Abstract
A conceptual model based on staffing theory was applied to previously collected survey data from a representative sample of American workers. The model links organizational size, workload, work experience variables (felt responsibility and involvement, assessments of work associates), and work outcomes (job satisfaction, work self-esteem, stress symptoms). Path analyses indicated that the model fit data from all waged and salaried workers relatively well. When the model was applied to subsamples of new and established employees and of employees from two contrasting occupational groups (professional-technical workers and operative workers), somewhat different patterns emerged. The study illustrates the benefits of applying psychological theories across subdisciplines, as well as the limitations of generalizing research findings across different categories of workers. We suggest that localized theories and fine-grained analyses of workplace events could help to make research more applicable to work