Affectivity and job satisfaction in Latin American workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cluster analysis

Abstract

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, people have experienced sudden changes in their lives, especially in their work dynamics. In this context, the balance of positive and negative affective experiences can influence workers’ job satisfaction. Objectives: Explore the levels of job satisfaction, related to positive and negative affect, in a group of Latin American workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: The sample included 594 Latin American workers (M = 38, aged between 18 and 60; SD = 10.47), of both sexes, who answered a sociodemographic questionnaire online and two psychological measures of affect and job satisfaction. Ward’s hierarchical cluster analysis and K-means were used as methods. Results: Four worker groups were identified: Group 1, high levels of positive and negative affect with high job satisfaction; Group 2, low levels of positive and negative affect with low job satisfaction; Group 3, high levels of positive affect and low levels of negative affect with high job satisfaction; Group 4, low levels of positive affect and high levels of negative affect with low job satisfaction. Conclusions: Groups with high levels of positive affect experienced high job satisfaction, while groups with high or low levels of negative affect and low levels of positive affect experienced low job satisfaction.