Sources of job satisfaction in intellectual disability services: A comparative analysis of experiences among human service professionals in schools, social services, and public health care in Sweden

ABSTRACT

Background: The research aim of this study was to analyse aspects of job satisfaction in daily work with people with intellectual disability (ID) in schools, social services and health care.

Method: With a comparative approach we collected data via a digital questionnaire with in total 333 respondents. The empirical material was analysed through a thematic content analysis.

Results: The result showed that perceptions of job satisfaction could be differentiated into five typological categories: (1) the target group; (2) social rewards; (3) social relations; (4) professional core mission; and (5) results and outcomes. The findings also showed apparent differences in responses, both in terms of frequency and content, which seem to be associated with the respondents’ organisational affiliations.

Conclusion: This study suggests that differences in experiences seem to be associated with work assignments, professional identities and organisational affiliation.

KEYWORDS:

• human service professionals
• intellectual disabilities
• job satisfaction
• comparative analysis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.