ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with key concepts and theoretical perspectives with relevance for the issues related to work orientation. To begin with, attention is devoted to the concepts of work orientation, work attitude and job satisfaction and their meaning are spelled out and clarified. Several related concepts are also considered: employment commitment, instrumentalism, organizational commitment, work ethic and work centrality, among others. The task of conceptual clarification is framed by a more general theoretical discussion on the reasons why people work, what factors affect how much effort they put in and how well they perform and what role work plays in their lives.
