Measuring the Monday blues: Validation of a job satisfaction scale for the human services.

SOCIAL workers; JOB satisfaction; MOTIVATION (Psychology); JOB stress; EMPLOYEE retention; PUBLIC welfare

Nothing is as central to the work lives of social workers or as important to an organization's effective use of personnel as the satisfaction staff derive from their employment. The present - presents a shod (14-item) facet-based, direct measure of job satisfaction that can be used by researchers and administrators. The scale was developed and validated in a series of studies from 1980 to 1991 involving over 600 helping professionals. Across administrations the full Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS) alpha reliabilities ranged between .83 and .91, and reliabilities of the intrinsic and organizational satisfaction subscales ranged from .85 to .90 and .78 to .90, respectively. Factor analyses also suggested a third (two-item) factor dealing with salary, promotion, and benefits. Among findings supporting validity were correlations of lower JSS scores with later-measured depression, burnout, and intention to quit one's job. Two separate studies found job satisfaction or dissatisfaction related to emotional exhaustion or burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Social Work Research is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)