Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Dozen To One: An Examination Of Workers' Satisfaction In Menial Labor, Colin Larter

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This mixed-methods study explores the workplace experiences and employee satisfaction of menial laborers. Using an anonymous online survey, this thesis examines workers’ experiences through the lens of K. Marx’s and M. Seeman’s forms of alienation. From the perspective that part of general satisfaction comes from the differences between what an employee value and what they actually perceive at their job, this study found quantitative evidence of the relationships between the need for pride in work and satisfaction. In the data analysis, satisfaction’s predictability is measure both by the perceived experiences of workers but also in the difference in those perceived …