Academic Staff Satisfaction with their Work: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Medical University

Rositsa Dimova; Rumyana Stoyanova; Stanislava Harizanova; Miglena Tarnovska; Donka Keskinova

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2019.657

Authors

Rositsa Dimova Department of Healthcare Management, Section of Medical Ethics and Low, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Rumyana Stoyanova Department of Health Management and Health Economics, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Stanislava Harizanova Department of Healthcare Management, Section of Medical Ethics and Low, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Miglena Tarnovska Department of Healthcare Management, Section of Medical Ethics and Low, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Donka Keskinova Department of Applied and Institutional Sociology, University of Plovdiv Paisii Hilendarski, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2019.657

Keywords:

Job satisfaction, Working environment;, Conflict solving, Management style

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Employees' work satisfaction, combined with democratic management, are important predictors of future productivity in any organisation.

AIM: The aim of this study is to investigate job satisfaction in academic staff as well as the associated working environment factors, using an original self-administered questionnaire.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an original standardised questionnaire. It involved 370 academic staff members at one of the five medical universities in Bulgaria. The questionnaire consists of 17 items (including occupational hazards, management style, conflict solving and demographic characteristics) rated on a 5-point Likert scale.

RESULTS: The results revealed that the majority of academic staff (71.7%) works in a risky environment. Employees indicate that â€œmental strainâ€, â€œwork with chemical agents and dustâ€ and â€œwork with biological hazardsâ€ are the most common risk factors. Democratic leadership and cooperation are most commonly applied management styles.

CONCLUSION: The instrument for the measurement of job satisfaction revealed high values of psychometric characteristics for reliability and validity. The study found a high level of satisfaction of academics with their working conditions. It is necessary to conduct similar studies periodically to detect more precisely the decrease in academic staff work satisfaction and take timely and adequate measures to improve it.