Factors affecting the job satisfaction of municipal sport officers

Abstract

Municipalities throughout South Africa face increased demand for sport services. To meet this demand, they employ a variety of sport professionals, among whom are municipal sport officers. To prevent the voluntary turnover of their employees, municipalities have the obligation to ensure that the needs and expectations of these employees are satisfied. The purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing the job satisfaction of municipal sport officers. Using a quantitative approach, a questionnaire was developed and administered to municipal sports officers in Gauteng province of South Africa. A total of 185 municipal sport officers successfully completed the questionnaire. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and factor analysis to establish the factors that contributed to the job satisfaction of municipal sport officers. Five underlying factors, namely working conditions, skill utilisation, teamwork, creativity and autonomy that contributed to job satisfaction were extracted. Of these factors, working conditions of the respondents was perceived as contributing the most to their job satisfaction. The findings suggest that there is a need for municipalities to develop strategies to improve and sustain the job satisfaction of municipal sport officers.