International Differences in Job Satisfaction: An 11-Nation Comparison

This paper presents some preliminary results of an analysis of how economic, social and political institutions impact on the experience of work. The focus in this paper is on testing the propositions that: (1) satisfaction is a function of the fit between the outcomes an employee desires from their job and the outcomes the job actually provides; (2) that some jobs are inherently more satisfying than others; and (3) that societies vary in the extent to which desired outcomes are matched by actual outcomes. The analysis uses data on work values, job outcomes and job satisfaction among survey respondents from 11 nations.