NCJ Number
42131
Journal
POLICE SCIENCE AND ADMINISTRATION Volume: 5 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1977) Pages: 193-196
Date Published
1977
Length
4 pages
Annotation
A TOTAL OF 163 NEW YORK CITY POLICE OFFICERS WERE ADMINISTERED A 52-ITEM ANONYMOUS QUESTIONNAIRE TO DETERMINE WHAT ROLE, IF ANY, JOB DISSATISFACTION PLAYED IN MOTIVATING THEM TO MOONLIGHT.
Abstract
IT WAS THE NULL HYPOTHESIS OF THIS STUDY THAT THERE WOULD BE NO DIFFERENCES IN THE LEVEL OF JOB SATISFACTION FOR COLLEGE ATTENDEES, MOONLIGHTERS, AND THOSE OFFICERS HOLDING ONLY ONE JOB. THE DATA REVEAL THAT THE THREE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS, WHEN PAIRED IN ALL COMBINATIONS, DID REFLECT VARYING DEGREES OF JOB SATISFACTION. OF THESE, MOONLIGHTERS DISPLAYED THE GREATEST DEGREE OF DISSATISFACTION. IN FACT, THEY WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS SATISFIED THAN BOTH POLICE OFFICERS HOLDING ONLY ONE JOB AND THOSE ATTENDING COLLEGE. IF THE RESULTS CAN BE EXTRAPOLATED AND APPLIED TO ALL MOONLIGHTING POLICE OFFICERS, THEN THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM OF JOB DISSATISFACTION BECOMES APPARENT. POLICE ADMINISTRATORS MUST BE WILLING TO ADMIT THE POSSIBILITY THAT MANY POLICE OFFICERS MOONLIGHT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT RECEIVING THE SATISFACTION THEY REQUIRE FROM THEIR JOBS AS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. POLICE DEPARTMENTS MUST RECOGNIZE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS THE DEPARTMENT'S MOST IMPORTANT ASSET, AND NO AMOUNT OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT IN SOPHISTICATED WEAPONRY, ELECTRONICS, OR BREAKTHROUGHS IN FORENSIC SCIENCE WILL HELP THE DEPARTMENT UNLESS THOSE USING THESE TOOLS DERIVE AN ACCEPTABLE AMOUNT OF JOB SATISFACTION FROM THE WORK. POLICE DEPARTMENTS CAN TAKE THE CUE FROM PRIVATE INDUSTRY WHICH HAS MADE IMPORTANT ADVANCES IN ALLEVIATING JOB DISSATISFACTION. THE USE OF JOB ENRICHMENT INCENTIVES AS ONE SUCH TOOL HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE MOST EFFECTIVE. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. REFERENCES ARE FOOTNOTED. (KBL)