Undreaded Job

This essential guide explains how to find satisfaction in the workplace in the face of imperfections involving oneself and others.

The Undreaded Job: Learning to Thrive in a Less-than-Perfect Workplace was written to help people find satisfaction in the workplace, turning work into a major contributor to overall happiness. The book is organized around issues individuals face as they try to thrive in the face of inevitable workplace imperfections. These include imperfections in the leaders for whom they work and the colleagues with whom they interact. The book also covers the influence of one's own thinking processes and those of others, power and political sophistication in the workplace, worker motivation, development and change, workplace diversity, social skills, and the communication challenges that arise as people pursue different or conflicting goals.

The author, an expert in both psychology and management, reviews research on these topics as it relates to workplace satisfaction and life happiness. Each chapter explains research findings in ways that translate them into key concepts applicable in any workplace, at any level.

• Dozens of vignettes illustrate how this important issue goes unrecognized, yet how vital it is to life happiness
• A bibliography lists important research studies that contribute to finding workplace satisfaction
• An index of key terms

Richard W. Brislin, PhD, is a Shidler Distinguished Professor and professor of management and department chair, Shidler College of Business, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI.