German General job satisfaction

Abstract

The German General Job Satisfaction scale (Allgemeine Arbeitszufriedenheit), developed by Fischer and Lück, is a comprehensive psychological scale designed to measure an individual’s general attitude toward work and satisfaction with specific facets of their working life (Arbeitsleben). The long form of the instrument consists of 37 items, which are organized conceptually into four key dimensions: Self-realization, Resignation, Satisfaction with Payment, and Evaluation of the Company. The instrument is validated for use in German-speaking populations.

Keywords

Job satisfaction, working life, work, self-realization, resignation, payment satisfaction, company evaluation, psychometrics, organizational psychology.

Authors

Dr. Lorenz Fischer, Prof. Dr. Helmut E. Lück

Purpose

The primary purpose of the German General Job Satisfaction scale is to systematically assess the overall satisfaction of employees (Arbeitszufriedenheit) by capturing both their general attitude towards work and their satisfaction with specific facets of the job environment. The underlying theory posits that psychological, physiological, and social reactions of employees are intrinsically linked to workplace aspects, suggesting that low job satisfaction can lead to detrimental organizational outcomes such as increased absenteeism or reduced productivity.

The instrument provides a detailed profile by differentiating overall satisfaction into four measurable sub-dimensions, enabling researchers and practitioners to identify precise areas of contentment or discontent within the professional context.

Construct

The core construct measured is General Job Satisfaction (Allgemeine Arbeitszufriedenheit). This construct is understood as an individual’s overall affective and cognitive evaluation of their work situation. Fischer and Lück defined the construct through four distinct, empirically derived sub-dimensions:

• Self-realization (Selbstverwirklichung): Reflects satisfaction related to opportunities for personal growth, learning, and the utilization of one’s full range of abilities in the workplace.
• Resignation: Measures items reflecting psychological strain, physical fatigue, and adverse reactions to the demands or monotony of the work environment.
• Satisfaction with Payment (Bezahlung): Addresses contentment regarding salary and compensation, often in comparison to peers or the demands of the job.
• Evaluation of the Company (Firma): Focuses on the assessment of the organization, including perceived fairness, supervisory style, career advancement opportunities, and general corporate climate.

Validity

Evidence for the criterion validity of the scale is provided through correlations with several external criteria. The scale demonstrated a positive association with the Life Satisfaction Index (Wiendieck, 1970) and personal work engagement. Specifically, the relationship between life satisfaction and job satisfaction was stronger for employees reporting high work engagement (r = .67, p < .01).

The scale exhibited expected negative relationships with indices of negative work behavior. The overall job satisfaction score correlated negatively with the inclination to quit (r = -.43), a relationship that was particularly pronounced among men (r = -.62) and salaried employees (r = -.57). Additionally, a negative correlation was observed between job satisfaction and self-reported days absent (Fehltage), although this relationship was statistically significant only for laborers (r = -.26, p ≤ .05).

Reliability

The German General Job Satisfaction scale demonstrates strong internal consistency across the full 37-item version. The overall split-half reliability calculated using the Spearman–Brown prophecy formula is exceptionally high, standing at r_tt = .95. When the test was divided based on the item form (statement versus question), the split-half coefficient remained robust at r_tt = .87, suggesting that item presentation style does not significantly impact measurement stability.

Reliability estimates remained consistently high across demographic subgroups tested in the standardization sample, showing no meaningful differences: Men (r_tt = .96), Women (r_tt = .95), Salaried Employees (r_tt = .94), and Laborers (r_tt = .95). For the short form of the scale, the part-whole corrected item-total correlations (r_it-i) ranged from .65 to .72, with a mean of .70, further supporting reliability.

Factor Analysis

A factor analysis (using Varimax rotation) was performed on the 37 items of the preliminary final form, resulting in the extraction of four distinct factors, which serve as the scale’s sub-dimensions:

1. Self-realization (Eigenvalue: 11.4): Interpreted as satisfaction with the opportunity to apply personal skills and abilities at work.
2. Resignation (Eigenvalue: 2.9): Encompasses items relating to psychological and physical reactions to work stress and lack of stimulation.
3. Satisfaction with Payment (Eigenvalue: 1.6): Focuses on monetary contentment, correlating highly with items related to the desire for job change.
4. Evaluation of the Company (Eigenvalue: 1.4): Reflects the assessment of the organization’s leadership, promotion opportunities, and overall working environment.

Four corresponding subscales were developed based on these factors, with items assigned to a subscale if they exhibited a factor loading of >= .50 on the respective factor. A short scale version comprising eight items with the highest item discrimination indices was also constructed, though its unidimensionality was assumed.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire, Psychological scale

Format: The long form uses 37 items (36 scored items + 1 opener item). Response options utilize varied 5-point Likert scale formats tailored to the item content (e.g., agreement/disagreement, or satisfaction/dissatisfaction). Scoring involves summation of point values (1 to 5) for the 36 items.

Language Available: German (Deutsch)

Population Group: Working adults, encompassing both laborers (Arbeiter) and salaried employees (Angestellte).

Age Group: Not explicitly specified, but implied working age.

Population Details: The standardization sample (N = 167) included 46 male laborers, 51 male salaried employees, 42 female laborers, and 28 female salaried employees. Descriptive statistics showed a significant difference in mean scores between salaried employees (x = 123) and laborers (x = 97) in the long form (t = 7.0; p < .01).

Test Methodology: The instruction directs respondents to judge the veracity of statements regarding their own work, relying on their first impression and proceeding quickly without skipping questions. Item 1 serves solely as an introductory “opener” item and is not included in the final summation of raw scores.

Keywords

Arbeitszufriedenheit, job satisfaction, psychometrics, organizational psychology, work attitude, scale development, validation.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A

Correspondence Address: Dr. Lorenz Fischer, Universität zu Köln, Institut für Wirtschafts- und Sozialpsychologie, Herbert-Lewin-Str. 2, 50931 Köln, Deutschland; Prof. Dr. Helmut E. Lück, Fernuniversität Hagen, GHS, FB Erziehungs- und Sozialwissenschaften, Lehrgebiet Psychologie, Feithstr. 140, Postfach 9 40, 58097 Hagen, Deutschland

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed and psychometrically evaluated by Fischer and Lück in 1972. Specific details regarding current usage permissions, licensing fees, or commercial distribution rights are not provided in the source documentation.

Reference’s

1. Brayfield, A. H. & Rothe, H. F. (1951). An index of job satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 35, 307-311.
2. Brayfield, A. H., Wells, R. V. & Strate, M. W. (1957). Interrelationships among measures of job satisfaction and general satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 41, 201-204.
3. Fischer, L. & Lück, H. E. (1972). Skala zur Messung der Allgemeinen Arbeitszufriedenheit. Diagnostica, 18, 126-136.
4. Form, W. H. & Geschwender, J. A. (1962). Social reference basis of job satisfaction: The case of manual workers. American Sociological Review, 27, 228-237.
5. Heron, A. (1954). The structure of feeling and satisfaction in a transport organization. Occupational Psychology, 28, 17-21.
6. Hoppock, R. (1935). Job satisfaction. New York: Harper.
7. Kerr, W. A., Koppelmeier, G. J. & Sullivan, J. J. (1951). Absenteeism, turnover and morale in a manufacturing plant. Occupational Psychology, 25, 47-53.
8. Metzner, H. & Mann, F. (1953). Employee attitudes and absences. Personnel Psychology, 6, 467-485.
9. Weissenberg, P. & Gruenfeld, L. (1968). Relationship between job satisfaction and job involvement. Journal of Applied Psychology, 52, 469-473.
10. Werbik, H. (1964). Zur psychologischen Problematik der Arbeitszufriedenheit. Dissertation, Universität Wien.
11. Wiendieck, G. (1970). Der Lebenszufriedenheits-Index. Köln: Institut für Wirtschafts- und Sozialpsychologie.

Items of the German General job satisfaction

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.