Alienation, Occupational Self-Direction, and Worker Consciousness

Abstract

Alienation is reconceptualized in terms of low position on three dimensions of occupational self-direction (autonomy of the worker, complexity of the work, and variety of the tasks performed) isolated by Kohn and Schooler. Factor analysis of survey data confirms the existence of these three dimensions, and their impact on job satisfaction and class consciousness within the working class is explored. Specific hypotheses are abstracted from the work of several writers on the new working class, whose explanations, we argue, focus on occupational rather than class factors as independent variables. Regression analyses show that one of the occupational dimensions (complexity) has a positive effect upon both class consciousness and job satisfaction. In general terms, the approach adopted here provides a way of organizing and presenting in a testable form a wide range of hypotheses relating work experience to job satisfaction and class consciousness.

Burned! the Impact of Work Aspects, Injury, and Job Satisfaction On Unionized Cooks’ Intentions To Leave the Cooking Occupation

“…Work engagement is a measure of how engaging an employee finds his or her work to be, and is concerned with how exciting, interesting, motivating, boring (reverse coded), and how important the work is in the organization. This construct is based on the same rationale used to argue that routinized work and repetitive tasks have a negative impact on employees' job satisfaction (Eichar & Thompson, 1986;Price & Mueller, 1986).…”

Occupational complexity, control, and personal income: Their relation to psychological well-being in men and women.

“…For example, it is well established that income is associated with higher job satisfaction (Kahn, 1972; Lawler, 1971; Martin & Hanson, 1986). Control (variously conceptualized as autonomy, responsibility, decision latitude, and supervisory status) has also been found to have a positive association with job satisfaction (Hackman, Pearce, & Wolfe, 1978; Karasek, 1979; Porter & Lawler, 1965; Turner & Lawrence, 1965; Vroom, 1964; Weaver, 1977), and occupational complexity (variety, skill level, task significance, lack of repetition or routinization, and challenge) has a similar relation to job satisfaction (Eichar & Thompson, 1986; Hackman et al, 1978; Hackman & Lawler, 1971; Kohn & Schooler, 1973; Turner & Lawrence, 1965).…”

Alienation and Emotional Maturity

“…Whether alienation is more or less endemic to modern society (there is some evidence that it may vary by region within the same society -see Olson et al 1985 andStack 1985; and within the same business firm according to Eichar 1986); the fact is that individuals in such a society respond differentially to their problems. We believe that an adequately socialized (emotionally mature) individual is better able to meet the stresses of life -whether in "modern" or "undeveloped" societies -without resort to alienation or some other form of retreat.…”