Changing employee values: deepening discontent?

This article presents a synthesis of data on employee attitudes gathered over the last 25 years. Most of the findings confirm the hypothesis that employees are discontented and expect more from their jobs now than they have in the past. While managerial satisfaction has remained relatively constant, the work satisfaction among hourly and clerical employees has sharply decreased. The authors attribute dissatisfaction to changes in the expectations and values of employees and warn that the deterioration of work attitudes may result in increased operating costs due to poor quality work, reduced output, absenteeism, etc. Instituting an employer attitude survey is suggested as a means of improving communication between management and employees and increasing job satisfaction.