The first alternative specification is based on the Job Characteristics Model that emphasizes the effects of objective motivational job characteristics on employee affective outcomes such as job satisfaction. Since the JCM suggests a strong correspondence between objective job characteristics and subjective job perception (Stone， 1992)， one may argue that objective job characteristics will affect job perception， which， in turn， leads to intrinsic job satisfaction (Hulin and Blood， 1968; Stone， 1976). The model does not hypothesize a direct relationship between objective job characteristics and extrinsic job satisfaction (i. e.， satisfaction with facets other than the job itself such as pay and promotion opportunities)， nor between objective job characteristics and overall job satisfaction.
The other two alternative specifications based on theories that emphasize the processes through which job perception and attitudes (e. g. ， job satisfaction) are formed， and the effects of social information on these processes. The Social Information Processing theory argues that overall job attitudes， of which job satisfaction is one， will initiate a rationalizing process through which individuals will make sense' of their situation by cognitively constructing characteristics of their job that are consistent with the social context (Selznick and Pfeiffer， 1978; Thomas and Griffin， 1983). In other words， this theory suggests that employees develop a generalized reaction to the work environment (i.e.， attitudes) based on information gained from their social contexts. This global impression about the social contexts will then affect the perception of' their jobs. In this case， job perception is the effect of job satisfaction rather than the cause. The SIP theory does not distinguish between overall job satisfactions from its components. Thus， based on the SIP theory， one may argue that overall job satisfaction (including both intrinsic and extrinsic aspects) should have causal effects on job perception.
The final alternative specification is based on the Cognitive Social Learning theory introduced by James and his colleagues (e. g.， James， Hater， Gent and Bruin， 1978; James and Jones， 1980; James and Ettrick， 1986). According to this theory， employees will form their job perception by assigning unique meanings to their work situations based on their jobs and other relevant situational attributes. They will then formulate attitudes based on these perceptions and adjust their assignment of meanings if inconsistencies exist between their perception and attitudes. This interactive adjustment is a social learning process for employees to maintain consistencies between perception and attitudes. Thus， based on this theory， one may argue that job perception and job satisfaction are reciprocally related. Similar to the JCM， the CSL theory also deals explicitly with the
Relationship between job perception and intrinsic job satisfaction. In measuring job satisfaction， for example， only "items associated directly with job and task events" were used by James and Jones (1980， p. 110). Thus， according to the CSI. only the reciprocal relationship between job perception and intrinsic job satisfaction is relevant.
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