Dissertation Information for Susanne Wahba NAME: - Susanne Wahba
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science
SCHOOL:
- Columbia University (USA) (1973)
ADVISORS: - Oliver L. Lilley
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - Lowell A. Martin - Valerie Sodano
MPACT Status: Incomplete - Ambiguous
Title: LIBRARIAN JOB SATISFACTION, MOTIVATION AND PERFORMANCE: AN EMPIRICAL TEST OF TWO ALTERNATIVE THEORIES
Abstract: This dissertation sought to identify the sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of librarians. It also attempted to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction and work motivation, job performance and the willingness to leave. The study also provided an empirical test of the applicability of Maslow's need hierarchy and Herzberg's dual-factor theories to librarians.
The data were collected by means of standardized scales; in particular the Job Descriptive Index (JDI), the Need Satisfaction Questionnaire (NSQ), the Willingness-to-Leave scale, Patchen's Work Motivation Scale and Porter and Lawler's Self-Reporting of Performance Scale. All of these scales have shown a priori high validity and reliability to warrant their utilization. The data was collected from a sample of 202 librarians distributed almost evenly between technical services librarians, public services librarians and library administrators.
The data were collected from 23 academic libraries. Precautions were taken to ensure the anonymity of respondents. Various statistical techniques were employed in the analysis of the results including descriptive statistics such as means and standard deviations, product-moment correlation coefficients, t-tests of significance between means and factor analysis.
The results of this study showed that librarians in the sample are extremely dissatisfied with promotions and pay. Librarians also reported a high degree of insecurity. Women librarians reported more dissatisfaction than men with work, supervision, pay and promotions. Both men and women librarians, however, reported lower satisfaction than a normative sample. Further, women expressed higher need deficiencies than men in four human needs: Security, esteem, autonomy and self-actualization in spite of the fact that they viewed these needs as having the same importance as did the men in the sample. Women, however, expressed higher satisfaction relative to men with regard to co-workers and social needs.
The results also showed that library administrators have higher satisfaction than technical services and public services librarians with regard to work, supervision, pay, promotions and autonomy. Technical servicers librarians expressed the lowest level of satisfaction with work, supervision, pay, co-workers and security needs. Public services librarians occupied the middle range between the other two groups.
Satisfaction with work, supervision and promotions was moderately correlated with the work motivation of librarians. The results did not provide consistent support for the relationship between job satisfaction and performance. There was a high correlation between motivation and performance. There was a negative correlation, however, between job satisfaction and the willingness-to-leave. There was no correlation between the demographic and background characteristics such as age, seniority etc. and job satisfaction.
The factor analysis results did not provide support for the hypotheses derived from Maslow's need hierarchy theory. Also, Herzberg's dual-factor theory was not supported since both intrinsic and extrinsic job factors were correlated highly with motivation. The implications of the findings for theory, research and practice of library administration are numerous. The study points to the need for a new approach to librarianship by considering the humane side of the profession as well as its technical side. Job satisfaction of librarians is not only desirable for its humane value but also necessary to avoid dysfunctional job behavior. Sources of librarian job dissatisfaction should be alleviated, otherwise the image of librarianship will continue to be as a dead-end profession. Men/Women differentials in job satisfaction should be minimized for a better utilization of women as well as men in librarianship. Also differences in job satisfaction between various groups of librarians should be investigated to avoid the negative impact of mechanization and narrow specialization upon librarian behavior and attitude especially technical services librarians.
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MPACT Scores for Susanne Wahba A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:01:47
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