The influence of unionization on job satisfaction and work perceptions

Unionized and nonunionized processing employees were compared on their perceptions of job characteristics and different facets of satisfaction. In addition, the relationship between job characteristics and job satisfaction were compared for unionized and nonunionized samples. Jobs generally were not significantly different in relation to job challenge for the two groups, but nonunionized employees reported higher levels of some satisfaction measures. The correlations between job characteristics and job satisfaction were stronger in the unionized sample. Implications of the present results and suggestions for further research are discussed.This article is based on research presented at the meeting of the Industrial Relations Research Association at Chicago, December, 1987.The author would like to thank James Martin for his help on this project.