Human Values and the Work Situation: Two Studies

Two studies are described which relate job satisfaction to congruence in values, in one case to the degree to which own values match those attributed to the work (school) environment and in the other to the degree to which actual work values match desired work values. Both studies indicate the importance of the work itself as a basic determinant of job satisfaction and provide evidence for significant (but relatively low) correlations that support the congruence hypothesis. Discussion focusses upon the issues of choice of units and definition of discrepancy, the need to recognize the stratified nature of most organizations and the relationships between levels, the effects of differences in value systems both across and within cultures, and the question of the meaning of particular values for different individuals, groups, and cultures. 1979 Australian Psychological Society