Final answer:
People's desires from their jobs are influenced by a mix of elements including job characteristics, personal and cultural values, and socioeconomic factors. Job satisfaction relates more to the intrinsic content of the work rather than just monetary compensation. Theories like the Davis-Moore thesis also highlight the role of social stratification in the distribution and reward of jobs.
Step-by-step explanation:
What people want from their jobs is a partial function of a variety of factors such as personal values, the nature of the job itself, economic conditions, cultural context, the level of control they have over their work, and their involvement in decision-making processes. Job satisfaction is significantly influenced by the work-content factor, which includes job variety, difficulty level, and role clarity, rather than solely by the level of pay as per research by Saari & Judge (2004) and Judge et al. (2010). Moreover, theories like the Davis-Moore thesis suggest that social stratification is necessary and that higher rewards in jobs are a result of the need for skilled positions which require more education and training. Symbolic interactionists like Melvin Kohn have found that job satisfaction increases when workers have control over their work, input in decisions, freedom from surveillance, and feel integral to work outcomes.