Intrinsic Job Characteristics Research Articles

Increasing graduates’ interest in B2B sales: how to dispel lay beliefs, fight stigma, and create a profession of choice

Given the pressing talent shortage and the need for well-educated recruits in business-to-business (B2B) sales, understanding how to increase university graduates’ low interest in this profession is vital to sales departments’ competitiveness. To tackle this issue, we adopt a mixed-method approach to investigate the reasons for and measures against graduates’ low interest in B2B sales. First, we develop a comprehensive, theory-based framework to understand the root causes of graduates’ low interest in B2B sales (Study 1). This framework uncovers specific beliefs discouraging graduates from pursuing B2B sales, including negative perceptions of job characteristics, the profession’s prevailing stigma, and negative career success expectations. Second, comparing graduates’ and B2B salespeople’s assessments of B2B sales job characteristics (Study 2), we reveal that graduates hold lay beliefs about B2B sales lacking intrinsic and social job characteristics. As a basis for a solution, we identify the types and combinations of sales exposure required to dispel lay beliefs and create a favorable but realistic picture of B2B sales. Third, combining text analysis of B2B sales labor market communication and conjoint analysis of graduate application drivers (Studies 3a and 3b), we develop guidelines to better align communication and job structures with graduates’ needs.

An exploration of culture and gender: Intrinsic and extrinsic job expectations in the U.S. and Brazil

BACKGROUND: As interest in foreign business enterprises rises between the U.S. and Brazil, companies have encountered added challenges in the areas of staffing and gender inequity and inequality against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies must address these challenges head on to continue to thrive. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to identify and diagnose the differences in job expectations of employees in the early stages of their career and personal development in terms of their gender and nationality. METHODS: This study asked male and female workers from the U.S. and Brazil to rate the importance of various intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics on a five-point Likert scale. Responses were compared for 1,431 total participants. RESULTS: This study found both cultural (U.S. and Brazil) and gender (male and female) differences in rank order ratings across an array of job expectations. Findings also revealed significant cultural and gender differences in mean importance scores for job expectations rated by these groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study’s findings are relevant to guide managerial practices as companies seek to attract, develop, and retain future generations of technical and managerial staff following the uncertainty brought about by COVID-19 and the Great Resignation.

The roles of experience and gender in shaping work values

PurposeThis paper aims to examine work values among job seekers and how these values differ across experience and gender.Design/methodology/approachThis study asked participants to rate the importance of various intrinsic and extrinsic work values on a five-point Likert scale. Responses were compared for 865 participants.FindingsThis study found that individuals differed in their ratings of work values based on experience. Individuals with more experience assigned greater importance to intrinsic job characteristics, while those with less experience assigned greater importance to extrinsic job characteristics. Findings further reveal differences in gender ratings of work values, with females assigning greater importance ratings to both intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics as compared to males.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of this study include that it drew its data exclusively from a sample of US respondents. Research investigating populations from other geographic regions within the same study may uncover important cross-national similarities/differences. Moreover, although this study examined experience and gender, it excluded other potentially important factors such as ethnicity. Future research should explore international samples and broaden its focus to include additional factors.Practical implicationsOrganizations should be aware of how experience and gender shape work values to impact job choice and retention. They may wish to target their recruitment efforts toward certain groups to ensure alignment between candidates' work values and those of available positions.Originality/valueThis study improves on prior research by examining the dual impact of experience and gender in shaping work values.

Effect of Age on Job Satisfaction and Emotional Exhaustion of Primary School Teachers in Greece.

The level of occupational burnout (OB) and job satisfaction (JS) was investigated in primary school teachers (n = 125) in the region of Epirus in Northwestern Greece. Teachers exhibited a high level of emotional exhaustion (EE), a medium level of depersonalization (DP), and a lack of personal accomplishment (PA). In our study, EE, which is a significant component of OB, varied according to intrinsic and extrinsic JS parameters. Teachers were less satisfied and more stressed with extrinsic job characteristics of their job, such as working conditions and working hours. Female teachers were more likely to exhibit increased satisfaction from intrinsic job characteristics, whereas male teachers were more likely to exhibit increased emotional exhaustion and lack of personal accomplishment. Job satisfaction had a significant negative impact on emotional exhaustion. Job satisfaction accounted (EE = 47.173 − 3.527*JS) for 35.1% of the total variation in the dependent variation of EE (F(1124) = 66.094, p < 0.001), indicating that job satisfaction had a significant negative effect on EE, such that an additional unit in job satisfaction will lower EE by 3.527. A Pearson correlation analysis revealed that age correlated negatively with emotional exhaustion (r = −0.204, p = 0.023). Proactive human resources policies may be required to protect the newly hired and less experienced teachers from exposure to stressful working conditions.

An experiment on job characteristics, PSM, and application intentions in multi-incentive settings

To prevent an overemphasis of public service motivation (PSM) as major driver of job choice decisions in favor of the public sector, it must be studied in concert with other incentives. The present study disentangles how job candidates form intentions to apply for a public sector job in multi-incentive settings and how this process depends on PSM. We introduce and apply the rapid attitude test (RAT) in a survey experiment with 340 current job seekers in the UK and focus on implicit associations that potential applicants have, or have not, with a range of job characteristics (i.e., extrinsic, intrinsic and prosocial) when they screen job advertisements. Results from multi-level analysis suggest that implicit associations with intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics are similarly strong predictors of the intent to apply for public sector jobs, whereas associations with prosocial job attributes do not yield such an overall effect. However, PSM moderates the relationship between associations with prosocial characteristics and application intentions, but only among job market participants. Theoretical implications for the conceptual distinctiveness of PSM and its alignment with extrinsic rewards are discussed. Findings are also important for HR managers in the public sector who want to adjust their recruitment strategies to specific target groups.

Attracting Students to the Field of Logistics, Part 1

Abstract Practitioner and academic literature indicate a shortage of young professionals entering logistics, yet limited research exists to understand how to attract more students to the field. To address this gap, we compare survey data of logistics practitioner job characteristics to survey data of expected job values of undergraduate students from seven universities. Based on personality-job fit theory, this study allows us to explore how to better promote the major and field to students as well as to propose recommendations to redesign logistics jobs to better meet student expectations. The results reveal that intrinsic job characteristics desired by students such as learning and seeing the results of their work are prominent in logistics jobs. However, other significant student expectations, specifically long-term job stability and pace of promotions, are not prominent in logistics jobs. The results further reveal that promotional messages about the industry are most effectively communicated to students via family, business professionals, and presence on the Internet more so than by professors and college advisors. Ultimately, this research suggests strategies to increase the number of students both majoring in logistics and entering the professional field to address the workforce shortage.

Job Satisfaction and Related Factors among Intensive Care Nurses in Governmental Hospitals at Khartoum State - Sudan

Background and Objective: As advances have been made in medicine and technology, patient care has become more complex. And to provide appropriate health care, nurses needed specialized knowledge, skills and the health care delivery mechanisms to evolve and support the patients' needs for continuous monitoring and treatment. This study was conducted in governmental hospitals in Khartoum state to study job satisfaction and the factors influencing job satisfaction, to determine the overall level of job satisfaction and to relate socio-demographic characteristic of ICU nurses with overall level of job satisfaction. Method: A descriptive, cross-sectional hospital based study was done to all intensive care unit nurses. Questionnaire with likert type scale was used to collect necessary data; Likert scale was numerically translated to evaluate job satisfaction scores. Results: Results revealed high overall level of job satisfaction (mean 85.3 ± 13.1 on 5 points scale). There was significant association between overall level of job satisfaction and monthly salary (P = 0.025). Significant association also found between age group and chance for suggestion and recreation (P = 0.018).And significant association found between qualifications and workload (P = 0.025). Conclusion: Age group and different qualifications are related to nurse job satisfaction level. And intrinsic job characteristics are as important as extrinsic job conditions on ICU nurse job satisfaction.

Contemporary employment arrangements and mental well-being in men and women across Europe: a cross-sectional study.

IntroductionThere is the tendency in occupational health research of approximating the ‘changed world of work’ with a sole focus on the intrinsic characteristics of the work task, encompassing the job content and working conditions. This is insufficient to explain the mental health risks associated with contemporary paid work as not only the nature of work tasks have changed but also the terms and conditions of employment. The main aim of the present study is to investigate whether a set of indicators referring to quality of the employment arrangement is associated with the well-being of people in salaried employment. Associations between the quality of contemporary employment arrangements and mental well-being in salaried workers are investigated through a multidimensional set of indicators for employment quality (contract type; income; irregular and/or unsocial working hours; employment status; training; participation; and representation). The second and third aim are to investigate whether the relation between employment quality and mental well-being is different for employed men and women and across different welfare regimes.MethodsCross-sectional data of salaried workers aged 15–65 from 21 EU-member states (n =11,940) were obtained from the 2010 European Social Survey. Linear regression analyses were performed.ResultsFor both men and women, and irrespective of welfare regime, several sub-dimensions of low employment quality are significantly related with poor mental well-being. Most of the significant relations persist after controlling for intrinsic job characteristics. An insufficient household income and irregular and/or unsocial working hours are the strongest predictors of poor mental well-being. A differential vulnerability of employed men and women to the sub-dimensions of employment quality is found in Traditional family and Southern European welfare regimes.ConclusionsThere are significant relations between indicators of low employment quality and poor mental well-being, also when intrinsic characteristics of the work task are controlled. Gender differences are least pronounced in Earner-carer countries.

Non-financial employment commitment: some correlates and a cross-national comparison

Purpose– To further explore the nature of non-monetary motivation for working, this study aims to present correlates of non-financial employment commitment (NFEC) and a cross-national comparison.Design/methodology/approach– Data gathered from representative national samples of the adult population (i.e. employed and unemployed individuals) in 31 countries (n=43,440), among them Nordic (e.g. Sweden and Norway), Western-European (e.g. Spain and France), Anglo-Saxon (e.g. the USA and Britain), former Communist (e.g. Russia and Hungary), Asian (e.g. Japan and South Korea), Latin-American (Mexico and the Dominican Republic), and African (South Africa). The source of the data is the 2005 International Social Survey Programme module on work orientation.Findings– NFEC proves positively correlated with intrinsic job characteristics, education level, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Administrators, managers, and professionals have higher NFEC than blue-collar workers, clerks, service workers, and sales workers. Respondents currently working for pay have higher NFEC than those currently not working for pay. Respondents trying to improve job skills during the previous 12 months have higher NFEC than those not trying to do so. NFEC is higher in member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development than in non-member countries. NFEC is also higher in countries where self-expression values are important than in countries where survival values are important.Practical implications– By assessing NFEC decision makers may be assisted in their selection and advancement decisions.Originality/value– This study conducts the most comprehensive cross-national comparison of NFEC to date, and its findings have high external validity. It is unlikely that the findings are biased by social desirability.

Extrinsic and Intrinsic Job Factors: Motivation and Satisfaction in a Developing Arab Country – The Case of Lebanon

IntroductionFrom a socio-economical perspective, Maslow's needs gratification theory of well-being has put forward a universally applicable hierarchy of needs based on the idea that man is a continually wanting animal. That is, one will be continuously striving for more than what he/she already has (Maslow, 1943: 370). Motivation has always been an important element on managers' agendas as well as the employees. In order for a company to be successful, it needs employees who are dedicated to the achievement of organizational goals and have a strong sense of loyalty to the organization (Molander, 1996). The pioneer work of Herzberg, Mausner, and Snyderman's (1959) on the model of motivation and hygiene factors inspired and paved the way towards numerous research studies on intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics and job satisfaction. Regardless of the nature of the work, an employee's job satisfaction is influenced by the attitude he or she has towards the job (Herzberg, Mausner, & Snyderman, 1999). Rewards at work, whether financial (Vandenberghe & Tremblay, 2008) or nonfinancial (Amabile, Hill, Hennessey, and Tighe, 1994) are considered as important predictors of attitudes and behavior at work.Cross national studies have studied motivation in different parts of the world with some stressing the differential factors between poor and more developed countries (Huang & Van de Vliert, 2003). Studies show that in poorer countries (Adigun & Stephenson, 1992; Kanungo, 1990) intrinsic job characteristics such as recognition, autonomy, challenge, and the nature of work itself are less closely related to job satisfaction. On the other hand, extrinsic job characteristics like salary, job security, and working conditions, and environment are more closely related to job satisfaction.Reflecting on such crucial studies done on the subject of motivation and in an attempt to understand the Lebanese work environment better, this study examines the issue of whether extrinsic job characteristics are more associated with job satisfaction and motivation than intrinsic job factors. The paper examines both extrinsic and intrinsic job characteristics from a socio-economic perspective to understand their underlying effects on employees. Academics have continuously called for greater research in the Middle East region given the lack of empirical studies in this field (Budhwar & Mellahi, 2006; Abdulla, Djebarni, and Mellahi, 2011). Moreover, this paper will also extend its scope to examine the possible conditions where intrinsic job factors can lead to motivation over and above extrinsic job factors. Although research shows that extrinsic job factors play a greater role on motivation in developing countries, Maslow's theory argues that intrinsic factors will have a motivating impact if the extrinsic job factors are satisfied at work. Accordingly, we aim to explore this assumption in Lebanon, that is, whether intrinsic job factors have a stronger impact on motivation than extrinsic job factors when the latter factors are present.In the following pages, the literature review and the hypothesis will be presented. Next, the methodology will be reviewed. Finally, the paper ends with the results, discussion, and management implications.Literature ReviewThe word motivation originally comes from the Latin word movere, meaning to move (Kreitner, 2001). Human motivation is a critical aspect in the field of organizational behavior and psychology (Benabou and Tirole, 2003). The importance of motivation in organizations is explained by the equation put forward by Maier (1955): Job Performance = Ability x Motivation. Motivation represents those psychological processes that cause arousal, direction, and persistence of voluntary actions that are goal oriented (Mitchell, 1982: 81). Another definition put forward for motivation is that it is a psychological development that causes the stimulation, direction and persistence of behavior (Luthans, 2010). …

Employment status congruence and job quality

While recognizing the daunting task of defining universal indicators of job quality we may overlook something more fundamental: in North America about a third of people may not want to be employed in their current job status. Job status congruence (i.e. the extent to which people are working full-time, contract, or part-time by choice) may now be an integral part of high quality work. We test this proposition using a process-oriented theoretical model reflecting established relationships in the work design literature. Findings suggest that a socio-economic predictor (job status congruence) may rival established psychological predictors of job quality (e.g. intrinsic job characteristics and role stressors) in predicting aspects of workers’ personal and organizational functioning. Our findings also suggest that different mediators may be operating for each outcome. The model is tested on 171 full-time workers; a revised model is then supported on a holdout sample of 172 full-timers, and replicated on 132 contract/part-time workers using multi-group structural equation modeling. Implications for future research are discussed.

MPA and MPP Students: Twins, Siblings, or Distant Cousins?

To address ongoing discussions about the convergence of MPA and MPP curricula and students, data were collected on career values and goals of 175 MPA and MPP students, very similar in terms of their ages, gender, and work experience and matched on university location, tuition costs, and local job market. On none of the multiple measures of altruism, intrinsic, and extrinsic job characteristics did the two groups differ to a statistically significant degree. Along with sharing a very similar career ethos and temperament, MPA and MPP students did not differ in their interest pursuing jobs in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors. Yet these siblings were not identical twins. Most MPAs seemed to already think of themselves as administrators, ranking management issues highly, while most MPPs were analysts who wanted to master quantitative analytical techniques and critique public policies. The findings have implications for MPA and MPP curriculum design and for recruiting the next generation of public servants.

A Longitudinal Analysis of Changing Job Quality and Worker Satisfaction in Israel

Prior research has indicated that the nature of work has changed dramatically in recent years in response to economic shifts and an increasingly global economy. This study used non-panel longitudinal data from the International Social Survey Program (Work Orientations I and II: 1989 and 1997—survey questions on job characteristics and job quality) to examine the changing job quality and job satisfaction determinants in Israel, while exploring the country contextual and cultural shifts that impacted this change. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis show that there were many significant changes in the intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics and perceived job satisfaction of Israeli workers from 1989 to 1997. The study found workers’ job satisfaction impacting firm performance and workers’ well-being. The results affirm the need for firms to be cognizant of differences and unique challenges facing Israeli workers and thus tailor their management philosophy and policies to create an organizational environment mutually beneficial to the firm and the employees. Key words: Job Satisfaction, Work Quality

Judgments about Work and the Features of Young Adults' Jobs.

This study revisits the relationship between adolescent judgments about work and later job characteristics, tackling the twin temporal dimensions of age and history. Drawing on 15 consecutive cohorts of high school seniors, we examine 1) whether adolescents' judgments about work become more strongly predictive of the characteristics of their jobs as they move through their twenties, and 2) whether the relationship between adolescents' judgments about work and their later job characteristics has weakened across cohorts of high school seniors between 1976 and 1990. Findings indicate a limited role of history; the larger life course story of these findings is tied to age. Adolescent judgments about work, measured in the senior year of high school, became more predictive of earnings with age during this period of the life course. They were also most predictive of the level of intrinsic job characteristics at the oldest age we examined, but the pattern was not one of progressive strengthening with age as it was for earnings.

Global shifts

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to extend Handel's intrinsic and extrinsic framework for understanding job characteristics and job satisfaction to the worker experience in socialist and post‐socialist Hungary.Design/methodology/approachNon‐panel longitudinal data from the International Social Survey Program (work orientations I and II: 1989 and 1997 – survey questions on job characteristics and job quality) are used to examine the changing job quality and job satisfaction determinants in socialist and post‐socialist Hungary.FindingsDescriptive statistics and regression analysis show that there are many significant changes in the intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics and perceived job satisfaction of Hungarian workers from 1989 to 1997.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitations of this research are that the key variables are subjective single‐item indicators; the non‐panel longitudinal nature of the data means the direction of causality among the variables examined cannot be tested specifically; and some variables of interest and other important control variables cannot be included in the analysis, as data were not available for both waves of the survey.Practical implicationsSince worker job satisfaction impacts firm performance and various measures of worker well‐being, firms (regardless of economic sector or private/public status) need to be cognizant of these differences and unique challenges facing Hungarian workers and work to tailor management philosophy and policy to create a unique work atmosphere that will benefit the interests of both the employer and the employee.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this paper is the analysis of changes in intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics in Hungary, in light of the sweeping political and economic changes that accompanied the transition from a socialist state to a post‐socialist regime.

Global Economic Shifts Impacting the Perceived Importance of Various Intrinsic and Extrinsic Job Characteristics and Overall Job Satisfaction: A Cross-National Analysis

Global Economic Shifts Impacting the Perceived Importance of Various Intrinsic and Extrinsic Job Characteristics and Overall Job Satisfaction: A Cross-National Analysis

Limiting the brain drain

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the roles of job‐ and organization‐related variables in explaining the attachment of Lithuanian employees to their current employer.Design/methodology/approachA total of 190 employees of a plastic manufacturing company located in an urban area in Lithuania completed a questionnaire containing 84 items describing job and organizational attributes. These data were analyzed using multivariate regression.FindingsIn multivariate analysis, job‐ and organization‐related variables each explained approximately equal proportions of the variance in employee attachment. When all of the job and organization‐related variables were used simultaneously to predict employee organizational attachment, only intrinsic job characteristics, opportunities for promotion and training, and communication to/from employees made significant unique contributions to explanation of employee organizational attachment. The job and organizational variables together explained 56 percent of the variance in attachment. While the organization‐related variables did not make a larger contribution to explanation of the variance in organizational attachment than to job‐related variables, organization‐related variables seem to explain how job‐related variables influence attachment.Practical implicationsThe paper provides practical insights to organizational managers in Lithuania about the relative importance of job‐ and organization‐related aspects of the work environment in predicting employee attachment to an organization. These insights may help reduce the current out‐migration trends of workers and help Lithuanian companies compete more effectively in the European Union (EU).Originality/valueOnly a few studies have examined the influence of different variables in determining the strength of employee‐employer relationships in transitioning countries of Eastern Europe such as Lithuania. The paper contributes value by empirically examining the applicability of prevailing models of the determinants of employee organizational attachment to the employment environment of Lithuania, a country transitioning from the Soviet era as a member of the EU.

What are the Reasons for Differences in Job Satisfaction across Europe? Individual, Compositional, and Institutional Explanations

This article looks at the determinants of job satisfaction in 27 European countries at both the individual and country level. Individual determinants include type of occupation, supervision responsibilities, working hours, and the assessment of various dimensions, such as intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics. These factors already explain a large share of country-level variation which renders country differences in job satisfaction foremost the result of individual factors and the composition of the workforce. Notwithstanding this finding, some countries still have higher job satisfaction (country premium) whilst others have less job satisfaction (country penalty) once individual-level explanations are taken into account. To explain this, we considered the effects of country-level institutional factors, such as wage levels, extent of unionization, levels of unemployment and inequality, of which wage levels were the most important.

IT worker turnover

This study examined intrinsic motivation's influence on information technology (IT) workers' attitudes and intentions. Drawing on Human Resource management research (Eby &amp; Freeman, 1999), we model Intrinsic motivation as mediating the influence of motivators (i.e., intrinsic job characteristics) and hygiene factors (i.e., pay and supervisory satisfaction) on workplace attitudes (i.e., job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment). In turn, workplace attitudes mediate the influence of intrinsic motivation on turnover intention. The model was tested using data collected from public sector IT workers in the Southeastern United States. Although intrinsic motivation did not fully mediate the influence of motivators and hygiene factors, findings suggest that intrinsic motivation positively influences workplace attitudes and has a mediated influence on turnover intent. Implications for research and practice are offered.

Young workers’ job self-efficacy and affect: Pathways to health and performance

This longitudinal study of 195 young workers responds to calls for the study of healthy work at discrete life stages. Based on social cognitive and affective events theories and using structural equation modeling, results indicated that both perceived job self-efficacy and job-related affect fully mediate the relationship between interpersonal work conflict at time 1 and the outcomes of job performance and health at time 2. Furthermore, job-related affect mediates the relationship between intrinsic job characteristics at time 1 and job performance and health at time 2. Finally, young workers’ job performance at time 2 was directly predicted by perceptions of intrinsic work quality at time 1. Practical implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are also discussed.