Difference in mood at work and home. An additional indicator of job satisfaction

Renaud Gaucher,Ruut Veenhoven,Martijn Burger

doi:10.1007/s41543-021-00038-4

Renaud Gaucher, Ruut Veenhoven + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s41543-021-00038-4

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Abstract

New techniques for multiple moment assessment allow us to assess how people feel at different times of the day. These techniques are mostly used to assess how well people feel during particular activities, such as during work or childcare. In this paper we focus on the difference in how well people feel at work and at home. The following questions are addressed: 1) How large is the difference in mood at work and at home? 2) How much does the difference in mood at work and at home vary across kinds of people and occupations? 3) Is the difference in mood at work and at home associated with job satisfaction as measured using common general retrospective ratings or does it tap another aspect of job satisfaction? We explore answers to these questions, using data from a diary study in the Netherlands, done using an e-application of the Day Reconstruction Method (DRM) in which 1,410 people provided information about mood experienced in 32,000 episodes. We found that the average difference in mood at work and at home is small in this sample but that it varies across people and occupations. We found a low correlation of the difference in mood with the respondent’s retrospective ratings of their general job satisfaction, which suggests that there is more in the phenomena of job satisfaction than is measured using the usual questions on general job satisfaction. This, as yet unrecognized, aspect of job satisfaction is likely to add to information demands behind common measurements of job satisfaction, that is, to indicate the quality of the work conditions and estimate chances to improve worker performance and reduce turnover by making work more satisfying. We suggest an agenda for research in these areas of possible gains.

Highlights

There is a high demand for information about job satisfaction, currently referred to as ‘happiness at work’
The following questions are addressed: 1) How large is the difference in mood at work and at home? 2) How much does the difference in mood at work and at home vary across kinds of people and occupations? 3) Is the difference in mood at work and at home associated with job satisfaction as measured using common general retrospective ratings or does it tap another aspect of job satisfaction? We explore answers to these questions, using data from a diary study in the Netherlands, done using an e-application of the Day Reconstruction Method (DRM) in which 1,410 people provided information about mood experienced in 32,000 episodes
We found a low correlation of the difference in mood with the respondent’s retrospective ratings of their general job satisfaction, which suggests that there is more in the phenomena of job satisfaction than is measured using the usual questions on general job satisfaction

Summary

Introduction

There is a high demand for information about job satisfaction, currently referred to as ‘happiness at work’ One reason for this demand is that the satisfaction of workers is indicative of the objective quality of work conditions and employers would like to know whether a costly improvement of these conditions is necessary. Another reason is that employers expect satisfied workers to be more productive, less inclined to quit and more willing to accept low pay, and for this reason employers want to know whether the current job satisfaction level requires investments to be made to boost this level (Fisher 2003). This is why we weighted the mood experienced during each event with the duration of the event

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