Participation,individual differences,and job satisfaction among black and white employees in South Africa

The moderating effects of perceived legitimacy of participating and of higher-order need strength on the relationship between participation and job satisfaction was examined in a sample of 62 black and 71 white clerks in South Africa. The black subjects had significantly stronger higher-order needs. There were no differences between the black and white subjects in perceived legitimacy and the extent of perceived participation in decision-making. The participation-satisfaction relationship was significantly higher among the black subjects. It is argued from path-goal theory that the stronger participation-satisfaction relationship among the black subjects derives from their greater job involvement and their more ambiguous work roles in South Africa.