Date of Award

12-1981

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Richard E. Munsterman

Second Advisor

Dr. Uldis Smidchens

Third Advisor

Dr. Shirley Van Hoeven

Abstract

The importance of the role of the elementary school secretary was established along with the findings that job satisfaction may be related to job performance. It was also pointed out that the relationship between job satisfaction and the independent variables that may be related to or influence it have not been identified. This led to the problem of how job satisfaction may be improved and therefore possibly increase performance. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify those independent variables that may be related to job satisfaction.

Literature regarding job satisfaction varied greatly and was very scarce in terms of this population. This review isolated nine relevant independent variables (amount of supervision, in-service, education, age, seniority, marital status, income, children, and ages of children). Four dependent variables (supervision, work, pay, and promotion) were identified as major component parts of job satisfaction.

A population of 210 public elementary school secretaries was drawn from four southwestern Michigan counties resulting in a return rate of 85%. The Job Description Index (JDI) was utilized to measure the four job satisfaction variables. A total of 54 points (median = 27) was possible for each variable. A demographic questionnaire was used to obtain data regarding the nine independent variables.

The interrelationship between family, personal, and school information with intrinsic and extrinsic areas of job satisfaction were the main areas of investigation. The t test, one-way ANOVA, and least square difference post hoc analysis were used to measure the interrelationships at the .05 level of significance.

Overall satisfaction with work and supervision were moderate to high, while satisfacion with pay and promotion were low. Little support was found for the 36 hypotheses. Statistical support was found in the relationship between work and in-service; pay and age and importance of salary; promotion and in-service as well as education. However, meaningful support was applicable only to the relationship between work and in-service.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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