Job choice: The impact of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on subsequent satisfaction and commitment.

One hundred and eight recent Master's of Business Administration graduates were surveyed immediately after accepting jobs and again 6 months later. It was hypothesized that subjects who made job choices on intrinsic bases (e.g., intrinsic interest in the job, opportunity for advancement) would be more satisfied and committed than those who made the decision based on extrinsic factors (e.g., external pressures such as family concerns and preference for geographic location). Results showed both intrinsic and extrinsic decision factors to be positively related to subsequent satisfaction and commitment. Canonical correlation analysis showed an extrinsic job feature (salary) to be positively related to future tenure intention and negatively related to job satisfaction. These findings suggest that job satisfaction and commitment may be related to both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors considered when the original job choice is made. In a recent article on organizational entry, Wanous (1977, p. 601) noted that much of the research literature on job choice was organizationally rather than individually oriented, that is, focused on the organizational activities associated with recruitment and selection rather than on the individual choice process. Although representatives of organizations need to devise methods for attracting and choosing new members, the individual must also make a decision to choose one firm and job over others offered. On what basis does an individual make this decision? The field of vocational psychology has contributed much to our understanding about how individuals choose particular occupations (e.g., Crites, 1969; Holland, 1973). The selection of an occupation, however, is typically a more extended process than the decision to accept a job. The latter activity, as Wanous (1977) observed, is far more of a conscious personal decision than the lengthy process involved in entering an occupation. Occupational entry is often in