Exploring the Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction among Sub Assistant Agricultural Officers in Dinajpur District, Bangladesh

Abstract

Ensuring job satisfaction is imperative due to its constructive impact on employee welfare, motivation, and output. Exploring the SAAOs’ extent of job satisfaction and finding out the influences of different socio-economic factors towards their job satisfaction, were the aims of this study. Data were collected using a pre-tested interview schedule from randomly selected seventy- one (71) SAAOs of seven upazilas of Dinajpur district. SAAOs’ job satisfaction was measured based on his/her extent of satisfaction with 10 selected items using a 4-point rating scale. The percentages, means, and standard deviations were employed to summarise the data gathered during the interviews. The inferential statistical investigation involved using correlation and regression analysis. Findings revealed that the highest proportion (53.5 percent) of the respondents had medium job satisfaction. The SAAOs were mostly dissatisfied with the financial support and lack of necessary supplies from the office provided by the organization. Ten independent variables namely, additional education, job demand, job control, organizational support, perceived colleagues’ support, job facilities, managerial orientation, psychological well-being, self-efficacy, and job performance had significant positive relationships with job satisfaction according to correlation analysis. According to multiple regression analysis, 64.4 percent of the variance in job satisfaction could be explained by all the independent variables, and organizational support, perceived colleagues’ support, psychological well-being, and job performance were the most significant factors. However, perceived colleagues’ support had the highest contribution (56.2 percent) in explaining the job satisfaction of SAAOs. For ensuring the job satisfaction of SAAOs, Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) can emphasize on strategies like professional development of the SAAOs, feedback, rewards and accolades and a supportive organizational culture.