ARTICLES

 

Factors affecting job satisfaction at a private school in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal

 

 

Sudhindra Naidoo

University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

 

 

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ABSTRACT

Recently, private education in KwaZulu-Natal has encountered a decrease in overall employee satisfaction. The objective of this study was thus to determine those factors affecting job satisfaction. This was achieved through conducting a cross-sectional study at a private school in Pietermaritzburg. An anonymous questionnaire was used to collect the data from 47 staff members. Results showed that age and race were significantly associated with job satisfaction (p<0.05). The negative perceptions in relation to job satisfaction mainly revolved around advancement and leadership. Strong positive correlations were found between 'environment and culture' and 'relationship with colleagues' (r=0.697, p<0.05), 'environment and culture' and 'job security' (r=0.650, p<0.05), and relationships with colleagues and job security were found to be significantly associated with each other (r=0.660, p<0.05), and leadership with advancement (r=0.300, p=0.043). Although most participants were satisfied with the general working conditions and culture of the school, some expressed dissatisfaction with working conditions in their specific departments. It is recommended that management ensures that working conditions are conducive to skills development and empowerment of staff in order to promote job satisfaction.

Keywords: private education, job satisfaction, motivation, remuneration, leadership, recognition

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INTRODUCTION

Educators at education institutions such as private schools, play an integral role in the success of education with job satisfaction impacting on the general execution of activities by such institutions, and thereby, their reputations. In addition, the relationship between job satisfaction and employee retention at private institutions remains highly contentious (Veldman et al., 2013). Shabbir and Wei (2015) suggest that the present school and tertiary education setting, regardless of whether public or private, is influenced by powerless economies, quickly evolving innovation, hierarchical redesigning, and abbreviated lengths of service by personnel. Under such conditions, heads of institutions should focus on removing sources of dissatisfaction in the work place (Zahoor, 2015). Simultaneously, educators need to assume liability for their own fulfilment in their particular employment scenario.

Lee (2012) states that some educational institutions have used various measures and techniques to better employee performance, such as incentives and promotions, while others have used a range of non-financial rewards. These interventions focused on improving employee motivation, which is integral to job satisfaction. As Wolhuter (2015: 1384) points out, job satisfaction is crucial in this 'era of great competition in all spheres of business'.

Shabbir and Wei (2015) believe that one of the most challenging issues in the education sector - including private education - is a decrease in employee confidence and escalating staff turnover, both of which are markers of lowered motivation and reduced fulfilment.

The purpose of this study was to determine which factors affect job satisfaction by exploring the relationship between job motivation, work fulfilment and hierarchical duty at a specific private school.

 

LITERATURE REVIEW

Job satisfaction amongst employees is an important characteristic of successful organisations or institutions (Zeb et al., 2015). Akhtar and Nadir (2016: 236) explain that Hoppock, in 1935, defined job satisfaction as 'a combination of psychological, physiological and environmental circumstance that cause a person truthfully to say I am satisfied with my job'. Spector (1997) states that job satisfaction refers to the fulfilment one derives from day-to-day activities in one's job. Javed (2014: 130) defines job satisfaction as 'the fulfilment acquired by experiencing various job activities and rewards'. The latter definition could be understood as an emotional state that reflects the positive feelings of individuals when they appreciate their jobs.

Job satisfaction is an attitude that employees have about the work they do, and is based on numerous factors - both intrinsic and extrinsic to the individual. Having analysed the various interpretations of job satisfaction, it has come to light that it is the common ground between one's expectations and the perceived reality of a job in its entirety.

Job satisfaction is important to employers from the perspective of maintaining and retaining appropriate employees within the organisation; it is crucial to fit the right person to the right job in the right culture, and to keep employees satisfied to ensure optimal performance (Richardson, Karabenick & Watt, 2014). Employee contribution to any organisation is key to success. For this purpose, establishing a balance between the contribution of an employee to the organisation and the organisation's contribution to the employee, is essential (Zeb et al., 2015). In essence, the latter supports the view that employers should make the required effort to ensure employee job satisfaction within the organisation, in order to expect employees to work towards creating a successful organisation.

Understanding job satisfaction in education

Chan (2002) highlights that teacher motivation and job satisfaction are inextricably linked - as one influences the other. Teacher motivation refers to the stimulus for behaviour in a particular context, whereas teacher job satisfaction refers to the result of behaviour within a particular context. Similar to all organisations, in education, high-quality teaching staff are the cornerstone of successful educational institutions and the educational system. One of the steps in developing a high-quality school is to understand the factors generally associated with the quality of teaching (Ambrosetti, 2015). A crucial factor is teacher job satisfaction, since it is directly associated with teacher effectiveness, which in turn affects student achievement (Das & Choudhury, 2014).

Internationally, teacher job satisfaction has been connected to important human resource management issues such as teacher attrition rates, satisfaction with school administration, loyalty to the organisation, school improvement, productivity, and efficiency (Veldman et al., 2013). Obineli (2013: 29) explains that 'a teacher who has high job satisfaction is perceived to have a high level of commitment to his or her work'.

Abdullah and Hui (2014) suggest that a teacher who is happy or satisfied with his or her job has a sense of obligation to uplift the society in which he or she lives or works; whereas one who is dissatisfied may exert a negative influence on student learning. Shabbir and Wei (2015) highlight that the factors responsible for job dissatisfaction among teachers in public and private institutions, are commonly administrative, such as the evaluation of student performance, handling of discipline problems, teachers' heavy workload, poor salaries, lack of respect for the teaching profession, and promotion bottlenecks.

Factors affecting job satisfaction

Quite a few factors may influence the level of job satisfaction or occupation fulfilment of workers (Mafini, 2014). An extensive body of research appears to emphasise salary and remuneration, advancement and promotion, work environment, employee training programmes, teamwork and relationships with colleagues, rewards and recognition, as well as job security and leadership as core employee satisfaction factors - and these would be explored in more detail individually. Shabbir and Wei (2015) reveal that intrinsic job satisfaction factors affect feelings of self-fulfilment and enjoyment that employees gain from their jobs directly, while extrinsic job satisfaction factors refer to factors outside the job itself and are usually administered by someone other than the individual concerned.

Salary and remuneration

Individuals take part in work primarily to earn income. Income is essential for one to be able to provide the necessities and wants for one's self and family (Gkolia, Belias & Koustelios, 2014). Employees (including teachers) require sufficient financial resources in order to look after themselves and their families. Haider et al. (2016) suggest that money is considered an economic reward by workers. Sufficient compensation paid timeously to employees would certainly help improve employee confidence, satisfaction and commitment. Financial remuneration meets the tangible or material needs of employees, and provides mental fulfilment and peace of mind to employees (Wei & Abdullah, 2016).

Equitable and consistent remuneration of educators boosts teacher motivation (Tschannen-Moran & Gareis, 2015). Lack of sufficient work-place financial support could lead to teachers cultivating negative attitudes at work, with some actively seeking employment at alternate places of work that would provide such support (Van Maele & Van Houtte, 2012). Youthful, eager and skilled individuals resist joining professions that cannot boast lucrative remuneration deals for employees (Brundrett & Rhodes, 2014). A high remuneration package primarily creates stability and commitment in the education profession, and the contrary is true when the payments are low. Teachers join the profession to satisfy their needs (Gkolia et al., 2014).

Pay is a factor that assumes an exceptionally persuasive part in deciding employment fulfilment and job satisfaction. Nonetheless, in a research study conducted in Malaysia, academic staff of public and private universities who participated in the survey indicated that of all the factors that were listed as impacting on job satisfaction, salary had the least relevance to them (Mustapha, 2013). This could suggest that decision-makers and management at education institutions should give serious thought to having remuneration systems and controls guided by perceptions, occurrences and approaches taken at other similar education institutions, or by best practices derived from within the sector.

Mustapha (2013) emphasises that considering the availability of research grants, accessing funds for attending conferences, the allowance of sabbatical leave, and fostering close relationships within departments by management, contribute to favourable working conditions that would further enhance the job satisfaction of academic staff - since academic staff are not motivated largely by salary alone.

• Advancement and promotion

Employee advancement is not always a formal promotion, although very often it is an official transfer from one position to another (Haider et al., 2016). Advancement also can be a lateral move, such as an educator making a lateral move from one school to another (Das & Choudhury, 2014). Generally, a lateral move of this type presents some benefit to the teacher, who is likely on a track towards some specialisation offered at a particular school. Therefore, even lateral moves are part of employee advancement. Advancement forces performance - employees who move upward or laterally have an obligation to their employers to prove that they are worthy of the promotion or demonstrate their skills with another employer (Brundrett & Rhodes, 2014).

Brundrett and Rhodes (2014) suggest that high worker productivity is generally rewarded by an organisation in the form of a promotion, which subsequently results in further acceleration of employee effort. In organisations where promotion is regarded as insignificant or has less meaning to employees, an increase in salary might be regarded as a better method to compensate employees for their increased effort (Shabbir & Wei, 2015).

• Work environment

The work environment is an important factor that can influence the level of fulfilment of workers (Van Houtte, 2006). Wang, Ma and Liu (2014) suggest that a work environment designed to inspire employees will motivate employees and thereby result in improved effort by employees. Badri et al. (2013) emphasise that the importance of considering the atmosphere, quality and style of buildings and offices, in relation to job satisfaction, should not be underestimated. The work environment should embrace working conditions such as the temperature, humidity, ventilation, lighting, noise levels, cleanliness of the workplace, and adequate tools and equipment (such as public address systems, computers and resource materials for teaching, as well as good offices). Decent working conditions permit educators to work at ease and thereby with greater confidence (Raziq & Maulabakhsh, 2015).

Extremely poor conditions harbour frustration and regret, and consequently a high sense of dissatisfaction (Zahoor, 2015). Concurring with the previous statement, Alikhani, Langerodi and Ahmadpour (2013: 244) note that 'many teachers in public schools lack motivation and job satisfaction because of poor salary and the poor condition of the environment of their workplace'.

Shabbir and Wei (2015) suggest that for a teacher to attain full satisfaction in their school there must be adequate facilities, proper instructional materials, sound security measures, fair contract conditions, and a functional school community. A good school environment involves key personalities who are supportive of the welfare of teachers - like administrators, students and parents. These attributes help create assertiveness and positivity in educators, which are traits associated with employees experiencing job fulfilment and satisfaction (Abdullah & Hui, 2014). The ambience of the workplace is vital, as it impacts on teacher output (Zahoor, 2015). It is imperative for managers to establish solid and conducive platforms in the work environment to facilitate the delivery of instructions (Raziq & Maulabakhsh, 2015). Teachers ought to be catered for if African countries want quality personnel that can compete in the global village of education - especially in relation to science and technology (Obineli, 2013).

• Employee training programmes

To be competitive and profitable, a company must include education, training and employee development as an essential part of its strategy (Bercu, 2017). According to Haider et al. (2016), employees that are offered learning and training opportunities by the organisation are more likely to perceive the organisation as being one that values its employees and regards employee job satisfaction as crucial. These employees would generally display greater commitment and devotion to the organisation.

• Team-work and relationship with colleagues

According to Mafini and Dlodlo (2014), most employees in the workplace thrive on social interactions at work and regard this as a vital factor with regard to job satisfaction. Synergy and cohesion within departments results in enhanced job satisfaction. Close-knit teams are more likely to learn new things, as well as job enlargement elements that have been found to be positively associated with job satisfaction. Having friendly and helpful colleagues also contributes towards job contentment among employees. The state of relationships between co-workers in an organisation, including those between supervisors and subordinates, could be a significant pointer of job satisfaction or dissatisfaction (Veldman et al., 2013).

• Rewards and recognition

Zeb et al. (2015) explain that employees should be regarded as assets to an organisation. In order to motivate employees, an effective system of rewards and recognition should be in place. The idea of reward and recognition has become prominent in recent times, as many managers and researchers have become intrigued by the notion that reward and recognition could be presented to employees as material (cash) or non-material (non-cash) benefits, for specific desirable actions. According to Haider et al. (2016: 343) 'many research studies have been conducted regarding reward and recognition such as Maslow's Theory (1943, 1954), Herzberg's Theory (1959), Alderfer's Theory (1972) and Vroom's (1964) ERG Theory'. Based on the aforementioned theories, it is contended that there is a strong relationship between reward, recognition, and employee job satisfaction.

• Job security

Kraimer et al. (2005: 390) define job security as 'a psychological state in which workers vary in their expectations of future job continuity within an organisation'. Organisational benefits such as job security may induce in employees a sense of reciprocity and a perception of obligation to commit to an organisation. In contrast, employee loyalty and intention to stay with an organisation decrease when employers are unable to provide job security (Wang et al., 2014).

• Leadership

Zahoor (2015) states that the impact and type of effective leadership has a significant role in improving organisational performance. Bercu (2017: 68) clearly states that 'leadership has a specific place in influencing job satisfaction'. Bayram and Dinc (2015) suggest that of all leadership types, transformational leadership has been one of the most successful, as it provides an opportunity that enriches and supports successful cooperation between the leader and follower.

• Importance of motivation in relation to job satisfaction in education

Gkolia et al. (2014) suggest that there are several diverse considerations that have to be taken into account prior to evaluating employee job motivation or one's attitude towards one's job. These considerations may include, but are not limited to, the financial, psychological or emotional position of the employee, at any given point in time. Managing human resources is fundamental to organisational success, and whether employees are motivated to make a positive difference. Motivated staff could bring about significant positive change within the school environment (Van Maele & Van Houtte, 2012).

 

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This was a cross-sectional quantitative study conducted at a private school in KwaZulu-Natal. Since the population size was relatively small, the sample included the entire population, i.e. 50 employees consisting of educators, managers and support staff.

Self-administered questionnaires have become a common method of gathering information, especially due to their efficacy (Kothari, 2008). Given that the variables in this study were clearly defined, a survey questionnaire was, therefore, deemed to be the most appropriate method for data collection.

The design of the questionnaire was based on how it was to be administered, particularly as the researcher anticipated having only a single contact with respondents. The questionnaires were personally handed to each respondent and then collected two hours later.

A pilot study was conducted as a precursor to the research study using five respondents. The questionnaire was issued to respondents excluded from the chosen sample to establish appropriateness, time factors and levels of interest in relation to participation in the survey. This enabled the researcher to ensure that the tool, to a large degree, was free from errors before it was actually administered to the target group.

For this study, the researcher used structured, closed-ended, pre-coded questions, as well as a single open-ended question, to collect the data. The first part of the questionnaire sourced biographical information, including gender, age category, years of service at the school, post held, and race group. The second part of the questionnaire focused on various aspects relating to job satisfaction. These included: working environment and culture, relationships with colleagues, job security, recognition, advancement, and leadership. The last part of the questionnaire contained the only open-ended question which sought to obtain recommendations from respondents on ways to possibly improve job satisfaction at the school. It also ended the questionnaire with an opportunity for respondents to comment on how satisfied they were about their jobs.

Marshall and Rossman (2011) explain that the Likert scale involves the use of a special rating scale that asks respondents to indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree with statements or questions (strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree). A matching five-point Likert scale was used, given that it had the ability to facilitate robust statistical analysis. Ethics clearance was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Permission was obtained from the management of the target school to address members of staff and to conduct the study survey immediately after one of the weekly staff meetings. Participation in the study was voluntary. Anonymity and confidentiality were maintained at all times.

Analytical methods and procedures

Questionnaires were examined thoroughly in terms of whether instructions were followed. Those that appeared compromised were excluded from the analysis. The data analysis was facilitated through the predetermined coding of variables and statements. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques were applied for data analysis. This integration enhanced the analysis by ensuring that the limitations of either type of data did not take prominence. The investigator used version 24.0 of SPSS software to analyse the data. Quantitative analysis was performed through descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, tables and figures to illustrate the various distributions. The exact form of illustration depended on each individual data set.

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This study was undertaken to distinguish factors influencing job satisfaction at a private school with the intention of furnishing the institution with proposals on how staff fulfilment could be increased. The results of this study could also be utilised for additional research around the area of diminishing employee fulfilment, and in addition, could provide the school with astute suggestions to enhance the working conditions within the institution. A total of 47 participants completed the questionnaire. The reliability analysis confirmed that the data were reliable with a Cronbach's Alpha value of 0.725.

Socio-demographic variables

As illustrated in Table 1, the socio-demographic variables indicated that of the 47 participants, 70% were male, 77% were older than 35 years, two-thirds had worked for four to six years, 72% were teachers, and 77% were Indian.

Most respondents were Indian males, older than 35 years of age, and had at least four years of service at the target school. The respondents were predominantly teachers. This information could imply that most of the respondents in the survey were experienced educators who more than likely had previously taught at other educational institutions. Their responses in this survey could therefore have been influenced - either negatively or positively - by their prior work experience.

Working environment and culture

Six Likert-type statements asked the participants to comment on the environment and culture of the organisation. The majority of participants agreed with most of the statements. For example, more than two-thirds (68%) agreed that teachers receive satisfactory salaries, and 64% agreed that teachers receive satisfactory benefits. More than a third (38%) negatively reported that departmental working conditions are acceptable, and 31% disagreed that their Head of Department (HOD) was a good mentor. A summary of all the statements is shown in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1 - Click to enlarge

 

The results of the survey indicated that most (71%) respondents had positive views regarding working conditions and culture at the school. Approximately two-thirds revealed that they were satisfied with the benefits and salaries they were receiving. This is significant since both Cizek (2012) and Zeb et al. (2015) suggest that financial rewards are a factor that enhances workplace motivation. Raziq and Maulabakhsh (2015) emphasise that a conducive working environment has a positive impact on job satisfaction. However, it is also notable that about one third of the respondents had a negative view of departmental working conditions and mentoring provided by management. The latter findings should be of concern, as working conditions and supervision were observed by Mafini and Dlodlo (2014) as being extrinsic motivation factors that had statistically significant relationships with job satisfaction among employees.

Relationship with colleagues

With regard to determining the relationship with colleagues, five statements were asked. More participants positively responded to all the statements (see Figure 2 below). For example, 70% agreed that their colleagues always communicate with one another in relation to academic issues, and 62% positively indicated that teachers work together as a team. However, more than a third of the participants negatively reported that they plan and coordinate their efforts together as a team (36%), and that they had a good relationship with other teachers (38%).

 

Figure 2 - Click to enlarge

 

The overall scores showed that 60% of participants scored 16 or more - meaning they had positive views about the relationship with their colleagues. The analysis of the responses to the questions in the survey regarding relationships with colleagues illustrates that most respondents expressed that they have good relationships with their colleagues, who were also educators. Zahoor (2015) supports the notion that good interrelationships amongst colleagues promote psychological wellbeing, and, could therefore help sustain workplace job satisfaction. It is also noteworthy that more than one third of all respondents highlighted that there was inherent concern around the staff not working together as a team to strategise and plan efforts. According to Mafini and Dlodlo (2014), teamwork is another important extrinsic motivation factor that is known to have a statistical correlation with job satisfaction.

There seems to be a high level of collegiality at the school, but this is not necessarily being translated into work-related activities. Veldman et al. (2013) suggest that teachers who enjoy cordial relationships within the school environment tend to feel more secure in their jobs. This aptly explains the significant positive correlation between environment and culture and relationship with colleagues, as well as the significant positive correlation between relationship with colleagues and job security - as indicated by Spearman's Correlation Analysis.

Job security

More than two-thirds (70%) agreed that they feel free to express their opinions without worrying about negative actions/responses, and 64% agreed that they had job security as educators. On the other hand, 51% negatively reported that their job is important for the overall output of the school, and 52% disagreed or strongly disagreed that there is a sense of stability and continuity in their department (see Figure 3 below).

 

Figure 3 - Click to enlarge

 

The findings indicate mixed perceptions among respondents with respect to job security. The overall tally indicates that 59% of respondents ultimately reported positively about job security at the target school. This is in keeping with Bercu (2017), who found that 58.33% of all employees surveyed had positive responses regarding job security.

Most respondents from the target school felt they could communicate openly without repercussions. According to Hossen and Latif (2016), open communication between staff members helps keep staff motivated. Approximately two-thirds of all respondents indicated they felt that, as educators, their jobs were not at risk. However, half of the participants responded that their jobs did not significantly contribute to the overall performance of the educational institution. This could indicate a mismatch between the viewpoints of the employee with regard to the role they played within the larger organisational structure - as opposed to their job description in their department. Wang et al. (2014) explained that if not addressed, over the long term, such thoughts could cascade into job dissatisfaction, decreased motivation, and, ultimately, total loss of job security.

In addition, it is worth noting that half of the respondents indicated they perceived a lack of a sense of stability and continuity within their respective departments. The relationship between the job security of the educator and stability within a certain department could be investigated in the future (teachers indicate they feel safe as an employee of the school, but feel unstable and lack certainty over their continuity within their designated department).

Recognition

To determine if recognition is a factor in satisfaction, the researcher asked four statements. More than half of the participants agreed that hard work is usually rewarded at their school (53%), and they receive enough recognition for the work they do (51%). It was found that 55% of participants disagreed that if they did a better job, they had a better chance of getting ahead, and 46% negatively reported that recognition of their work motivates them to enhance their achievements (see Figure 4 below).

 

Figure 4 - Click to enlarge

 

Summing up the scores from the four statements, it was found that 57% of participants scored 12 or less - meaning they had a negative perception about recognition. Analysis of related recognition factors revealed mixed viewpoints of survey participants. Most respondents acknowledged that hard work was rewarded at the target school. This is an important finding, as Haider et al. (2016) found that gratification of staff would unequivocally lead to motivation. There is a general belief that motivated staff have job satisfaction, which in turn positively affects performance and thereby enhances overall organisational productivity (Mafini, 2014). It must be emphasised that rewards are however not necessarily limited to financial rewards, and could include any kind of non-financial benefit that the organisation could offer, which might be seen as valuable by the employee (Haider et al., 2016).

While most employees felt recognised for the work done at the target school, more than half indicated that this did not necessarily make them feel that they were in the better position of moving into a superior role. This is a potential concern in terms of employee motivation and job satisfaction at the school - particularly since a significant percentage of participants also indicated that recognition of work performed did not necessarily translate into motivation for enhancing achievements. Das and Choudhury (2014: 106) echo this concern: 'job satisfaction is employees' sense of achievement and his success in a particular job and is directly linked with productivity and personal wellbeing'.

Advancement

In this study, the researcher asked four statements to determine if advancement is a factor in satisfaction. The results highlighted that more participants disagreed with the following statements: Opportunities exist for training and development of teachers (62%), and there are opportunities for teachers to be promoted (51%).

Adding up all the scores, it was found that 79% of participants scored 12 or below from the four statements. This meant that most participants had a negative perception of advancement. An overall assessment of the responses suggests that there is a negative outlook towards employee advancement at the target school. The results revealed a correlation between the lack of avenues for advancement of employees and working conditions that were non-supportive of teacher advancement. This therefore could result in increased risk of potential employee dissatisfaction (Gkolia et al., 2014).

Almost two thirds of employees indicated the lack of training and development opportunities for teachers - even though teachers were encouraged to undertake research. Bercu (2017) discusses the empirical results of a study carried out to assess the satisfaction of employees at work utilising a series of questions, including those pertaining to training and professional development provided by the employer, and found that 89.58% of 132 participants indicated they were supported by their company for professional development and this directly contributed to them feeling satisfied in their jobs at the company. This should be utilised as a cue for the target school to rectify the current situation with respect to the lack of training and development opportunities offered to staff members. It is also important for institutions to tailor training to the needs of employees. Bercu (2017) highlights that people are more satisfied and perform better if training has a direct effect on their performance.

Furthermore, just over half the respondents indicated uncertainty with respect to future possibilities of promotions for teachers at the school. This statistic is also worrying, since Zeb et al. (2015) highlighted that job promotion is one of the key forms of reward that supports continued job satisfaction of employees.

 

Figure 5

 

Leadership

To determine if leadership is a factor for job satisfaction, eight statements were presented. The frequency distribution of the answers showed that more participants responded negatively to most of the statements. More than half of the participants disagreed that management does not guide as a friend but as a dictator (54%), and that the school management team invites teachers to participate in the decision-making process (51%). However, 62% agreed that teachers have enough freedom to make their own decision within the given responsibility, (see Figure 6 below).

 

Figure 6 - Click to enlarge

 

Respondents indicated a negative perception with regard to the overall leadership and decision-making at the target school. Even though almost two-thirds of the respondents indicated they had the liberty of making independent decisions within their specific job descriptions, most respondents indicated they were excluded from decision-making within the broader context of the organisation by the school's management. Bayram and Dinc (2015) revealed that those managers who make decisions pertaining to organisational issues in a more inclusive manner, were more likely to enjoy a motivated work team.

In addition, the respondents' perception of the management style at the target school was negative. More than half the participants (54%) did not agree with the statement that management guided staff in a friendly manner. The responses indicated agreement that management at the school resembles dictatorship. Lazaroiu (2015) states that there is a positive correlation between transformational leadership and job satisfaction. At the core of contemporary management is transformational leadership, which advocates the guiding and teaching of staff in a friendly manner.

The survey item 'school leadership delegates some of their responsibilities to teachers' could have been structured or worded differently, as it might have been misinterpreted. The statement was designed to describe management in a positive light (leadership willing to share tasks to empower subordinates) and ascertain if respondents agreed or not. Some respondents might have understood the statement to mean that management is possibly lazy and delegates their responsibility to subordinates.

The last item under the section on leadership in the questionnaire revolved around the openness of staff with management, in relation to discussing school problems. It is interesting to note that the responses to this item revealed an almost equal split in terms of those agreeing and those disagreeing that there are communication problems with management. This could be investigated further in the future, given that more than half the respondents had agreed that there were various channels of communication at the target school.

The Spearman Correlation Analysis (Table 2) highlights that leadership had a significant correlation with advancement. More than 70% of respondents had negative views or perceptions regarding both factors. A similar association between these two factors is evident in a study by Naseem and Salman (2015). The manner in which leaders manage employees therefore impacts on employee advancement.

While a global view of the statistical analysis by means of the Chi-squared test, did not indicate any strong correlation between the various factors investigated with job satisfaction - the Spearman Correlation Analysis was highly indicative of a correlation between certain of the variables investigated in the survey conducted.

 

CONCLUSION

This study highlighted several issues within the private education context. Firstly, although most participants expressed satisfaction with the general working conditions and culture of the school, a significant number expressed dissatisfaction with working conditions in their specific departments, particularly with respect to supervision and mentoring received from their superiors. This dissatisfaction did not extend to their relationships with colleagues of the same rank; in fact, there appeared to be a high level of collegiality in terms of interpersonal relationships. Of concern, however, was that this collegiality did not appear to translate into work-related activities, and this could suggest future loss of job satisfaction.

This study has highlighted that the major areas of potential job dissatisfaction at the school are related to relationships with management, as well as the inability of respondents to take advantage of avenues for skills development within the current structure of the school. This could be resolved by examination of current work policies at this school, as well as the implementation of a revised and more inclusive communication strategy between staff and management. This will in turn benefit all employees at the target school, as well as employees at similar private education institutions, and could potentially contribute to increased job satisfaction.

Recommendations to private education institutions about the research problem

The following recommendations can be made:

• Private education institutions should strategise to incorporate regular team building activities to ensure a better working relationship between staff and management.

• Policies should include the implementation of systems to facilitate better and easier communication between staff at all levels. This system could be adapted to suit the latest technological trends.

• Working conditions should be regularly addressed to accommodate the capacity building and skills development of staff.

• Policies in relation to promotion, advancement, job security and staff transformation should regularly be developed, amended or updated through collective discussions with all relevant stakeholders.

 

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Date of submission 18 July 2018
Date of review outcome 24 January 2019
Date of acceptance 12 February 2019