ROLE OF SELECTED FACTORS UPON PATROL OFFICER JOB SATISFACTION IN TWO URBAN POLICE DEPARTMENTS

• NCJ Number: 65256
• Author(s): S E BUZAWA
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 314 pages
• Grant Number(s): 77-NI-99-0078
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

THIS THESIS DETERMINES WHAT FACTORS AFFECT JOB SATISFICATION AMONG POLICE OFFICERS IN DETROIT AND OAKLAND, CALIF.

Abstract

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES EXAMINED WHICH MAY BE PREDICTIVE OF JOB SATISFICTION INCLUDE VARIOUS BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFICER, THE TYPE OF SUPERVISORY STYLE ENCOUNTERED BY THE OFFICER ON PATROL, AND THE EFFECT OF THE OFFICER'S OTHER ATTITUDES TOWARD THE WORK ENVIRONMENT. A QUESTIONNAIRE GEARED TO THE WORK EXPERIENCES OF POLICE OFFICERS QUERIED THE LEVEL OF OFFICER JOB SATISFACTION. THE OFFICERS WERE ASKED TO SELECT THE IMPORTANCE OF EACH OF SEVERAL OPERATIONAL MEASURES OF JOB SATISFACTION USED. THE OFFICERS' OBSERVATIONS WERE THEN CONTRASTED WITH THOSE OF THE SUPERVISOR. THE LATTER'S ATTITUDES WERE ASCERTAINED THROUGH A STRUCTURED INTERVIEW FORMAT AND A PREVIOUSLY VALIDATED MANAGEMENT STYLE DIAGNOSTIC TEST. RESEARCH FINDINGS INDICATE THAT BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS AND JOB-RELATED FACTORS PLAY A ROLE IN DETERMINING POLICE OFFICER JOB SATISFACTION IN BOTH CITIES. BLACK OFFICERS WERE MORE SATISFIED THAN WHITE OFFICERS, AND JOB SATISFACTION INCREASED WITH THE AMOUNT OF EDUCATION AND YEARS IN POLICING. OFFICERS' GREATEST SOURCE OF DISSATISFACTION APPEARED TO CONCERN PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, WITH BOTH BLACK AND WHITE OFFICERS BELIEVING THAT NON-JOB-RELATED FACTORS INTERFERED WITH PRESCRIBED METHODS FOR ADVANCEMENT. HOWEVER, THE IMPACT OF THE VARIABLES TESTED VARIED SUBSTANTIALLY BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES. THE ROLE PLAYED BY JOB-RELATED FACTORS IN OAKLAND WAS GREATER THAN BACKGROUND VARIABLES, WHEREAS IN DETROIT, THE OPPOSITE WAS TRUE. ALSO THE VARIANCE EXPLAINED BY BOTH BACKGROUND AND JOB-RELATED FACTORS IN PREDICTING JOB SATISFACTION WAS MUCH LOWER IN DETROIT THAN OAKLAND. OVERALL, THE RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT WHILE THE ROLE OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND JOB-RELATED FACTORS ARE SIGNIFICANT, THEIR IMPORTANCE MAY BE MINIMIZED BY SITUATIONAL FACTORS UNIQUE TO THE DEPARTMENT UNDER CONSIDERATION. FOOTNOTES, TABULAR AND STATISTICAL DATA, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. APPENDIXES PRESENT A DISCUSSION OF THE DATA COLLECTION, THE QUESTIONNAIRE, THE MANAGEMENT STYLE DIAGNOSIS TEST, THE DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSES TO QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS, AND SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS FROM CROSS-TABULATIONS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--WJR)