive across most operationalizations of the 2 constructs and that other moderators should be investigated to account for the large residual variance in effect sizes identified.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Adams, E. F.
, Laker, D. R., & Hulin, C. L. (1977). An investigation of the influence of job level and functional specialty on job attitudes and perceptions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 62, 335-343.
2.
Aranya, N.
, Kushnir, T., & Valency, A. (1986). Organizational commitment in male-dominated profession. Human Relations, 39, 433-448.
3.
Arvey, R.D.
, Carer, G. W., & Buerkdey, D. K. (1991). Job satisfaction: Dispositional and situational influences. In C. L. Cooper & I. T. Robertsoia (Eds.), International review of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 359-383). Chichester, UK: Wdiey.
4.
Ash, P.
(1954). Te SRA employee inventory: A statistical analysis. Personnel Psychology, 7, 337-364.
5.
Avolio, B. J.
, & Waldman, D. A. (1990). An examination of age and cognitive test performance across complexity and occupational types. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75, 43-50.
6.
Boume, B. (1983). Age, work values and job satisfaction. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Columbia: University of Missouri.
7.
Brayfield, A. H.
, Wells, R. V., & Strate, Ni W. (1957). Interrelationships among measures of job satisfaction and general satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 41, 201-205.
8.
Bretz, R. D., Jr.
, Boudreau, J. W.,& Judge, T. A. (1994). Job search behaviors of employed managers. Personnel Psychology, 47, 275-301.
9.
Cranny, C. J.
, Smith, P. C., & Stone, E. F. (Eds.). (1992). Job satisfaction: How people feel about their jobs and how it affects their performance. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
10.
Francés, R.
(1986). Job and educational level of company managers: Their relations with job satisfaction. International Review of Applied Psychology, 35, 513-531.
11.
Fried, Y.
, & Feris, G. R. (1987). The validity of the job characteristics model: A review and meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 40, 287-322.
12.
Gakhar, S.
, & Sachdeva, R. (1987). Effect of level, type of management, and sex on job satisfaction of teachers. Asian Journal of Psychology and Education, 19, 11-15.
13.
Gates, D. P. (1977). Job satisfaction, job characteristics and occupational level. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
14.
Glass, G. V.
(1977). Integrating findings: The meta-analysis of research. Review of Research in Education, 5, 351-379.
15.
Glass, G. V.
, Peckham, P. D., & Sandes, J. R. (1972). Consequences of failure to meet assumptions underlying fixed effects analysis of variance and covariance. Review of Educational Research, 42, 237-288.
16.
Glass, G. V.
, & Smith, M. L. (1979). Meta-analysis of research on class size and achievement. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 1, 2-16.
17.
Guppy, A.
, & Gutteridge, T. (1991). Job satisfaction and occupational stress in UK general hospital nursing staff. Work & Stress, 5, 315-323.
18.
Han, J. R.
, & Lawler, E. E. (1971). Employee reactions to job characteristics. Journal of Applied Psychology, 55, 259-286.
19.
Hackman, J. R.
, & Oldham, G. R. (1976). Motivation through design of work: Test of a theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16, 250-279.
20.
Hedges, L. V.
, & Okdn, I. (1985). Statistical methods for meta-analysis. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
21.
Hedges, L. V.
, & Stock, W. (1983). The effects of class size: An examination of rival hypotheses. American Educational Research Journal, 20, 63-85.
22.
Herman, J.
, Dunham, R., & Hu}in, C. (1975). Organizational structure, affect, and demographic characteristics. Organizational Behavior Human Performance, 13, 206-232.
23.
Herman, J. B.
, & Hulin, C. L. (1973). Managerial satisfaction and organizational roles: An investigation of Porter's need deficiency scales. Journal of Applied Psychology, 57, 118-124.
24.
Hofstede, G.
(1980). Culture's consequences. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
25.
Hoppock, R.
(1935). Job satisfaction. New York: Harper & Row.
26.
Huffct, A. I.
, & Arthur; W., Jr. (1995). Development of a new outlier statistic for mea-analytic data. Journal of Applied Psychology, 2, 327-334.
27.
Hulin, C. L.
, & Smith, P. C. (1965). A linear model of job satisfactionJournal of Applied Psychology, 49, 209-216.
28.
Hunter, J. E.
(1991). F to r: Program FTORBAS-A program to convert F to r[Computer program. East Lansing: Michigan State University, Department of Psychology.
29.
Hunter, J. E.
, & Schmidt, F. L. (1990). Methods of meta-analysis: Correcting error and bias in research findings. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
30.
Hunter, J. E.
, Schmidt, P. L., & Jckso, G. (1982). Meta-analysis: Correcting research findings across studies. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
31.
HunterJ.E.
, Schmidt, F.L,& Judiesch, M. K. (1990). Individual differences in output variability as a function of job complexity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75, 28-42.
32.
Ironson, G. H.
, Smith, P. C., Brannick, M. T., Gibsoa, W. M., & Paul, K. B. (1989). Construction of a job in General scale: A comparison of global, composite and specific measures. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74, 14.
33.
Jaccard, J.
, & Becker, M. A. (1990). Statistics for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
34.
Jackson, S. E.
, Turner, J. A., & Brief, A. P. (1987). Correlates of burnout among public service lawyers. Journal of Occupational Behavior, 8, 339-349.
35.
Keller,] T.
(1987). Cross-cultural influences on work and nonwork contributors to quality of work life. Group & Organization Studies, 12, 304-318.
36.
Kaber, K. W.
, & Campbell, J. P. (1987). Component structure of a measure ofjob facet satisfaction: Stability across job levels. Educational and Psychological Meaurement,47, 825-835.
37.
Konhauser, A. W.
(1965). Mental health of the industrial worker. New YostJon Wiley.
38.
Klowsky, M.
, & Sagie, A. (1994). Components of artifactual variance in meta-analytic re-search. Personnel Psychology, 47, 561-574.
39.
Lawshe, C. H.
(1945).Studies in job evaluation: II. The head adequacy of abbreviated point ratings for hourly-paid jobs in three industrial plant. Journal of Applied Psychology, 29, 177-184.
40.
Lawshe, C. H.
, & Alessi S. L. (1946). Studies in job evaluation: IV. Analysis of another point rating scale for hourly-paid jobs and the adequacy of an abbreviated scale. Journal of Applied Psychology, 30, 310-319.
41.
Lawshe, C. H.
, & Satter, G. A. (1944). Studies in job evaluation: 1. Factor analysis of point ratings for hourly-paid jobs in the industrial plants. Journal of Applied Psychology, 28, 189-198.
42.
Leong, P.TL.
, & Vaux, A. (1992). Job Descriptive Index. In D. L. Keyser & R. C. Sweetand (Eds.), Test critiques (Vol. IX, pp. 319-334). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
43.
Locke, R A.
(1976). The nature and causes of job s. In M. D. D e (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 1297-1349). Chicago: RandMcNaI1y.
44.
Lottinville, E.
, & Scherman, A. (1988).Job satisfaction of married, divorced, and single wording women in a medical setting. The Career Development Qurrly. 37, 165-176.
45.
MacEachron, A. E3
(1977). Two interactive perspectives on the relationship between job level and job satisfaction. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 19, 226-246.
46.
McDonad B. W.
, & Gunderson, E. K. (1974). Correlates of job's in naval environments. Journal of Applied Psychology, 59, 371-373.
47.
Mossholder, K. W.
, Bedeian, A. G., & Arenais, A. A. (1981). Role perceptions, satisfaction, and performance: Modeling effects of self-esteem and organizational level. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 28, 224-234.
48.
Oliver, R. L.
(1977). Antecedents of salesmen's comp ion perceptions: A path analysis in-Iterpretion. Journal of Applied Psychology, 62, 20-28.
49.
O'Reilly, C. A.
.& Rober A. H. (1975). Individual differences in personality, position in the organizational, and job satisfaction. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 14, 144-150.
50.
Osbun, H. G.
, Cailender, J. C., Green,. M., & Ashworth, S. (1983). Statistical power of tests of the situational specificity hypothesis in validity generalization studies: A cautionary note. Journal of Applied Psychology, 68, 115-122.
51.
Pervin, L. A.
(1968). Performance and satisfaction as a function of individual-environment fitPsychological Bulletin, 69, 56-68.
52.
Quinn, R. P.
, Seashor S. R., Kahn, R. L., Mangione, T. W., Campbell, D. B., & McCu}lough, M. M. (1971). Survey of working conditions, final report on univariate and bivariate tables. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
53.
Rexroat, C.
, & Shehan, C. (1986). Differential effects of industrial and worker resources on women's wages. Social Science Research, 15, 1-27.
54.
Rounds, J. B., Jr.
, Sloan, E. B., Davis, R. V., & Loftquist, L. H. (1976, September). Work adjustment project follow-up study: Preliminary findings. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.
55.
Sackett, P. R.
, Harris, M. M., & Orr, J. M. (1986). On seeking moderator variables in the metaanalysis of correlational data: A Monte Carlo investigation of statistical power and resistance to Type I error. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71, 302-310.
56.
Sanchez, J. I.
, & Viswesvaran, C. (1996, April). Moderator search in meta-analysis: A review and cautionary note on existing approaches. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, San Diego, CA.
57.
Sawyer, I. E.
(1988). Measuring attitudes across job levels: When are scale scores truly comparable?Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 42, 324-342.
58.
Scarpello, V.
, & Campbell, J. P. (1983). Job satisfaction: Are all the parts there?Personnel Psychology, 36, 577-600.
59.
Smith, C. S.
, & Brannick, M. T. (1990). A role and expectancy model of participative decision-making: A replication and theoretical extension. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 11, 91-104.
60.
Smith, P. C.
, Balzer, W., Brannick, M., Chia, W., Eggleston, S., Gibson, W., Johnson, B., Josephson, H., Paul, K., Reilly, C., & Whaln, M. (1987). The revised 3DI: A facelift for an old friend. The industrial-Organizational Psychologist, 24, 31-33.
61.
Smith, P. C.
, Kendall, L. M., & Hulin C. L. (1969). The measurement of satisfaction in work and retirement: A strategy for the study of attitudes. Chicago: Rand McNally.
62.
Sparrow, P. R.
, & Davies, D. R. (1988). Effects of age, tenure, training, and job complexity on technical performance. Psychology and Aging, 3, 307-314.
63.
Spector, P. E.
, & Levine, E. L. (1987). Meta-analysis for in study outcomes: A Monte Carlo study of its susceptability to Type I and Type II errors. Journal of Applied Psychology, 72, 3-9.
64.
Super, D. E.
(1939). Occupational level and job satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 23, 547-564.
65.
Tannenbaum, A. S.
, Kavcic, B., Rosner, M., Vianello, M., & Weiser, G. (1974). Hierarchy in organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
66.
Thaenou, P.
, & Harkr, P. (1982). Organizational correlates of employee self-esteem. Journal of Applied Psychology, 67, 797-805.
67.
Treima, D. J.
(1977). Occupational prestige in comparative perspective. San Diego: Academic Press.
68.
U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration
.(1991). Dictionary of occupational titles (5t ed.). Wahingtn, DC: Government Printing Office.
69.
Utecht K. M.
, & Aldag, R. J. (1989). Vacation: discrepancy Correlates of individual differences and outcomes. . Psychological Reports, 65, 867-882.
70.
Whitener, E M.
(1990). Confusion of confidence intervals and credibility intervals in meta-analysisJournal of Applied Psychology, 75, 315-321.
71.
Zedeck, S.
(1971). Problems with the use of “moderator” variables. Psychological Bulletin, 76, 295-310.
