Reentry Women After Graduation

Reentry women (M age, 42.2 years) were compared with younger women (M age, 25.8 years) on a survey conducted 2 to 6 years after their graduation from college. A total of 451 graduates responded to questions about education and employment activities, job satisfaction, and leisure pursuits. Discriminant function analyses revealed clear-cut differences between the two age groups and also among the six age/marital groups (single, married, and formerly married). The great majority of these reentry women were found to be employed outside the home and to be earning significantly higher salaries than their younger counterparts. Of the six age/marital groups, both single and married reentry women rated themselves highest in job satisfaction; this greater satisfaction appeared to be based on feelings of accomplishment and autonomy.     

Changing family formation in Nepal: marriage, cohabitation and first sexual intercourse

CONTEXT: In Nepal, marriage occurs at a relatively young age and arranged weddings are widespread. However, recent changes in the family formation process and the timing of first sexual intercourse suggest that a transformation may be under way. METHODS: Data on marriage, cohabitation and first sexual intercourse from the 2001 Nepalese Demographic and Health Survey were used to describe the family formation process. The sequence of these events and the intervals between them were explored for currently married men and women. Hazard models were used to identify factors associated with behavioral changes over time. RESULTS: The average age at marriage among women married before age 20 increased from 13.7 years for those born in 1952-1956 to 15.6 years for those born in 1977-1981, while remaining relatively stable for men married before age 25 (17.3 years for the 1942-1946 birth cohort to 17.7 for the 1972-1976 birth cohort). After individual and couple characteristics were controlled for, younger age at interview was associated with greater odds of simultaneous marriage and cohabitation for both genders (odds ratios, 1.3-1.7). Younger age at interview was also associated with premarital sex among men--those aged 39 or younger had significantly higher risks than older men of having had premarital sex, with odds ratios rising from 1.6 among those aged 35-39 to 1.8 among those aged 15-24. CONCLUSIONS: It is important not only to promote education as a means of delaying marriage and childbearing, but also to implement programs and services that prevent reproductive health problems for young married couples.     

Job satisfaction, work values, and sex differences in Taiwan's organizations.

This study of 927 employees in Taiwan is an attempt to explain job satisfaction and sex differences with reference to work values. Initially, the results confirmed that both job satisfaction and work values consisted of 4 common dimensions pertaining to the task, team, reward, and status. Subsequent analyses showed that male employees had higher rank and higher task, team, and status satisfaction than did female employees. The sex difference was not attributable to differences in work values. Placing higher values on the task and team dimensions and a lower value on the reward dimension seemed to lead to greater job satisfaction.     

SOURCES OF VARIATION IN JOB SATISFACTION: JOB SIZE EFFECTS IN A SAMPLE OF THE U. S. LABOR FORCE

Survey data were used to examine hypotheses about job size and satisfaction in a broad spectrum of jobs. Job size, higher-order need importance, urban-rural residence, and blue- or white-collar job category were tested as predictors of satisfaction ( N = 2,094). Job size, need importance, and job category all related to job satisfaction. In constrast to earlier findings among blue-collar workers, there was no evidence that either the urban-rural variable or need importance moderated the job size-satisfaction relation. Job category did not moderate these results, indicating that the present results extend to white-collar workers. It was possible to control for income in a subsample ( N = 753). Controlling for income's effect, job size, need importance, and job category still related to satisfaction; again, no moderating effects were observed. Results are discussed in terms of three potential sources of variation in satisfaction: job, person, and interaction of job and person.     

Does Sex-biased Job Advertising “Aid and Abet” Sex Discrimination?1

Two studies are reported which indicate that both sex-biased wording in job advertisements and the placement of help-wanted ads in sex-segregated newspaper columns discourage men and women from applying for “opposite-sex” jobs for which they might well be qualified. Both studies were originally conducted and presented as part of legal testimony in actual sex discrimination cases.     

The Relationship of Pregnancy Status to Job Satisfaction: An Exploratory Analysis

Forty-three women who had worked outside of the home prior to becoming pregnant and had returned to the same place of employment after the birth of their children participated in the study. To do so, they responded to a two-part questionnaire asking about their work lives (e.g., level of job satisfaction before, during, and after their pregnancies) and demographic characteristics (e.g., occupation). The results indicated that their job satisfaction was significantly greater before their pregnancies than either during or after their pregnancies. Job satisfaction during pregnancy had a significant, positive correlation with satisfaction with organizational maternity leave policies. Perceived reactions from women's coworkers and supervisors were also examined. Implications for these findings for organizations are discussed. Limitations of the study, and how they might be rectified in future research, are also addressed.     

Comparison of Job Satisfaction,Life Satisfaction,and Performance of Overeducated and Other Workers

Abstract

It is becoming increasingly necessary for college graduates in the United States to take jobs requiring only a high school diploma. In the present study, the effects of employing such overeducated workers were assessed for a sample of city and county government workers. The sample included both overeducated workers and a cohort matched on job, sex, age, tenure, and supervisor. The hypotheses predicted lower job satisfaction over the six dimensions for the overeducated workers, and also that various worker perceptions would influence the predictions of the job satisfactions. None of the direct correlations between education and the six dimensions of job satisfaction were significant. The relationships between workers' perception variables and aspects of job satisfaction, however, were significant. There were no differences between the overeducated and their cohorts in general life satisfaction. On supervisory ratings, overeducated workers' performance was only slightly different from other workers.     

An examination of blue- versus white-collar workers’ conceptualizations of job satisfaction facets

This study examined the degree to which blue- versus white-collar workers differentially conceptualize various job facets, namely the work itself, co-workers, supervisors, and pay. To examine these potential differences, we conducted a series of analyses on job satisfaction ratings from two samples of university workers. Consistent with the study hypothesis, results revealed that blue- and white-collar workers held different conceptualizations regarding the nature of co-workers, pay, and the work itself, but not of supervisors. In general, more dimensions for each facet emerged for the white-collar workers, suggesting that these individuals possess more differentiated and multidimensional evaluations of these job facets than do blue-collar workers. Discussion focuses on the meaning and implications of the findings.     

Psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and performance among Filipino service workers

The present study surveyed 954 employees and their supervisors to determine the relationship of empowerment with job satisfaction and performance in five different service sectors: hotels, food service, banking, call centers, and airlines. Psychological empowerment was positively correlated with both job satisfaction and performance. Although intrinsic motivation was associated with higher levels of empowerment and job satisfaction, contrary to hypothesis, intrinsic motivation did not moderate the relationship between empowerment and job satisfaction and performance. Men reported greater empowerment than women even when job level and performance were controlled for. Cross-industry analyses indicated differences in empowerment across different types of service sectors with employees in call centers reporting less empowerment compared to employees in hotel, airlines, food establishments, and banks.     

Differences in importance of and satisfaction from job characteristics by sex and occupational type among Mexican-American employees

Data obtained from Mexican-American husbands and wives in four southwestern states were analyzed to discover if sex or occupational type (blue- versus white-collar) made a significant difference in the importance attached to or satisfaction received from 11 job characteristics. The prestige, opportunity for advancement, and regularity of their jobs were significantly more important to husbands than wives. Two of these characteristics—opportunity for advancement and regular, steady job—were also significantly more satisfying to husbands. Wives were significantly more satisfied with their jobs' freedom from safety/health hazards. Six characteristics were significantly more important to white-collar than to blue-collar male workers. Of these, two—freedom from safety/health hazards and opportunity for advancement—were also more satisfying to the white-collar male employee.     

JOB CHARACTERISTICS AND WELL-BEING AT MIDLIFE Ethnic and Gender Comparisons

Lacking in the research on work and well-being is a focus on the characteristics of the employment role that contribute to well-being and their differential relations across ethnicity and gender. White and Black women and men at midlife (ages 40-64) were studied. The samples were drawn from two national surveys and included 186 White women, 202 White men, 254 Black women, and 169 Black men. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess the relation of work commitment, job satisfaction, role stress, occupational status and personal income to perceived control, life satisfaction, and happiness. Marital status, age, and hours worked were included as control variables. Results indicate that job satisfaction is positively related to life satisfaction for all four groups, and to happiness for White women and Black men. Personal income is positively related to perceived control for Black women and White men, and to life satisfaction for White women. Occupational status is positively related to perceived control for White and Black women; role stress is negatively related to life satisfaction among White men, and to happiness among Black women. Among the control variable, being married positively related to well-being for all four race-sex groups.     

The Relationship Between Overeducation and Job Satisfaction Among Young Spanish Workers: The Role of Salary,Contract of Employment,and Work Experience

The increase of education in younger generations and the relative scarcity of qualified jobs available for them makes overeducation of young employees a social issue. We explored the relationships between overeducation and job satisfaction (extrinsic, intrinsic, social facet), as well as the direct and moderating role of salary, contract of employment, and work experience in these relationships using hierarchical regression analyses. Data were collected from a sample of 643 young Spanish employees. As expected, there were negative relationships between overeducation and all 3 satisfaction facets. Moreover, high work experience emerged as a moderating factor that buffered the negative effect of overeducation on extrinsic satisfaction. Contract of employment and salary did not moderate these relationships.     

Staying in the Race: Counselor Visits and Job Search Confidence Among People With Disabilities

Support that helps job seekers maintain confidence might decrease unemployment rates among people with disabilities. In this study, clients described their employment barriers (disability, education, and work history) and then reported their job search confidence 3 times at 6‐month intervals. Their employment support agency provided information about the support (counseling visits, support hours, and financial resources) it delivered. Clients with more disabilities and education barriers experienced declines in job search confidence unless they received intensive levels of employment counseling. Three visits to a counselor maintained client confidence, and confidence improved only after 18 visits. Other service intensity indicators (support hours and financial resources) did not halt confidence declines.     

Men in female-dominated professions: Distinguishing personality and background features

Personality and background features of men in female-dominated professions were assessed by comparing survey data on 54 men employed in atypical professions (A′s) with 63 men employed in sex-typical fields (S′s). Subjects were American born, college-educated males, under 50 years of age, employed in fields with over 75% male or female participation, and recruited in Atlanta in 1978. Subjects completed a biographical questionnaire, the Cattell 16 PF, and the Bem Sex Role Inventory under three instructional sets. In comparison with S′s the A′s showed lower adherence to traditional sex-role expectations on the Bem Sex Role Inventory, in the allotment of sex-typed household responsibilities, and in their greater “tender-minded” emotional sensitivity on the Cattell 16 PF. In terms of their personal histories, A′s more frequently reported having had employed mothers, having had distant relationships with their fathers, and having been positively influenced in their career choices by women. A′s more frequently experienced a death of a parent or sibling, or parental divorce or separation, and frequently mentioned such stresses as sensitizing them to their nurturant and emotional capabilities. There was also evidence that upward-mobility strivings may have contributed to atypical career choice, with A′s more frequently being members of racial minorities and/or of lower socioeconomic background. As expected, in contrast to S′s, A′s shared personality and socialization factors indicative of lower sex-typing, thus confirming the psychological significance of the sex composition of one's occupation for men as was confirmed earlier for women.     

VOICE MATTERS: BUFFERING THE IMPACT OF A NEGATIVE CLIMATE FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE

The current study examined whether women scientists' perceptions of voice moderate the impact of poor workplace climates on job satisfaction and whether effective leadership and mentoring promote women's voice. Survey data were collected from 135 faculty women in the natural sciences. The results from multiple regression analyses indicated that negative (e.g., sexist, hostile) departmental climates were related to lower job satisfaction. However, voice interacted with climate, such that women who perceived that they had more voice in departmental matters showed higher levels of job satisfaction than those who perceived having less voice. An additional regression indicated that mentoring by other women (but not men) in academia and effective departmental leadership were positively related to women's sense of voice. Theoretical and practical implications for the retention and success of women in male-dominated fields are discussed.     

Attachment, Marital Satisfaction, and Divorce During the First Fifteen Years of Parenthood

This study examines two overlapping longitudinal samples of U.S. couples with children, covering a period of 15 years after the first child's birth. The first sample extended from the pregnancy with a first child until that child was 5.5 years old; the second from ages 4.5 to 14.5. Growth curve analyses revealed that marital satisfaction declined over 15 years for both husbands and wives. Attachment security measured in the second sample was associated with greater marital satisfaction, but did not buffer against declines in marital satisfaction over time. Husbands' lower initial level of marital satisfaction measured around the first child's transition to school was the only significant predictor of marital dissolution. The discussion emphasizes theoretical and practical implications of these findings.     

Sociodemographic characteristics and drinking status as predictors of older women's health.

As part of a U.S. national survey of women's drinking and life experiences, the authors used responses from a subsample (n = 245) of women aged 55-90 years (M = 65.8 years) to examine the relationship of sociodemographic characteristics (income, marital status, and occupational status) and drinking status to several health outcomes (self-perceived general health, depression, sexual satisfaction, and sexual dysfunction). In all analyses, the authors controlled for respondent age. Results indicated that higher household income predicted greater lifetime and current sexual satisfaction with a partner as well as higher general health ratings. Women drinkers also reported better general health than did abstainers. An interaction between marital status (married or cohabitating vs. nonmarried) and employment status (employed vs. nonemployed) was a predictor of general health ratings. The authors found significant contrasts among the 4 groups when they controlled for age, income, and drinking status: (a) Among the employed respondents, the nonmarried women reported better general health than did the married women; and (b) among nonmarried respondents, the employed women reported better general health than did the nonemployed women.     

A confirmatory structural equations analysis of the job characteristics model

K. H. Roberts and W. Glick (1981, Journal of Applied Psychology, 66, 193–217) noted that research on J. R. Hackman and G. R. Oldham's (1976, Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16, 250–279) job characteristics model has lacked consistency along a number of dimensions, including the nature and direction of the relationships hypothesized and the variables studied. Further, no variation on the model has been tested as a whole. This study was designed with two objectives: (1) to compare competing interpretations of the job characteristics model and (2) to test the job characteristics model more comprehensively than has been done in previous research. The question of which variation on the model is most useful has important implications, given the widespread use of job characteristics theory to guide productivity and satisfaction improvement efforts. Structural equations analysis can yield information to compare competing variations of the job characteristics model, and allow assessment of each interpretation's ability to describe data. Such analyses were performed on data collected by survey from 208 white-collar government employees. Findings indicate that a single-factor model, with that factor interpretable either as common method variance or generalized affect, explains these data at least as well as any traditional variation on job characteristics theory. The results are discussed in terms of further research on job characteristics, satisfaction, and performance.     

Generational Differences in Subjective Well-Being in Australia

We test for differences in subjective well-being across four pre-defined generations in Australia born between 1928 and 1994: The Lucky Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y. We focus on overall life satisfaction and range of domain satisfactions. We find that Baby Boomers are less satisfied with life than thosce born before and after them. We observe similar patterns when considering domains such as finances and housing. However, differences in satisfaction with employment opportunities show the opposite pattern, with Baby Boomers and Generation X’s reporting higher satisfaction as compared to the Lucky Generation and especially those from Generation Y. Family and labour marketcv status have greater effects than cohort of birth on many of the domains studied; however, the cohort effects are significant and non-negligible, particularly concerning satisfaction with life, employment opportunities, and housing.