Ob Core Skills Characteristics

3

JOB SATISFACTION

• • Learning OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7

Define job satisfaction. Describe values and how they affect job satisfaction. List the specific facets that individuals often use to evaluate their job satisfaction. Understand the job characteristics that can create a sense of satisfaction with the work itself. Describe how job satisfaction is affected by day-to-day events. Define mood and emotions and describe the specific forms they take. Understand how job satisfaction affects job performance and organizational commitment, as well as how it affects life satisfaction.

PATAGONIA

Picture this scenario: You’re 26 years old, with an undergraduate degree and two master’s degrees, fresh off internships at two respected European companies (Nestlé and Unilever). You’ve just been offered a job at an apparel company that specializes in sweaters, jackets, and other outdoor gear. Would you take it? Well, working for an apparel company may not be the most exciting prospect in the world, but if it’s a good job with a good salary, you’d probably consider it. What if the job was “stock handler”? “No chance,” you’re probably thinking. But that’s exactly the choice that Scott Robinson of Southern California made—in fact, he begged for the job.1 Why? Because the company was Patagonia, the California-based seller of outdoor clothing and equipment, and it isn’t just any apparel company. As Robinson explains, “I wanted to work for a company that’s driven by values.” Founded by long-time surfer and mountain climber Yvon Chouinard, the company is dedicated to producing the highestquality products in the most environmentally sustainable manner possible. Robinson is not the only twenty-something drawn to a job at Patagonia. The company, with 1,275 employees and 39 stores in seven countries, receives an average of 900 applications for every job opening.2 With such stiff competition, Patagonia is able...