NCJ Number
140118
Journal
Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1991) Pages: 17-28
Date Published
1991
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Thirty-five members of an adult probation department in Pennsylvania were given the Hackman/Oldham Job Characteristics Questionnaire to explore the usefulness of management-type techniques for providing information to probation department managers and supervisors.
Abstract
Job characteristics theory includes four basic sets of measures: job characteristics, psychological states, organizational outcomes, and growth need strength. Specific job characteristics encompass skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, feedback from job, feedback from others, and dealing with others. In the Pennsylvania adult probation department, the Hackman/Oldham questionnaire was administered to 35 participants during working hours. Statistical results were computed and compared to national averages for technical and professional workers. As a group, probation officers seemed to experience more complicated and enriched jobs than most professionals but significantly lower levels of feedback and knowledge of results. This finding appeared to be responsible for both measured level of job satisfaction which was significantly lower than the national average and for moderately higher turnover intention reported by probation officers. Probation officers dealt with many persons but received little or no organizational/supervisory feedback about their work. Overall job satisfaction was linked significantly to meaningfulness, responsibility, and knowledge of results. It was determined that job satisfaction can be improved by increased feedback. 25 references and 4 figures