Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The perceived levels of job satisfaction among police officers: A descriptive review

  • Published:
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Whereas job satisfaction is a popular research topic among industrial and organizational psychologists, police organizational researchers have all but ignored the area of job satisfaction. Considering its link to many organizationally important factors, such as productivity, morale, and personnel turnover, research on job satisfaction in policing should be important. The identification of how satisfied police officers are with various jobrelated factors can be extremely useful to the police executive. This article examines perceived satisfaction of a purposive sample of 2611 police officers, with respect to 23 job-specific and three global job satisfaction items.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baron, R.A. and Byrne, D. (1991).Social psychology (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bateman, T.S. and Strasser, S. (1983). A cross-lagged regression test of the relationship between job tension and employee satisfaction.Journal of Applied Psychology, 68(3), 439–445.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bullock, R.J. (1986).Improving job satisfaction. NY: Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burke, R.J. (1989). Career stages, satisfaction, and well-being among police officers.Psychological Reports, 65 (1), 3–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buzawa, E.S. (1984). Determining officer job satisfaction: The role of selected demographic and job specific attitudes.Criminology. 22 (1), 61–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, B. (1973).Job satisfaction. Ithaca, NY: Publications Division, Cornell University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carter, D.L. and Sapp, A.D. (1992). College education and policing: Coming of age.FBL Law Enforcement Bulletin, (Jan), 8–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Culver, S.M., Wolfe, L.M. and Cross, L.H. (1990). Testing a model of teacher satisfaction for Blacks and Whites.American Educational Research Journal, 27(2), 323–349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dantzker, M.L. (1993a). Designing a measure of job satisfaction for policing: A research note.Journal of Crime and Justice, XVI(2), 171–181. (1993b). An issue for policing-Educational level and job satisfaction. A research noteAmerican Journal of Police, 12(2), 101–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dantzker, M.L. (1994). Identifying determinants of job satisfaction among police officers.Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 10(1), 47–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dhillon, P.K. (1990). Some correlates of job satisfaction: A study of police personnel.Psychological Studies, 35(3), 197–204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant, N.K., Garrison C.G., and McCormick, K. (1990). Perceived utilization, job satisfaction and advancement of police women.Public Personnel Management, 19(2), 147–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffin, G.R., Dunbar, R.L.M., and McGill, M.E. (1978). Factors associated with satisfaction among police personnel.Journal of Police Science and Administration, 6(1), 77–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hackman, J.R. and Oldham, G.R. (1975). Development of the job diagnostic survey.Journal of Applied Psychology 60 159–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hochstedler, E. and Dunning, C.M. (1983). Communication and motivation in a police department.Criminal Justice and Behavior, 10(1), 47–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hudzik, J.K. (1978). College education for police: Problems in measuring component and extraneous, variables.Journal of Criminal Justice, 6(1), 69–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, R.G. and McCadden, K.S. (1985). A survey of work attitudes of police officers: Commitment and satisfaction.Police Studies,8(1), 17–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jayaratne, S. and Chess, W.A. (1984). Job satisfaction, burnout, and turnover: A national study.Social Work, 29, 448–53.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Landy, F.J. (1989).Psychology of work behavior (4th ed.) Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks-Cole Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lester, D., Benkovich, C., Brady, J., Dietrich, M., and Solis, A. (1981). Stress and job satisfaction in police officers.Police Studies, 4(1), 34–42 (1987). Correlates of job satisfaction in police officers.Psychological Reports, 60(2), 550.

    Google Scholar 

  • Locke, E.A. (1983). The nature and causes of job satisfaction. In: Seashore, S.E., Lawler, E.E. III, Mirvis, P.H., and Cammann, C. (Eds.),Assessing organizational change: A guide to methods, measures and practices (pp. 1297–1349). NY: John Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Love, K. and Singer, M. (1988). Self-efficacy, psychological well-being, job satisfaction and job involvement: A comparison of male and female police officers.Police Studies,11(2), 98–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martelli, T.A., Waters, L.K., and Martelli, J. (1989). The police stress survey: Reliability and relation to job satisfaction and organizational communitment.Psychological Reports, 64(1), 267–273.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, J.K. and Shehan, C.L. (1989). Education and job satisfaction: The influences of gender, wage-earning status and job values.Work and Occupations, 16(2), 184–199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muchinsky, P.M. (1990).Psychology applied to work (3rd ed). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nord, W.R. (1977). Job, satisfaction reconsidered.American Psychologist. (Dec), 1026–1035.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quinn, R.P. and Staines, G.L. (1979):The 1977 quality of employment survey. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Regoli, R.M., Crank, J.P., and Culbertson, R. (1989). Police cynicism, job satisfaction, and work relations of police chiefs: An assessment of the influence of department size.Sociological Focus, 22(3), 161–171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reiss, A. (1967). Carcer orientations, job satisfaction and the assessment of law enforcement problems by police officers. InStudies in crime and law enforcement in major metropolitan area. V2, Field surveys III Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

    Google Scholar 

  • Robbins, S.P. (1993).Organizational, Behavior (6th ed) Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seashore, S.E. and Taber, T.D. (1975). Job satisfaction indicators and their correlates.American Behavioral Scientist, 18(3), 333–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, P., Kendall, L., and Hulin, C. (1975)The job development index. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steers, R.M. (1981).Introduction to organizational behavior. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foreman and Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wanous, J.P. and Lawler, E.E. (1972). Measurement and meaning of job, satisfaction.Journal of Applied Psychology, 56(2), 95–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolpin, J., Burke, R.J., and Greenglass, E.R. (1991). Is job satisfaction an antecedent or a consequence of psychological burnout.Human Relations, 44(2), 193–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Georgia Southern University, Georgia, USA

    M. L. Dantzker Ph.D.

  2. University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, USA

    M. A. Surrette Ph.D.

Authors
  1. M. L. Dantzker Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. A. Surrette Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dantzker, M.L., Surrette, M.A. The perceived levels of job satisfaction among police officers: A descriptive review. JPCP 11, 7–12 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02803703

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02803703

Keywords

Search

Navigation