Job Characteristics, Core Self-Evaluations, and Job Satisfaction: What's Age Got to Do with It?

Abstract

There is a well-established relationship between age and job satisfaction. To date, there is little research about how many well-known predictors of job satisfaction, specifically job characteristics and core self-evaluations, may vary with age. Using a multi-worksite sample of 1,873 employed adults aged 17 to 81, this study evaluated the extent to which several job characteristics and core self-evaluations varied in their relationships with job satisfaction for workers of different ages. Findings suggest that the positive relationships between job satisfaction and skill variety, autonomy, and friendship weaken as employee age increases, while the positive relationships between job satisfaction and dealing with others, task identity, task significance, feedback, and core self-evaluations did not vary with age. The findings extend previous research by examining how the factors important for job satisfaction vary for employees of different ages.