This article examines the effects of job task characteristics and job satisfaction on subjective well-being, often referred to as happiness, among Japanese employees. Because past research has recognized happiness as a source of greater performance, and on account of recent events related to karōshi (death by overwork), conditions in the workplace are of great interest for both research and practice. This research, using conditional process analysis with data gathered from Japanese managers and front-line workers within Japanese firms in Japan, found that job satisfaction fully mediates the relationship between job task characteristics and subjective well-being. Among job satisfaction factors, self-accomplishment and ‘relatedness’ (mutual respect and reliance with others) displayed the strongest mediating influences between job task characteristics and positive well-being. First, these findings suggest that companies cannot rely on job design alone to directly foster employee well-being but must ensure that task characteristics translate into work-related outcomes, such as job satisfaction. Second, at least for Japanese employees, careful attention must be paid to designing jobs that foster feelings of self-accomplishment and relatedness in order to enhance subjective well-being. These results indicate that job satisfaction plays a central role in the relationship between job design and well-being.

中文翻译：

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设计工作让员工快乐？以工作满意度为先

本文研究了日本员工的工作任务特征和工作满意度对主观幸福感（通常称为幸福感）的影响。因为过去的研究已经认识到幸福是提高绩效的源泉，并且考虑到最近与 karōshi（过劳死）相关的事件，工作场所的条件对研究和实践都非常感兴趣。本研究使用条件过程分析从日本经理和日本日本公司的一线工人收集的数据，发现工作满意度完全调节工作任务特征与主观幸福感之间的关系。在工作满意度因素中，自我成就和“相关性”（相互尊重和依赖他人）在工作任务特征和积极幸福感之间显示出最强的中介影响。首先，这些调查结果表明，公司不能仅依靠工作设计来直接培养员工的幸福感，而必须确保将任务特征转化为与工作相关的结果，例如工作满意度。其次，至少对于日本员工来说，必须谨慎设计能够培养自我成就感和关联感的工作，以提高主观幸福感。这些结果表明，工作满意度在工作设计和幸福感之间的关系中起着核心作用。这些调查结果表明，公司不能仅依靠工作设计来直接培养员工的幸福感，而必须确保将任务特征转化为与工作相关的结果，例如工作满意度。其次，至少对于日本员工来说，必须谨慎设计能够培养自我成就感和关联感的工作，以提高主观幸福感。这些结果表明，工作满意度在工作设计和幸福感之间的关系中起着核心作用。这些调查结果表明，公司不能仅依靠工作设计来直接培养员工的幸福感，而必须确保将任务特征转化为与工作相关的结果，例如工作满意度。其次，至少对于日本员工来说，必须谨慎设计能够培养自我成就感和关联感的工作，以提高主观幸福感。这些结果表明，工作满意度在工作设计和幸福感之间的关系中起着核心作用。