A Perspective on the Relationship Among Authenticity, Values Congruence, Job Satisfaction and Life Satisfaction

This paper examines three variables important to understanding the drivers and impacts of job satisfaction. These include how authenticity relates to job satisfaction, how person-environment fit relates to job satisfaction and how job satisfaction relates to life satisfaction. I first present what the literature says about these variables and their relationship with job satisfaction. I then present a series of four assumptions that I explore through a series of eight qualitative interviews. Based upon my analysis there was limited support for three of my assumptions regarding the relationship between authenticity and job satisfaction, person-environment fit and authenticity and person-environment fit and job satisfaction. My findings showed support for the relationship between job satisfaction and life satisfaction. A key finding from the analysis was that for those individuals most satisfied with their jobs, the factors driving job satisfaction were consistently reported as the same factors individuals used to describe the role work played in their lives. Overall it appeared that a key driver in finding job satisfaction was the ability to align the factors most important about work in one’s life with one’s current job situation.