The Effects Of Working Environment Towards Job Satisfaction Among Uniformed Personnel In Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Abstract

Working environment is recognized as one of the contributing factors toward job satisfaction. Hence, a study was conducted to investigate the effects of working environment toward job satisfaction among a special group of government employees who were the uniformed personnel in Pulau Pinang. The researchers developed two research questions based on the conceptual framework comprised of two variables. Working environment as the independent variable consisted of five dimensions: working hours, job safety and security, relationship with co-workers, esteem needs and top management. Meanwhile, job satisfaction as the dependent variable comprised of three dimensions comprised of employee loyalty, efficiency and effectiveness as well as productivity were used in this study. Quota sampling technique was employed to invite 359 respondents with the aid of a set of questionnaires. Findings from this study revealed that all working environment’s dimensions (working hours, job safety and security, relationship with co-workers, esteem needs and top management) were significantly associated with job satisfaction as the dependent variable. However, job safety and security were the only dimensions found to have no significant relationship with the dimensions of job satisfaction (employee loyalty, efficiency and effectiveness and productivity). Findings obtained from this study have consequently provided implications and suggestions for better future research. Among others, it is suggested that supervisors of these uniformed personnel should be more open to the subordinates and should have a more harmonious relationship with subordinates as this will influence their esteem needs as well as job satisfaction.