Job satisfaction and preferences regarding job characteristics of young professionals in German horticulture

Employee satisfaction has a significant impact on the economic and social sustainability of horticultural companies. Traditional linear relationships between job characteristics and subjective job satisfaction have been assumed in psychological research. Warr challenged this idea with the nonlinear vitamin model. The present study tests the possibility of nonlinear relationships between job characteristics and job satisfaction. For this purpose, a survey was carried out using an online and a paper-and-pencil questionnaire from August 2013 to February 2015. Vocational and master craftsman scholars (N=205) and students of horticulture science (N=204) took part in the survey and additionally stated their preferences regarding job characteristics. The relationships between characteristic values and job and life satisfaction are analysed and the results of the groups are compared also to another recent study with employees of horticultural enterprises. The strongest relationships with job satisfaction can be observed for vocational and master craftsman scholars for the job features emotional dissonance and considerate leadership. The data support the postulation of nonlinear relationships between job characteristic values and satisfaction. The study indicates a change in the preference structure of employees, who in the future would prefer a good work-life balance in particular as well as other soft factors.