The details of the Job Satisfaction construct and the individual items are shown in
Figure 5 - 6. The items’ linkages with Smith et al.’s JDI subscales are as follows:
JS1 corresponds with Job (relates to task satisfaction)
JS2 corresponds with Salary
JS3 corresponds with Co-workers
JS4 corresponds with Supervisor
JS5 corresponds with Position advancement
JS6 is not linked with the JDI but reflects a global measurement of job
satisfaction and ‘satisfaction with work in general’
Work Meaning
Transformational leadership theory posits that leaders who demonstrate the
characteristics of transformational leadership in general (Bass and Riggio 2006: 5)
and of the Inspirational Motivation dimension in particular (Avolio and Bass
2004a: 96; Bass and Riggio 2006: 6, 28, 91) and also through setting meaningful
goals (Bass and Riggio 2006: 151) can increase levels of work meaning for
employees.
In reviewing the transformational leadership literature, the interpretation of
‘meaning’ and ‘meaningful ‘ is not always made explicit, however. The implied
interpretations revolve around notions of: meaning = worthwhile; meaning = goal
clarity; and meaning = confluence of the leader’s and followers’ understanding of
vision and goals.
Nebulous conceptualisations and operationalisations of concepts related to Work
Meaning have already been encountered elsewhere during the course of this
research. Firstly, as part of Hackman and Oldham’s Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS –
see Section 4.3.1 above) Experienced Meaningfulness was measured using two
item statements:
Most of the things I have to do on this job are useless and trivial (reverse
coding)
The work I do on this job is very meaningful to me
(Hackman and Oldham 1974: 62)