Soc Indic Res (2015) 120:769–781

DOI 10.1007/s11205-014-0613-y

Examining the Relationship Between Workplace Support

and Life Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Job
Satisfaction

Alexander Newman • Ingrid Nielsen • Russell Smyth • Angus Hooke

Accepted: 22 March 2014 / Published online: 30 March 2014

Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Abstract This paper examines the influence of perceived organizational support and
perceived supervisor support on employee life satisfaction. Structural equation modelling
on data from 393 nurses from two Chinese hospitals revealed that job satisfaction fully
mediated the relationship between perceived organizational support and life satisfaction. In
contrast, perceived supervisor support had a direct influence on life satisfaction rather than
a mediated influence through job satisfaction. Our findings highlight the importance of
separating the locus of support constructs when examining the impact of support on job
and life satisfaction, given that perceived support has different effects depending upon the
transmitter of that support.

Keywords China
Job satisfaction
Life satisfaction
Perceived organizational

support
Perceived supervisor support

A. Newman
I. Nielsen
Department of Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University,
East Caulfield, VIC, Australia
e-mail: alex.newman@monash.edu
I. Nielsen
e-mail: ingrid.nielsen@monash.edu

R. Smyth (&)
Department of Economics, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University,
Clayton, VIC, Australia
e-mail: russell.smyth@buseco.monash.edu.au; russell.smyth@monash.edu

A. Hooke
Nottingham University Business School, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China,
Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China
e-mail: Gus.Hooke@nottingham.edu.cn

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1 Introduction

Life satisfaction measures an individual’s overall assessment of their life circumstances

(Erdogan et al. 2012). It provides a subjective assessment of an individual’s happiness, and
is considered to be one of the main indicators of wellbeing. There has been growing work
examining the antecedents of life satisfaction in the context of transition economies such as
China (Selezneva 2011). Prior research has examined whether antecedents such as income
inequality (Appleton and Song 2008; Brockman et al. 2009; Gao and Smyth 2011; Knight
et al. 2009, Knight and Gunatilaka 2010, 2012; Mishra et al. 2014; Monk-Turner and
Turner 2012; Smyth and Qian 2008), environmental surroundings (Smyth et al. 2008,
2011) and satisfaction with government policies/welfare provision (Appleton and Song
2008) predict life satisfaction. However, there has been a relative dearth of research
examining whether workplace factors act as antecedents of life satisfaction, both in tran-
sition economies such as China, and more generally.
In the present study we examine whether the provision of workplace support to
employees by the organization and their immediate supervisor leads to higher levels of life
satisfaction, using a sample of nurses working in the Chinese healthcare sector. In addition,
we examine the mediating role of job satisfaction on the relationship between workplace
support and life satisfaction. In addressing these issues we make two main contributions to
the literature. First, we provide greater understanding of the work-related antecedents of
life satisfaction. Although researchers have begun to examine the influence of intrinsic and
extrinsic benefits and work-related stressors on life satisfaction (Erdogan et al. 2012), there
has been limited work on the relationship between workplace support and life satisfaction.
We expect work-related variables to have a significant impact on life satisfaction in China,
given a cultural context where there is limited separation between work and non-work
domains, and strong commitment to the work role (Aryee et al. 1999; Bu and McKeen
2000). In the Chinese culture work commitments typically take precedence over non-work
demands and there is greater blurring between an individual’s work and personal life
(Schein 1984). Second, we provide a more nuanced understanding than previous work as to
the mechanisms linking different types of workplace support to the wellbeing of indi-
viduals in society i.e. whether workplace support leads to life satisfaction through job
satisfaction or has a direct relationship.
In the following sections we review the literature before developing hypotheses. We
then present the study methodology and results of analysis. Following this we discuss the
findings and provide managerial implications. Finally, we examine the limitations of the
study and highlight future research possibilities.

2 Literature Review and Hypothesis Development

2.1 Life Satisfaction

Life satisfaction is defined as a cognitive assessment of satisfaction with one’s life cir-
cumstances (Erdogan et al. 2012). It is multidimensional in nature, and encompasses
satisfaction with a broad spectrum of specific life domains (Cummins 1998). There is a
large literature in economics and psychology on the antecedents of life satisfaction (Diener
et al. 1999; Dolan et al. 2008; Erdogan et al. 2012). The psychology literature consists
primarily of small-scale studies in which attention is given to the use of psychometrically
valid measures of life satisfaction and other key variables of interest to psychologists such

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as job satisfaction, job stress, personality, physical disability, psychopathology and

physiological illness. The economics literature, which tends to use large datasets and single
item indicators of life satisfaction, has examined the relationship between life satisfaction
and variables such as absolute and relative income, education, demographic characteristics,
health and unemployment. There is evidence that many of the factors correlated with life
satisfaction in developed, western economies are the same as those factors correlated with
life satisfaction in transition economies (Selezneva 2011).
There is a growing literature examining life satisfaction in China. There are studies of
life satisfaction in urban China (Appleton and Song 2008; Chen and Davey 2009; Huang
and Xing 2005; Smyth et al. 2008; Smyth and Qian 2008; Smyth et al. 2010, 2011); rural
China (Knight et al. 2009; Davey et al. 2009); among rural–urban migrants (Gao and
Smyth 2011; Knight and Gunatilaka 2010, 2012; Nielsen et al. 2010) and ethnic minorities
(Mishra et al. 2014; Nielsen et al. 2012; Webb 2009). The focus of much of this literature
has been on how income inequality and relative income is related to life satisfaction
(Appleton and Song 2008; Brockman et al. 2009; Gao and Smyth 2011; Knight et al. 2009,
Knight and Gunatilaka 2010, 2012; Mishra et al. 2014; Monk-Turner and Turner 2012;
Smyth and Qian 2008); how environmental surroundings are related to life satisfaction
(Smyth et al. 2008, 2011) and how satisfaction with government policies and welfare
provision are related to life satisfaction (Appleton and Song 2008). Many of the factors
found to be correlated with life satisfaction in studies for advanced western countries are
also found to be correlated with life satisfaction in China (Appleton and Song 2008).
The majority of prior research appears in the economics literature and, as such, uses
single item indicators to measure life satisfaction (Appleton and Song 2008; Gao and
Smyth 2011; Knight et al. 2009, Knight and Gunatilaka 2010, 2012; Smyth et al. 2008;
Smyth and Qian 2008). In the psychology literature on life satisfaction, the use of a single
item indicator has been widely criticized on two grounds. The first is that the researcher
cannot estimate the internal consistency of a single item indicator, with the result being that
such indicators are subject to low levels of internal reliability (Pollard 1996; Oshagbemi
1999). Andrews and Whithey (1976) found single item indicators of life satisfaction to
have relatively low reliabilities (test–retest correlation 0.40–0.66), even when asked twice
in the same session one hour apart. Test–retest correlations for multi-item indicators tend
to be much higher—in the range 0.82–0.84 for temporal intervals of up to 10 weeks
(Krueger and Schkade 2007). The second is that single item indicators are not able to
capture the multidimensionality of psychological constructs and hence construct validity is
compromised. These criticisms cast doubt over the reliability of much of the economics
literature that has employed single item indicators to measure life satisfaction. There are,
however, a growing number of studies, which have employed the PWI to measure life
satisfaction in China (Chen and Davey 2009; Davey et al. 2009; Huang and Xing 2005;
Mishra et al. 2014; Nielsen et al. 2010, 2012; Smyth et al. 2010). For a critical review of
the burgeoning literature applying the PWI to Chinese samples see Davey and Rato (2012).
Limited research has examined how workplace factors influence life satisfaction in
general, and in China more specifically. In a recent review of the literature on life satis-
faction, Erdogan et al. (2012) note that of the 6,160 journal articles that mention the
keyword ‘life satisfaction’ in the PsycINFO database, just 193 investigated working adults
and studied work-related (as opposed to personality) variables. There is also a dearth of
research examining the relationship between work-related variables and life satisfaction in
China. Some of the studies by economists examine how hours worked and types of work are
related to life satisfaction (Appleton and Song 2008). However, research has only just begun

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to examine how facets of the work environment may relate to life satisfaction in China
(Fielding et al. 1995; Nielsen et al. 2011; Siu 2002; Siu et al. 1998; Spector et al. 2004).

2.2 Job Satisfaction

Job satisfaction is defined as ‘‘the positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of
one’s job or job experiences’’ (Locke 1976). The psychology literature has demonstrated
that job satisfaction is correlated with a range of job characteristics including autonomy,
coping strategies, job stress, professional status, routinization and workloads (Li and
Lambert 2008). Meanwhile, economists have focused on the relationship between job
satisfaction and factors such as absolute and relative income, education, gender and labor
market institutions, such as trade union membership (Bender et al. 2005; Borjas 1979;
Clark 1997; Clark et al. 2009). Several studies have identified the factors correlated with
job satisfaction in China (Donald and Siu 2001; Gao and Smyth 2010; Heywood et al.
2009; Jamal 2005; Nielsen and Smyth 2008; Siu 2002; Siu et al. 1998, 2005; Smyth et al.
2009; Xie 1996). A subset of this literature has focused on job satisfaction among health
care professionals (Chan and Qiu 2011; Fielding et al. 1995; Froese and Xiao 2012; Li and
Lambert 2008; Liu et al. 2012; Zhang et al. 2013). Many of the results of studies examining
job satisfaction in China are often consistent with findings from western studies (Heywood
et al. 2009). However, a limitation of the literature is that most studies by economists use
single item indicators of job satisfaction (an exception is Gao and Smyth 2010). Hence,
these studies suffer from the same problems which plague studies that use single-item
indicators to measure life satisfaction, which are discussed above.

2.2.1 Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Life Satisfaction

There are competing views in the literature as to the nature of the relationship between job
satisfaction and life satisfaction. The first, the spillover hypothesis, proposes that an
individual’s positive experiences in the work domain spillover into the non-work domain,
suggesting a positive relationship between job and life satisfaction. The second, the seg-
mentation hypothesis, supposes that individuals compartmentalize their personal and
working lives, in such a way that job satisfaction and life satisfaction are unrelated to one
another. The third is the compensation hypothesis, which suggests an individual with low
job satisfaction will seek fulfillment in his/her non-work life, suggesting a negative rela-
tionship between job and life satisfaction.
While there could be reverse causality running from life satisfaction to job satisfaction
(Judge and Locke 1993), in the majority of studies job satisfaction is treated as antecedent
to life satisfaction. In most such studies, support is found for the spillover hypothesis. In
two separate meta-analyses, Tait et al. (1989) and Bowling et al. (2010) reported average
population correlations of 0.35 and 0.40 respectively. Most studies which have examined
the relationship between job satisfaction and life satisfaction in China have also found
support for the spillover hypothesis (Fielding et al. 1995; Nielsen et al. 2011; Siu 2002; Siu
et al. 1998; Spector et al. 2004).

2.2.2 Relationship Between POS, PSS, Job Satisfaction and Life Satisfaction

POS is defined as the employee’s beliefs concerning the extent to which the organization
values their contributions and cares about their wellbeing (Eisenberger et al. 1986). PSS is

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defined as the employee’s beliefs concerning the degree to which their supervisor cares
about their wellbeing and values their contribution to the organization (Maertz et al. 2007).
One would expect that employees who feel that their organization provides a sup-
portive workplace environment would have higher job satisfaction (Aselage and Eisen-
berger 2003). Existing studies suggest a positive relationship between POS and job
satisfaction (see e.g. Allen et al. 2003; Buchanan 1974; Erdogan and Enders 2007; Ei-
senberger et al. 1997; Shore and Tetrick 1991; Tansky and Cohen 2001). In a meta-
analysis Riggle et al. (2009) found a strong positive relationship between job satisfaction
and POS (r = 0.61, p \ 0.001). In China specifically, Rutherford et al. (2012) found that
POS is positively correlated with job satisfaction amongst female employees in the retail
sector. Other studies show a positive relationship between POS and constructs related to
job satisfaction, including affective organizational commitment (He et al. 2011; Newman
et al. 2012).
Similarly we might expect a positive relationship between PSS and job satisfaction
given that the consideration and support of supervisors has been found to be highly
correlated with job satisfaction in a range of work settings (Boles and Babin 1996; Griffin
et al. 2001; McCalister 2003; Ng and Sorensen 2008; Yukl 1989). This leads us to the
following hypotheses:
H1 There is a positive relationship between PSS and job satisfaction
H2 There is a positive relationship between POS and job satisfaction
Compared to the literature on the relationship between POS, PSS and job satisfaction,
there has been little investigation as to whether the effects of POS and PSS might spillover
into the non-work domain and heighten individuals’ life satisfaction (Dixon and Sagas
2007). Although there is initial empirical evidence of a positive association between POS
and life satisfaction (Dixon and Sagas 2007; Glinia et al. 2004; Guest 2002), no prior work
has examined the relationship between PSS and life satisfaction, and there has been limited
investigation of the mediating mechanisms which may explain why the provision of
workplace support may spillover into the non-work domain. In the present study we
suggest that the provision of workplace support in the form of PSS and POS will influence
life satisfaction through heightening employees’ job satisfaction. In other words given the
fact that prior research has shown a close relationship between POS/PSS and job satis-
faction (Allen et al. 2003; Buchanan 1974; Erdogan and Enders 2007; Eisenberger et al.
1997; Shore and Tetrick 1991; Tansky and Cohen 2001), and that job satisfaction has been
shown to have spillover effects in the non-work domain (Fielding et al. 1995; Nielsen et al.
2011; Siu 2002; Siu et al. 1998; Spector et al. 2004), we might expect job satisfaction to
mediate the relationship between POS/PSS and life satisfaction. This leads us to the
following hypotheses:
H3a There is a positive relationship between PSS and life satisfaction
H3b The positive relationship between PSS and life satisfaction is fully mediated by job
satisfaction
H4a There is a positive relationship between POS and life satisfaction
H4b The positive relationship between POS and life satisfaction is fully mediated by job
satisfaction

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3 Methodology

3.1 Sample and Procedure

A total of 393 nurses from two hospitals participated in our study. The hospitals were
located in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, which is in the South-East of China. Survey
data were collected during the first half of 2012. Prior to distribution, the back translation
process was utilized to translate the English version of the survey into Chinese (Brislin
1993). Paper-based questionnaires were distributed to 500 nurses (250 in each hospital)
during their work break and collected the following day. A total of 393 nurses responded to
the survey, representing a response rate of 78 %. Participants were assured that their
responses were confidential, and were informed of the voluntary nature of participation. Of
the 393 nurses, 98.8 % were female, their mean age was 27.58 years, and they had been
working in the organization for 4.38 years on average.

3.2 Measures

Perceived supervisor support was measured using Behson’s (2005) 6-item scale.
Respondents rated each item on a 5-point scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly
agree). Sample items include ‘My supervisor accommodates me when I have family or
personal business to take care of, for example medical appointments, meeting with my
child’s teacher, etc.’ and ‘My supervisor really cares about the effects that work demands
have on my personal and family life’. The alpha coefficient for this scale was 0.80.
In line with previous research eight items from Eisenberger et al. (1986) were used to
capture perceived organizational support. Respondents rated each item on a 5-point scale
(1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Sample items include ‘My organization
strongly considers my goals and values’ and ‘Help is available from my organization when
I have a problem’. The alpha coefficient for this scale was 0.91.
Life satisfaction was measured using the 8-item Perceived Wellbeing Index (PWI) (Inter-
national Wellbeing Group 2006). Prior research has demonstrated the reliability and validity of
this measure using Chinese samples (Mishra et al. 2014). Respondents were asked to rate on a
0–10 Likert scale (where 0 = completely dissatisfied and 10 = completely satisfied) the extent
to which they were satisfied in relation to eight life domains: standard of living, personal health,
achievement in life, personal relationships, personal safety, community-connectedness, future
security and spirituality/religion. The alpha coefficient for this scale was 0.90.
Finally, job satisfaction was measured using a 4-item scale taken from Cole (1979). This
scale has been widely used in mainland China (Leung et al. 1996). Respondents rated each
item on a 5-point scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Sample items include
‘I would take the same job again’ and ‘I would recommend this job to a friend’. The alpha
coefficient for this scale was 0.86. We also controlled for a number of demographic
variables in our model. These include age, gender and tenure.
Table 1 shows the means, standard deviations, and bivariate correlations of all con-
tinuous variables in the study.

3.3 Analysis

Data analysis was conducted in two stages. First, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was
used to examine the construct validity of the measurement model. A CFA of the four-factor

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Table 1 Means, standard deviations and correlations of continuous study variables

Variable M SD 1 2 3 4 5 6

1. Age 27.58 5.54

2. Tenure 4.38 5.11 .765**
3. PSS 3.85 0.73 -.030 -.007 (0.80)
4. POS 2.98 0.60 -.096 -.152** .406** (0.91)
**
5. Job satisfaction 2.95 0.83 -.096 -.211 .309** .479** (0.86)
**
6. Life satisfaction 5.97 1.66 .065 .036 .304 .287** .432** (0.90)

* p \ .05, ** p \ .01, a coefficients in parentheses

model (POS, PSS, job satisfaction and life satisfaction) revealed good fit to the data
(v2 = 739.92, df = 293, RMSEA = 0.06, IFI = 0.97, CFI = 0.97). The four-factor
model was then compared to a series of nested models. A three-factor model combining
PSS and POS resulted in a significantly poorer fit (v2 = 2878.24, df = 296,
RMSEA = 0.15, IFI = 0.90, CFI = 0.90, v2 difference (df = 3) = 2,138.32, p \ 0.01).
Similarly, a three-factor model combining job satisfaction and life satisfaction also
exhibited poorer fit (v2 = 1,619.88, df = 296, RMSEA = 0.11, IFI = 0.93, CFI = 0.93,
v2 difference (df = 3) = 879.96, p \ 0.01). Finally, a one-factor model (where all indi-
cators were loaded onto a single factor), exhibited poor fit to the data (v2 = 6,157.88;
df = 299, RMSEA = 0.22, IFI = 0.79, CFI = 0.79). These results provide evidence of
construct validity of the measures used in the present study. Based on the fit index rec-
ommendations of Hu and Bentler (1999), it was concluded that the measurement model
was good enough to proceed with hypothesis testing.
Second, structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test our study hypotheses.
SEM was chosen as it allows us to test models with both direct and indirect effects
simultaneously, and minimise the effects of measurement error (Kline 2010). A series of
SEM models were utilised to test our hypotheses. In all models demographic variables
were included as controls. We initially examined a full mediation model in which paths
were drawn from POS and PSS to job satisfaction and from job satisfaction to life satis-
faction. Significant path coefficients were found from POS to job satisfaction (b = 0.52,
p \ .01) and job satisfaction to life satisfaction (b = 0.46, p \ .01). This indicates initial
support for hypotheses 2, 4a and 4b. However, the relationship between PSS and job
satisfaction was not significant, contrary to hypothesis 1. The goodness-of-fit statistics for
this model exhibited good fit to the data (v2 = 760.65, df = 295, RMSEA = 0.06,
IFI = 0.97, CFI = 0.97).
Following this we tested an alternative partial mediation model in which direct paths
were added from PSS and POS to life satisfaction to establish whether job satisfaction
mediated the relationship between POS and life satisfaction, or whether there were direct
effects. A significant relationship was found between PSS and life satisfaction (b = 0.19,
p \ .01), but not between POS and life satisfaction. This provides further support that job
satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between POS and life satisfaction in line with
hypotheses 4a and 4b, and suggests a direct rather than mediated relationship between PSS
and life satisfaction, in line with hypothesis 3a. The goodness-of-fit statistics for this model
also exhibited good fit to the data (v2 = 739.92, df = 293, RMSEA = 0.06, IFI = 0.97,
CFI = 0.97).

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We also tested a further model in which an additional path was added from PSS to POS
in line with the findings of previous research (Eisenberger et al. 2002; Newman et al. 2012;
Yoon and Lim 1999; Yoon and Thye 2000). The path from PSS to POS was significant
(b = 0.48, p \ .01) and its introduction did not alter the significance of other relationships
in the model. The goodness-of-fit statistics for the final model exhibited good fit to the data
(v2 = 741.32, df = 295, RMSEA = 0.06, IFI = 0.97, CFI = 0.97). Although the
majority of goodness-of-fit statistics did not significantly improve upon those of the initial
or alternative models, removal of non-significant paths led to a significant reduction in the
v2/df statistic so is considered as the best fitting model to the data. The final model is
presented in Fig. 1 (all non-significant paths are removed). All together our findings
provide support for hypotheses 2, 3a, 4a and 4b. Our findings demonstrate a positive
relationship between POS and life satisfaction fully mediated by job satisfaction. In
addition, although job satisfaction did not mediate the relationship between PSS and life
satisfaction, PSS had a direct relationship with life satisfaction.
As noted above, we tested the sensitivity of all models to the incorporation of a range of
demographic variables as controls. Their inclusion had no substantive impact on the results
so are not reported.

4 Discussion

In the present study we found that job satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between
POS and life satisfaction. In line with previous work these findings suggest that job
satisfaction has spillover effects outside of the work domain (Dixon and Sagas 2007; Glinia
et al. 2004; Guest 2002). Contrary to what was expected, job satisfaction did not mediate
the relationship between PSS and life satisfaction. PSS had direct effects on life satis-
faction, and also acted as an antecedent to POS. These findings are supportive of previous
work which suggests that PSS might lead to greater POS, given that supervisors are seen as
agents of the organization (Newman et al. 2012). They also suggest that the provision of
support by a supervisor might also influence life satisfaction outside of the work domain.
This may arise from the fact that supervisors often provide support and advice about non
work issues to their subordinates. This is especially the case in Chinese organizations
where supervisors are more involved in subordinates’ lives than is the case in the West.
The findings from this study have a number of practical implications. First, they
highlight the critical role that supervisors play, both directly and indirectly, in influencing

Fig. 1 Final model. Statistically significant standardised path coefficients reported. * p \ .05, ** p \ .01

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The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction 777

employee perceptions and attitudes. In terms of direct influence, perceived support pro-
vided by supervisors directly and positively contributed to perceptions of life satisfaction.
That perceived supervisor support at work has the capacity to spill over to influence
broader non-work perceptions is not surprising in China, where supervisor-subordinate
guanxi is central to the supervisor-subordinate relationship (Han and Altman 2009). The
blurring of work/life relationships in this cultural context underscores the importance of
workplace supervisor training that leads to adopting practices which emphasize care,
protection, recognition and justice (Han and Altman 2009).
In terms of the indirect influence of supervisor practice on employee life satisfaction,
our results suggest that supervisors are important organizational agents that employees
view as representing, at least in part, broader organizational support. This finding suggests
that positive supervisory practices have the capacity to engender positive views toward the
organization and implies also that supervisors have the potential to act as a buffer against
negative organizational practices. These conclusions further augment the importance of
developing and implementing supervisor training that focuses on supporting and recog-
nizing employees’ contributions. It seems reasonable to posit that the influence of PSS is
likely to be exacerbated in larger organizations where employees may only infrequently
engage with higher level management.
Our results also show that perceived support from the organization itself impacts life
satisfaction and that job satisfaction is a mechanism that transmits this effect. While the
relationship between POS and job satisfaction is well-established (see Rhoades and Ei-
senberger (2002) for a review); and a handful of studies have found POS also has a positive
effect on life satisfaction (Dixon and Sagas 2007; Glinia et al. 2004; Guest 2002), our study
is novel in demonstrating that the effects of POS on life satisfaction are fully mediated by
job satisfaction. Uncovering this mechanism is an important step forward as it implies that
organizations as institutions are influential over the life satisfaction of the broader com-
munities in which they are embedded. Given this, initiatives by organizations to foster
enhanced work-life balance would be expected to reap benefits not only to individuals and
to organizations, but also to communities.
From a methodological perspective, our findings highlight the importance of separating
the locus of support constructs, given that perceived support has different direct and
indirect effects depending upon the transmitter of that support.

4.1 Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research

The main limitation of the present study resulted from its cross-sectional nature which
prevents us from inferring causality between variables. In future researchers may measure
workplace support and life satisfaction at different points in time to demonstrate a causal
relationship between the variables. In addition, our results may not necessarily be gener-
alizable to all sectors of the economy, given the fact that workplace support mechanisms
might be more important to healthcare workers such as nurses due to the nature of their work
which involves dealing with sick patients. Prior work suggests that healthcare professionals
have to contend with higher levels of stress than individuals working in other occupations.

5 Conclusion

In this study we examined the relationship between workplace support and life satisfaction.
We found that while perceived supervisor support was directly related to life satisfaction,

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perceived organizational support was related to life satisfaction through its relationship
with job satisfaction.

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