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COMPARISON OF JOB SATISFACTION OF SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS IN CENTRALIZED VERSUS DECENTRALIZED SCHOOL SYSTEMS

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Date Issued:
1981
Summary:
The level of job satisfaction of speech pathologists was examined in two organizational school systems, centralized and decentralized. The purpose of this study was to determine whether job satisfaction was greater among speech pathologists working in a centralized organizational system or among those working in a decentralized system. The rationale for this study involves the relationship between job satisfaction and employee behavior. Tardiness, apathy and sabotage are often expressions of dissatisfaction. Employee satisfaction is a key factor in maintaining low rates of absenteeism or turnover. The method for assessing positive or negative job satisfaction was an attitude questionnaire designed around five categories: (1) General job attitude satisfaction; (2) Overall system satisfaction; (3) Supervision satisfaction; (4) Immediate job satisfaction; (5) County school system satisfaction. Using the Likert scale, positive or negative job satisfaction was determined. The higher the scores the greater the magnitude of dependent variable. Subjects included a random sample of forty speech pathologists working in Broward or Dade County public school systems. Data were analyzed for correlation between paired ranks with the .05 level of probability being accepted as evidence of statistical significance. Analyses revealed statistically significant relationships among twelve out of thrity-eight questions. These results suggest that the level of job satisfaction can be altered by adjusting the characteristics of a decentralized and centralized system. Thus, to some degree job satisfaction is affected by organizational structure. Further analysis of the scores indicated that a decentralized system provides more positive job satisfaction than does a centralized system. Interpretation of findings was confounded by the following limitations. (a) The researcher can never be sure that the respondent is expressing his or her true attitude rather than a socially acceptable attitude. (b) The validity of this study is directly related to the validity of the responses made by individuals in the sample. (c) Job satisfaction involves many unpredictable factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic. Two more general concerns arise with research of this nature. First, the difficulty of determining which components of job satisfaction are most important to any given population and, second, the difficulty of determining how any one area of job satisfaction or dissatisfaction affects the other areas of the study. Research suggestions included the following: (1) Strengthening the statistical results by selection of a larger population in which to obtain base raw data. (2) The establishing of a needs hierarchy relative to job satisfaction. (3) Further research on the definition and measurement of job factors. (4) Determination of the relative independence of job factors. (5) Subdivision of the factors used in this study in the interest of producing more precise results. (6) More and better standardized instruments for the measurement of both job attitudes and their effects on job satisfaction.
Title: A COMPARISON OF JOB SATISFACTION OF SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS IN CENTRALIZED VERSUS DECENTRALIZED SCHOOL SYSTEMS.
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Name(s): SINKIEWICZ, ROBERT WILLIAM
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1981
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 121 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The level of job satisfaction of speech pathologists was examined in two organizational school systems, centralized and decentralized. The purpose of this study was to determine whether job satisfaction was greater among speech pathologists working in a centralized organizational system or among those working in a decentralized system. The rationale for this study involves the relationship between job satisfaction and employee behavior. Tardiness, apathy and sabotage are often expressions of dissatisfaction. Employee satisfaction is a key factor in maintaining low rates of absenteeism or turnover. The method for assessing positive or negative job satisfaction was an attitude questionnaire designed around five categories: (1) General job attitude satisfaction; (2) Overall system satisfaction; (3) Supervision satisfaction; (4) Immediate job satisfaction; (5) County school system satisfaction. Using the Likert scale, positive or negative job satisfaction was determined. The higher the scores the greater the magnitude of dependent variable. Subjects included a random sample of forty speech pathologists working in Broward or Dade County public school systems. Data were analyzed for correlation between paired ranks with the .05 level of probability being accepted as evidence of statistical significance. Analyses revealed statistically significant relationships among twelve out of thrity-eight questions. These results suggest that the level of job satisfaction can be altered by adjusting the characteristics of a decentralized and centralized system. Thus, to some degree job satisfaction is affected by organizational structure. Further analysis of the scores indicated that a decentralized system provides more positive job satisfaction than does a centralized system. Interpretation of findings was confounded by the following limitations. (a) The researcher can never be sure that the respondent is expressing his or her true attitude rather than a socially acceptable attitude. (b) The validity of this study is directly related to the validity of the responses made by individuals in the sample. (c) Job satisfaction involves many unpredictable factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic. Two more general concerns arise with research of this nature. First, the difficulty of determining which components of job satisfaction are most important to any given population and, second, the difficulty of determining how any one area of job satisfaction or dissatisfaction affects the other areas of the study. Research suggestions included the following: (1) Strengthening the statistical results by selection of a larger population in which to obtain base raw data. (2) The establishing of a needs hierarchy relative to job satisfaction. (3) Further research on the definition and measurement of job factors. (4) Determination of the relative independence of job factors. (5) Subdivision of the factors used in this study in the interest of producing more precise results. (6) More and better standardized instruments for the measurement of both job attitudes and their effects on job satisfaction.
Identifier: 11787 (digitool), FADT11787 (IID), fau:12576 (fedora)
Note(s): Thesis (Educat.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1981.
Subject(s): Job satisfaction
School management and organization--Florida
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/11787
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.