Client work, job satisfaction and work environment aspects in human service organizations
Author
Summary, in English
In this thesis, three empirical studies investigating human service organizations pertaining to client work, work satisfaction, and the work environment are presented. The general aim of this thesis was to investigate working conditions in human service organizations with particular consideration and emphasis on the extent of human service workers´ client work and their perceived level of job satisfaction.
In study I the aim was to investigate how success and failure is experienced and constructed among human service workers and supervisors. The results showed that important categories of success and failure included client relationships, collaboration and communication with employees and colleagues. Other significant aspects included insufficient resources, high workloads, and vague organizational change processes.
Study II explored if social workers? experience of their work situation is dependent upon the degree of client-related work they have. Survey data were obtained from 525 social workers and the results indicated that social workers with high degree of direct client work experienced the highest workload and the lowest satisfaction and meaningfulness, while workers with low degree of client work experienced the lowest workload and the highest levels of job satisfaction.
Study III investigated whether and how a number of work aspects affect social workers (n=525), nurses (n=512), and preschool teachers (n=545) experience of general work satisfaction. A questionnaire survey revealed that motivation and optimism was the most important predictor of general work satisfaction. Other significant factors included leadership, workload, improvisation and initiative, colleague relations, control, and organizational goals.
In study I the aim was to investigate how success and failure is experienced and constructed among human service workers and supervisors. The results showed that important categories of success and failure included client relationships, collaboration and communication with employees and colleagues. Other significant aspects included insufficient resources, high workloads, and vague organizational change processes.
Study II explored if social workers? experience of their work situation is dependent upon the degree of client-related work they have. Survey data were obtained from 525 social workers and the results indicated that social workers with high degree of direct client work experienced the highest workload and the lowest satisfaction and meaningfulness, while workers with low degree of client work experienced the lowest workload and the highest levels of job satisfaction.
Study III investigated whether and how a number of work aspects affect social workers (n=525), nurses (n=512), and preschool teachers (n=545) experience of general work satisfaction. A questionnaire survey revealed that motivation and optimism was the most important predictor of general work satisfaction. Other significant factors included leadership, workload, improvisation and initiative, colleague relations, control, and organizational goals.
Publishing year
2005
Language
English
Document type
Dissertation
Publisher
Department of Psychology, Lund University
Topic
- Psychology
Keywords
- Socialpsykologi
- Social psychology
- Psykologi
- arbetstillfredsställelse
- arbetsmiljö
- socialt arbete
- Psychology
- arbetsmotivation
- klientarbete
- human serviceorganisationer
- social work
- job satisfaction
- work environment
- work motivation
- human service organizations
- client work
Status
Published
Supervisor
- Jitka Lindén
- Ingegerd Carlsson
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISBN: 91-631-7085-X
Defence date
7 December 2005
Defence time
09:15
Defence place
Hörsal 128, Stora Algatan 4 Lund
Opponent
- Annika Härenstam (Docent)