The determination of the universal variables of job satisfaction through a content analysi

Job satisfaction is a major concern in all occupational fields and is linked to absenteeism and turnover, creating enormous financial and psychological costs to affected employees, organizational effectiveness, and the general public. However, before any practical application is made of job dissatisfaction, a clear understanding of what factors contribute to job satisfaction must be made. Organizations can only prevent job dissatisfaction, absenteeism and turnover if they know what factors influence job satisfaction.;Since the last comprehensive review of job satisfaction variables was in 1969 with the development of the Job Descriptive Index, the purpose of the study was two-fold. The first purpose of this study was to update this area of research by completing a content analysis of all job satisfaction instruments and identifying the universal variables used to measure job satisfaction. The second purpose was to relate these job satisfaction variables from the content analysis to theories of motivation.;The content analysis identified 21 job satisfaction variables from the 99 studies using job satisfaction instruments. An analysis of frequency of use of the 21 job satisfaction variables was used to organize these variables into a job satisfaction model. Additionally, the job satisfaction variables were related to intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Herzberg's two-factor theory. Relating these 21 job satisfaction variables to motivation theory revealed an overemphasis placed on extrinsic motivation factors and an under representation of intrinsic motivation factors.;The 21 universal job satisfaction variables identified in this study represent a real advance in the field of job satisfaction measurement because they represent all the job satisfaction variables in the research literature. Linking job satisfaction variables to theories of motivation provides a theoretical basis for job satisfaction measurement. Implications for the measurement of job satisfaction measurement are discussed.