A current Gallup Poll reports a “majority of U.S. workers are completely satisfied with several aspects of their work environment, including their relations with coworkers, the flexibility of their hours, and the amount of work required of them. Of 13 job characteristics rated, they are the least satisfied with their on-the-job stress, followed by their pay.”
Do you think the dissatisfaction with pay is due to the current economy or a cultural desire to always want more?
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Nanci Lamborn - online:
ReplyDeleteI actually have to disagree with the poll. I have been in human resources for years, and even in today's economy, employees who are gainfully employed and not underemployed (at least in my sector) are satisfied as a rule. I believe that the way the poll was worded had some influence in the overall results, and if pay had not been offered as a second choice, something else would have easily taken its place.
I don't believe we are always drive by a cultural desire to want more; rather a cultural desire to achieve more. We ascribe status based upon income, so that achievement is what we seek to be affirmed in the form of higher pay, better perks, nicer cars, etc.
I also believe some people state they are dissatisfied with pay because they compare themselves to their coworkers and feel they are deserving of more, for whatever reason. If you know what your coworker makes, when you get your own paycheck it's awfully hard not to look at your coworker and think "I really deserve more than he/she does; I do more work" etc etc etc. This is a dangerous cycle to fall into, because to moment you begin comparing your coworkers worth to your own, your focus to actually perform your best can be diverted.
I also think that the continuing gender inequality in pay contributes to the dissatisfaction for females. That's a problem that for some reason just will not go away.
I believe that the dissatisfaction with pay is due to cultural desire to always want more we always look for more.No matter what us a people think we are never satisfied with living comfortable we sometimes live beyond are means I also think that the economy plays a part in it too because we have to live in it
ReplyDeleteI think that economy has a big part to play in it. I have noticed that a lot of raises, incentives, bonus and vacation time has been reduced drastically. It seems like most of us work to pay bills.The wages are remaining constant while the cost of living is steadily on the rise. Of course we all want more and at times can live beyond our means. In todays economy it is very hard to balance both and maintain sanity!! I'm just saying....
ReplyDeletei think that people whether they admit it or not at one time or the other want more money for the job they are doing everyone has a desire to be reconized for their achivments and on the job it is with bonuses and raises. I know i like getting more money thats why we are all in collage (you know more education = more money)
ReplyDeleteTerri, i believe that the dissatisfaction with pay is due to the current economy. if you have less money, or no money then you tend to take care of your needs rather than your wants.
ReplyDeletePeter Nganga (Online)
ReplyDeleteIts a cultural desire always to want more. more money more problems. People are accustom to it, and when they can not get it, they do not know how to budget the little they have.
All of us want more. Unfortunately it's human nature that drives us to compete for the "finer things" in life. Our house isn't big enough, our car has lost its new smell, the Jone's down the street just put in a swimming pool. Of course it's cultural desires that drives us to want a higher salary. It is these desires that has gotten our economy in the mess it's in!
ReplyDeleteAshley Logan (online)
ReplyDeleteI think that the dissatisfaction with pay is due to the current economy. Everyone is cutiing back whether if it is needed or not. Some people as myself did not make much to start with and then when they start cutting pay because of the economy then it hurts everyones pay. People are having a hard time to get by. So I think that the economy is making a big difference on the pay!
Jason McCLeary (online)
ReplyDeleteI think that the people are not happy with the pay and it is because of the economy. People are trying to help others keep their jobs by cutting back and that even means peoples pay. I think that people would like to see the ecomony get better that way they could get what they lost right back. I know people that are barely making it on their pay as is and if they have to take a cut back I am not to sure how they are gonna make it.
Motunrayo Akerejola(online)
ReplyDeleteI believe that the economy has a huge part to play in this, but the surprising issue is the fact that people do not know how to live within thier income.
I think it is ok to want more, the ability to balance want vs need is vital.The credit system makes it difficult for some individual to achieve this.
People are always going to be dissatisfy with income, even the richest guy wants a little more.We all need to cut back, and be able to set our priorities straight.
Samantha Morris - Online -
ReplyDeleteThis question is a catch 22. When speaking about both issues one usually doesn't come up without the other. Stress comes from a multitude of things, money seems to be at the top of the list of the multitude of things. Having or not having money causes stress. With more money earned usually comes more responsibilities. In turn causes more stress. Less money causes stress in different ways. For instance, not having enough money for gas but you need gas to get to work.
Both types of stress can be very difficult to get through but it all depends on the person. No one can REALLY answer this question for someone else.
Gosh, this question is stressing me out! lol j/k
Laura Mills(online)
ReplyDeleteI think it is a little bit of both. We all have a natural urge to want better, more, faster. Most of us however are so broke we can only pay bills. Our wanting more is a soda from the store once a day. To others who are not affected by this failing economy wanting better, more, faster is with in their reach no matter what the cost. I know that my husband had to change jobs from an atlanta police officer of ten years because not one time did he get a pay raise. The economy has seen the bottom. People also live outside of thier means no matter what the paycheck.
I believe that it is our desire to always want more. Case and point, I know of homeless people who are just as satisfied with their lives as people with 100k salaries.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the dissatisfaction with pay comes from a little bit of both the economy and our desire to want more. Obviously, Americans are rarely satisfied with any amount of money, and there is always more to be made, but the economy taking the dip that it did really didn't help any either. I had the economy personally hit myself as well as many people that I knew, and it was hard, but we made it through it and most of us have better jobs now then we had before. I don't think we can blame everything on the economy though. I believe that most of us need to really take a look at what we do have, and quit always worrying about what we don't have, even though that is easier said then done, even for myself.
ReplyDeleteA little of both! Hopefully, today's economic struggles will bring reality into focus and people will begin living withing their means. The realization that having health, a roof over our heads, food and family are the truly important things in this life would definitely lessen the stress caused by the "I WANT MORE" and the sense of entitlement that has prevailed.
ReplyDeleteI think that a dissatistfaction with the amount of pay is due to the desire to always want more. we live in a society where there can never be enough of anything, especially more. and i think people get burned out on doing their job while getting paid their current salary because in their eyes, they should deserve more than what they are making. everyone always wants more..of everything.
ReplyDeleteT.Lewis;
ReplyDeleteIsn't that the American way? Enough of anything is ok, until you see someone else with more. Then you become un-satistfied with your amount and want more so you can top the "Jones's" level. Moderation is the best way. Because, sometimes more money, brings more problems.
I think it is a little of both,the economy and a cultural desire to want more. The current economy has affected raises, bonuses and other fringe benefits that U.S. workers have gotten use to. Workers become frustrated and that causes them to become dissatisfied.
ReplyDeletePeople always want more. They want more money, nore clothes, another car, another house(or add more rooms to the house they already have) and the list goes on and on.
Most are glad to have a job but they desire an increase in their pay and the resources to acquire more of the "finer things" in life and these two things coupled together could be part of the reasons U.S. workers are dissatisfied.
Americans will work but they like to be amply compensated to be able to provide for their livelihood comfortably and also be able to aquire other desired things.
I think it is due to both factors. Bad economy definitely plays its part in our dissatisfaction with income and financial affairs. But on the other hand, it's human nature to always want more. Think about it - when people make just enough money to feed their families and pay bills, they are probably not very happy. But when they start making more, their needs and wants also increase. Now they can afford bigger house and better car, and the bills go up, so it's not enough again. And so on and so forth. More money, more problems as they say.
ReplyDeleteI think that the problem is that we are geared to always want more, more, more. Even Barbie has "more". She has her dream house, party house, her limo, her corvette, and of course her endless supply of clothing and accessories. Barbie would never drive around in a used 4 door sedan. You see people everyday driving around in their huge, seats 8 SUV's despite not needing the room. Our society is so driven to compete with the Jones' that we can never just be satisfied with what we have. As a society we so often judge one another with what we wear, what we drive, where we dine, rather than a terrific personality and caring nature. Whether the economy is booming or we're in a Depression, I dont think our society will ever stop wanting "more".
ReplyDeleteShelley, I think you make an excellent point about the sense of entitlement so many in our soicety have. I think that people of the younger generations (which I'm a part of, too) have grown into a bit of a spoiled group. Our parents worked hard to provide us with things they never had growing up, that now we tend to expect that from everyone. And then find ourselves quickly dissatisfied that the "real world" isn't going to reward mediocre performance. We seem to think that merely doing our job adequately should earn us a raise and that our efforts are never being "appreciated" enough.
ReplyDeleteMichael Nunoo..Online said...
ReplyDeleteThe way I look at this is where and what kind of jobs are they doing the survey on. People that are making good money and have excellent jobs(mainly corporate and office jobs)are going to be happy with just about everything the job has to offer. Those with crappy jobs aren't going to be happy. The way the economy is right now, people are pretty much settling for any job and aren't not being satisfied. I think the survey needs to be more detailed
Stephanie L online
ReplyDeletei think that economy has a big part on the way everyone wanting more money. i think compare themselves to other people and want their pay of a higher status. wanting to buy bigger things needs big money.
Nathan Hornsby (Online)
ReplyDeleteI think it has a little bit to do with both. People will always want more and will always find something to complains bout, but in the same sense a lot of jobs are currently paying less as well as making people take pay cuts. So I feel as if the current economy if in better shape would raise the happiness level of employees with their pay but it would never fix it as Americans would not allow that.
Judith Miller (online)
ReplyDeleteI am surprised at the poll's answers. I would believe that money would be the main reason contributing to job satisfaction just because I know that people will put up with a lot if they are compensated enough. As far as the economy goes, I don't believe that has much to do with it; whether times are good or times are bad, people always want more. I remember when there was a time when I would say "if I could just make 30,000 a year my life would be good." Now a few years later I'm saying "if I could just make 60,000 a year my life would be good." We always want more- the economy just makes the struggle harder, not the job.
i agree with Diamond,today we are just working to pay the bills.we dont have extra money for luxury.i agree it is a cultural desire to want more many but i think you will never have enough money
ReplyDeleteI honestly believe the dissatisfaction with pay is due to the current economy. Most companies have not given their employees any pay raise in the last two years. Some employees have even had to make difficult choices of a pay cut to keep more of their co-workers employed of get a pay raise while some are laid off. Some companies, though they are making money, they afraid of spending kit cause they are uncertain about the economy. Workers are now doing more at work for less pay just to put food at the table. All these adds to the frustration and dissatisfaction.
ReplyDeleteI think the dissatisfaction with pay is the cultural desire to always want more. The ecconomy probably played a part in people not being able to get more, but they will always find a way. Even with the economy in the shape it has been in, people with bad credit are offered no credit checks and they go buy things they know they can not afford and just get themselves into more financial hardships. They see other people with these things and they have to have them also.
ReplyDeleteI believe the disatisfacation with pay is based on the economy. Since the economy has deteriated the income of individuals has also, people are taking lower paying jobs because companies are downsizing and people are being subjected to Mcdonalds, Burger King, etc . I know people want more money and would love to be amongst the rich. but in this economy it has been hard for the average Joe to live off of the income that they have coming in.
ReplyDeleteMabel Ibuoffor (Online)
ReplyDeleteI believe that the dissatiscation is both the economic and desiring to want some more,with today's economic some of the employee's are cutting down pays, and people are taking jobs that are less payed in order to earn their daily needs,I know that nobody will like to make money every month and use it all for payiny bills,but at thesame time we all have to remember that the economy is bad now,and should learn how to live within our incomes
Mollian, i think the dissatisfication with pay is due to cultural desire to always want more.Most of those who are paid more they still want more they will never say it's enough and still for those who have little they will still want more,though the economy plays a part too but thats what we are used too wanting more always.
ReplyDeletelamond
ReplyDeleteyes i think it has to with both the economy and the greed of the rich wanting more.
Brad Henderson
ReplyDeleteI would agree a little with lamond and say that people aren't really happy with their jobs their just happy they still have one so they can put some amount of food on the table.
It's amazing that this answer can go both ways. A lot of people are not happy with money because of the economy. If you have a job these days, it's really a lucky thing since jobs are hard to come by.
ReplyDeleteI know of some people that are rich. I am not saying that all of them are greedy, but there are some out there, that don't care about anyone except for themselves.
I don't think that cultural has anything much to do with it, but I agree with most of my classmates when they say that greed comes from the rich wanting more.
I think that everyone who works wants to make more money... That is, after all the reason that most people work. Our culture does promote people who earn more and constantly advertises items that we could own if we made more money. However, I think this is more about employers holding back raises and bonuses because of the economic situation, which I think this is causing a lot of frustration among workers. Employers are also increasing individual work loads and with that comes more stress.
ReplyDeleteAshley Hansen (ONLINE)
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of you, it is definately a two way street. In one hand we all want more because we see and think that everybody else has more and we deserve more and better too. On the other hand, we can not have more or better if the economy is failing and we as a society do not have enough money to get the things we want. However, if we continue to not spend and pinch every penny we get the economy will never get better because bussiness's will continue to decrease instead of starting to expand again. If we begin regular spending again it will bring more jobs and promote the economy. The bottom line is that the economy is as much to blame for the situation we are in as we are... we all need to try to be in the middle, not on one extreme or the other because that is only continuing to harm or economy and ALL of our livlyhood.
In my opinion, the answer is both. Of course the economy is going to affect working people. It affects everyone. We are in a less-devastating depression as far as I know, so its inevitable that many people are going to take a financial loss at some point. On the other hand, I have to say that people are always wanting more as well. Other countries look to the U.S. as the land of opportunity, so naturally many here go further into debt just for the sake of having more. More doesnt always mean better, in fact, it can mean the exact opposite. We all know people who live well above their means, living paycheck to paycheck, but continue to go shopping, eat out, and put in that incredible swimming pool. In essence both the economy and (for lack of a better word) greed can both be named as factors of dissatisfactionin pay. Buying more than you make will certainly make for a headache, and in today's economy, walking on eggshells when it comes to your finances has become the norm.
ReplyDeleteMelanie Jenkins (online)
ReplyDeleteI do believe people will always want more. However, money gives people the sense of security and in this day and time security is well appreciated. Many people were living outside of their means before the economy took a down turn. After losing the luxuries they had, people are less satisfied with what they have now.