Character Strengths and Job Satisfaction: Differential Relationships Across Occupational Groups and Adulthood

Sonja Heintz*, Willibald Ruch

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Character strengths are a central construct within positive psychology, and their importance for the workplace was supported recently. Little is known, however, which strength matter the most at the workplace. The aim of the present investigation was thus to assess the relationship between the level of the 24 character strengths with overall job satisfaction in a general working population (N = 12,499) as well as in eight occupational subgroups (nurses, physicians, supervisors, office workers, clinical psychologists, social workers/educators, economists, and secondary-school teachers) and in six age groups (from 18–61+ years) and to compare the overall level of character strengths across the eight occupational subgroups. Results showed that, similar to life satisfaction, zest, hope, curiosity, love, and gratitude, and emotional strengths in general, related most strongly to overall job satisfaction. However, the relationships of the strengths with job satisfaction differed depending on the facet of job satisfaction, the occupational subgroup, and the age group under study. Knowing which individual strengths as well as strengths factors are more important for specific working populations can help to develop and apply more effective strength-based interventions in the workplace, thus improving positive and reducing negative work-related outcomes.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages0
JournalApplied Research in Quality of Life
Volume0
Issue number0
Early online date8 Jan 2019
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 8 Jan 2019

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