Job Satisfaction among Staff of a New Private Medical University

Table 5: Staff Job Satisfaction (n = 128).

Table 5 shows respondents’ opinion (assessment) for Job Satisfaction. Fewer respondents strongly agreed with positive items of assessment (between 2 (1.6%) and 22(18.0%). Only few respondents (n=12, 9.4%) definitely dislike their work. A sizable number of respondents (n = 1 – 71; 14.8%-55.5%) were undecided, rather unwilling to state their position on job satisfaction.

Table 6: Relationship between Challenges, Opportunity, and Level of Job Satisfaction.

Table 6 shows the relationship between Challenges, Opportunity, and Level of Job Satisfaction.

A positive correlation (r=0.355) was observed between respondents’ level of job satisfaction and opportunity for staff. In other words, as the opportunity/degree of impact increases, the job satisfaction level of the respondents (staff) increases and this was statistically significant (P=0.000). However, a negative correlation (-0.042) was observed between impact (challenges) and level of job satisfaction. So, as the challenges increases, respondents’ level of job satisfaction decreases, although the association was not statistically significant (P=0.640).

Discussion

Opportunities, challenges and job satisfaction are indices that directly or indirectly affect both personnel and performance of organizations, including universities. [18-19] The demographics of university staff to some extent affect job satisfaction. [20-21] The respondents had a mean age of 41.30±8.52 (years), implying that most of the university staff were in their middle age – the active age among medical professionals in Nigeria [22]. The mean years of experience of the respondents was 9.42±7.55 years, and were males dominated the profile of the staff.

Most respondents were positively impacted to a negligible, minimal, and moderate degree by the available opportunities whose mean score was 11.63 ± 3.96, for improved financial, earning, career progression, administrative experience, conference attendance, etc. While this mean score of 11.63 had a moderate impact on the university staff, the negative impact of workplace environment on staff retention in Southern Nigeria was earlier reported, with highlight on increasing pauperization, varying promotion criteria, erratic power supply, over-congested classrooms, etc. [23] Another Nigerian study that described workplace opportunities as motivation for staff - training opportunities, frequency of development, work environment, promotion prospects, sabbatical leave, communication and management style – reported general dissatisfaction with most of the variables [24]. A study among 220 faculty members stressed the positive impact that opportunities such as employee compensation and promotional opportunities had on employee retention in public higher education institutions in Pakistan [25]. Another researcher explains that when these positive opportunities are available, workers become more obligated to repay through positive attitudes, loyalty and devotion. [26] The mean score for challenges encountered was 29.22 ± 7.13, implying moderate impact (either negatively or positively). Life challenges could push individuals to discover themselves and achieve greater heights (positive), and it could also break individuals (negative) in the process and make them to perform poorly in their endeavors. However, most of the respondents were mildly and moderately negatively impacted by the challenges, thereby tilting the cumulative balance to the negative. This finding is in consonance with published report on problems facing academic staff of Nigerian Universities, [9,27] and also generally universities in Africa [28]. Our study is a little different in that it has attempted to relatively quantify the impact of the challenges into different degrees. Another Nigerian study focused on the challenges faced by newly employed lecturers at the University of Calabar, and how lack of orientation greatly contributed to it [29]. Numerous challenges are also faced by academic staff of United Kingdom universities, [30] however, in this clime there was deliberate policy of rewards and compensation to staff of both private and public universities different from their salaries [6].

A good number of respondents were unwilling to state their position on job satisfaction (undecided), in a manner of keeping their cards to their chest, while a few strongly agreed with positive items of assessment for job satisfaction. This guarded position of staff is laden with unspoken meanings. It could be that they might have reasoned that the full expression of their opinion may attract some punitive measures hence the abstinence or they may have wondered if their responses would bring a change of their situation. This finding is different from the high job satisfaction reported in the UK following a deliberate policy of rewards and compensation in private and public universities [6]. Our study rather find similarity with the observations in Uganda and Nigeria where only few were satisfied with their work. [8-9] This could partly explain why professionals decide to look for greener pastures, a situation often described as brain drain, in search of relatively better opportunities, less challenging work environment, and “satisfactory working conditions”.

This study shows that job satisfaction directly increases with opportunities at work, implying that opportunities available at work increases staff job satisfaction. Our finding is similar to the observations of other researchers who also found a direct positive relationship between job opportunities and job satisfaction in other climes [3,5,31]. Similar correlation was also reported among Nigerian university staff – some of the opportunities were given different names such as motivation and work intrinsic factors [32-33]. This study also revealed that although job satisfaction decreases as the challenges increase, the relationship was not statistically significant. Amplifying the various sheds of opportunities available to university staff will to a large extent enable the institution to increase job satisfaction to achieve the much need work output in the university. This is critical as the commonest reason for emigration, in a study conducted among 913 of physician across all states of the Nigerian federation, was reported as poor remuneration, being one of the variables under opportunities at work [18].

Study Limitation: Although total population of staff was targeted, some members of staff who were either not available during the period or did not give consent were not captured in the study.

Conclusion

There were opportunities available to staff in the institution, and the mean score was in the range of moderate impact. There were also challenges encountered that had a mean score in the range of moderate impact, and the cumulative opinions tilted in favor of mostly negative impact for the challenges. There was a remarkable unwillingness by a large number of staff to express their opinion on issue of job satisfaction, while a few strongly agreed with positive items of assessment for job satisfaction. The opportunity available at work directly increases the chances of staff job satisfaction. The challenges encountered at work have an inverse relationship with job satisfaction, although the relationship was not statistically significant.

Recommendations

Measures targeted at optimizing opportunities and minimizing challenges to enhance job satisfaction are recommended.

Other Information

Acknowledgement: Data analyst – Mr. Zacchaeus O. Adeyanju contributed immensely to the success of this work for which we are very grateful.

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

References

1. Quick TL. (1990) Healthy work: Stress, productivity, and the reconstruction of working life. Natl Prod Rev. 9(4):475-9.

2. Singh JK, Jain M. (2013) A study of employees’ job satisfaction and its impact on their performance. Journal of Indian research. 1(4): 1-7.

3. Lehtonen EE, Nokelainen P, Rintala H, Puhakka I.  (2022) Thriving or surviving at work: how workplace learning opportunities and subjective career success are connected with job satisfaction and turnover intention? J Workplace Learn. 34(1):88-109.

4. Olsen E, Bjaalid G, Mikkelsen A. (2017) Work climate and the mediating role of workplace bullying related to job performance, job satisfaction, and work ability: A study among hospital nurses. J Adv Nurs. 73(11):2709-19.

5. Raziq A, Maulabakhsh R. (2015) Impact of working environment on job satisfaction. Procedia Econ .  23:717-25.

6. Nazir T, Khan SU, Shah SF, Zaman K. (2013) Impact of rewards and compensation on job satisfaction: Public and private universities of UK. Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research. 14(3):394-403.

7. Khalid S, Irshad MZ, Mahmood B. (2012) Job satisfaction among academic staff: A comparative analysis between public and private sector universities of Punjab, Pakistan. Int j  Bus Manag. 7(1):126.

8. Kyaligonza R, Kamagara E. (2017) Staff turnover in public universities in Uganda. Makerere Journal of Higher Education. 9(2):59-72.

9. Onah FO, Anikwe OS. (2016) The task of attraction and retention of academic staff in Nigeria universities. Journal of Management and Strategy. 7(2):9-20.

10. Okoro NP, Okoro EO. (2014) Time and change: Development of private universities in Nigeria. Time and Change: Development of Private Universities in Nigeria. Int J Bus Soc Sci. 5(9):1-7.

11. Olawore OP, Ajayi TB. (2016) The emergence of private universities in Nigeria and their various challenges. Journal of Applied Information Science and Technology. 9(1):31-8.

12. Akindele I. (2013) Evolution of private universities in Nigeria: Matters arising and the way forward. Educational Research and Reviews. 8(2):41.

13. Olaleye S, Ukpadi D, Mogaji E. (2020) Public vs private universities in Nigeria: Market dynamics perspective. In: Understanding the Higher Education Market in Africa. London Routledge.

14. Gautam M, Mandal K, Dalal RS. (2006) Job satisfaction of faculty members of veterinary sciences: an analysis. Age. 36(5.91):0-92.

15. Thompson ER, Phua FT. (2012) A brief index of affective job satisfaction. Group OrganManag. 37(3):275-307.

16. Okwaraji FE, Aguwa EN. (2015) Burnout, Psychological Distress and Job Satisfaction among Secondary School Teachers in Enugu, South East Nigeria. J Psychiatr. 18:198.

17. Elechi OO, Lambert EG, Otu S. (2018) Exploring the effects of work environment variables on the job satisfaction of Nigerian correctional staff. Criminal Justice Studies. 31(2):160-77.

18. Davidescu AA, Apostu SA, Paul A, Casuneanu I. (2020) Work flexibility, job satisfaction, and job performance among Romanian employees—Implications for sustainable human resource management. Sustainability. 12(15):6086.

19. Rane DB. (2011) Employee job satisfaction: An essence of organization. Iš: HRM Review. 11(7):10-6.

20. Islam MF, Akter TA. (2019) Impact of Demographic Factors on the Job Satisfaction: A Study of Private University Teachers in Bangladesh. SAMSMRITI–SAMS J. 12:62-80.

21. Sakiru OK, Ismail IA, Samah BA, Busayo AT. (2017) Influence of demographic variable on job satisfaction among academicians in public universities. International Journal of Innovative Business Strategies. 3(1):127-35.

22. Onah CK, Azuogu BN, Ochie CN, Akpa CO, Okeke KC, et al. (2022) Physician emigration from Nigeria and the associated factors: the implications to safeguarding the Nigeria health system. Hum Resour Health. 20:85.

23. Salau O, Worlu R, Osibanjo A, Adeniji A, Falola H, et al. (2020) The impact of workplace environments on retention outcomes of public Universities in Southern Nigeria. Sage Open. 10(2).

24. Abifarin A. (1997) Motivating staff in Nigerian university libraries. Library Management. 18(3):124-8.

25. Bibi P, Pangil F, Johari J, Ahmad A. (2017) The impact of compensation and promotional opportunities on employee retention in academic institutions: The moderating role of work environment. Journal of Economic & Management Perspectives. 11(1):378-91.

26. Mossholder KW, Settoon RP, Henagan SC. (2005) A relational perspective on turnover: Examining structural, attitudinal, and behavioral predictors. Acad Manage J. 48(4):607-18.

27. Jacob ON, Jegede D, Musa A. (2021) Problems Facing Academic Staff of Nigerian Universities andthe Way Forward. International Journal on Integrated Education. 4(1):230-41.

28. Mushemeza ED. (2016) Opportunities and Challenges of Academic Staff in Higher Education in Africa. International Journal on Integrated Education. 5(3):236-46.

29. Anijaobi-Idem F, Archibong IA. (2012) Adjustment challenges of new academic staff in Nigerian universities: A case study of university of Calabar. J Educ Prac. 3(9):69-75.

30. Marten S. The challenges facing academic staff in UK Universities. Jobs. ac. uk. 2009.https://career-advice.jobs.ac.uk/academic/the-challenges-facing-academic-staff-in-uk-universities/

31. Akafo V, Boateng PA. (2015)  Impact of reward and recognition on job satisfaction and motivation. European Journal of Business and Management. 7(24):112-24.

32. Adeoye AO, Fields Z. (2014) Compensation management and employee job satisfaction: A case of Nigeria. J Soc Sci. 41(3):345-52.

33. Hassan AI, Romle AR. (2015) Intrinsic factors of job satisfaction among lecturers of Bauchi State University Gadau, Nigeria. International Journal of Administration and Governance. 1(4):87-91.