Term Paper on "Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction"

Term Paper 20 pages (5392 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

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… READ MORE

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