ABSTRACT
In this chapter we move into the realm of organisational psychology, trying to relate the substantive content of people’s jobs to what they think of their work and their workplace. People’s subjective assessments of their well-being at work may be affected by a variety of factors. Gallie et al. (1998) identify four: the nature of the work task; social integration in the workplace; participation in decision-making; and job security. Guest and Conway (1998) have an alternative list of ‘antecedents’ of motivation. In their model, how the workplace is managed and the organisational climate, together with individuals’ experience of employment, help to determine the three elements of the ‘psychological contract’: fairness, trust, and delivery on promises made. These, in turn, shape peoples attitudes to their work.
