Abstract:
Researchers have studied various components of institutions of higher education, but few have conducted studies of the administrative staff. With the increasingly complex environment in which institutions of higher education operate, the need for a highly trained and skilled staff is imperative to the efficient and effective operation of said institutions. Administrative employees have long been ignored in studies of higher education (Johnsrud, 2002). This study's purpose is to better understand the perceptions of factors leading to job satisfaction and the perceptions of job satisfaction held by administrative employees in Financial Affairs at a research intensive doctoral institution. Using Herzberg's Motivator-Hygiene Theory as the theoretical framework for this study, four constructs were selected: 1) personal characteristics; 2) job characteristics; 3) job satisfaction; and 4) perceived work environment. An online survey was used to collect data from employees in Financial Affairs. The researcher investigated the employees' perceptions of their work environment based on personal characteristics and job characteristics. The researcher also investigated how employees in Financial Affairs perceived job satisfaction based on Herzberg's motivator-hygiene factors. Results from this study indicated no statistically significant difference in perceptions based on gender and professional certification. However, there were statistically significant differences in perceptions based on age, length of service in Financial Affairs, and supervisory status. Data analysis provided evidence of a strong correlation between the motivator factors and job satisfaction and a strong correlation between hygiene factors and job satisfaction.
