Survey on job satisfaction and its influencing factors among enterprise workers

Abstract

To explore the influencing factors of job satisfaction among enterprise workers. Between November, 2008 and June, 2009, 6 711 workers from 13 enterprises were recruited to this survey by cluster sampling method. Data about job satisfaction, occupational stressors, strains, coping strategy and social support were collected anonymously by using occupational stress instruments, job content questionnaire and effort-reward imbalance questionnaire. Median (P25-P75) of job satisfaction scores was 40(34-46), which were separately (40.25 ± 7.59) and (38.57 ± 8.62) among female and male workers. The difference showed statistical significance (Z = 6.00, P < 0.01). The job satisfaction score was highest (41.44 ± 6.93) among administrative staff, but lowest (38.89 ± 8.79) among assistant workers. The difference showed statistical significance (χ(2) = 6.64, P < 0.01).Job satisfaction score of shift workers (38.47 ± 8.58) was significantly lower than that of non-shift workers(39.66 ± 8.10) (Z = 4.61, P < 0.01). The job satisfaction scores of workers with weekly job time ≤ 40 h, 41-50 h, 51-59 h and ≥ 60 h were separately (39.86 ± 8.25), (39.23 ± 8.20), (38.68 ± 8.44) and (37.01 ± 8.34). The difference showed statistical significance (χ(2) = 54.06, P < 0.01). Correlation analysis revealed that job satisfaction was positively related to technology utilize degree (r = 0.26, P < 0.01), free decision latitude(r = 0.32, P < 0.01), reward(r = 0.60, P < 0.01), positive affection (r = 0.45, P < 0.01), superior support(r = 0.49, P < 0.01) and coping strategy (r = 0.16, P < 0.01); however, negatively related to external effort(r = -0.33, P < 0.01), psychological demands (r = -0.34, P < 0.01), physical demands(r = -0.30, P < 0.01), negative emotions (r = -0.41, P < 0.01) and depressive symptoms (r = -0.44, P < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of job dissatisfaction for workers with low reward was about three times as high as that for workers with high reward (OR = 3.44, 95%CI:2.95-4.01), risks of job dissatisfaction for workers with low negative emotions, high positive affection and social support were about two times as high as that for workers with low positive affection, high negative emotions and low social support, with the OR (95%CI) respectively at 2.42 (2.09-2.82), 2.28 (1.95-2.66) and 2.25 (1.94-2.62). Occupational stress, individual features, health status, shiftwork system and work time had great effect on job satisfaction. The main measures of increasing job satisfaction were to improve rewards, increase superior support and decrease negative emotions.