A Qualitative Study on Job Satisfaction of Public Information Workers

Abstract

Organizations worldwide, in both the private and public sectors, depend on their workforce to achieve optimal productivity, resulting in enhanced organizational effectiveness. Therefore, ensuring employee job satisfaction is a necessity for every organization. This study investigates the job satisfaction of public information technology (IT) employees in Türkiye. In this study, the qualitative research method was preferred, and interviews were conducted with 10 participants using a semi-structured interview form. The data obtained from the interviews was analyzed using descriptive and content analysis techniques. The study revealed that the participants’ qualifications were compatible with their job requirements. However, it was found that their overall job satisfaction was insufficient. Furthermore, the study revealed varying perspectives on topics such as employee satisfaction with workload, salary, corporate support, commitment, work-life balance, teamwork, and attitude. The results of this study also have practical implications for managers in public institutions because they provide them with a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that contribute to job satisfaction among IT public employees. The conclusion section presents recommendations for public institution managers and decision makers to enhance the job satisfaction of IT employees in public institutions

Keywords

• Public Institution
• Information Technology Employees
• Job Satisfaction
• Qualitative Research Method

References

1. Adams, G. A., King, L.A. and King, D. W. (1996). Relationships of job and family involvement, family social support, and work-family conflict with job and life satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81 (4), 411-420. google scholar
2. Alegre, I., Mas-Machuca, M., and Berbegal-Mirabent, J. (2016). Antecedents of employee job satisfaction: Do they matter? Journal of Business Research, 69(4), 1390-1395. google scholar
3. Allen, D. G., Shore, L. M., & Griffeth, R. W. (2003). The role of perceived organizational support and supportive human resource practices in the turnover process. Journal of Management, 29(1), 99-118. google scholar
4. Al Maqbali, M. A. (2015). Factors that influence nurses’ job satisfaction: a literature review. Nursing Management, 22(2). google scholar
5. Asgarova, A. (2019). Impact of employee training on employee job satisfaction and achievement: a case of Turkish manufacturing industry. Available at SSRN 3398117. google scholar
6. Ayranci, E. (2011). A study on the factors of job satisfaction among owners of small and medium-sized Turkish businesses. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(5), 87-100. google scholar
7. Aytac, T. (2020). The effects of working in public or private schools on job satisfaction of teachers in Turkey: A meta-analysis study. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 20(89), 179-200. google scholar
8. Basar, U. (2011). Örgütsel Adalet Algısı, Örgütsel Özdeşleşme ve İş Tatmini Arasındaki İlişkilere Yönelik Görgül Bir Araştırma [An empirical research investigating relationships between organizational justice perception, organizational identification and job satisfaction] (Masters Thesis). Retrieved from https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp. google scholar

9. Baykara, Z. E., & Orhan, R. (2020). An Analysis of Job Satisfaction Levels of Physical Education Teachers in Ankara, Turkey. Educational Research and Reviews, 15(2), 65-71. google scholar
10. Bhardwaj, A., Mishra, S., & Jain, T. K. (2021). An analysis to understanding the job satisfaction of employees in the banking industry. Materials Today: Proceedings, 37, 170-174. google scholar
11. Buker, H. and Dolu, O. (2010). Police job satisfaction in Turkey: Effects of demographic, organizational and jurisdictional factors. International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, 34(1), 25-51. google scholar
12. Buyukgoze-Kavas, A., Duffy, R. D., Güneri, O. Y., and Autin, K. L. (2014). Job satisfaction among Turkish teachers: Exploring differences by school level. Journal of Career Assessment, 22(2), 261-273. google scholar
13. Çevrimli, M. B., Günlü, A., Mat, B., Akın, A. C., and Sipahi, C. A. (2020). A study on the validity and reliability of the level of employee satisfaction at livestock farming enterprises in Turkey. Acta Vet Eurasia, 46, 45-53. google scholar
14. Demiral, Ö. (2017). Effects of training on employee job satisfaction and achievement: Train to gain evidence from manufacturing businesses in Turkey. Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 5(3), 765-785. google scholar
15. Demiralp, O. (2006). Kırklareli ili milli eğitim müdürlüğünde çalışanların memnuniyet düzeyi The gladness rate of the workers who works for the manegement of national education in Kirklareli. (Masters Thesis). Retrieved from https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp google scholar
16. Drucker, P. (2002), Managing in the Next Society, New York: St. Martin’s Press. google scholar
17. Dorta-Afonso, D., Romero-Dommguez, L., & Bemtez-Nûnez, C. (2023). It’s worth it. High-performance work systems for employee job satisfaction: The mediational role of burnout. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 108, 103364. google scholar
18. Edgar, F., & Geare, A. (2005). HRM practice and employee attitudes: Different measures—Different results. Personnel Review, 34(5), 534-549 google scholar
19. Egan, T. M., Yang, B., & Bartlett, K. R. (2004). The effects of organizational learning culture and job satisfaction on motivation to transfer learning and turnover intention. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 15(3), 279-301. google scholar
20. Gider, Ö., Akdere, M., & Top, M. (2019). Organizational trust, employee commitment and job satisfaction in Turkish hospitals: implications for public policy and health. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 25(9). google scholar
21. Habib, S., Aslam, S., Hussain, A., Yasmeen, S., and Ibrahim, M. (2014). The impact of organizational culture on job satisfaction, employee commitment, and turnover intention. Advances in Economics and Business, 2(6), 215-222. google scholar
22. Halil, Z., and Selim, Z. (2007, December). Measuring employee satisfaction in small and medium sized enterprises. In Congress on knowledge, management and economy, Istanbul, Turkey. google scholar
23. Hee, O. C., Yan, L. H., Rizal, A. M., Kowang, T. O., and Fei, G. C. (2018). Factors influencing employee job satisfaction: A conceptual analysis. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(6), 331-340. google scholar
24. Inayat, W. and Khan, M. (2021). A study of job satisfaction and its effect on the performance of employees working in private sector organizations, Peshawar. Education Research International, 2021(1), 1751495. google scholar
25. Indianafreenotes (2020). Job Satisfaction. https://indiafreenotes.com/job-satisfaction/ google scholar
26. Inuwa, M. (2016). Job satisfaction and employee performance: An empirical approach. The Millennium University Journal, 1(1), 90-103. google scholar
27. Judge, T. A., Zhang, S.C. and Glerum, D. R. (2020). Job satisfaction. Essentials of job attitudes and other workplace psychological constructs, 207-241. google scholar
28. Kabir, M. N., and M. M. Parvin (2011). Factors affecting employee job satisfaction of the pharmaceutical sector. Australian Journal of Business and Management Research, 1(9), 113-123. google scholar
29. Kara, D., Uysal, M., & Magnini, V. P. (2012). Gender differences on job satisfaction of the five-star hotel employees: The case of the Turkish hotel industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 24(7), 1047-1065. google scholar
30. Kapucu, S., Kose, T. K., Kurt, B., & Ersoy, N. A. (2017). Attitudes and satisfaction of nurses with the work environment in Turkey. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 10(2), 771-780. google scholar
31. Kong, H., Jiang, X., Chan, W., & Zhou, X. (2018). Job satisfaction research in the field of hospitality and tourism. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30(5), 2178-2194. google scholar
32. Korkmaz, O. and Erdogan, E. (2014). İş yaşam dengesinin örgütsel bağlılık ve çalışan memnuniyetine etkisi. Ege Academic Review, 14(4), 541-557. google scholar
33. Küskü, F. (2003). Employee satisfaction in higher education: the case of academic and administrative staff in Turkey. Career Development International, 8(7), 347-356. google scholar
34. Mansoor, M., Fida, S., Nasir, S., & Ahmad, Z. (2011). The impact of job stress on employee job satisfaction: a study on the telecommunication sector of Pakistan. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 2(3), 50. google scholar
35. Metin, F. (2023). Retention of public IT professionals: The mediating roles of perceived organizational support and psychological empowerment. Sosyoekonomi, 31(57), 101-129. google scholar
36. Metin, F. (2020). Kamuda bilişim uzmanı personel devir hızı sorunu ve çözüm önerileri: TÜİK vaka çalışması [Problem Of Turnover Rate Of IT Experts In Public Sector And Some Solutions: TUIK Case Study]. Hacettepe Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 38(2), 243-266. google scholar
37. Miner (1992). Industrial Organizational Psychology. McGraw-Hill, Inc. Singapore. google scholar
38. Ozturk, A. B., & Hancer, M. (2011). The effect of demographics on job satisfaction: a study of hotel managers in Turkey. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 12(3), 189-201. google scholar
39. Pandey, P. and Asthana, P. K. (2017). An empirical study of factors influencing job satisfaction. Indian Journal of Commerce and Management Studies, 8(3), 96-105. google scholar
40. Patton, M. Q. (2003). Qualitative evaluation checklist. Evaluation checklists project, 21(1), 1-13. google scholar
41. Phuong, T. T. K. & Tran, T. V. (2020). Job satisfaction, employee loyalty and job performance in the hospitality industry: A moderated model. Asian Economic and Financial Review, 10(6), 698. google scholar
42. Riyanto, S., Endri, E., and Herlisha, N. (2021). Effect of work motivation and job satisfaction on employee performance: Mediating role of employee engagement. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 19(3), 162. google scholar
43. Sahin, L. (2015). Çalışan memnuniyetinin sağlanmasında temel dinamikler: dışsal faktörlerin çalışanların memnuniyet algıları üzerindeki etkilerine yönelik bir alan araştırması. ISGUC The Journal of Industrial Relations and Human Resources, 17(2), 28-44. google scholar
44. Silverthorne, C. (2004). The impact of organizational culture and person-organization fit on organizational commitment and job satisfaction in Taiwan. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 25(7), 592-599. google scholar
45. Susanto, P. C., S. Syailendra, and R. F. (2023). Determination of motivation and performance: analysis of job satisfaction, employee engagement and leadership. International Journal of Business and Applied Economics, 2(2), 59-68. google scholar
46. Tang, S., Siu, O., & Cheung, F. (2014). A study of work-family enrichment among Chinese employees: The mediating role of work support and job satisfaction. Applied Psychology, 63(1), 130-150. google scholar
47. Tepeci, M. (2005). The dimensions and impacts of organizational culture on employee job satisfaction and intent to remain in the hospitality and tourism industry in Turkey. Journal of Travel and Tourism Research, 5(1/2), 21-39. google scholar
48. Turkyilmaz, A., Akman, G., Ozkan, C., and Pastuszak, Z. (2011). Empirical study of public sector employee loyalty and satisfaction. Industrial Management and Data Systems, 111(5), 675-696. google scholar
49. Toker, B. (2011). Job satisfaction of academic staff: an empirical study on Turkey. Quality Assurance in Education, 19(2), 156-169. google scholar
50. Utriainen, K., and H. Kyngas (2009). Hospital nurses’ job satisfaction: a literatüre review. Journal ofNursing Management, 17(8), 1002-1010. google scholar
51. Waqas, A., U. Bashir, M. F. Sattar, H. M. Abdullah, I. Hussain, W. Anjum, and R. Arshad (2014). Factors influencing job satisfaction and its impact on job loyalty. International Journal of Learning and Development, 4(2), 141-161. google scholar