The impact of a teamwork environment on job satisfaction: A study of college and university student affairs administrators.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between teamwork and job satisfaction among student affairs administrators. A web-based survey invited participants to answer questions regarding three components of job satisfaction (intrinsic satisfaction, extrinsic satisfaction and interpersonal satisfaction) and eight components of teamwork (a clear, elevating goal; results-driven structure; competent team members; unified commitment; a collaborative climate; shared standards of excellence; external support and recognition; and principled leadership). The 1,175 member institutions of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) constituted the population for this study.
Results from the study can be identified in three parts: results related to job satisfaction, results related to teamwork, and results related to the dynamic between job satisfaction and teamwork. Various data analysis tools including, Pearson's correlation coefficients, analysis of variance tests, t-tests, chi-square analyses, and measures of central tendency were employed to determine relationships among the variables.
Data from the study suggest that student affairs administrators, who earn a higher salary and who have spent more time both in the profession and at their institution, tend to be more satisfied in their jobs than their less satisfied colleagues. Additionally, there is an association between those administrators who experience greater interpersonal satisfaction (relationships with faculty, staff and students) and higher levels of job satisfaction. Finally, this study replicated previous findings that interpersonal satisfaction and intrinsic satisfaction are the most highly correlated of the three factors.
Results from this study indicate that teamwork variables factor together as one component, and not eight as suggested by the researcher. The data also suggest that those earning a higher salary perceive teamwork with colleagues to exist to a higher degree, at both the office and division level, than those earning a lower salary. Finally, the results indicate that administrators experience differences between teamwork at the office level and teamwork at the division level. This finding deserves further research in order to understand the reasons for these differences.
This study found that there is a positive correlation between the level of teamwork felt and the level of job satisfaction experienced for student affairs administrators. This study found that all three components of job satisfaction and all eight components of teamwork (at the office and division level) were positively correlated.