Job satisfaction among employees of a youth development organization

The degree of job satisfaction that an employee experiences has been identified with the employee's quality oflife, physical well-being, and psychological well-being (Brief & Weiss, 2002; Fisher, 2000; Heslop, Smith, Metcalfe, & Macleod, 2002; Locke, 1976; Sheehan, 1993). The purpose was to investigate whether or not a significant association existed between job satisfaction and specific demographic variables. The demographic variables examined were company tenure, age, gender, marital status, and education. The population study consisted of all employees of The Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) in a particular city. The BGCA contributes to successful academic and personal outcomes for high-risk youth (Buzzi, 1997; Tierney, Grossman, & Resch, 1995). Employees of youth development organizations that serve underprivileged, high-risk youth are especially prone to job stress and problems with job satisfaction (Shassian & Hampl, 2000). Overall job satisfaction was measured using the Job Satisfaction Index (JSI). This study was designed to answer these questions: (a) Does a significant relationship exist between job satisfaction and company tenure and age? (b) Is there a significant difference between job satisfaction and gender, marital status, and education? and ( c) What was the level of job satisfaction among the employees at BGCA? Data analyses for the null hypotheses included ANOV A, coefficient correlations, and t tests. No significant relationships or differences were found in the 5 demographic variables. Results indicated that the BGCA employees were overall highly satisfied with their job.