Factors Affecting Librarians' Job Satisfaction: A Report of Two Studies

Abstract

Job satisfaction as related to motivation is considered within the framework of Maslow's "hierarchy of needs" and Herzberg's "motivation-hygiene theory." An investigation, based on Herzberg's theory which involved the analysis of data gathered from 162 American and 75 Canadian librarians, is reported. The findings correspond to those of Herzberg and indicate that (1) the factors involved in producing job satisfaction (and motivation) are distinct and different from the factors that lead to job dissatisfaction and (2) the factors producing job satisfaction (and motivation) are concerned primarily with the actual job content (or work-process factors); the reasons for dissatisfaction (or hygiene factors) deal primarily with factors relating to the context in which the job is done--the job environment. Both sets of factors are closely interrelated. The implications of the study in terms of motivation and job enrichment are also discussed.