A comparison of life satisfaction, job satisfaction, and happiness using demographic variables

This study examined the interrelationships among life satisfaction, job satisfaction, and happiness and the selected demographic variables of income, age, marital status, education, sex, job tenure, job title, type of school, and location of employment. Survey data were collected from 1,993 elementary, high school, and community college teachers in the southern Ontario area, representing ten public school boards, three Roman Catholic school boards and three community colleges. Several theories were utilized in developing thirteen hypotheses and eleven experimental hypotheses. A thorough review of the literature (to January, 1980) was undertaken and major conclusions noted. Hoppock's (1935) Job Satisfaction Measure, Gurin, Veroff, and Feld's (1960) Happiness Scale, and Converse and Robinson's (1965) Life Satisfaction Scale were used as the instrument. Chi-square analysis was employed as the statistical method. Indicative of the findings: the level of education taught was significantly related to all three organizational variables, sex was unrelated to life satisfaction though positively related to job satisfaction, and income was found not to be related to either happiness or life satisfaction. A minority of findings were contrary to hypothesized relationships. Specifically, age was found to be unrelated to any of the three organizational variables, and educational achievement was not significantly related to happiness. A model was developed to illustrate the interrelationships of the organizational and demographic variables. This model was designed specifically to reflect teacher attitudes, though it may have reasonable application for other relatively homogeneous groups of employees such as nurses, engineers, or social workers.

A Study of role conflict, role ambiguity, locus of control, job satisfaction and participation in decision making among front-line vocational service workers for mentally retarded adults

This study was an investigation of individual and organizational factors, as perceived by front-line vocational service workers from Adult Rehabilitation Centres (ARC Industries) for mentally retarded adults. The specific variables which were measured included role conflict/role ambiguity (role factors), internal/external locus of control (individual differences), job satisfaction with work and supervision (job attitudes) and participation in deci~ion making (organizational factor). The exploration of these constructs was conducted by means of self-report questionnaires which were completed by sixty-nine out of a total of ninety front-line employees. The surveys were distributed in booklet form to nine distinct rehabilitation facilities from St. Catharines, West Lincoln, Greater Niagara, Port Colborne, WeIland, Fort Erie, Hamilton, Guelph and Brantford. The survey data was evaluated by the statisti.cal Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) which used the Pearson Product Moment Correlation procedure and a compar~son of means test. A comparison of correlation coefficients test was also conducted. This statistical procedure was calculated mathematically. The results obtained from the statistical evaluation confirmed the prediction that self-reported measures of participation in decision making and satisfaction (work and supervision) would be negatively correlated with role conflict and role ambiguity. As well, the speculation that perceived satisfaction (work and supervision) would be positively correlated with participation in decision making was empirically supported. Internal and external locus of control did not contribute to a significant difference in r~sponses to role perceptions (conflict and ambiguity) , satisfaction (work and supervision) or the correlational relationship between participation in decision making and satisfaction (work and supervision). Overall, the findings from this study substantiated the importance of examining employee perceptions in the workplace and the interrelationships among individual and organizational variables. This research was considered a contribution to the general area of occupational stress and to the study of individuals in work organizations.

The sedimentology of unconsolidated deltaic and aeolian sediments east of Dunnville, Ontario /

Surficial sediments east of Dunnville, Ontario representing a limited deltaic/lacustrine/aeolian system are investigated with the aim of defining and interpreting their geological history by means of exarrrrning their sedimentology and interrelationships. The Folk and \oJard grain size statistics of samples fran the area were calculated. These sample parameters were e1en plotted on maps to detennine regional patterns. The strongest pattern observed was one of distinct fining to the east, away fran the sand source. Aeolian deposits were fourrl to be better sorted than the surrcunding sediments. The grain size parameter values were also plotted on bivariate graphs in an attempt to separate the samples according to depositional environment. This exercise met with little success, as rrost of the sediments sampled in the area have similar grain size parameters. This is believed to be because the sediment sources for the different environments (delta, distal delta, aeolian dune) are intimately related, to the point that nnst dunes appear to have been sourcErl fran immediately local sediments. It is FOstulated that in such a srrall sedimentological sub-system, sediments were not involved in active transport for a length of time sufficient for the rraterial to cane to equilibritnn with its transporting medium. Thus, fe..v distinctive patterns of parameters were developed that would enable one to differentiate between various environments of neposition. The i.rnTaturity of rrany dune forms and the i.Imaturity of mineralogical composition of all deposits support the above hyt:XJthesis of limited transport time. Another hypothesis proposen is that eadh geologically or geographically distinct area or "sub-system" rray have its o,.m "signature" of grain size relationships as plotted on bivariate graphs. Thus, the emphasis, concerning graphs of this type, should not be placErl on attempting to nifferentiate between various environnents of deposition, hut raB1er on investigating the interrelationships between sanples am environments within that "sub-system". Through the course of this investigation, the existence of nelta plain distributary Channels in the thesis area is SUG0ested, and the mscovery of significantly mfferent sub-units within the TUnnville dune sediments is documented. It is inferred by reference to other authors interpretations of the glacial history of the area, that the tirre of effective aeolian acti vi ty in the Dunnville area was between 12,300 to 12,100 years R.p.