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Conclusions
The purpose of this study was to examine job satisfaction of newspaper journalists and elements that influence satisfaction, including perceived organizational support, social support, work-family conflict, job demands and role overload. Incorporating the intrinsic and extrinsic elements of the Herzberg motivation-hygiene theory provides additional perspective into journalists’ satisfaction.
Results indicate that motivation factors such as perceived organizational support and social support are significant predictors of job satisfaction. The hypothesis that hygiene factors, such as work-family conflict, job demands and role overload are significant predictors of job dissatisfaction was partially supported. Additionally, low levels of perceived organizational support and social support were significant among journalists who indicated they intend to leave newspaper journalism. Also, for those intending to leave journalism, significant levels of work-family conflict, job demands and role overload were prevalent.
Herzberg et al.’s (1959) motivation-hygiene theory says intrinsic factors or motivators, such as achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility, advancement and growth are the lynchpins to job satisfaction. The Herzberg theory states that the lack of intrinsic factors does not create job dissatisfaction but results in no satisfaction at all.
This study supports Herzberg’s theory. As motivators, perceived organizational support and social support played a significant role for those journalists who were satisfied with their work. For those who experienced job dissatisfaction, extrinsic factors or hygienes, such as work-family conflict and job demands, were prevalent.
In addition, compared to previous work (Weaver and Wilhoit, 1982; Weaver and Wilhoit, 1996; Weaver, Beam, Brownlee, Voakes and Wilhoit, 2007), a higher percentage of journalists in this study (25.7) said they had intentions of leaving the profession. And, 36.2 percent responded “don’t know,” which means nearly 62 percent were uncertain of their future in journalism.
In further support of the Herzberg theory, journalists’ comments about why they have intentions of leaving the profession were rather revealing. Industry issues/job satisfaction, considered an intrinsic factor, was the No. 1 response. Clearly, journalists with intentions of leaving the profession have become disillusioned with their work and the state of the industry. Several respondents vented about diminished journalistic standards infiltrating the profession. They said journalistic integrity has been sacrificed for increased profit and efforts to bolster readership.
This study also examined underlying principles that contribute to job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Work-family conflict, job demands and role overload are significant predictors of dissatisfaction, while perceived organizational support and social support were significant predictors of satisfaction. In essence, the tangential elements that tend to wear on journalists – deadlines, long hours, clashes between work and family – appear to take their toll and create dissatisfaction. But, in alignment with Herzberg’s theory, dissatisfaction factors are not driving journalists from the workforce. Primarily, journalists intending to leave the profession are frustrated with fundamental issues that comprise an enjoyable work environment – support and encouragement.
Although “salary” was the second most common reason journalists want to leave the profession, financial rewards -- established as a Herzberg “hygiene” – will not provide long-term solutions in diminishing dissatisfaction. However, improving the work environment, and the work itself, will provide the groundwork for satisfaction. Herzberg (1968) wrote: “The very nature of motivators, as opposed to hygiene factors, is that they have a much longer-term effect on employees’ attitudes” (p. 62).
There are several limitations to this study, including sample selection. Because it was left to newsrooms to provide e-mail lists of their staffs, the sample was not random. However, with 715 respondents from a variety of newspapers throughout the U.S., the sample does allow for some generalizability of the results. Another limitation is the Web survey method. Despite direct e-mailing, it’s still uncertain who is completing the survey. Additionally, research suggests that respondents do not always provide honest answers but sometimes mark the expected answers to survey questions.
Despite the limitations, this study provides insight into the elements that affect job satisfaction among newspaper journalists. For newspaper management, keeping employees satisfied is essential in preventing burnout, absenteeism and job turnover. With so many journalists examining options outside the industry, attempts to curtail the exodus would appear prudent.
In previous studies, autonomy to select and report stories, helping people, editorial policy and the esteem of the newspaper contributed to job satisfaction, while salary, benefits, job security and an unfavorable work environment instigated job dissatisfaction (Weaver and Wilhoit, 1996). This study takes that premise one step further. A lack of motivators can lead to a lack of job satisfaction, and a lack of satisfaction can result in journalists leaving the profession. If, as the open-ended responses indicate, there’s a collapse in organizational support because of decaying industry standards, the exodus of journalists is just beginning. While journalists might continue to forge forward despite workload, deadlines and salary issues, they will not stand by as the foundation of journalism crumbles beneath them. At that point, they will quit.