A new insight into the gender-job satisfaction paradox: extrinsic motivation as a mediator

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to provide inside into why the poorer working conditions of women do not lead women to be less satisfied with their job compared to men. It was examined if this gender-job satisfaction paradox could be explained by extrinsic motivation. Using data from the European Values Study, three multiple regression analyses were done to indicate if the relation between being a woman and job satisfaction is mediated by extrinsic motivation. It was discovered that women are not more satisfied with their job compared to men and that extrinsically motivated people are not less satisfied. The results also revealed that women are less extrinsically motivated than men. The principal conclusion was that extrinsic motivation can not explain why women are not less satisfied with their job compared to men.