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The Relationship Between Orientations to Happiness and Job Satisfaction One Year Later in a Representative Sample of Employees in Switzerland

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  • María Luisa Martínez-Martí

    (University of Zurich
    University of Zurich)

  • Willibald Ruch

    (University of Zurich
    University of Zurich)

Abstract

There are three different routes to happiness: the pleasant life, the good or engaged life, and the meaningful life. These three orientations are positively related with life satisfaction, but the relation with job satisfaction is still not clear. This study examines the relationship between the three orientations to happiness (OTH) and job satisfaction in a 1-year longitudinal study with a representative sample (N = 752, 387 men) of working adults living in Switzerland. This study is part of a larger survey that includes several self-report measures. Regression analyses showed that engagement was positively related with job satisfaction 1 year later. Moreover, when controlling for sociodemographic variables (i.e., age and gender), work-related variables (i.e., household income, managerial responsibility, and financial responsibility), and the five factors of personality (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) the interaction of the three OTH (i.e., pleasure × engagement × meaning), still predicted job satisfaction significantly. Individuals who endorse the three OTH presented the highest job satisfaction 1 year later. Therefore, although engagement is more important for job satisfaction than pleasure or meaning, the best predictor of job satisfaction is the interaction of the three OTH. Thus, people who are high in the three OTH simultaneously enjoy the highest job satisfaction. Future studies should examine whether this relationship is causal.

Suggested Citation

  • María Luisa Martínez-Martí & Willibald Ruch, 2017. "The Relationship Between Orientations to Happiness and Job Satisfaction One Year Later in a Representative Sample of Employees in Switzerland," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 1-15, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:18:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s10902-016-9714-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-016-9714-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Christopher Peterson & Nansook Park & Martin Seligman, 2005. "Orientations to happiness and life satisfaction: the full life versus the empty life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 25-41, March.
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    3. René Proyer & Hubert Annen & Nadine Eggimann & Andrea Schneider & Willibald Ruch, 2012. "Assessing the “Good Life” in a Military Context: How Does Life and Work-Satisfaction Relate to Orientations to Happiness and Career-Success Among Swiss Professional Officers?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 106(3), pages 577-590, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lisa Wagner & Fabian Gander & René T. Proyer & Willibald Ruch, 2020. "Character Strengths and PERMA: Investigating the Relationships of Character Strengths with a Multidimensional Framework of Well-Being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(2), pages 307-328, April.
    2. Fabian Gander & Jennifer Hofmann & Willibald Ruch, 2021. "From Unemployment to Employment and Back: Professional Trajectories and Well-Being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(2), pages 739-751, April.
    3. Nadine Richter & Marcel Hunecke, 2021. "The Mindful Hedonist? Relationships between Well-Being Orientations, Mindfulness and Well-Being Experiences," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(7), pages 3111-3135, October.
    4. Jussi Tanskanen & Liisa Mäkelä & Riitta Viitala, 2019. "Linking Managerial Coaching and Leader–Member Exchange on Work Engagement and Performance," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1217-1240, April.
    5. Eyal Eckhaus & Zachary Sheaffer, 2019. "Happiness Enrichment and Sustainable Happiness," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(4), pages 1079-1097, September.
    6. Andrea LeFebvre & Veronika Huta, 2021. "Age and Gender Differences in Eudaimonic, Hedonic, and Extrinsic Motivations," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(5), pages 2299-2321, June.

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