Measuring job satisfaction and locus of control of municipal police officers
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Indefinite
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Abstract
The major focus of this study was to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction, locus of control and selected demographic variables of municipal police officers in the City of Boston Police Department. This descriptive study randomly selected 142 volunteer subjects from among the five police commands situated throughout the city. All the police officers were selected from the largest bureau, patrol. It was predicted there would be a relationship between locus of control and demographic factors. This was not supported in this study. However, refinement of the locus of control instrument geared specifically toward law enforcement should be used in future studies. Additionally, perhaps the unique nature of the interaction of the subjects both with their organization and the public at large may affect the outcomes. There was a relationship between job satisf action and selected demographic factors. The results indicated three very distinct groups: One - two year group, three - nine year group, and ten or more years of service group . The groups identified as having the largest levels of job satisfaction was on the one - two years of service and the ten or more years of service groups. The group with the lowest levels of job satisfaction was in the third group, three to nine years of service group. A closer analysis of the study found that the most highly satisfied member of the study was a white male, high school graduate, prior military service with over ten years of service. Further research is needed to identify other subgroups in a more sophisticated, refined manner with a larger sample population.
Description
Dissertation (Ed.D.)--Boston University
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