Expectations and Job Satisfaction of Local-Government Professionals

Abstract

Based on theories of job satisfaction and the motivating potential of professional work, we would expect public-sector professionals to express a level of satisfaction higher than that of other workers, yet this is not clearly the case. While some previous research has found that professionals have higher levels of job satisfaction than lower-level workers, other studies indicate that publicsector professionals are less satisfied than their private-sector counterparts and are no more satisfied than blue-collar workers.

This study surveys local-government professionals (N = 125) in Colorado to determine their job satisfaction and their expectations of intrinsic satisfaction from work. They rated their work much higher in motivating potential than comparable groups of professionals and expressed significantly higher job satisfaction. Although most said their expectations for interesting work were more than met on the job, a major fraction expressed unmet expectations for power and authority and for recognition. The findings confirm previous research showing the importance of social relations and intrinsic factors in predicting job satisfaction but fail to support the generalization that public-sector professionals experience problematically low job satisfaction or that they find their jobs relatively low in motivating potential.