Methodology 'too simplistic'

Curious about how your job ranks?

Gleeful that you're in the top 10 or in the doldrums because you're at the bottom of the list?

Human capital experts say that the Careercast report has to be taken in context.

They point out that this is meant to be the best and worst jobs in the US and that it will be difficult to apply the results globally.

Ms Corrine Ong, director of the National University of Singapore's career centre, is also not quite keen on Careercast's methodology, which focuses on so-called "hygiene" factors, which refer to salary, job security and workplace conditions and environment.

Job satisfaction can broadly be determined by two types of factors; motivation and hygeiene, explains Ms Corrine Ong, director of the National University of Singapore's career centre.

"The methodology employed by the Careercast study focusses mainly on hygiene factors, which according to psychologist Frederick Herzb

What the study did not seem to measure were the motivation factors, which refer to things like recognition and the intrinsic sense of satisfaction and challenge the job provides, she says.

Leaving out this vital aspect makes the methodology too simplistic and the results somewhat one-sided, Ms Ong comments.

Notwithstanding the motivation factors, the geographical location of the study could also affect results based solely on the hygiene factors, she says.

"A bricklayer in the US might face cooler climates during certain seasons, whereas one in Singapore might have to contend with pretty intense heat all year round," she says.

Social norms of a culture also affect the results.

"In countries like the US, where the study was conducted, blue-collar workers may receive more respect than those in Singapore," she says, adding that she was surprised to learn that the bricklayer ranked higher on the list than a judge.

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