The effect of job satisfaction on job search: Not just whether, but also where

Using survey data of public sector employees in the Netherlands, this paper shows that workers' satisfaction with various job domains not only affects whether but also where workers search for another job. An intuitive pattern emerges. Workers try to leave their current employer when they are uncomfortable with an organisation-specific job domain, like management. Conversely, when workers are dissatisfied with a job domain that differs sufficiently across jobs within an organisation, like autonomy, they look for another position in their current organisation. Dissatisfaction with job domains which may have an industry-specific component, such as job duties, drives workers out of their industry. The findings provide a unique view on the relative heterogeneity of job domains across jobs within organisations and industries.