Intelligence and job satisfaction: the role of occupational aspirations

A number of studies documented that when job complexity is controlled for, intelligence has a negative effect on job satisfaction (Ganzach, 1998; Gonzalez-Mule et.al.,2017). However, the nature of the process underlying this... [ view full abstract ]

A number of studies documented that when job complexity is controlled for, intelligence has a negative effect on job satisfaction (Ganzach, 1998; Gonzalez-Mule et.al.,2017). However, the nature of the process underlying this effect is largely unclear. One explanation that was offered, but never tested, for this effect is that more intelligent employees have higher occupational aspirations leading them to experiencing more frustration and dissatisfaction from their jobs. However, this explanation does not take into account previous findings suggesting that occupational aspirations induce people to find more complex jobs resulting in higher job satisfaction. Thus, in the current work we study the joint effects of intelligence and aspiration on job complexity and job satisfaction. Using a sample of more than 3300 employee from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we found that intelligence is positively related to occupational aspirations (β = .32) but whereas aspirations have an indirect positive effect (β = .05) on job satisfaction via job complexity, they also have a negative direct effect on job satisfaction (β = -.07). These results provide a new insight into intelligence - job satisfaction relationship, suggesting that occupational aspirations play a dual, double-edged sword in the relationship between intelligence and job satisfaction. Finally, our results also show that the negative relationship between intelligence and job satisfaction is not fully explained by a negative effect of aspiration on job satisfaction, suggesting that differences in work engagement between the more and less intelligent also lead to a negative effect of intelligence on job satisfaction.