Client work, job satisfaction and work environment aspects in human service organizations

Abstract: In this thesis, three empirical studies investigating human service organizations pertaining to client work, work satisfaction, and the work environment are presented. The general aim of this thesis was to investigate working conditions in human service organizations with particular consideration and emphasis on the extent of human service workers´ client work and their perceived level of job satisfaction. In study I the aim was to investigate how success and failure is experienced and constructed among human service workers and supervisors. The results showed that important categories of success and failure included client relationships, collaboration and communication with employees and colleagues. Other significant aspects included insufficient resources, high workloads, and vague organizational change processes. Study II explored if social workers? experience of their work situation is dependent upon the degree of client-related work they have. Survey data were obtained from 525 social workers and the results indicated that social workers with high degree of direct client work experienced the highest workload and the lowest satisfaction and meaningfulness, while workers with low degree of client work experienced the lowest workload and the highest levels of job satisfaction. Study III investigated whether and how a number of work aspects affect social workers (n=525), nurses (n=512), and preschool teachers (n=545) experience of general work satisfaction. A questionnaire survey revealed that motivation and optimism was the most important predictor of general work satisfaction. Other significant factors included leadership, workload, improvisation and initiative, colleague relations, control, and organizational goals.