What motivated or inspired you to choose the topic “Influence of job satisfaction on overall life satisfaction and the impact of work stress” for your bachelor thesis?
Work takes up a significant part of our lives, making our jobs a significant factor in our lives. That’s why I wanted to learn more about the extent to which our job satisfaction impacts our overall life satisfaction. I personally find the topic of work stress and its effects intriguing, which led me to include this aspect in my research. As I was eager to write a research paper and have tangible results, I thought why not use the company I work for as an example?
Can you briefly explain how you defined job satisfaction and overall life satisfaction in your study?
Initially, I analyzed the theoretical foundations and the current state of research in the subject area. This allowed me to get an overview and define the constructs in more detail. Job satisfaction has many facets; broadly speaking, the term describes a person’s subjective perception and attitude toward work. The concept of life satisfaction can be divided into several areas of life, such as social relations, health, the domestic situation, etc., with work being one aspect. This close relationship supports the presumed influence on overall life satisfaction. Each person must assess their level of satisfaction based on different criteria, making the evaluation inherently individual.
What specific methods and tools did you use to measure job satisfaction and overall life satisfaction of our company’s employees?
I conducted the empirical study using correlation analysis to identify relationships among the constructs. Earlier this year, I conducted an employee survey at Arineo GmbH using an anonymous online questionnaire to obtain statistical values. A total sample of 143 participants represents the results of this study.
What are the main findings from your research? Were there significant correlations between job satisfaction and overall life satisfaction?
My previously stated hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between job satisfaction and overall life satisfaction was confirmed by my significant research findings. In simpler terms, higher job satisfaction corresponds to higher overall life satisfaction. The strength of the correlation can be classified as moderate. Overall, both job satisfaction and general life satisfaction are high among Arineo employees. I believe that this is, among other things, due to the company’s unique corporate culture and organizational structure.
What factors were identified in your study as being particularly influential on employee job satisfaction in our company?
The working atmosphere significantly impacts job satisfaction. The results indicate that the better the working atmosphere, the higher the job satisfaction. Work stress, on the other hand, negatively affects the working atmosphere, which, in turn, hurts job satisfaction.
How did you define the term “work stress” in your research? And what impacts did you see on job satisfaction and overall life satisfaction?
The definition is complex because the meaning of work stress must first be differentiated from other terms, such as stress or strain. All external influences on individuals can be subjectively perceived as stress. A distinction must be made between physical and psychological stress. In the workplace, time and performance demands in particular are seen as stressors. With regard to this construct, the initially postulated hypotheses suggesting a negative correlation between work stress and job satisfaction, as well as general life satisfaction, were validated. The significant results reflect moderate influences and make it clear that the higher the work stress, the lower the job satisfaction and the general life satisfaction.
Were there any differences or specifics in your results regarding gender in our company?
The findings show no substantial gender-specific differences in terms of job satisfaction, overall life satisfaction, and work stress perceptions. The results of this study also show that there is no gender inequality in terms of gross annual salary among the employees surveyed.
Are there other aspects or questions you would have liked to have investigated but were unable to include in your study due to time or resource constraints?
I was surprised that, according to the results, the number of overtime hours had little impact on work stress. Therefore, there must be more significant factors that lead to work stress among Arineo employees – these might include the type or scope of tasks, or their distribution within the team. I would have liked to have delved deeper into this with more intensive research… but who knows, maybe I’ll explore this in a subsequent study.
How do you assess the practical applicability of your research results? Are there any specific recommendations that you can derive to improve our employees’ work and life satisfaction and counteract work stress?
As already stated, Arineo GmbH’s employees generally rate their job and life satisfaction as high. It is desirable to maintain this level. Of course, there is still the possibility of increasing satisfaction even further in the future. Detailed surveys would be necessary to ask about the subjective criteria that would help to increase satisfaction among employees. The negative effects of work stress observed in theory and results highlight the significant importance of regulating work stress. Possible preventative actions could include training and workshops on work stress and its effects. The aim is to sensitize the employees and sustainably reduce their work stress. Additionally, at Arineo, we offer individual coaching for stressed employees. These help to reflect on and modify the individual’s approach to their own work stress.
Did you personally take anything away from your bachelor’s thesis? Do the results impact your personal work and lifestyle?
The concepts of work and life satisfaction are often linked in society today with the concept of work-life balance. As work occupies a significant part of our lives and has a proven large influence on our general satisfaction, we should ask if a balance between these two constructs is even feasible. In my opinion, the areas cannot be juxtaposed – I became increasingly aware of this while writing the paper. As work is a central part of our lives, we should choose our jobs wisely. I have found a job at Arineo that makes me happy, and it also positively affects my overall life satisfaction
