State-Trait Boredom: Relationship to Absenteeism, Tenure, and Job Satisfaction

The relationship between job outcomes (i.e., satisfaction, absenteeism, and tenure) and measures of state (Job Boredom Scale) and trait (Boredom Proneness Scale) boredom was investigated. Data collected from 292 workers in a manufacturing plant in the southeast United States indicated that individuals scoring high on both types of boredom were significantly more dissatisfied with the work itself, pay, promotion, supervisor, and coworkers as assessed by the Job Descriptive Index. Those high in job boredom possessed significantly greater absenteeism and longer organizational tenure. Implications for job design and personnel selection are discussed.