Payne, Ashleigh (2009) Age as a Moderator on a Model of Job Satisfaction. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
The Australian work force is undergoing some major changes. With young generation Y employees working alongside both generation X and “Baby Boomer” employees, this is forcing a change in the workplace culture. In light of this change, in part due to financial constraints affecting older workers, the current study aims to investigate age as a moderator on a model of job satisfaction. The study attempts to answer the following research questions from the model. (a) Which of positive affect, negative affect, extraversion, neuroticism, work demands, control, supervisor support and co-worker support are the strongest predictors of job satisfaction? (b) Are the strongest predictors of job satisfaction different for different age groups? (c) Is there a change in the amount of variance in job satisfaction accounted for by predictors in different age groups? Multiple hierarchical regressions are conducted on an archival data set comprising 420 individuals, both male and female, who completed an online questionnaire about their job-related state affect; depression, anxiety and stress; work characteristics; job satisfaction; and personality. Participants are organised into the following age groups: Under 25 years, 25 to 34 years, and 35 years and over. Results of multiple hierarchical regression analyses show that for the overall sample and each age group state positive and negative affect account for more than half of the variance in job satisfaction. Positive state affect has the strongest relationship with job satisfaction of all variables, which is consistent in every model, and contributes most in each model of job satisfaction. Co-worker support is the only job characteristic which contributed significantly to every model of job satisfaction in this study. Extraversion and neuroticism do not contribute to the model over and about state positive and negative affect, which is proposed to be due to the relationships between trait positive affect and extraversion, and trait negative affect and neuroticism. The mediating role of state affect in the relationship between trait affect and job satisfaction put forward in the literature, may also be affecting the lack of contribution of personality factors to the model. The lack of contribution to the models from the job characteristics variables is also proposed to be due to previously observed relationships between these variables and positive and negative affect. Investigations of these relationships are suggested for future research, which are not assessed in the current study.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Machin, Tony |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Psychology) |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Mar 2026 01:32 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Mar 2026 01:32 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52657 |
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