Posted
by Keith Campbell
June 16, 2006 at 10:52 p.m.
Job Satisfaction
Money. I think if you ask college students -and people currently in the workforce- what is the most important factor for determining job satisfaction, I would think the most common answer given would be money. Do you agree with that opinion? Is money the most important factor in determining your ratio of workplace happiness?As an undergraduate, the best class I took was taught by[][1] He taught an inventive, fascinating and enlightening class. Most importantly he challenged me to rethink my dogmas, paradigms and basic values that I held as absolute truths. My fondness for the class may also be because it may have been the only undergraduate class that I took that required critical thinking and eschewed tedious memorization. I believe my college degree shows that I had perseverance, a source of income, and the ability to memorize large quantities of information for a short period of time. One of the topics we discussed in Mr. Hillmer's class was the criterion that a job needs to possess in order to provide job satisfaction. Money didn't make the top five. I was skeptical. The entire class was skeptical. Business majors tend to have strong feelings supporting capitalism and all of its money goodness. I can learn anywhere; I went to college under the tacit promise between KU and myself that my sheepskin would deliver upon me a truly great job. Truly great job = High Paying. The real world has changed my perspective. I still love capitalism, but I realize that I may have been misguided in my motivations in regards to the jobs that I coveted. You may be curious to see the list so here it is: The following listcreated by Fred Emery represents some of the general psychological requirements that pertain to the content of the job. 1) The need for the content of the job to be reasonably demanding in terms other than sheer endurance and yet providing a minimum of variety (not necessarily novelty). 2) The need for being able to learn on the job and go on learning. This is a balance of not too much a demand to learn nor too little an opportunity to learn. 3) The need for some minimal degree of social support and recognition in the workplace. 4) The need to be able to relate what he does and what he produces to his social life. 5) The need to feel that the job leads to some sort of desirable future (not necessarily promotion).Maybe money isn't everything. Maybe I need to realize that I will never own a Ferrari. Maybe it would have saved me a lot of grief if I had put a little more faith in my favorite teacher. Maybe you think all of this is just crazy academic crap.For the record I love the job that I currently have, and it ranks high in all five of these categories.But I am curious, are you happy with your job? How does your satisfaction with your work correlate to the list? [1]:
Comments
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El_Borak (Bill Hoyt) says…
I think money is a necessary but not sufficient factor in job satisfaction, if for no other reason that unless you are getting paid 'enough,' the problems that arise will draw away from your concentration at work. Lotsa lotsa money is not enough to make a crappy job worthwhile, but too little will keep your mind off your job, keep you looking for a new one, or make you take a second.
It definately beats out 4 and 5 on my list. My job is completely unrelated to my social life; in fact, I've always made it a point to separate the two. I have very few "work" friends, but those I have found common ground with away from work and we don't "talk shop" at all, except to help one another out with ideas on rare occasions, and I keep them when I switch jobs. That we workled together was simply how we met.
As far as a desireable future for me, I don't have it in my job on purpose, as I expect my future to be created outside of it and simply expect my job will not get in the way. And though I have about the only kind of government job that a libertarian could love, when I leave work at the end of the day, it stays behind.
fletch (anonymous) says…
I make video games for a living. I basically get paid to hang out with my friends in a very large office, play with nerf guns, and do whatever pleases me as long as my workload gets done. We have no set office hours, just hourly requirements (you've got to put in 40 hours a week, but you can do those hours anytime you want). The downside is you work on something for over a year before you actually get a tangible result, you're around the same people forever, and the general lack of females in the office environment. They pay is actually pretty average for the tech sector, but job perks make up for a lot. Everybody gets profit sharing on our products, and we have 2 massive company parties a year where everybody walks away with a prize (the cheapest prizes usually being iPods). Yeah, life's not that bad.
feeble (anonymous) says…
My current job meets all five requirements, but as Bill mentioned, compensation is a necessary thing. My experience in Lawrence, outside of the university, is that wages and job availability are not at all in line with the cost of living (renting) in Lawrence.
Planning for one's future and one's family becomes a bit interesting when you are doing it on salary in the low 20's. This is, of course, why so many young people leave. Perhaps they enjoy the company in which they work, the job meets the above listed psychological needs, but they also have other needs (perhaps best expressed by Maslowe's Hierarchy?) and these needs will, inevitably, win out.
OtherJoel (anonymous) says…
There's an old organizational psychologist named Herzberg that classified workplace variables into two categories -- motivation and hygiene. Hygiene has to do with the work environment, conditions, salary, benefits, etc. -- and can often prevent extreme dissatisfaction, but generally does not fuel satisfaction. Only when people internalized their work in a positive manner would job satisfaction result.
I would argue salary matters, but only up to an extent, as feeble points out. Once people get up to a living wage, other things kick in -- such as the five aspects mentioned above.
Todd (anonymous) says…
Not to totally threadjack here but...
What do people consider to be a "living wage" in Lawrence? (single or family)
$20k/yr for a single person and $30k/yr for a family for a min. decent lifestyle. (IMHO, assuming no assests)
feeble (anonymous) says…
You can get by on 20k/year as an individual, assuming you don't have things like debt (student or other wise) or large car payments to worry about, in Lawrence and be rather comfortable.
Finding good housing (property is in good repair, efficient in terms of utility useage, CA/AC, etc.) can be a challenge. It is actually more cost effective (in some cases, your mileage may very, but mostly in terms of "your rent dollar") to live/rent/buy in Topeka, De Soto, Eudora or even Kansas City than live/rent/buy in Lawrence.
The housing problem really complicates the living wage idea in this town.
I'd be rather interested to see a break out of where people who work in lawrence actually live, by employer (say the City, University and next big three (J-World, Lawrence Memorial, Allen Press? not sure on those.)
Dazie (Aileen Dingus) says…
feeble- I work here! I live here! :)
My fam (2 adults, 2 kids, 2 dogs, 2 cats) is getting along quite well on under $40K, but we spent so long living on that much in Nevada that it feels like we're rolling in dough. (which we aren't, by any stretch, so don't get any ideas)
IMO- it's not necessarily the cost of living that is high here, it's the cost of "living in the style to which you want to become accustomed" (Now- before anyone gets all snerky- I do understand that sometimes, you just dont' make enough no matter what corners you cut. been there) In our case, we have a smallish house (1400sqf) on a smallish lot. We don't have cable, we don't use the AC, we keep the heat at 65 during the day and 60 at night in the winter... our only splurge is eating out on occassion. We do ok with what we have.
Sure, I could make more in KC or Topeka (theoretically) but why would I want to drive that far?
OtherJoel (anonymous) says…
I'm sorry but if I couldn't drive my H2 everywhere in the KC metro and keep my AC on 65 degrees in my $300K plywood McMansion, I would DIE!!!
I joke, but sadly I know people for whom that isn't too far off.
Dazie (Aileen Dingus) says…
Just an H2? Joel I'm losing respect... I figured you'd be the one going for the "straight from the military" Hummer.
Todd (anonymous) says…
So I'm thinking a "living wage" monthly budget for a single person would look like this:
housing: $800 (rent+utils)
food: $200
transportation (car+gas+maint+ins): $300
houshold/clothing: $200
debt: $300
Or $21,600/yr or approx. $11/hr full-time
For a "living wage" family something like this:
Housing: $1000
Food: $400
Trans: $500
House/etc...: $400
Debt: $300
Or $31,200/yr or approx. $16/hr full-time
Does any of this look way off base for Lawrence 2006?
Dazie (Aileen Dingus) says…
I'd say that food for a family of 4 would be more than $400 a month. If I was a good budgeter I'd be able to tell you how much more you'd need, but I'd guess it's closer to $600.
cvillehawk (anonymous) says…
I only started worrying about salary once I got married and had a kid. Now it seems necessary for his future, but still not a big deal for mine. My dream job way back when was to be a jazz announcer on the radio and become a fixture in the community like Dick Wright did. I just wanted to do something enjoyable and be appreciated in my community - didn't have to be the biggest swinging d*ck in the world.
rpk (Robert Kerley) says…
Fletch: Where do you live? I don't know of any game dev companies within 200 miles...
I can see how the list beats out money. Number 5 might be better stated as "Is the really what I want to do for the rest of my life?". It's probably not as much a factor until you've been in the workforce a few years.
gaiapapaya (anonymous) says…
$400/month food for a family?
We easily spend at least 150/wk for a family of 4 and that's at checker's. Granted, we eat lots of fruit and veggies (no meat) and I refuse to buy a lot of crap food that's cheap. It's funny to see me in the store arguing with my kids that something has too much sugar or MSG or just excessive packaging or whatever.
And then add in any sort of classes for your kids. Swimming lessons, sports, music. We limit to 1 or 2 activities at a time, but it's really expensive. Especially if you mkae enough to just get by and don't qualify for the scholarships and financial aid to help with the cost of all that stuff.
And health insurance often doesn't cover glasses, braces or any of the other things your kid needs. Braces can be delayed, but not glasses. It's sort of important to be able to see well...
I love Lawrence and all it has to offer, but the jobs here just don't really offer pay scales to compete with the cost of living. But, I'd rather make less and not commute and have all the extra cost of gas, wear and tear, and time lost on the road. Commuting isn't time you can make up witht he kids. It's just time you miss.
Dazie (Aileen Dingus) says…
"And health insurance often doesn't cover glasses, braces or any of the other things your kid needs. Braces can be delayed, but not glasses. It's sort of important to be able to see well..."
*******
Exactly. Even with vision insurance, it only covers one pair of glasses or contacts per person. When you have a kid, one pair usually doesn't last a year. *lol*
JayCat_67 (anonymous) says…
The problem I've encountered is that I've had either a job that was really great but sucked on payday, or was pretty good on payday but almost unbearable in between. Fortunately, I've managed to avoid the lousier of the combinations, but I also haven't been able to find a good paying job that I actually like.
thetomdotdot (anonymous) says…
If I had planned it, it never would have happened, but I have maybe the coolest job in the world. Money-wise, I don't know. People make more, people make less. We have 2 little kids, so we live in a house that works, and that sucks up some extra moolash. But everybody makes their choices. I hear working class people like us are making 500/month+ car payments these days on a normal basis. Holy shit.
ladylaw (Terry Bush) says…
I am pretty blessed, in that I found the perfect job for my personality, considering my fondness of eating well and my easily bored mind. I've tried other jobs, in the same line of work, but I'm back where I started in 1987 with no intentions of leaving (unless the boss changes around here make that necessary or unavoidable...).
I would have loved to have followed more artistic vocations, but alas I lack the drive (if not the talent). I could stand to make more salary, and things get tight sometimes (especially when nasty surprises - like huge car repair bills or a broken fridge - come up). But overall, I have no room to complain... But I still do from time to time (I want to go on vacation somewhere with white sand and turquoise water, at least once). I really think that while money can never buy happiness, enough of it can at least stave off starvation.
Jobs come in several categories; swinging from what people do to make money to survive, to what they would do for free because they love it so much, and everything in between. Like a lot of things in life, I think the perfect job is the perfect mix of those two things....
When I get tired of the daily 8-5 grind, I remind myself that it was not that very long ago that people (ages 8 to death) often worked 6 AM to midnight shifts, 7 days a week, with no vacations. They were sometimes often called ranchers or farmers.... And they were happy to get the job. Until they died (in their early 40's). So we have it pretty good these days.... In comparison....