Comparative study of need satisfactions in governmental and business hierarchies

Abstract

Evaluated and compared 2026 questionnaires from managers (supervisors) of a government agency (G) with L. W. Porter's (see 37:3) business and industry (B-I) sample. Satisfaction decreased from top- to lower-management levels and the greatest satisfaction deficit at all levels was in autonomy and self-actualization for both G and B-I Ss. Dissatisfaction for G was markedly greater than for B-I, confirming the study of F. T. Paine, S. J. Carroll, and B. A. Leete (see 40:8) who found 95 government managers less satisfied than B-I Ss. Government's lag in the human relations area contrasted with B-I's growing people-centered orientation is offered as a possible explanation for the need-satisfaction differences between the 2 groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)