Factors Influencing Overall Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Early Childhood Work Environments

Abstract

This research sought to clarify how certain personal and organizational factors influence the job satisfaction and organizational commitment of early childhood educators who work in center-based programs. Several important conclusions emerged. A fairly stable set of job clusters were identified as contributing sources of satisfaction and frustration: co-worker relations; supervisor relations; the nature of the work itself; pay and opportunities for promotion; and general working conditions. These five facets differed, however, in the extent to which they were bipolar. While several of the background variables (age, education, experience, salary, and professional orientation) did achieve statistically significant relationships with facets of satisfaction and organizational commitment, the correlation coefficients themselves were rather low. The facets of satisfaction had strongest relationships with level of organizational commitment and congruence with ideal. A surprising 83% of the respondents said they would choose a career in early childhood if selecting a career again. Statistically significant differences in work attitudes were found to exist between administrators and teachers in one area, the nature of the work itself. Finally, employees of nonprofit and for-profit programs were significantly different in only one facet of satisfaction, supervisor relations.