ABSTRACTROBERT MICHAEL BICKMEIER. Differentiating the domains of dirty work in animal euthanasia. (Under the direction of DR. STEVEN G. ROGELBERG)This study distinguished two domains of taint in dirty work empirically and theoretically in terms of involvement with a core dirty task and relationships with individual-level variables. Archival data from a web-based survey of a large sample of animal euthanasia workers (N = 556) from shelters across the United States were analyzed. Physical taint and moral taint significantly related to a hypothesized dirty task (animal euthanasia). Physical taint significantly related to both emotional drain and job satisfaction, whereas moral taint did not significantly relate to either emotional drain or job satisfaction in the presence of physical taint. These relationships were observed while controlling for the effects of a core dirty task indicating that taint has a unique relationship with emotional drain and job satisfaction. The reports of taint and the relationships observed in this study strongly challenge previously held notions that taint and dirty work should be studied prescriptively. Instead, results from this study suggest that dirty work should be studied from the perspective of dirty workers, and the taint of dirty work should be examined across distinct domains.
