Components of work engagement, culture and life satisfaction

Formulating the right balance between work and life may be brought about by achieving a state of flow, in which individuals reach their potential and live happy lives (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). On the basis of crossover effect (Donovan & Halpern, 2002), compensatory theory (Wilensky, 1960), segmentation theory (Dubin, 1973) and Fredrickson's (1998) ‘broaden-and-build’ theory of positive emotions, the present study aimed at demonstrating if different components of work engagement and culture had an influence on life satisfaction.

Data was collected from 72 employees (36 Westerners and 36 Non-Westerners) from different organizations. These participants were assessed on Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and Diner Satisfaction with Life Scale.

A 2x3 factorial ANOVA results showed that there was no significant difference between westerners and non-westerners with regard to work components and life satisfaction. However there is a slight interaction between the absorption component and culture in regard to life satisfaction.

Although work is an important contributor to an individual's satisfaction, there might be other factors such as personality, family life, and age which might have an impact on life satisfaction.