Job Satisfaction and Adaptation

A longitudinal study of relations between job facet satisfaction, cognitive determinants of behavior, and frequency of adaptive behaviors (acts intended to alleviate dissatisfaction) was performed with female nurses in a midwestern hospital. A variation of the job adaptation model proposed by Rosse and Miller (Rosse, J. G. & Miller, H. E. (1984). Relationship between absenteeism and other employee behaviors. In P. S. Goodman (Ed.), Absenteeism (pp. 194-228). San Francisco: Josey-Bass) was tested using the theory of reasoned action (Ajzen, I. & Fishbein, M. (1980). Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall) as the model of behavioral choice. Eight adaptive behaviors were studied, including attempts to obtain jobs in other organizations or job transfers, talking to supervisors, husbands, and coworkers, and avoidance behaviors. Results indicate that employees' intentions to take action to alleviate dissatisfaction are related to facet satisfaction, but more strongly related to the degree of perceived control over reducing dissatisfaction. These intentions also were more strongly related to the anticipated affect (valence) associated with alleviating dissatisfaction than the degree of facet dissatisfaction. Specific adaptive behaviors were best predicted by corresponding behavioral intentions; these in turn were best predicted by employees' positive or negative evaluation of their performance of the behavior (attitudes toward acts) and perceptions of social pressure to perform or not perform behaviors (subjective norms). Attitudes toward acts were predicted by employees beliefs about the likely consequences of behavior. Facet satisfaction was negatively correlated with both the valence of alleviating dissatisfaction and the frequency of the eight adaptive behaviors. Perceived control over reducing dissatisfaction was positively correlated with attempts to influence the source of dissatisfaction and attempts to obtain jobs in other departments or organizations and negatively correlated with avoidance behaviors. Results indicate that the relation between satisfaction and various behaviors is best understood by considering cognitive variables such as individuals' perceived amount of control over alleviating dissatisfaction, the valence associated with alleviating dissatisfaction, outcomes expected as a consequence of behaviors, and perceptions of social pressure to perform or not perform behaviors.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Cornelius, Guy William

• Psychology, Industrial

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8803007

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/69693