STATUS OF WOMEN IN KERALA.

Abstract

This chapter considers research and theory concerning job satisfaction, perhaps the most widely studied concept in organizational psychology. The chapter begins with consideration of the concept of job satisfaction, and then reviews theories of job satisfaction that have attracted the most attention. These theories include situational theories, which argue that job satisfaction results from aspects of the job or work environment (Herzberg's two-factor theory, social information processing theory, job characteristics model), dispositional approaches, which assume that job satisfaction results from the personality of the individual, and interactive theories, which consider job satisfaction to be a function of situational influences and individual differences (Cornell integrative model, Locke's value-percept theory). After reviewing these theories, we conclude that the job characteristics model, dispositional approaches, and Locke's value-percept theory have garnered the most support. Next, several important areas are reviewed, including measures of job satisfaction, the relationship of job satisfaction to several critical outcomes, and how job satisfaction is treated in organizations. A major section of the study is devoted to comparing the previous research literature, largely conducted in the USA, to that in international contexts. In reviewing this literature, although the level of support and frequency of investigation has varied, most findings appear to generalize across international contexts. Finally, an agenda for future research investigating international aspects of job satisfaction is presented.