Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction

Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction of Library Personnel in a UK University

Library systems, like virtually all other organizations, are faced with some profound issues concerning what factors motivate their employees and provide them with a sense of job satisfaction. While the fundamental mission of university libraries has not changed in recent years, the introduction of the Internet and increasingly sophisticated online research tools and distance learning programs have created new challenges as well as opportunities for many library systems in the 21st century. In this environment, it is little wonder that some university librarians may become disaffected and less motivated, and taken to the extreme, these motivational issues can adversely affect an organization's ability to fulfill its mission, achieve its goals and contribute to increases in the turnover rate among employees. There are some steps that university library administrators and human resource services can take, though, to help identify job satisfaction issues and improve work motivation among university library staff. To this end, this study reviews the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature and surveys the staff of the library services division of a prominent university in the United Kingdom concerning job satisfaction and work motivation and how these factors can be used to improve the effectiveness and viability of university libraries today. A summary and synthesis of the research and important findings are presented in the concluding chapter.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Statement of the Problem

Purpose of Study

Importance of Study

Scope of Study

Rationale of Study

Overview of Study

Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature

Chapter 3: Methodology

Description of the Study Approach

Data-gathering Method and Database of Study

Chapter 4: Data Analysis

Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations

Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction of Library Personnel in a UK University

Chapter 1: Introduction

Companies of all sizes and types are faced with some profound challenges in the 21st century. Many not-for-profit organizations in particular are experiencing dwindling budgets as a result of the shaky global economy and the need to ensure that the most is being done with what is available has never been greater than today. In this environment, identifying what factors tend to motivate employees and provide them with a greater sense of job satisfaction represents a timely and valuable enterprise and also represents the focus of this study as these issues apply to a prominent university library in the United Kingdom.

Statement of the Problem

Ask any university librarian today concerning the relevance and importance of the role of the university library in the Digital Age and the response will likely be one that emphasizes that properly managed, modern university libraries have much to offer to the university experience in general and to promoting successful academic outcomes in particular. As Sandell and Hayes (2002) emphasize, "university librarians are a valuable resource," and can provide a wide range of services that are important for both faculty and students alike (p. 85). Nevertheless, the advent of online resources and distance learning programs have created an environment wherein many observers suggest that university libraries may be in jeopardy of losing their relevance for many students and administrators unless their mission is fine-tuned and their approach to the delivery of their services changes with the times. In this regard, Moore and Anderson (2003) even go so far as to suggest that, "Library services are in danger of being relegated to the category of services seen as 'add-on extras' and paid in addition to basic fees rather than being seen as integral and non-negotiable in the delivery of high-quality education" (p. 384). This diminished perception of the importance of library science to modern education is a very slippery slope indeed, and it is therefore vitally important to identify any constraints to the provision of relevant services to the library's external and internal customers.

Furthermore, today, it is insufficient for companies of any type to even pay their employees well and simply sit back and expect great work in return. According to Neff (2002), "Companies must also empower their employees and provide incentives for them to perform at high levels. Motivating employees and understanding the psychology behind employee motivation are essential to any successful organization" (p. 385). Consequently, university library administrators are also faced with a two-fold challenge as they seek to remain relevant and effective in a dynamic educational environment where their services are being looked upon as irrelevant and where employee morale may suffer as a result.

Purpose of Study

Because the challenges facing university library administrators are varied, the purpose of this study is likewise varied as follows:

To identify those factors that contribute to a sense of job satisfaction - and conversely, job dissatisfaction -- among university library staff members; and,

To identify those factors that motivate - and conversely, demotivate -- library staff in the workplace.

Importance of Study

As noted above, in order to be successful today, university libraries must integrate their services with the changing needs of adult learners and faculty members in a number of ways. Because it is reasonable to assert that satisfied employees will also be more motivated than their nonsatisfied counterparts, the importance of this study directly relates to the ability of the organization to achieve its goals and fulfill its mission. In this regard, work motivation continues to be of major concern to managers at all levels in all types of organizations because management is all about getting things done through others, and knowing how to motivate others can improve the effectiveness of organizations (Buhler 2003).

Scope of Study

While the study examined the peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning work motivation and job satisfaction in general, there was a specific emphasis on how these factors generally affected librarians and especially university librarians in the United Kingdom.

Rationale of Study

Today, the term "job satisfaction" is used to refer to an attitude that individuals possess concerning their jobs, and such attitudes are formed based on individual perceptions of their respective jobs (Pool, 1997). A fundamental objective of investigating job satisfaction is to identify its impact on work motivation. This type of research can provide managers with an improved understanding concerning how employees form the attitudes that affect their job satisfaction (Pool, 1997). In fact, measuring job satisfaction became an explicit metric of success for many companies in the 1990s (Dosi, Nelson & Winter, 2001). "Successful companies know that motivated, satisfied employees increase customer satisfaction and profit margins. Because of the link between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction, companies have implemented an array of strategies to help increase employees' internal motivation" (Neff, p. 385). Furthermore, motivation determined by outcomes on the job has been shown to be a viable predictor variable that may influence an employee's job satisfaction (Pool).

Overview of Study

This study used a five-chapter format to achieve the above-stated research purpose. To this end, chapter one introduced the topic under consideration, provided a statement of the problem, the purpose and importance of the study, as well as its scope and rationale. Chapter two of the study provides a critical review of the relevant peer-reviewed literature and scholarly literature concerning job satisfaction and work motivation, and chapter three describes more fully the methodology used by the study, a description of the study approach, the data-gathering method and the database of study consulted. The penultimate chapter consists of an analysis of the job satisfaction survey administered to library personnel in a UK university library, and chapter five presents a summary of the research and the study's conclusions.

Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature

Introduction.

This chapter provides a review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning the traditional and changing roles of university libraries, job satisfaction and work motivation. A summary of the research concludes this chapter.

Perhaps as never before, university libraries today are struggling to keep up with the changing needs of their students, faculty and support staff as innovations in technology and telecommunications have fundamentally altered the nature of the research enterprise itself. As Carson, Lanier and Carson (2001) point out, "Public universities operate within environments characterized by increased competition, financial problems, political pressures, public criticism, privatization, outsourcing, and downsizings" (p. 479).

The introduction of technological innovations in the past three decades or so have provided libraries of all types with some significant challenges as they seek to integrate their mission with these computer-based applications. In this regard, Moore and Anderson (2003) report that, "There have been a number of key drivers in explaining the increasing role of the library in learning, teaching, and research. On the economic side, students are demanding value for the fees paid toward their higher education. With the increasing focus on the student as customer/client, all parts of the university, including libraries, are striving to ensure value for money and to provide services to achieve the university's strategic mission" (p. 384). One of the fundamental issues that has been affecting the manner in which libraries respond to these trends has been the need to incorporate meaningful services in support of distance learning students as well as brick-and-mortar campus students who increasingly rely on online access for their research needs. As Moore and Anderson emphasize, "Another driver is that distance education students have as much right to expect effective library services as traditional on-campus students. Therefore, services have been enhanced to ensure easy access and equitable delivery of resources and services" (p. 384).

Clearly, then, although the mission of many university libraries to provide the resources and tools students need to achieve successful academic outcomes has not changed in substantive ways in recent years, technological innovations have demanded that they transform the manner in which they achieve these missions. A survey of university librarians conducted by Moore and Anderson (2003) determined that, "By far the major thrust of the libraries surveyed was the inclusion of information literacy skills into the curriculum, either imbedded into the discipline-specific information or as assessable tests within foundation or first-year subjects" (p. 382). The provision of these types of services, Moore and Anderson suggest, may represent a departure from previous approaches but represent the types of initiatives that are needed today. For instance, the authors note that, "These initiatives are a far cry from voluntary information literacy or reader education classes offered by university libraries during orientation week. It reflects a growing trend in higher education to embody generic attributes, such as information and it literacy, into the curriculum" (p. 383).

These are some difficult goals for many libraries already squeaking by on modest budgets, but these goals can be reasonably stated to be more achievable if existing resources are used to their best advantage. From a strictly pragmatic perspective, because the costs associated with low employee morale and employee turnover are well established, identifying opportunity to improve library staff's sense of job satisfaction and what factors contribute to their motivation at work represent valuable steps to achieving the optimum use of library resources. Therefore, making any workplace more productive by improving employee morale just makes good business sense; however, "happy" employees do not necessarily translate into "productive" employees, and it is important to recognize the relationship between job satisfaction and work motivation, and these issues are discussed further below.

Job Satisfaction.

The definition provided by Anderson (1984) indicates that, "Job satisfaction refers to both general and specific work satisfactions. The specific satisfactions included both intrinsic and extrinsic satisfactions, as well as satisfaction with pay, job security, peers and co-workers, supervision, and opportunities for personal growth on the job" (p. 9). According to Ting (1997), "Early organizational theorists such as Abraham Maslow and Frederick Herzberg stated that job satisfaction is caused by individuals' desires to fulfill personal needs, which include intrinsic and extrinsic needs. Researchers adopting this approach argue that an individual's job satisfaction is determined by the degree to which job characteristics will fulfill the person's needs" (p. 313). The growing body of research into job satisfaction consistently indicates that pay satisfaction and the need for career growth are two of the most important predictors of job satisfaction, based on their strong theoretical linkage to the formation of individual job attitudes (Ting).

Individuals who are satisfied with their pay and promotional opportunities would therefore experience a greater cost in leaving their organizations; as a result, they are likely to develop more positive attitudes toward their jobs (Ting). A number of studies to date have also found that the diminishment of pay and lack of promotional opportunities are associated with job dissatisfaction of public employees and their tendency to leave the civil service (Ting). Generally speaking, Pool suggests that the five essential dimensions for measuring job satisfaction are (a) the job itself, (b) pay, - promotion opportunities, (d) supervision, and (e) co-workers. Among these, pay and supervision are frequently cited as leading elements. For instance, Pool notes that, "A leader's behavior or leadership style may influence the subordinate's job satisfaction. Leadership behavior is defined as the ability of a leader to influence subordinates in performing at the highest level within an organizational framework" (p. 273).

According to Carson and her colleagues (2001), librarians in particular may be compelled to remain with a particular organization even when their job satisfaction diminishes because of a commitment to the profession itself. For instance, these authors emphasize that, "To cope with the stress and uncertainties, many workers have turned to their individual careers to provide them with the sense of security that is no longer supplied by their organizations. This commitment to a particular career or occupation provides the worker with greater control over job mobility and the circumstances surrounding the movement" (p. 479).

Consequently, librarians who aspire to a career in tertiary educational settings may be forced to work at a given university simply because "it is the only ball game in town." This observation is congruent with Carson et al.'s point that, "Even prior to the current turbulent environment, research studies indicated that there were employees who felt loyalty to their careers while displaying little or no commitment to their organizations. The pull toward an attachment to the occupation rather than the organization may be strengthened by higher degrees of professionalism in the vocation. Characteristics most associated with professional jobs (e.g., education and training) have often been found to be inversely related to organizational commitment" (Carson et al. 2001, p. 479). Like members of the so-called helping professions, then, the dedication to a particular career field among some librarians may outweigh any job dissatisfaction indicators to the contrary. As Carson and her associates emphasize, "More highly educated individuals have higher expectations that the organization may be unable to meet and thus may be more committed to a profession or trade" (p. 479).

This is not to suggest, though, that it is not possible or even common for librarians to possess both a sense of commitment to a career path as well as commitment to the organization as well. In this regard, Carson et al. conclude that, "Motivations toward one's organization and one's career may be intimately linked. Thus, researchers have viewed organizational commitment and career commitment as both complementary and conflicting. In truth, employees may be strongly loyal to careers in which they have been trained, the organization for which they work, both of them, or neither of them" (p. 479). Taken together, the foregoing suggests that some librarians may in fact be highly motivated to perform their job responsibilities but still dissatisfied with their existing positions, while others are equally motivated and satisfied with their jobs, and with still others being unmotivated and unsatisfied (or satisfied) with their work. Therefore, understanding what motivates people in the workplace represents an important extension of this study, and these issues are discussed further below.

Work Motivation.

According to Pool, expectancy theory has been used to measure work motivation. Expectancy theory maintains that individuals in a work setting perceive two basic levels of outcomes, and those outcomes influence the subordinate's job performance:

First-level outcome. This is the extent to which job performance is successful. First-level outcomes result from behaviors that are associated with the job.

Second-level outcomes. These types of outcomes are comprised of the set of valued rewards that are attainable because of successful job performance; they include events (rewards) that are associated with first-level outcomes.

Expectancy, then, is defined as how much effort an individual decides to exert toward successful job performance. The expectancy theory provides an excellent method for examining the subordinate's motivation in the workplace; it provides enough information and is consistent in measuring motivational factors among subordinates. In this regard, Pool concludes that, "The theory predicts [that] the best performers in organizations tend to see a strong relationship between performing their jobs well and receiving rewards that they value. From a managerial perspective, expectancy theory suggests that leaders must recognize the process by which subordinates examine and become motivated about their jobs" (p. 274).

One specific type of work motivation that has been extensively studied to date is job attitudes. Job attitudes tend to be more strongly related to valuable organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) than are personality variables; the relationship between personality and OCB is probably mediated by attitudes such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and fairness perceptions. Many studies have shown relationships between personality variables and job attitudes (Barrick & Ryan, 2003, p. 103).

Chapter Summary.

This chapter provided a review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning the traditional and changing roles of university libraries, job satisfaction and work motivation. A complete description of the study's methodology, including a description of the study approach used, the data-gathering method and database of study used are provided in Chapter Three below.

Chapter 3: Methodology

Description of the Study Approach review of the available research methodologies indicated that a single approach would not be sufficient but rather a mixed methodological approach was better suited to achieve the above-stated research purpose. Therefore, the study used a review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning work motivation and job satisfaction combined with a job satisfaction survey of all personnel employed in a UK university library. This mixed methodological approach is highly congruent with numerous social researchers who point to the need to incorporate a review of the literature in virtually any time of research project today, as well as the need for primary data whenever possible (Neuman, 2003). For example, Gratton and Jones (2003), a critical reviewing of the timely literature is an essential task in all research. "No matter how original you think the research question may be, it is almost certain that your work will be building on the work of others. It is here that the review of such existing work is important. A literature review is the background to the research, where it is important to demonstrate a clear understanding of the relevant theories and concepts, the results of past research into the area, the types of methodologies and research designs employed in such research, and areas where the literature is deficient" (p. 51). In this regard, Wood and Ellis (2003) identified the following as important outcomes of a well conducted literature review:

It helps describe a topic of interest and refine either research questions or directions in which to look;

It presents a clear description and evaluation of the theories and concepts that have informed research into the topic of interest;

It clarifies the relationship to previous research and highlights where new research may contribute by identifying research possibilities which have been overlooked so far in the literature;

It provides insights into the topic of interest that are both methodological and substantive;

It demonstrates powers of critical analysis by, for instance, exposing taken for granted assumptions underpinning previous research and identifying the possibilities of replacing them with alternative assumptions;

It justifies any new research through a coherent critique of what has gone before and demonstrates why new research is both timely and important.

Likewise, Dennis and Harris (2002) report that, "Primary data are information that is being collected for the first time in order to address a specific research problem. This means that it is likely to be directly relevant to the research, unlike secondary data, which may be out of date or collected for a totally different purpose. Ideally, an effective research project should incorporate both primary and secondary data" (p. 39). To ensure employee receptiveness to such survey, Dibble (1999) recommended the following:

Do not ask about a topic unless the company is prepared to respond to what it learns. It is not necessary to change something simply because employees do not like it; however, it is necessary to tell them why the company cannot or will not do so.

Maintain confidentiality in data collection.

Maintain confidentiality in reports (Dibble, 1999).

Dibble (1999) also recommended using a Likert-like scale questionnaire component for employee responses, and to avoid using options such as not applicable or no opinion in order to force employees to respond concerning their views on the issues involved. Therefore, the Library Employee Questionnaire was developed with these considerations in mind in an effort to provide a statistical reflection, at least in a general fashion, of current employee thinking concerning those factors that contribute to their sense of job satisfaction and work motivation; the Library Employee Questionnaire that was developed and the database consulted for this purpose are described further below.