Facets of Job Satisfaction
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this Applied Research Project is to explore job facets that affect public employees’ job satisfaction and then determine to what extent these facets influence the Master of Public Administration (MPA) students’ overall job satisfaction in the public sector. Lastly, the facets that impact MPA students’ job satisfaction the most are revealed. Methods: The job facets used to assess satisfaction among public employees’ is developed through the literature review. To collect the data, a questionnaire was sent electronically to the students enrolled in the MPA Program as of Fall 2014. The survey was designed to (a) evaluate employees’ overall satisfaction with their public sector job and (b) determine the facets that significantly influence job satisfaction within the public sector. Results: In total, 47 students in the MPA Program participated in the survey. The findings show that 66 percent of respondents are generally satisfied with their employment in a public agency. Multiple regression analysis identified promotional opportunities in the public sector as the sole facet to significantly impact job satisfaction. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest public agencies should focus on increasing employees’ perception of promotional and career advancement opportunities. This can be accomplished through an increased knowledge of an organization’s succession planning system as well as management development programs to reinforce the notion that the organization is concerned with giving every employee an opportunity to advance.
