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The American Review of Public Administration
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Job Satisfaction In The Public Sector

The Role of the Work Environment

Bradley E. Wright

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Brian S. Davis

State University of New York at Albany

This study examines the influence of the work environment on public employee feelings of job satisfaction, linking characteristics of the work context perceived to be more prevalent in public organizations with specific job characteristics that serve as important antecedents of job satisfaction. In particular, this study analyzes the effects of three components of the work context—organizational goal conflict, organizational goal specificity, and procedural constraints—and four job characteristics—job specificity, routineness, feedback, and human resource development—faced by public employees. Building on previous research, a causal model of job satisfaction was tested in a covariance analysis (LISREL) using data from a survey of state government employees. The model explained two thirds of the variation in employee job satisfaction and suggests that the work context may not only be important in distinguishing between public and private sector employment but also may be at the root of any sector differences in job satisfaction.

Key Words: job satisfaction • job characteristics • work context • organizational behavior

The American Review of Public Administration, Vol. 33, No. 1, 70-90 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/0275074002250254
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