NCJ Number
227883
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 73 Issue: 1 Dated: June 2009 Pages: 33-40
Date Published
June 2009
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study examined links among participatory management, job-related stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention among 191 line Federal probation officers.
Abstract
Study findings provide strong evidence in support of the three hypotheses. First, organizational variables were more important than individual variables in predicting an officer's turnover intention. Second, among organizational variables, participatory climate, internal stress, and overall job satisfaction, respectively, had a significant direct effect on an officer's turnover intention. Third, participatory climate and internal stress also had a significant indirect effect on an officer's turnover intention. "Participatory climate" emphasizes employees' participation in information-sharing, decisionmaking, and problem solving. Such work environments facilitate a sense of control and self-efficacy. "Job satisfaction" is a linkage between an employee and his/her job and job experiences. "Turnover intention" as a dependent variable was measured on a five-point Likert scale by the level of agreement with the statement, "I seriously think about quitting this job." Agencies were selected for this study based on geographical proximity to each other and the researcher's familiarity with their administrators. A mail survey was administered to Federal probation officers in Texas, Kansas, and Missouri, in order to assess their perceptions of participatory climate, three types of job stress (external, internal, and job/task), overall job satisfaction, and turnover intention. Out of 209 returned responses, this study examined only the responses of the 191 line officers. 2 figures, 4 tables, and 39 references