The Effect of Job Satisfaction on Life Satisfaction: The Mediating Effect of Positive Affect Moderated by COVID-19

This study examines the effect of job satisfaction on life satisfaction, focusing on the mediating effect of positive affect moderated by COVID-19. The participants were 287 wage-earning graduates under 35 years of age who had graduated from culinary arts programmes and participated in the 2017–2019 Graduates Occupational Mobility Survey conducted by the Korea Employment Information Service. Hypotheses were tested using Hayes’ MACRO process models 4 and 8. The results are summarised as follows. First, higher extrinsic and intrinsic job satisfaction among culinary graduates was associated with increased positive affect and life satisfaction. Second, positive affect partially mediated the relationship between job satisfaction and life satisfaction. Finally, the indirect effect of positive affect on the relationship between extrinsic job satisfaction and life satisfaction decreased after the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before the pandemic. Therefore, the industry should develop systems and programmes to enhance both extrinsic job satisfaction (such as wages and working hours) and intrinsic job satisfaction (such as personal growth, development potential, and a sense of accomplishment) among young chefs. Furthermore, industries and government agencies should prepare sustainable measures to maintain job satisfaction, positive affect, and life satisfaction among employees during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.