Employee Satisfaction in The Public Sector: An Empirical Study in the Category of Provincial Special Administration

Öz

Employee satisfaction is one of the main factors directly affecting organizational success. Since the primary goal in the public sector is to increase public welfare and service quality, the satisfaction of personnel plays a critical role in the effective, efficient, and fair delivery of services. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the satisfaction levels of employees working in a provincial special administration and to contribute to decision-making processes that will enhance service efficiency based on the findings. In the study, where a quantitative research method was adopted, data were collected using a 5-point Likert-type survey. Because the aim was to reach the entire population, no sampling was selected, and a response rate of 76.9% was achieved. According to the analysis results, the overall satisfaction mean was calculated as 3.48. When demographic variables were examined, no statistically significant difference was found based on gender, administrative duty status, and employment type (worker-civil servant). On the other hand, significant differences were determined according to education level, department, age, tenure in the institution, and total service time. In particular, it was determined that employees aged 50 and over had the highest average satisfaction (3.80). It is evaluated that this situation is due to long service periods strengthening the sense of institutional belonging. Upon the request of the institution's management, the name of the administration where the research was conducted has been kept confidential.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Employee satisfaction in public sector
• dimensions of employee satisfaction
• public administration
• survey items

Kamu Sektöründe Çalışan Memnuniyeti: İl Özel İdaresi Kategorisinde Ampirik Bir Araştırma

Öz

Çalışan memnuniyeti, örgütsel başarıyı doğrudan etkileyen temel faktörlerden biridir. Kamu sektöründe ana hedef toplum refahını ve hizmet kalitesini artırmak olduğundan, personelin memnuniyeti; hizmetlerin etkin, verimli ve adil sunumunda kritik bir rol oynamaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, bir il özel idaresinde çalışan personelin memnuniyet düzeylerini değerlendirmek ve elde edilen bulgular doğrultusunda hizmet verimliliğini artıracak karar alma süreçlerine katkı sağlamaktır. Nicel araştırma yönteminin benimsendiği çalışmada veriler, 5'li Likert tipi anket kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Evrenin tamamına ulaşılması hedeflendiğinden örneklem seçimine gidilmemiş; anketlerin geri dönüş oranı %76,9 olarak gerçekleşmiştir. Analiz sonuçlarına göre, genel memnuniyet ortalaması 3,48 olarak hesaplanmıştır. Demografik değişkenler incelendiğinde; cinsiyet, idari görev durumu ve kadro statüsüne (işçi-memur) göre istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir farklılık bulunmamıştır. Buna karşın; eğitim düzeyi, çalışılan birim, yaş, kurumdaki hizmet süresi ve toplam hizmet süresi değişkenlerine göre anlamlı farklılıklar tespit edilmiştir. Özellikle 50 yaş ve üzeri ile kurumda uzun süre görev yapan çalışanların en yüksek memnuniyet ortalamasına (3,80) sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bu durumun, uzun hizmet sürelerinin kurumsal aidiyet duygusunu güçlendirmesinden kaynaklandığı değerlendirilmektedir. Kurum yönetiminin talebi üzerine, araştırmanın yürütüldüğü idarenin adı gizli tutulmuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Kamuda çalışan memnuniyeti
• çalışan memnuniyeti boyutları
• kamu idaresi
• anket ifadeleri

Kaynakça

1. Akpınar, R. (2011). The evaluation on the employee satisfaction at public sector provincial units in human resources policy context : the case of İzmir Provincial Directorate of Industry and Trade. Journal of Yasar University, 24(6),3648-3665.
2. Aksan, A. (2019). Investigation of factors affecting employee satisfaction and an application in cargo sector. Uludağ Üniversitesi, Bursa (Basılmış Yüksek Lisans Tezi).
3. Aktan, C. C. (1999). Toplam kalite yönetiminin temelleri ve kamu yönetiminde uygulanmasına yönelik öneriler. Türk İdare Dergisi, 71(422), 1-13.
4. Altıntaş, M., & Özata, M. (2023). The effect of information systems usage on organizational agility and employee satisfaction in health care organizations. Anadolu Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 24(4), 333-363. https://doi.org/10.53443/anadoluibfd.1278689
5. Arslan, Ö. B., & Yalçın, A. (2025). Investigation of the Relationship Between Job Satisfaction, Burnout Level and Occupational Balance in Blue-Collar Workers: Descriptive Research. Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Health Sciences, 10(2), 411-416. doi:https://doi.org/10.5336/healthsci.2024-105832
6. Avcı, N., & Yarar, O. (2023). An investigation of the effects of managers’ nepotic attitudes on employee satisfaction and sabotage tendency in organizations. Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 25(1), 307-325. doi:https://doi.org/10.32709/aku
7. Bal, V. (2013). Professional private security personnel working in the state of public satisfaction in Manisa. CBÜ Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 11(1), s. 332-339.
8. Baneen, U. U. (2023). The impact of hr practices and trust on employee satisfaction (Basılmış Yüksek Lisans Tezi). Haliç Üniversitesi, İstanbul.

9. Bearden, W. O., & Netemeyer, R. G. (2011). Handbook of Marketing Scales: Multi-Item Measures for Marketing and Consumer Behavior Research. (Third Edition), SAGE Publications.
10. Cop, R. & Çalış, M. (2020). Comparison of internal customer satisfaction factors for white and blue collar employees: an application, BMIJ, (2020), 8(1): 164-180 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15295/bmij.v8i1.1424
11. Çalışkan, A., & Köroğlu, E. Ö. (2024). Job satisfaction: A scale development study. Antalya Bilim Üniversitesi Uluslararası Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 4(2), 112 -134. doi: https://doi.org/10.54969/abuijss.1440762
12. Dağ, Z. (2016). Determining of satisfaction levels of personnel employed in public institutions and inter institutional comparison (example of İzmir Province (Basılmış Yüksek Lisans Tezi). Türk Hava Kurumu Üniversitesi, Ankara.
13. Dışkaya, S., & Danışman, A. (2025).Changes in working conditions and teachers' job satisfaction: An analysis of distance learning during the covid-19 pandemic. Çalişma ve Toplum, 85(2),777-814. doi: 10.54752/ct.1602453).
14. Doğan, S., & Karataş, A. (2011). A research on the effect of organizational ethics on employee satisfaction. Erciyes Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 2(37), 1-40.
15. Emhan, A., & Gök, R. (2011). The investigation of the relationship between personal satisfaction and organizational commitment in the banking sector. Muhasebe ve Finansman Dergisi (51), 157-174.
16. Gözüm, P. (2021). The effect of civil servants’ career satisfaction on their job satisfaction. Adam Academy Journal of Social Sciences, 11(2), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.31679/adamakademi.976806
17. Güçlü, M. S., & Çaycı, S. (2024). Employee satisfaction in local governments: A research on Bağcılar Municipality employees. Marmara Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi, 46(3), 767-791. https://doi.org/10.14780/muiibd.1528403
18. Gümüş, B. (2022). The effect reputation management in the public for employee satisfaction an application in Dilovası Municipality. (Basılmış Yüksek Lisans Tezi). İstanbul Esenyurt Üniversitesi, İstanbul.
19. Karagöz, H. (2023). The mediating role of perceived organizational support in the effect of ethical leadership on employee satisfaction: A study in the food sector. KMÜ Sosyal ve Ekonomik Araştırmalar Dergisi (KMUSEKAD), 25(45), 708-726.
20. Kaya, B., & Fidan, Y. (2023). The effects of career and talent management practices on employee performance and employee satisfaction in the participation banking sector. Ekonomi, İşletme ve Yönetim Dergisi, 7(1), 1-42. doi:10.7596/jebm.30062023.001
21. Kızılay, K. (2019). The impact of employee satisfaction and social life patterns on job efficiency: Kardemir Co. example. (Basılmış Yüksek Lisans Tezi). Karabük Üniversitesi, Karabük.
22. Kocakaya, B. D. (2023). The effect of organizational citizenship behavior and workaholism levels on employee satisfaction (Basılmış Yüksek Lisans Tezi). Selçuk Üniversitesi, Konya.
23. Macdonald, S., & Maclntyre, P. (1997). The generic job satisfaction scale: Scale development and its correlates. Employee Assistance Quarterly, l3(2)
24. Meriç, S., & Babur, Y. (2020). Factors affecting employee satisfaction: A research on hotels. Electronic Journal of Social Sciences, 19(74), 812-827. https://doi.org/10.17755/esosder.637991
25. Ocak, T., Yorgun, S., Okumuş, M., Kaya, H., Çıkrıklar, H. İ., & Duran, A. (2013). Satisfaction levels of emergency department staff. Duzce Medical Journal, 15(1), 37-40. https://izlik.org/JA76RS94MW
26. Özel, E. K. (2012). Employee satisfaction at internal marketing process in the press organizations (Basılmış Doktora Tezi). Ege Üniversitesi, İzmir.
27. Şimşek, H., Çetinkaya, F. F., & Aytekin, C. (2019). Employee satisfaction as an organizational quality ındicator: A scale development work. Fırat Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 29(2), 233-245.
28. Unutmaz, S. (2014). Factors affecting job satisfaction of employees in a public institution (Basılmış Yüksek Lisans Tezi). Ortadoğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Ankara.
29. Yee, R. W., Yeung, A. C., & Cheng, T. C. (2008). The Impact of Employee Satisfaction on Quality and Profitability in High-contact Service Industries. Journal of Operations Management (26), 651-668 Internet references:
30. Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. (2025). Vocational psychology research. https://vpr.psych.umn.edu/node/26 (Accessed: January 02, 2026).
31. Spector P., (2025). Job satisfactions surveys translations. https://paulspector.com/assessments/pauls-no-cost-assessments/job-satisfaction-survey-jss/job-satisfaction-survey-translations/ (Accessed: December 14, 2025).
32. Spector, P. (1985). Measurement of human service staff satisfaction: Development of the job satisfaction survey. American Journal of Community Psychology(13). https://www.scribd.com/document/910243193/Measurement-of-Human-Service-Staff-Satisfaction-Development-of-the-Job-Satisfaction-Survey-2 kaynağından erişildi. (Accessed: December 14, 2025).