Whereas structural correspondence is exemplified by the direct relationships between occupational values and work characteristics, individual correspondence is exemplified by indirect relationships among
occupational values, work characteristics, and job satisfaction. As TWA
suggests, all work (and by extension work characteristics) involves interplay between the individual and the occupation, with work adjustment
reflecting a correspondence between needs and requirements (Lofquist &
Dawis, 1969). In this view, “satisfaction is related to the extent to which
the work environment is capable of reinforcingthe needs and values of
the employee” (Hesketh & Griffin, 2005, p. 247; italics added). Research
on TWA supports this depiction, as occupational reinforcement of values
is associated with individual satisfaction (Rounds, Dawis, & Lofquist,
1987). Thus, when an individual’s work characteristics are aligned with
what the occupation provides in terms of reinforcers, individual correspondence results and is reflected in job satisfaction. This implies that
work characteristics are important mechanisms through which higherlevel occupational values impact individual-level job satisfaction. In this
way, work characteristics convey the top-down effects of occupations