Job Satisfaction Relating to Life Satisfaction

By: Ashley Bayoff          


            People live their lives day to day and never really think about if they are really satisfied with it. Life satisfaction starts with the feelings and attitudes about one’s life. I want you to really think about this question “Do you feel a sense of happiness with your life? If your answer is “no” or “I’m not sure”, you should take a step back and figure out why.

            There are many factors that can have a bearing on your satisfaction with life. Some of these factors include money, relationships, and jobs. Research shows that job satisfaction is strongly related to life satisfaction. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense given that you probably spend most of your time tied up at work.

            The movie “Horrible Bosses” shows the strong connection between job satisfaction and life satisfaction. Nick Hendricks and Dale Arbus are two friends who can’t stand their bosses. Nick works at a financial firm for David Harken, who teases him about a promotion that he will never actually receive. Dale is a dental assistant who is constantly sexually harassed by his boss, Dr. Julia Harris. Their other friend, Kurt Buckman, is an accountant and enjoys his job until his boss dies and the company is taken over by his son.      

            During a night out at the bar, Kurt jokes that their lives would be happier if their bosses were no longer around. That joke turned into a reality when they all agree to murder their bosses.

            The comment that Kurt makes directly shows that if their bosses weren’t around, they would be satisfied with their jobs and their lives would be happier. 

            Table 4-3 shows a study that analyzes time spent on daily activities, along with reported levels of positive and negative feelings during the course of those activities. Notice how the participants spend their most time at work. During that time, the highest levels of negative feelings are recorded. Activities like socializing, eating, and relaxing resulted in very high positive feelings. However, those activities take up a very small portion of the day. The strong relationship between job satisfaction and life satisfaction makes sense considering all the hours per day spent at work.

           

References:

Colquitt, J., Lepine, J., & Wesson, M. (2011). Organizational Behavior . New York City: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.