Educational Gerontology, 40: 767–782, 2014

Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

ISSN: 0360-1277 print / 1521-0472 online
DOI: 10.1080/03601277.2014.882108

The Mediating Effect of Happiness on the Job

Satisfaction of Aging Filipino Workers:
A Structural Equation Model (SEM)

Allan B. de Guzman
College of Commerce and Business Administration, College of Education,
The Graduate School and Research Cluster on Cultural, Educational and Social Issues,
University of Santo Tomas, Manila, The Philippines
Erika Largo, Lillianne Mandap, and Virnalyn Mae Mu~noz
College of Commerce and Business Administration, University of Santo Tomas,
Manila, The Philippines

Job satisfaction is a frequently studied topic among scholars, but only few have taken into account the
job satisfaction of older workers. This study aims to develop a model that describes the mediating
effect of happiness on job satisfaction specifically on a select group of aging Filipino workers. This
paper utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) for its data analysis to test what impact happiness
has on job satisfaction. Three hundred aging Filipino workers, both from public and private organiza-
tions in the Philippines, took part in this study by completing a five-part research tool that consists of a
Robotfoto (a Dutch term that describes a photo-like picture drawn by police to describe a suspect
from a witness’s illustration) and adopted questionnaires for physical and mental well-being,
employee recognition, happiness, and job satisfaction. The structural equation model revealed that
physical and mental well-being and employee recognition significantly affect—and are predictors
of—happiness. Moreover, it was found that happiness has an impact on the job satisfaction of older
workers. Findings generated in this study cater relevant ideas in developing programs and practices
for the aging workforce in the field of Human Resource Management.

As an organizational concern, job satisfaction has been frequently studied by a number of

scholars (Hansen & Host, 2012). Said studies have concluded that job satisfaction is an end
product of a number of different predictors that include policy, administration and salary, job
security, control over the duration of work and autonomy, secondary traumatic stress, job
context—role clarity, and job complexity (Wong & NgeeHeng, 2009; Aletraris, 2010; Bride &
Kintzle, 2011; Hansen & Host, 2012), among others. Today, most of the employees are found to
be dissatisfied with their jobs for the reason of not feeling valued by the organization, lack of
opportunities, disagreements with supervisors, low pay, and long working hours (Shaikh,
Bhutto, & Maitlo, 2012). The absence of job satisfaction will result to deeper consequences such

Address correspondence to Allan B. de Guzman, Research Cluster on Cultural, Educational and Social Issues,
University of Santo Tomas, Manila, The Philippines. E-mail: abdeguzman@mnl.ust.edu.ph
768 A. B. DE GUZMAN ET AL.

as low job performance and failure to achieve organizational goals (Rast & Tourani, 2012). The
curiosity and enthusiasm on the topic continues to exist because employee satisfaction at work
has an impact on the operation of an organization as a whole; and at the same time it espouses
and takes up an important value to one’s life and elevates the overall well-being of the individ-
ual, as well as the organization and society they are a part of (Wong & NgeeHeng, 2009;
Staples & Higgins, 1998). Happiness has shown effects on the various aspects of life. For
instance, Fisher (2003) found that happy workers tend to exhibit more satisfaction and are more
productive in terms of their jobs. At the time of this study, only a few studies have been devoted
to the investigation of the relationship of happiness and job satisfaction. For example, Bowling,
Eschleman and Wang (2010) averred that job satisfaction is positively associated with happi-
ness. Additionally, in the study of Nurullah (2010), it was stated that among several psychoso-
cioeconomic factors, happiness together with income, predicts job satisfaction. Conversely,
though income was found to be a predictor of job satisfaction, it was observed to be a weak pre-
dictor but an important source of job satisfaction (Argyle, 1999; Nurullah, 2010). Nonetheless,
though several studies have investigated job satisfaction in general, it seems that few research
papers were focused on the importance of job satisfaction of the older workers. Eichar, Norland,
Brady, and Fortinsky (1991), for their part, posited that aging workers who are past their
retirement age who still continue to work, particularly those reentering the workforce and those
changing their jobs, play an essential role in the labor force and these workers are likely to be
more satisfied with their jobs than the younger ones. Additionally, Bas and Ardic (2002) stated
that job satisfaction is an area of inquiry that is researched heavily, and that their findings
indicated a positive relationship between age and job satisfaction and averred that whatever
the relationship may be of these two, the existence of high job satisfaction among aging employ-
ees is already accepted. Further, it was ascertained that the job satisfaction of aging employees is
higher together with organizational commitment (Kumar & Giri, 2009). The purpose of the
present study is to develop a model that describes the mediating effect of happiness on job
satisfaction, particularly among a select group of aging Filipino workers. Results of this study
can expectedly help the human resources (HR) practitioners understand these factors and their
impact on job satisfaction among aging employees and at the same time identify future means
and methods to address the needs and concerns of the aging employees with a view to increasing
the organization’s performance while respecting the unique contribution of the said sector.
Moreover, the human resources management, considered as the key drivers of the prosperity
and accomplishment of any institution (Shah, Rehman, Akhtar, Zafar, & Riaz, 2012), can
develop vital and responsive policies, programs and activities that promote an organizational
milieu where happiness guarantees satisfaction among aging employees.

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Theoretical Framework

Theoretically, this study is anchored on Authentic Happiness Theory. This theory integrates the
three distinct kinds of happiness: the Pleasant Life, Good Life, and Meaningful Life (Seligman &
Royzman, 2003). First, pleasant life deals with the positive emotions that people feel. Next is
the good life, which deals with the involvement of the person, at the same time, engaged with
 HAPPINESS AND JOB SATISFACTION OF AGING FILIPINOS 769

a particular activity. Lastly, meaningful life denotes accomplishing bigger things in life. In total,
according to Seligman and Royzman, the Authentic Happiness Theory can be considered as the
Full Life, which fits the all three criteria of happiness. In the context of this study, if the older
workers attained their physical and mental well-being at an increasing level, they have achieved
the pleasant life wherein they feel physically and mentally comfortable, no hindrance in doing
their job, and basically just feeling good. As for good life, aging employees experience engage-
ment in their daily activities through recognition they received when sharing ideas or even being
productive. In regard to job satisfaction, if one’s physical and mental well-being has been
achieved, the employee recognition has been obtained due to day-to-day engagement; it may
result in job satisfaction which may be considered under the meaningful life. If the first two
criteria have been continuously achieved and fulfilled, happiness will always result in job
satisfaction.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Physical and Mental Well-Being

On the one hand, physical well-being as defined by Saracci (1997) is a basic human right that is
mostly associated with health and is a state wherein one is free from disease and illness. On the
other hand, mental health is a state of well-being wherein individuals recognize their capabilities
while coping with everyday pressure, anxiety and tension of living, works efficiently, contribu-
ting their share to society’s requirements (World Health Organization [WHO], 2011). In a study
by Nath and Pradhan (2012), mental health, which is associated with mental well-being, is inter-
changeably used with psychological well-being. Previous studies show that physical and mental
well-being are influenced by happiness. For instance, in a study conducted by Veenhoven
(2008), happiness fosters physical health by keeping a person from getting ill. Happy people
tend to have their lives prolonged. Studies also show increased happiness is associated with
mental health and physical health-related quality of life (Proctor, Maltby, & Linley, 2011;
Angner, Ray, Saag, & Allison, 2009). Likewise, physical health and psychological well-being
are improved when positive affectivity is felt; and the more irrepressible a person is, the more
a person identifies positivity which ensues to the progress of physical health and psychological
well-being (Nath & Pradhan, 2012). However, it seems that these studies focus more on what
effect happiness has on physical and mental well-being. The current study would like to know
what effect physical and mental well-being has on happiness. Thus, the following hypothesis is
proposed:
H1: The better physical and mental well-being of the aging workforce, the happier they are.

Employee Recognition

Recognition is first and foremost a constructive reaction and a conclusion made about a person’s
involvement in the process, reflecting not just work accomplishment but also personal dedication
and engagement. Also, recognition is engaged in on a regular or unplanned basis and expressed
formally or informally, individually or collectively, privately or publicly, and monetarily or
770 A. B. DE GUZMAN ET AL.

nonmonetarily (Brun & Dugas, 2008). While recognition is widely used in organizations, it gets
little attention from scholars; that makes it a subject that needs thorough investigation (Brun &
Dugas, 2008; Long & Shields, 2010). Hence, we propose this hypothesis:
H2: The more employee recognition the aging workforce gets, the happier they are.

Happiness

As suggested by Maltby, Day, and Barber (2005), happiness is the pinnacle manifestation of
human contentment. Several attempts have been made to characterize happiness, and a wide
range of studies showed that it is associated with different factors from different fields of study
(i.e., neuroscience and psychology, philosophy, economics; Ballas & Tranmer, 2012). Con-
versely, there are numerous predictors affecting happiness that are categorized to intrinsic and
extrinsic factors. For instance, leisure, marriage, and employment were identified to be the most
important aspects of happiness for certain groups; and the loss or absence of these factors would
result in unhappiness (Argyle, 1999). It was also averred by Argyle that income has complex and
generally weak effects on happiness. This was proven in a study by Smith, Langa, Kabeto, and
Ubel (2005) who proposed that although there is an increase in wealth, it could uplift one’s hap-
piness only to a trivial extent. Further, Mogilner (2010) argued that making money as a primary
concern would make interpersonal relationships suffer as well as happiness. Another facet that is
considered a predictor of happiness under extrinsic factors is work status. As observed by Tadic,
Oerlemans, Bakker, and Veenhoven (2012), older adults who are still working gain further
happiness from tranquil activities; and nonworking adults obtain theirs from strenuous activities
during leisure time. Consequently, according to Boehm and Lyubomirsky (2008), people having
that sense of empowerment on the demands of their job are less likely to disengage from work,
and the result is a feeling of happiness that affects the satisfaction they get from their jobs.
Subsequently, happiness does not only link itself with workplace success but it also goes before
measures of success and workplace outcomes brought about by orientation of positive affect
(Boehm & Lyubomirsky). In regard to intrinsic factors, such as age and education, as predictors
of happiness, they only had a small, positive effect (Argyle, 1999). Thus, we hypothesize the
following:
H3: The higher level of happiness of the aging workforce, the more satisfied they are in their jobs.

Job Satisfaction

Job satisfaction is a state wherein the job is linked with a person’s needs and desires. In particular,
the employees convey a sense of enjoyment of work, even when associated with peers, as long as
their needs are satisfied (Griffin, Hogan, Lambert, Tucker-Gail, & Baker, 2010). Based on pre-
vious studies, job satisfaction is formed by personal demographics and organizational concerns.
For instance, studies show that gender is considered to express an outcome on job satisfaction
(Aletraris, 2010; Kanwar, Singh, & Kodwani, 2012). Also, Choundhury and Gupta (2011)
averred that age influences job satisfaction. However, there are also studies that find no significant
difference can be derived from age and gender in their job satisfaction level (Alqashan & Alzubi,
 HAPPINESS AND JOB SATISFACTION OF AGING FILIPINOS 771

2009; Crossman & Harris, 2006). On the subject of organizational concerns in the formation of
job satisfaction, it seems that several subfactors are being talked about. On the one hand, it was
found that organizational concerns—such as role clarity, efficiency in policy making, and less
experience of negative feelings toward work—lead to job satisfaction (Hansen & Host, 2012;
Zhang, Yao, & Cheong, 2011; Griffin, Hogan, Lambert, Tucker-Gail, & Baker, 2010). On the
other hand, organizational concerns like work pressure, minimal job security, control over
duration of work, autonomy; and secondary traumatic stress are less likely to lead to job satisfac-
tion (Hansen & Host, 2012; Aletraris, 2010; Bride & Kintzle, 2011). Thus, we hypothesize that
happiness is a predictor that affects job satisfaction.

METHOD

Design

This paper utilized structural equation modelling (SEM) for its data analysis to examine
happiness and its impact on job satisfaction. SEM is a statistical technique that examines
multiple hypotheses while instantaneously controlling error (Newman, Vance, & Moneyham,
2010). The model has integrated four latent variables with three hypotheses. Among the four
latent variables, two are exogenous; one endogenous; and there is a mediating variable to justify
the utilization of SEM in this research.

Subjects and Study Site

A total of 300 respondents were included in the study. We selected various organizations for
greater representation from both public and private sectors in the Philippines, particularly
from Marikina, Quezon, Makati, and Pasay cities. Others were from Bataan, Batangas, and
Dagupan provinces. One hundred fifty respondents were from the public sector while the
other half were from the private sector. Respondents were purposively selected through the
following inclusion criteria: 50 years old and above, Filipino, and still working or part of
the workforce.
Table 1 presents the demographic characteristics of the aging workers. Almost half of the
respondents were within 50–53 years old (147 at 49%), while more than half were female
(186 at 62%), and married (224 at 74.7%). Hard Science as their chosen field of study is noted
for 50.7% of the respondents, who work for private and public organizations (150 at 50%). The
majority of the respondents work full time (283 at 94.3%), have a household income that ranges
from 30 000–49 999 php (93 at 31%), and have been employed for the past 21–30 years (168 at
56%). A greater number of the respondents confirmed to have not been diagnosed with any kind
of illness (208 at 69.3%) and had received recognition (180 at 60%).

Data Measures

Through an extensive review of related literature, a questionnaire was generated to measure the
extent of the mediating effect of happiness on physical and mental well-being and of employee
772 A. B. DE GUZMAN ET AL.

TABLE 1
Demographic Characteristics of Respondents (n ¼ 300)

N %

Age
50–53 147 49
54–57 90 30
58–61 42 14
62–65 21 7
Gender
Male 114 38
Female 186 62
Marital Status
Single 40 13.3
Married 224 74.7
Widowed 23 7.7
Separated 13 4.3
Field of Study
Hard Science 152 50.7
Soft Science 148 49.3
Work Status
Part-time 5 1.7
Full-time 283 94.3
Self-employed 12 4
Household Income
Below 10,000 10 3.3
10,001–29,999 65 21.7
30,000–49,999 93 31
50,000–69,999 55 18.3
70,000–80,000 23 7.7
Above 80,000 53 17.7
Organization
Private 150 50
Public 150 50
Length of Service
1–10 years 7 2.3
11–20 years 30 10
21–30 years 168 56
31–40 years 95 31.7
Illness
Yes 92 30.7
No 208 69.3
Recognition
Yes 180 60
No 120 40

recognition toward the job satisfaction of a select group of aging Filipino workers. The research
tool consisted of the following parts:
. Robotfoto—Demographic information such as age, field of study, current household
income, organization sector, length of service, diagnosed illness, recognition received,
 HAPPINESS AND JOB SATISFACTION OF AGING FILIPINOS 773

and other additional requirements were collected through a Robotfoto, a Dutch term that
describes a photo-like picture drawn by police to describe a suspect from a witness’s
illustration (Kelchtermans & Ballet, 2002).
. Physical and Mental Well-Being (PMWB)—The instrument was adopted from previous
studies by Reker (1994, 1997); Leddy (1996); and Kozma et al. (1997). It is a 16-item
questionnaire developed with a 7-point Likert scale spanning from strongly agree (7), to
strongly disagree (1). For physical well-being, 8 items from the questionnaire were
allotted such as ‘‘I have plenty of physical energy’’ and ‘‘I don’t get tired very easily.’’
The other 8 items were designated for mental well-being including items like ‘‘I have
peace of mind’’ and ‘‘I feel that life is worth living.’’
. Employee Recognition (ER)—Adopted from Saks (2006), the instrument measured
employee recognition through a 10-item scale that includes statements like ‘‘A
promotion’’; ‘‘Respect from the people you work with’’; and ‘‘Praise from your
supervisor.’’ Respondents were asked to indicate the extent to which they agree on the
statements describing practices in their organization. A 5-point Likert scale ranging from
a large extent (5) to a small extent (1) was used.
. Happiness—According to Hills and Argyle (2002), 29 statements were employed to assess
happiness. Each item was shown as single statements that can be certified through the use
of a uniform 6-point Likert scale that ranges from strongly agree (6) to strongly disagree
(1). It includes items such as ‘‘I find most things amusing’’; ‘‘I feel able to take anything
on’’; and ‘‘There is a gap between what I would like to do and what I have done.’’
. Job Satisfaction (JS)—The instrument was adopted from Weiss, Dawis, England, and
Lofquist (1967). It measured job satisfaction in 20 facets. The instrument has a long
form containing 100 questions that include five items for each facet while the short form
has 20 questions composed of one item per facet. The short form of the instrument was
used in this study. Statements like ‘‘The chance to work alone on the job’’; ‘‘The way
my job provides for steady employment’’; and ‘‘The freedom to use my own judgment’’
were included. A 5-point Likert scale was applied covering from very satisfied (5) to
very dissatisfied (1).

Data Collection Procedure

Information on physical and mental well-being, employee recognition, happiness, and job satis-
faction of aging Filipino workers was collected through adopted survey questionnaires distributed
to public and private sectors from November 2012 to January 2013. Each organization was given
a consent letter through their human resource department to get their approval and agree to coop-
erate in the process of data gathering. The questionnaires were then handed to them. Four hundred
questionnaires were distributed by HR personnel of the organizations while others were person-
ally disseminated by the researchers. A total of 300 usable questionnaires were collected.

Data Analysis

Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the respondents’ demographic profile. To test
the researchers’ model construing job satisfaction as mediated by happiness and predicted by
774 A. B. DE GUZMAN ET AL.

physical and mental well-being and employee recognition, a structural equation model (SEM)
was utilized on SPSS for Windows version 17 and AMOS version 19.

RESULTS

The 10 recognition items were factor analyzed using the principal component method and
Varimax with Kaiser Normalization rotation to delineate the underlying dimensions of employee
recognition experienced by aging Filipino workers among public and private organizations (see
Table 2). The Kaiser-Meyer Olkin of 0.890 for recognition reflected that the sample is adequate
for factor analysis to proceed. The reliability coefficient (Cronbach alpha) was computed for
each factor to estimate the reliability of each scale; all factors with a reliability coefficient more
than .60 were considered valid in the study. Reliability coefficients ranging from .82 to .88 were
specified by all the factors. No reduction was done in the number of items by discarding items of
factor loading and communalities less than .40. These rules were followed and still resulted to
the 10-item instrument that measured two dimensions in aging Filipino employee recognition,
labelled in a decreasing emphasized variance: (a) Enabling Recognition is a form of recognition
that involves advancement, acknowledgement, and good job status; (b) Empowering Recog-
nition is a form of recognition in which an employee receives courtesy from colleagues,
autonomy, and assurance over one’s job.
Table 3 depicts the results of factor analysis of happiness for aging workforce. The 29-item
questionnaire was factor analyzed using the principal component method and Varimax with
Kaiser Normalization rotation to describe the underlying factor dimensions of happiness felt
by the aging Filipino workers. As indicated, the Kaiser-Meyer Olkin of 0.891 for happiness
exhibits that the sample is sufficient for the factor analysis to advance. The reliability coefficient
(Cronbach alpha) was computed for each factor to estimate the reliability of each scale. All items
from the tool were included with reliability coefficients ranging from .69 to .87. Final reduction
in the number of items was done by eliminating items with a reliability coefficient of less

TABLE 2
Results of Factor Analysis of Employee Recognition for Older Workers

Employee recognition factors and items Factor loading Eigenvalue Variance (%) Reliability coefficient

Enabling Recognition 2.91 35.54 .88

Some form of public recognition 0.88
A promotion 0.82
A reward or token of appreciation 0.80
Training and development opportunities 0.67
A pay raise 0.61
Empowering Recognition 2.40 30.00 .82
Respect from the people you work with 0.84
More challenging work assignments 0.74
Job security 0.69
More freedom and opportunities 0.60
Praise from your supervisor 0.56


KMO ¼ 89.0%.
 HAPPINESS AND JOB SATISFACTION OF AGING FILIPINOS 775

TABLE 3
Results of Factor Analysis of Happiness for Aging Workforce

Factor Variance Reliability

Happiness factors and items loading Eigenvalue (%) coefficient

Optimism 3.48 14.92 .87

I can fit in everything I want to 0.77
I always have a cheerful effect on others 0.73
I feel I have a great deal of energy 0.63
I am well satisfied about everything in my life 0.63
I am very happy 0.63
I usually have a good influence on events 0.60
I find beauty in some things 0.56
I laugh a lot 0.51
I feel able to take anything on 0.48
Negativism 3.07 14.15 .83
I do not have particularly happy memories of the past 0.78
I don’t feel particularly healthy 0.74
I do not have a particular sense of meaning and purpose in my life 0.70
I do not have fun with other people 0.68
I do not think that the world is a good place 0.67
I don’t think I look attractive 0.59
There is a gap between what I would like to do and what I have done 0.41
Social Relationships 2.23 12.60 .81
I find most things amusing 0.71
I am intensely interested in other people 0.67
I have very warm feelings towards almost everyone 0.66
I am always committed and involved 0.66
I feel that life is very rewarding 0.64
Passive Moods 1.51 7.94 .69
I rarely wake up feeling rested 0.76
I don’t feel particularly pleased with the way I am 0.61
I am not particularly optimistic about the future 0.60
I feel that I am not especially in control of my life 0.45


KMO ¼ 89.1%.

than .60. The factor analysis found four underlying dimensions of happiness: (a) Optimism
refers to the feeling of hopefulness and contentment that an individual experiences in life as dic-
tated by the positive beliefs and views of the person about activities, other people, and oneself;
(b) Negativism is the feeling of resisting pleasant thoughts brought about by past experiences,
physical appearance, and views on life; (c) Social Relationships pertains to the attachment that
an individual holds toward other people as well as in their environment; (d) Passive Moods are
manifested in an individual’s lack of enthusiasm, inactivity and lifelessness.
As illustrated in Table 4, respondents were asked to assess how they feel about their present
job. Factor analysis and Varimax with Kaiser Normalization rotation was performed on the
20-item questionnaire to determine the underlying dimensions of job satisfaction experienced
by aging Filipino workers. The Kaiser-Meyer Olkin of 0.911 for job satisfaction reflected that
the sample is adequate for factor analysis to proceed. The reliability coefficient (Cronbach alpha)
776 A. B. DE GUZMAN ET AL.

TABLE 4
Results of Factor Analysis of Job Satisfaction of Older Workers

Factor Variance Reliability

Job satisfaction factors and items loading Eigenvalue (%) coefficient

Opportunity 3.83 22.57 .90

The chance to try my own methods of doing the job 0.75
The chance to do things for other people 0.73
The chances for advancement on this job 0.71
The chance to tell people what to do 0.67
My pay and the amount of work I do 0.63
The freedom to use my own judgement 0.60
The chance to do something that makes use of my abilities 0.59
The working conditions 0.58
The way my job provides for steady employment 0.58
Organizational Behaviors 2.69 18.47 .84
The competence of my supervisor in making decisions 0.76
The way my boss handles his=her workers 0.73
The praise I get for doing a good job 0.69
The way my coworkers get along with each other 0.67
The feeling of accomplishment I get from the job 0.63
The way company policies are put into practice 0.51
Functionality 1.38 11.63 .74
The chance to do different things from time to time 0.73
The chance to be ‘‘somebody’’ in the community 0.70
Being able to keep busy all the time 0.60


KMO ¼ 91.1%.

was computed for each factor to estimate the reliability of each scale. All items from the tool
were included with reliability coefficients ranging from .74 to .90. Final reduction in the number
of items was done by discarding items with a reliability coefficient of less than .60. The factor
analysis that was performed discovered three underlying dimensions: (a) Opportunity takes place
when employees are given a break to act in their own way, to do their desired means in
performing their job as well as the provision of a better job environment; (b) Organizational
Behaviors pertains to how the management helps boost the feeling of satisfaction of the employ-
ees in their job; (c) Functionality refers to performing task variation vis-a-vis recognition by the
community.

The Structural Equation Model

The hypothesized model (Figure 1) indicates that (a) the better physical and mental well-being of
the aging workforce, and (b) the presence of employee recognition on the aging workforce, the
happier they are; and (c) the higher level of happiness of the aging workforce, the more satisfied
they are in their jobs. Emerging structural equation model (Figure 2) found that happiness affects
job satisfaction and mediates the effect of an employee’s well-being and recognition to the
latter. Fit indices of CMIN=df ¼ 2.146, CFI ¼ 0.866, NFI ¼ 0.740, RMSEA ¼ 0.062 reveal that
the model had a good fit, indicating a good construct of variables.
HAPPINESS AND JOB SATISFACTION OF AGING FILIPINOS 777

FIGURE 1 The conceptual model.

FIGURE 2 The emerging model.

778 A. B. DE GUZMAN ET AL.

The Impact of Physical and Mental Well-Being, Employee Recognition,

and Happiness on Job Satisfaction

The structural equation model, as shown in Figure 2, reveals standardized regression weights
that determine the relationship between variables.
Results show that physical well-being and mental well-being, independently, had significant
impact on certain dimensions of happiness. On the one hand, physical well-being has a significant
positive effect on the underlying dimensions of happiness particularly on optimism (b ¼  1.55).
This indicates that the more physically healthy the employees are, the more optimistic and the less
negative thinking and passive moods they will have. On the other hand, mental well-being h
significant positive effect on the underlying dimensions of happiness specifically on social rela-
tionships (b ¼ .54) and negativism (b ¼ 2.06), with passive moods having the greatest significant
effect (b ¼ 2.12). Notably, physical well-being does not affect social relationships and mental
well-being does not affect optimism.
Similarly, employee recognition with its two identified dimensions, enabling and empowering
recognition, have significant effect on passive moods (b ¼ .06) and social relationships (b ¼ .28),
respectively. This indicates that giving recognition to an employee can contribute to the happiness
of the person. Further, happiness has been found to have a significant impact on the underlying
dimensions of job satisfaction. The more negative an employee is, the less opportunities (b ¼
 5.04) will come his=her way and the less functional (b ¼  4.05) he=she will be, although
employees’ organizational behaviors (b ¼ 4.30) are positively affected, passive moods affect
opportunities (b ¼ 5.34), organizational behaviors (b ¼ 4.44), and functionality (b ¼ 4.21) posi-
tively. However, the two other dimensions of happiness were found to have effects only on certain
dimensions of job satisfaction. Optimism on opportunity (b ¼ 0.16) and organizational behaviors
(b ¼ 0.28), to a minimum extent, while social relationships affect functionality (b ¼ 0.40). This
suggests that happy people tend to be satisfied in their jobs.

DISCUSSION

The study intended to determine the interaction between and among physical and mental
well-being, employee recognition, happiness, and job satisfaction. Moreover, it endeavors to test
a model that shows the extent to which happiness mediates on the job satisfaction of a select
group of aging Filipino workers.
An important result of this study is that the structural equation model explains that physical
and mental well-being has significant influence on happiness. Notably, this finding is parallel
with what Robinson, Kennedy and Harmon (2012) found in their study pointing out that health,
mainly mental health, significantly contributes to the happiness of a person; and should there be
changes in health, they may significantly influence happiness. However, Argyle (1997) found in
his study that it is happiness and positive moods that directly affect health. As a result, happiness
or positive moods takes an important part of the causal chain that proceeds health. Kowalski-
Trakofler, Steiner, and Schwerha (2005), for their part, asserted that aging physically involves
declines in physical, physiological, perceptual, and motor movements that may limit older
people from working. Further, a lot of older people believed that they were very or fairly
happy and that happiness accelerates along with age (Cooper, Bebbington, & Livingston,
 HAPPINESS AND JOB SATISFACTION OF AGING FILIPINOS 779

2011). Therefore, poor well-being hinders older people from doing their activities and that
happiness still matters and is important to people like them. Moreover, a review advised that
in countries where its people are with good health care, they were more anticipated to be happy
people (White, 2007). The results in this study supported Hypothesis 1: The better the physical
and mental well-being of the aging workforce, the happier it is.
Further, results had revealed that employee recognition among a select group of aging
Filipino workers has positive impact on happiness, though only in certain facets. Evidently,
Hypothesis 2 was supported in that the more recognition the aging workforce gets, the happier
it becomes. This is interesting to note, considering the aspects of happiness (social relationships
and passive moods) that employee recognition among these workers give more importance to
and has a direct impact. Among the two significant impact of recognition on happiness is the
dimension of enabling recognition, which shows that employees desire tangible rewards but
one must work hard for it and eventually feel unrested to achieve such (passive moods). This
finding may be attributed to the nature of Filipinos as industrious individuals who continuously
make an effort to reach their goals. Jocano (2000) averred that this kind of trait arises when
an individual yearns to work in order to do something and not simply out of constraints or
forces. Thus, one must work hard to achieve desired goals in order to attain that sense of
self-satisfaction.
Lastly, as the curiosity about happiness widened and stretched to the workplace experiences of
the employees (Fisher, 2010), current researchers’ interest in understanding its effect as a mediat-
ing variable has increased. The structural equation model revealed that happiness significantly
affects job satisfaction. This finding is consistent with what Weiss, Nicholas, and Daus (1999)
and Nurullah (2010) found in their paper: happiness significantly positively influences job satis-
faction. These findings imply that in order to be satisfied with one’s job, especially among aging
Filipino workers, their happiness must be fulfilled first to boost one’s performance in the job that
may result to a more satisfying work setting. Further, Conolly and Viswesvaran (2000) found in
their study that affectivity or affective outlook contributes to the job satisfaction, though they
elucidate that only a small percent represents the effect of affectivity and that there may also
be other factors contributing to job satisfaction. Additionally, although a predictor was not stated
between the two variables, still, the findings of Bowling et al. (2010) pointed out that job satis-
faction and happiness are significantly positively related. However, this runs counter with the
findings of Weaver (1978) that happiness is based on satisfaction in life as a whole, of which
job satisfaction is a part; thus, employees experiencing happiness because of satisfaction in their
job are likely to be satisfied with life. Moreover, employees with more control over their jobs are
more likely to stay and experience happiness, which greatly affects their satisfaction among their
jobs (Boehm & Lyubomirsky, 2008). Our primary interpretation of the present study is that hap-
piness of an employee must come first before job satisfaction, and having a low level of happiness
tends to make people dissatisfied and disengaged from work.
From the results of our present study, human resource practitioners are challenged to take care
of the aging workforce through the following practices: (a) incorporating fitness and wellness pro-
grams as part of company benefits, and if possible, letting employees have flexible working hours
to take care and keep track of their well-being; (b) knowing what type of recognition will best
make their employees happy in the organization and then devising recognition programs that will
make them feel that they are still valued; (c) taking into account the happiness of the aging by
having counseling sessions that will keep track of their happiness, and if they are not happy,
780 A. B. DE GUZMAN ET AL.

to come up with activities that will address their needs of being happy in the workplace that may
lead to the satisfaction with their job.

CONCLUSION

This study attempted to test a model that will determine the extent to which happiness mediates
on job satisfaction among a select group of aging Filipino workers. The model was tested using
three hypotheses and data from organizations in both the private and public sectors. The results
of this study exhibit that physical and mental well-being—along with employee recognition—
significantly affect happiness. Further, it was found that happiness has a significant impact on
job satisfaction.
Given these influences on the said factors, human resource practitioners are furnished with an
idea to come up with programs and practices that will help them manage the older workers in
terms of their well-being as well as their value in the organization. Moreover, the happiness
of the older workers should be taken into account and used as a basis for creating new means
and methods by which the aging workforce will feel satisfied in their job.
This paper has successfully afforded to utilize the power of structural equation modeling as
a multivariate analysis. Thus, considering physical and mental well-being and employee
recognition as predictors of happiness, future research may investigate what other variables
may contribute to the happiness of the aging workforce with an increase of respondents in a
cross-cultural setting.

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