The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/0956-5698.htm
RMJ
32,2 Job satisfaction among career
record personnel in the Ghana
civil service: a case study
182 Juliana Kesewaa Ansong
Parliament of Ghana, Accra, Ghana, and
Received 14 February 2021
Revised 20August 2021 Noah Darko-Adjei
29 October 2021
9 January 2022 Department of Information Studies, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
Accepted 7March 2022
Abstract
Purpose – Good records management and effective employees contribute greatly to the success of every
organization. Like any other employees, records personnel need to be satisfied with their jobs so they are
motivated. Unfortunately, records personnel in Ghana are faced with many challenges which negatively affect
their job satisfaction. This study aims to examine the issue of job satisfaction among career records personnel
in the Civil Service of Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach – Civil servants from 27 ministries and the Public Records and
Archives Administration Department (PRAAD) were selected for the study. A survey questionnaire was the
main data collection instrument used to gather data on selected variables from respondents. The
questionnaire was answered by 115 out of 208 respondents: a response rate of 74.5%.
Findings – Institutional policy, supervision quality, co-worker relations quality, promotions opportunities,
salary levels, benefits availability, the nature of the work itself and reward availability all had a significant
and positive relationship with job satisfaction.
Originality/value – The case study findings can be used to inform a working document to help other
public sector organizations in policy making regarding conditions of service. It is also directly beneficial to the
Ghana Office of the Head of Civil Service and policymakers because the findings will help them to reshape
their employment policies to positively affect job satisfaction of members in its records class.
Keywords Job satisfaction, Motivation, Employee policy, Records personnel
Paper type Research paper
Background of the study
The human resource of every organization is an indispensable asset as, without employees, the
organization cannot achieve its goals (Attrams, 2013). In today’s business world where
companies are competing for customers, it is of great importance for them to satisfy
their employees in other to motivate them to work hard. Studies have shown that satisfied
employees put in maximum effort, leading to high productivity. Conversely, when employees
are not satisfied with their jobs, they lack the morale to work effectively, which negatively
affects the organization. Every organization aims to achieve high productivity and this cannot
be achievedwith dissatisfied employees.
Several researchers, such as Coomber and Barriball (2007) and Omole (2020), have
confirmed that in a situation where employees are aware that the organization is concerned
Records Management Journal about their well-being, they are compelled to work more effectively; hence, job satisfaction is
Vol. 32 No. 2, 2022 critical to high productivity. Even though satisfaction varies for every employee, most
pp. 182-197
© EmeraldPublishingLimited organizations strive to increasing morale. Satisfied employees work more effectively to
0956-5698
DOI 10.1108/RMJ-02-2021-0006 achieve organizational goals. Therefore, organizations should be interested in the factors
that make employees happy. Research has revealed that several variables account for Career record
employee job satisfaction; these include demographics (such as age, marital status, gender), personnel
salary, educational qualification, job security, supervisor and subordinate relationship, job
type and status (Luddy, 2005; Milledzi, 2018; Boafo, 2018).
Job satisfaction brings several benefits to an organization. When employees are satisfied
with their jobs, they become more committed and loyal to the organization and more likely to
protect the organization’s confidential information from unauthorized access (Popoola, 2009). It
is also more difficult e for an employee who enjoys their job to voluntarily quit to look for other 183
opportunities (Lambert and Hogan, 2009). Employees demonstrate a positive work attitude
when their level of satisfaction in the job is high, which leads to a higher level of retention and
productivity and also encourages creativity and innovation, thereby contributing to the
achievement of organizational goals. A lack of job satisfaction affects organizations negatively,
as it may yield high employee turnover and low commitment levels, impacting intuitional
knowledge and experience (Coomber and Barriball, 2007; Mbah and Ikemefuna, 2012).
Records management is a professional career that ensures that specific standards, tools
and practices deliver effective organizational record keeping. Records are vital
organizational resources for the conduct of operations. This is because without accurate and
reliable records, it is difficult for organizations, whether public or private, to achieve their
goals. Therefore, records should be well kept and properly managed. Records personnel are
responsible for managing records from creation to final disposition. In public institutions,
robust records management supports citizen rights and good governance.
The Civil Service in Ghana refers to the administrative arm of the executive, which is
separate from its parliament and the judiciary. It is the responsibility of the Civil Service to
help formulate and implement government policies for the development of the country
(Tumfo, 2017). Within the Civil Service, records personnel manage the documentation
created through government activities. The Public Records and Archives Administration
Department (PRAAD) constitutes a distinct class in the Civil Service (Public Records and
Archives Administration Establishment Instrument, 1996).
In Ghana, records personnel are professionals with formal training or education in records
management. Records personnel with an educational qualification from undergraduate degree
to postgraduate and above are considered professionals, while diploma holders and West
Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) or Ordinary and Advanced Level
holders are considered paraprofessionals. There are several categories of records personnel in
Ghana including public and private sectors records professionals and consultants. The public
sector includes Civil Service ministries, department and agencies (MDAs).
The Records Class play a very important role within the Civil Service, as it ensures
proper management of and access to records. Every aspect of governance depends on
accurate and reliable records (Adams, 2006). It is notable that if job satisfaction among the
records personnel is not high, it could result in mismanagement of records (Graham and
Messner, 1998). If records are mismanaged, the opportunity for corruption in the public
sector will be higher, as there will be fewer records to provide evidence of activities. In
extremis, records personnel could also take opportunities to leak sensitive data and even sell
vital organizational information (Popoola, 2009).
Problem statement
Recently, issues relating to job satisfaction have become rampant. In 2017, a research study
concluded that 59% of the workforce of the UK was considering quitting their current jobs
to look for other opportunities due to lack of job satisfaction (Investor In People, 2017).
Employees may resort to absenteeism, strike action or demonstrations because they are
RMJ unhappy with their jobs. For example, in 2016 the Civil and Local Government Staff
32,2 Association of Ghana embarked on a strike action over an interim allowance (Duodu, 2016);
and in 2021, Ghana’s University Teachers Association embarked on a nationwide strike to
demand $2000 as a basic annual salary (BBC, 2021).
Globally, factors such as recognition, demography, supervision and working conditions
are seen as determinants of employee job satisfaction across sectors (Otterbring et al., 2018;
184 Yee, 2018; Suleman and Hussain, 2018). In Ghana, the concept of job satisfaction has been
investigated across public sector institutions such as education, health and mining (Milledzi,
2018; Boafo, 2018). However, the literature on job satisfaction among records professionals is
scarce and is addressed only by a small number of studies (Mensah, 2011; Abubakari, 2011;
Mensah and Adjei, 2015), which focused on specific factors such as work roles and
demographics (age, gender and marital status). They failed to cover other significant factors
including salary, promotion opportunities, company policies, supervision and co-worker
relationships; hence the need for this study.
Purpose of the study and research objectives
The purpose of the study was to examine the issue of job satisfaction among career records
personnel in the Civil Service of Ghana with a view to identifying the key factors that affect
job satisfaction and to offer solutions where needed. The specific objectives of the study
were to determine the relationship between institution policies and job satisfaction and
between supervision and job satisfaction, and to examine the impact of co-worker
relationships on job satisfaction in the Records Class.
Concept of job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is defined as an individual’s “positive
emotional reactions to a particular job” (Oshagbemi, 1999). Similarly, Silva (2014) considers
it the positive attitude and feelings people have towards their job. These definitions are
limited to employees’ emotional response and failed to identify specific factors that account
for satisfaction; as emotions are subject to change, Oshagbemi and Silva’s definitions make
it difficult to accurately measure job satisfaction. On the other hand, Fidan et al. (2016) see
job satisfaction as “the pleasure a person gets from [. . .] [their]. . .job, the feeling of
satisfaction and the quality of life”. This definition is in line with the view of Sriratanaprapat
and Songwathana (2011), who view job satisfaction as a pleasurable or positive emotional
status resulting from the evaluation of one’s job or job experience. However, although
Sriratanaprapat and Songwathana’s definition address “pleasure” and “quality of life” as
additional factors, these concepts are too general because they do not clearly comprise
measurable variables. Thus, the definition fails to deal with the totality of the concepts that
inform satisfaction.
Job satisfaction also embraces elements such as pay, promotional opportunities,
supervision, benefits and rewards, work itself, co-worker relationships, satisfactory
communication and operational procedures. Spector (1997) specifies more granular elements
including: pay satisfaction (employees’ sense that they are paid fairly for the work they do);
promotion satisfaction (fair chances given to employees for promotion to a higher level);
supervision satisfaction (competence and the level of interest supervisors demonstrate in
their subordinates’ feelings); benefit satisfaction (perceived adequacy of employee benefit
packages); rewards satisfaction (recognition and appreciation employees receive for
effective work); operational procedure satisfaction (adequate rules and procedures that
guide work performance); co-worker satisfaction (relationship among colleagues); the nature
of the work itself (meaningfulness and joy derived from the job); and communication
satisfaction (flow of information from supervisors to subordinates). These elements were
quantified as variables in the PRAAD study.
Theoretical framework. The study was underpinned by Herzberg’s Motivation – Career record
Hygiene Theory propounded by Frederick Herzberg, Bernard Mausner and Barbara Bloch personnel
Snyderman in 1959. It is also known as the Two- Factor Theory (Herzberg et al., 2011). Many
researchers have used Herzberg’s theory to conduct research on job satisfaction. It states
that two factors, motivation and hygiene, drive employee satisfaction levels. The motivation
factor (also known as a satisfier) is the need for personal development and is related to the
work itself. It comprises achievement, recognition, responsibility, challenge, promotion and
growth. Lack of motivating factors make employees concentrate on hygiene factors 185
(Herzberg et al., 2011), which are necessary to avoid the dissatisfaction of employees but are
not directly related to satisfiers. Hygiene factors focus on external factors or the employees’
environment and include company policy, supervision, relationship with the manager and
work conditions. The theory helped this researcher to understand the motivational factors
that fueled Ghanaian civil service career records personnel.
Literature review for selected variables
Institutional policies and job satisfaction
Company policies or manuals outline the expectations for employee conduct and the support
provided to them. Almost every organization has at least one policy that guides its
operation. Research has proved that these policies influence employee satisfaction (Omole,
2020). Boles et al. (2007) also found that company policy was significantly related to
organizational commitment.
The findings of a study conducted by Ngari and Mukururi (2014) revealed that a work-
life balance policy was an important predictor of job satisfaction among employees in
Kenya’s banking sector. Ololube (2006) conducted a study to assess the difference and
relationship between the level of Nigeria teachers’ job satisfaction, their motivation and
teaching performance in which dissatisfaction with educational policies was revealed. These
studies clearly indicate that company policies have important roles to play in employees’
satisfaction.
Communication in relationships of supervisors and co-workers
Relationships between supervisors, subordinates and co-workers affect job satisfaction.
According to Charoensukmongkol et al. (2016), co-workers are people in the organization
who have close interaction and to work together to achieve a common goal. Supervisors
direct and oversee the work assigned to subordinates under their supervision.
Communication facilitates all of these relationships. According to Kim (2001),
communication is a very important tool for creating mutual understanding and reducing
uncertainties during interaction. Raina and Roebuck (2016) posited that managers must give
clear and concise information at the right time on work performed. Supervisors should
involve subordinates in decision-making and provide several channels of communication so
they are well informed about organizational issues. Raina and Roebuck’s study sought to
identify the critical importance of effective downward communication and its relationship
with job satisfaction, organizational commitment and employees’ propensity to leave the
insurance sector of India. Their findings revealed a positive significant relationship between
downward communication and employee satisfaction.
Furthermore, Luddy (2005) conducted a study on job satisfaction among employees of
public health institutions in Western Cape, South Africa, which revealed that relationships
with supervisors and co-workers were significantly related to job satisfaction. Koh et al.
(2017) and Amissah et al. (2016) were consistent with Ombima’s (2014) findings, which in
turn were consistent with Luddy’s (2005) results. Ombima studied the factors affecting
RMJ employee job satisfaction in Kenya higher education institutions. The results showed a
32,2 harmonious relationship between employees and their supervisors as well as among
colleagues that supported improved work performance.
Ariani’s(2015) study reinforced that a supervisor who is supportive and sensitive to the
needs and emotions of subordinates creates a favorable environment in which employees
develop the skills and ability to solve work problems. He concluded that a healthy
186 relationship between supervisors and employees and fellow workers would motivate
employees to be more closely involved across every activity in the organization, leading to
higher productivity. The findings of Koh et al. (2017) also confirmed that co-worker
relationships were an important determinant of job satisfaction.
Rewards and job satisfaction
According to Odembo (2013), reward is anything offered to a person in recompense for
delivering a desired behaviour. Rewards may come in the form of money or in-kind
compensation, public recognition, praise or recommendation. Islam et al. (2012) reported that
reward and future opportunities had a significant influence on job satisfaction within the
private sector.
Ssegawa’s (2014) Kenya study confirmed recognition as a significant influence on job
satisfaction. A study by Bustamam et al. (2014) conducted to examine the relationship
between rewards and job satisfaction also showed that financial rewards had a particularly
positive relationship with job satisfaction.
Benefits and job satisfaction
Employees’ benefits refer to the compensation receive in addition to their salary (Fogleman
and McCorkle, 2009). A study by Artz (2010) revealed that fringe benefits had a significant
relationship to job satisfaction. A study of teachers across 17 public and private universities
in Islamabad by Hina et al. (2014) investigated the difference in employee benefits provided
to men and women, the difference in job satisfaction according to gender and the impact of
employees’ benefits on the job satisfaction of. The results show that benefits such as leave,
travel allowance, house hiring and pension benefits were not provided to the majority of
employees. The study concluded that there was a significant relationship between
employees’ benefits and job satisfaction. This finding is consisted with the study by Omole
(2020).
Odunlade’s (2012) study on employee compensation and benefits in libraries and
information centers in Nigeria confirmed that there was a positive correlation between
compensation, benefits and job satisfaction. To the contrary, Mabaso and Dlamini (2017)
found that their study of academic staff in higher educational institutions in South Africa
revealed that there was a positive relationship between compensation and job satisfaction,
but no significant relationship existed between benefits and job satisfaction. Although that
finding contradicts Artz (2010), Odunlade (2012), Hina et al. (2014) and Jaworski et al. (2018),
it can still be argued that benefits are a significant predictor of employees’ satisfaction.
Supervision and job satisfaction
Supervision style employed has a great influence on employees’ satisfaction. Dartey-Baah
and Ampofo (2016) in reviewing the literature on transformational leadership adds that
leadership is a significant factor in the pursuance of organizational goals.
A transformational leader serves as a role model for followers, offers inspiration that motivates
followers to act, considers the views of followers in decision-making and coaches followers
towards achieving their full potentials. In their literature review, Dartey-Baah and Ampofo (2016)
argued that a supervisor who is a transactional leader sets standards to which followers should Career record
strictly adhere, as they are the means to measure individual work performance. With such a personnel
supervisor, individuals are rewarded for good performance and those who produce poor
performance are coached to improve. The results of a study conducted by Nyenyembe et al. (2016)
on the relationship between managers’ leadership style and teachers’ job satisfaction in Tanzania
proved that therewas a significant correlation between leadership styles and job satisfaction.
Alonderiene and Majauskaite (2016) also found that leadership style has a positive
relationship with job satisfaction in a higher education setting. The study showed that the 187
servant (serving the greater good) leadership style has a positive effect on satisfaction, while
the autocratic leadership style has the least effect on job satisfaction.
Koh et al. (2017) also showed that leadership style was a significant factor in predicting
job satisfaction. Taliadorou and Pashiardis (2015) add that the emotional intelligence and
political skills of Cypriot school principals have relationships with leadership style, which in
turn affects job satisfaction. While Podsakoff et al. (2006) found that transactional leadership
is more strongly linked to achieving desirable outcomes than transformational leadership;
Dartey-Baah and Ampofo’s (2016) research examined the relevance of the “carrot and stick”
(transactional) leadership style in predicting employees’ job satisfaction in business
organizations in Ghana and concluded that the it had a significant relationship with overall
job satisfaction.
It is suggested that the key element to achieving organizational objectives is a positive
leadership style exhibited by the supervisor. It is clear from the reviewed literature that both
transformational and transactional leadership have some level of influence on employees’
job satisfaction.
Research methodology
Introduction and scope
A descriptive research approach (narrative of the behaviour of the population or events
so as to give meaning to an existing condition) was adopted for this study in combination
with a quantitative research approach to determine the relationship between Spector’s
variables (Boateng, 2014). The researcher used questionnaires that asked four
demographic questions and provided 10 statements for respondents to rate. Reponses
were rated in percentages where the six-Likert scales (disagree very much, disagree
moderately, disagree slightly, agree slightly, agree moderately, agree very much) were
used to present results.
The selected population sample for the case study was Civil Service records
personnel at the head office of PRAAD and in Accra, chosen because every ministry has
a registry (or records office) and records class personnel. The questionnaire template
can be found at https://sites.google.com/view/researchcorner/ansong-and-darko-
adjei2022-tables-and-questionnaire-appendix
This Records Class also includes technical staff that carry out preservation activities.
Within PRAAD, technical staff ensure that records remain accessible for as long as they are
needed. The study comprised a total population of 208 records personnel. They included 49
records personnel from PRAAD (head office) and 159 persons in ministries, distributed as
shown in Tables A1 andA2.
In Table A2, the total number of records personnel in the ministries shown is 159. Out of
that total, 84 were professionals, while 75 were paraprofessionals.
The study used the Inter-Correlation Matrix to determine the relationship among
variables. This was used to determine whether there were significant relationships between
job satisfaction and the indicator variables (institutional policy, pay and benefits, promotion,
RMJ supervision, actual work, co-worker, reward and communication). The correlation analysis
32,2 introduces a correlation coefficient (r). This coefficient (r) explains the extent to which two
variables move together. The r-value falls between
1 andþ1. Where the r-value is zero (0),
it depicts that no relationship exists between the two variables. Where the r-value is
positive, it represents a positive relationship (when one variable increases, the other variable
also increases) and where the r-value is negative, it depicts a negative relationship and this
188 shows that the variables move in opposite directions. That is, when one variable increases,
the other variable decreases and vice versa. In determining the relationship between
variables, the correlation table brings to view the statistical significance of the relationships.
Where a relationship between two variables is statistically significant, it indicates that the
two variables are related to each other (Yeboah, 2013). Cohen (as cited in Yeboah, 2013)
suggests the following guidelines for interpreting the values from 0 to 1.0:
r= 0.10 to 0.29 or r=
0.29 Small\Weak
r= 0.30 to.49 or r=
0.30 to
0.49 Medium
r= 0.50 to 1.0 or r=
0.50 to 1.0 Large/Strong
Table A3 shows the relationship between the selected indicators and job satisfaction as
found in the link below.
Major findings and discussion
Relationship of institutional policy and job satisfaction
Table A3 results indicate that institutional policy had a significant positive relationship
with job satisfaction: r (155) = 0.14, p < 0.05. The survey results indicate that records
personnel had rules and procedures that make task performance easy (25.8%). The survey
also revealed that some efforts to do work were blocked by bureaucratic structure (21.3%) as
evident in the policy and a minority of respondents were tasked with “too much work”
(24.5%). A significant proportion of respondents had too much paperwork, as many duties
were done manually (42.6%). It can therefore be inferred that the policy guiding the work of
records personnel in the Civil Service had a positive influence on records personnel, but that
records management should pay critical attention to that policy and possibly amend it to
reduce the level of bureaucracy.
Even though this study revealed that good policies perform strong roles in guiding
records personnel in the Civil Service, some records personnel reported that there was an
aspect of bureaucracy that slows down task performance, which if addressed would have
pushed the level of satisfaction higher. These findings reflect those of Ololube (2006) who
found that Nigerian teachers were not satisfied with their educational policies, which was
attributed to the bureaucratic nature of existing policies in use at the time.
Overall, these findings agree with the prepositions posed by Herzberg’s Motivation –
Hygiene Theory (Herzberg et al., 2011), on which this study hinges. Well-designed company
policy increases satisfaction, while poorly designed policy reduces satisfaction. Therefore,
this finding validates the theory that company policies influence the satisfaction of records
personnel.
Relationship between supervision and job satisfaction
Gregory (2011) posits that supervisors must pay attention to the concerns and questions of
employees and provide solutions to and guidance on these concerns. Ariani (2015) adds that
a supervisor who is supportive and sensitive to the needs and emotions of subordinates
creates a favourable environment for employees to develop their skills and ability to solve
problems.
Supervision also had a positive and significant relationship with satisfaction r (155) = Career record
0.65, p < 0.01. Findings skewed towards positive perception, as 33.5% of the respondents personnel
indicated that their supervisors were competent, 42% showed that their supervisors treated
subordinates fairly and 35.5% noted that superiors showed a lot of interest in subordinates’
feelings. This signifies that the better the supervision, the higher the satisfaction of records
personnel, and also implies that a good relationship between supervisors and subordinates
is crucial because it affects productivity.
The finding of the present study in this variable conforms to those of Bowen and Cattell 189
(2008) who conducted a study on job satisfaction among quantity surveyors in South Africa.
They reported that the degree of supervision, participation in decision-making and social
interaction at work were found to have significant relationships with job satisfaction. This is
also similar to Naseem and Salman (2015), Brough and Frame (2004) and Amissah et al.
(2016), who found that supervision had a significant relationship with job satisfaction
among the academic staff of Pakistan, police officers of New Zealand and employees of the
hotel industry in Ghana.
Furthermore, it is also in tandem with Koh et al. (2017) and Luddy (2005) who found in
their study on job satisfaction among public accounting professionals in Malaysia and
employees of public health institutions in Western Cape, respectively, that relationship with
supervisors was a significant factor in determining job satisfaction.
The finding of this study is in line with Herzberg’s Motivation – Hygiene Theory
(Herzberg et al., 2011), which indicates that there should be an appropriate relationship
between supervisors and subordinates and that supervisors should not humiliate
subordinates in any way so that unhealthy relationships do not reduce the level of
satisfaction. The application of the theory to this variable’s finding is that records personnel
are more likely to achieve higher satisfaction when there is better supervision, while poor
supervision leads to a low level of satisfaction.
Co-worker relationship and job satisfaction
Similarly, the results revealed that co-workers had a positive significant correlation
with job satisfaction of r (155) = 0.48, p < 0.01. The findings revealed that respondents
liked their co-workers (40.6%). Respondents expressed satisfaction in the competencies
of their co-workers (27.7%), and due to this, they were not compelled to work harder
than they should. Also, the results indicated that records personnel enjoyed the
company of their co-workers (35.5%) and did not experience too much fighting or
bickering at the workplace (37.4%). This finding suggests that good interpersonal
relationships among records staff contribute to the satisfaction of employees, which
invariably affects work performance.
The finding revealed that there was a positive and significant relationship between
co-worker relations and job satisfaction. This implies that the healthier the relationship
among co-workers, the more satisfied records personnel are and vice versa. This is
inconsistent with the findings of Gulnar (2007) who reported that co-worker
relationship was a good predictor of job satisfaction among the research assistants of
Selcuk University; and in tandem with that of Koh et al. (2017) who found that co-
worker relationship was an important determinant of job satisfaction among public
accounting professionals in Malaysia. It also aligns with those of Suttikun et al. (2018),
Ssegawa (2014) and Ombima (2014) who observed that co-worker relationships had a
positive relationship with job satisfaction among spa therapists, employees’ in a
Kenyan branch of a multinational business and employees at a Kenyan institution of
higher education, respectively.
RMJ The finding is also in tandem with Herzberg’s Motivation – Hygiene Theory (Herzberg
32,2 et al., 2011), which states that co-worker relationships are linked to employees’ satisfaction.
The theory explains that relationships among peers at the workplace should be appropriate
and acceptable such that there should not be any conflicts among co-workers. The theory
also indicates that a good relationship among co-workers increases satisfaction among
employees. The finding of this study, therefore, supports the theory that a good relationship
190 among records personnel affects their satisfaction, as it does across the public sector and in
other private sector areas.
Conclusion
From the study, it can be concluded that factors contributing to the satisfaction of
records personnel include institutional policy, supervision quality, co-worker relations
quality, promotions opportunities, salary levels, benefits availability, the nature of the
work itself and reward prevalence. A majority of these factors must be fulfilled to
achieve satisfaction among records personnel. As motivation is dependent on
individual differences, the onus lies on the records management unit to investigate
what factors should be taken into account for career records personnel. There is also a
need for effective management of human resources and policy revision to improve job
motivation and reach higher productivity targets. The study adds to the small volume
of literature on the subject, and it is hoped that its findings will encourage PRAAD to
reduce bureaucracy, provide more opportunities for promotion in the records class; and
review its professionals’ salary structures, benefits and rewards so as to improve
overall job satisfaction.
References
Abubakari, H. (2011), “Exploring organizational commitment following organizational change at the
public records and archives administration department”, Unpublished MA Thesis, Department
of Information Studies, University of Ghana, Legon.
Adams, M. (2006), “Freedom of information and records management in Ghana”, African Journal of
Library, Archives and Information Science, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 29-38, available at: www.ug.edu.gh/
infostudies/staff/musah-adams
Alonderiene, R. and Majauskaite, M. (2016), “Leadership style and job satisfaction in higher education
institutions”, International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 30 No. 1, pp. 140-164,
doi: 10.1108/IJEM-08-2014-0106.
Amissah, E.F., Gamor, E., Deri, M.N. and Amissah, A. (2016), “Factors influencing employee job
satisfaction in Ghana’s hotel industry”, Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism,
Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 166-183, doi: 10.1080/15332845.2016.1084858.
Ariani, D.W. (2015), “Relationship with supervisor and co-workers, psychological condition and employee
engagement in the workplace”, Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 4 No. 3, pp. 4-47,
available at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/21c1/573c5b55f4b78daab942ea6d50a72129f667.pdf
Artz, B. (2010), “Fringe benefits and job satisfaction”, International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 31 No. 6,
pp. 626-644, doi: 10.1108/01437721011073346.
Attrams, R.A. (2013), “Motivation and employee satisfaction: perceptions of workers in public and
private health care facilities”, MPhil Thesis, University of Ghana, available at: www.ugspace.ug.
edu.gh/. . ./RitaAmoabeaAttrams_Motivation_and_Employee
BBC (2021), “Ghana UTAG strike: Ghana university lecturers demand $2000 basic salary before Dem
call off indefinite nationwide strike”, available at: www.bbc.com/tori-58056175
Boafo, I.M. (2018), “The effects of workplace respect and violence on nurses’ job satisfaction in Ghana: a Career record
cross-sectional survey”, Human Resources for Health, Vol. 16 No. 1, p. 6, available at: www.ncbi.
nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5769428/ personnel
Boateng, R. (2014), Research made easy. Ghana: PearlRichards Foundation, available at: https://pdfhow.
com/downloads/Research_Made_Easy_Richard_Boateng.pdf
Boles, J., Madupalli, R., Rutherford, B. and Wood, J.A. (2007), “The relationship of facets of
salesperson job satisfaction with affective organizational commitment”, Journal of
Business and Industrial Marketing, Vol. 22 No. 5, pp. 311-321, doi: 10.1108/ 191
08858620710773440.
Bowen, P. and Cattell, K. (2008), “Job satisfaction of South African quantity surveyors”, Engineering,
Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 260-269, doi: 10.1080/
01446190801998724.
Brough, P., Frame, R. (2004), “Predicting police job satisfaction and turnover intentions: the role of
social support and police organizational variables”, New Zealand Journal of Psychology, Vol. 33
No. 1, pp. 8-18, available at: www.biomedsearch.com/. . ./Predicting-policejob-satisfaction-
turnover/114923408.ht
Bustamam, F.L., Teng, S.S. and Abdullah, F.Z. (2014), “Reward management and job satisfaction
among frontline employees in hotel industry in Malaysia”, Procedia – Social and Behavioral
Sciences, Vol. 144, pp. 392-402, available at: www.researchgate.net/265253212_Reward_Management_
and_Job_Satisfaction
Charoensukmongkol, P., Moqbel, M. and Gutierrez-Wirsching, S. (2016), “The role of co-worker and
supervisor support on job burnout and job satisfaction”, Journal of Advances in Management
Research, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 4-22, doi: 10.1108/JAMR-06-2014-0037.
Coomber, B. and Barriball, K.L. (2007), “Impact of job satisfaction components on intent to leave and
turnover for hospital-based nurses: a review of the research literature”, International Journal of
Nursing Studies, Vol. 44 No. 2, pp. 297-314, available at: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
16631760
Dartey-Baah, K. and Ampofo, E. (2016), “Carrot and stick” leadership style: can it predict employees’
job satisfaction in a contemporary business organization”, African Journal of Economic and
Management Studies, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 328-345, available at: http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh/bitstream/
handle/123456789/21537/CarrotsandStickLeadership(1).pdf?sequence=1
Duodu, S. (2016), “CLOGSAG embarks on nationwide strike over salary premium”, available at: www.
graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/clogsag-embarks-onnationwide-strike-
Fidan, Y., Ercan, S., Yilmazer, A. and 
Sehirli, M. (2016), “The effect of gender on job satisfaction: a
study on civil servants”, Business and Management Studies: An International Journal, Vol. 4
No. 1, available at: www.bmil.org
Fogleman, S.L. andMccorkle, D. (2009),Human ResourceManagement: Employee Compensation Guide.
Graham, M.W. and Messner, P.E. (1998), “Principals and job satisfaction”, International Journal of
Educational Management, Vol. 12 No. 5, pp. 196-202, available at: www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/
abs/10.1108/09513549810225925.
Gregory, K. (2011), “The importance of employee satisfaction”, The Journal of the Division of Business
and Information Management, Vol. 5, pp. 29-37, available at: www.neumann.edu/about/
. . ./NeumannBusinessReview/journal/Review2011/Gregory
Gülnar, B. (2007), “The relationship between communication satisfaction and job satisfaction: a survey
among Selcuk University research assistants”, Paper presented at the 5th International
Symposium Communication in the Millennium, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, available
at: http://cim.anadolu.edu.tr/pdf/2007/Gulnar
Herzberg, F., Mausner, B. and Snyderman, B.B. (2011), The Motivation to Work, Transaction
Publishers, Vol. 1, Piscataway.
RMJ Hina, Q., Zamir, S. and Nudrat, S. (2014), “Impact of employee benefits on job satisfaction of teachers at
32,2 higher level”, Journal of Education and Practices, Vol. 5 No. 7, pp. 110-124, available at: www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEP/article/download/11603/11946
Investor In People (2017), “Job exodus trends- 2017 employee sentiments poll”, available at: www.
investorsinpeople.com/sites/default/files/IIPJobExodusTrends
2017employeesentimentpoll.pdf
Islam, M., Rasul, M. and Ullah, G.M. (2012), “Analysis of the factors that affect job satisfaction: a case
192 study on private companies employees of Bangladesh”, available at: www.pdfs.semanticscholar.
org
Jaworski, C., Ravichandran, S., Karpinski, A.C. and Singh, S. (2018), “The effects of training
satisfaction, employee benefits and incentives on part-time employees’ commitment”,
International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 74, pp. 1-12, available at: www.
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278431917301214
Kim, Y.Y. (2001), “Becoming intercultural: an integrative theory of communication and cross-cultural
adaptation”, available at: www.Sage.sk.sagepub.com/books/becomingintercultural
Koh, S.Y., Teh, B.H., San, O.T. and Abdullah, A. (2017), “The impacts of physical, psychological and
environmental factors on employees job satisfaction among public accounting professionals in
Malaysia”, IMC 2016 Proceedings, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 264-280, available at: https://jurnal.umj.ac.id/
index.php/IMC/article/view/1184
Lambert, E. and Hogan, N. (2009), “The importance of job satisfaction and organizational commitment
in shaping turnover intent: a test of a causal model”, Criminal Justice Review, Vol. 34 No. 1,
p. 96118, doi: 10.1177/0734016808324230.
Luddy, N. (2005), “Job satisfaction amongst employees at a public health institution in the Western
Cape”, Master’s Thesis, University of the Western Cape, available at: https://etd.uwc.ac.za/
xmlui/handle/11394/1418
Mabaso, C.M. and Dlamini, B.I. (2017), “Impact of compensation and benefits on job satisfaction”,
Research Journal of Business Management, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 80-90, available at: docsdrive.com/
pdfs/academicjournals/rjbm/2017/80-90.pdf
Mbah, S.E. and Ikemefuna, C.O. (2012), “Job satisfaction and employees’ turnover intentions in total
Nigeria plc. in Lagos state”, International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, Vol. 2 No. 14,
pp. 275-287, available at: www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol_2_No_14_Special_Issue_July_2012/
32.pdf
Mensah, M. (2011), “Organizational commitment of medical records personnel at the Korle-Bu
teaching hospital”, Unpublished MA Thesis, Department of Information Studies,
University of Ghana.
Mensah, M. and Adjei, E. (2015), “Demographic factors affecting the commitment of medical records
personnel at the Korle-Bu teaching hospital in Ghana”, Information Development, Vol. 31 No. 5,
pp. 451-460, doi: 10.1177/0266666914523019.
Milledzi, E.Y., Amponsah, M.O. and Asamani, L. (2018), “Impact of socio-demographic factors on
job satisfaction among academic staff of universities in Ghana”, International Journal,
Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 67-88, available at: www.scholar.google.com/citations?user=
pA0ThBIAAAAJ&hl=en
Naseem, I. and Salman, M. (2015), “Measuring the job satisfaction level of the academic staff”, Journal
of Business and Financial Affairs, Vol. 2 No. 4, pp. 2-6, available at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.
org/06db/74852a27e3f572ff992f5fe18e55039c06a2.pdf
Ngari, J.M.K. and Mukururi, J.N. (2014), “Influence of work life balance policies on employee job
satisfaction in Kenya’s banking sector; a case of commercial banks in Nairobi Central business
district”, available at: https://erepo.usiu.ac.ke/handle/11732/646
Nyenyembe, F.W., Maslowski, R., Nimrod, B.S., Peter, L. (2016), “Leadership styles and teachers’ job
satisfaction in Tanzanian public secondary schools”, Universal Journal of Educational Research,
Vol. 4 No. 5, pp. 980-988, available at: www.rug.nl/research/. . ./publications/leadership-styles- Career record
and-teachers-job-satisfact personnel
Odembo, S.A. (2013), “Job satisfaction and employee performance within the telecommunication
industry in Kenya: a case of airtel Kenya limited”, Masters’ proposal, Kenyatta University,
available at: https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/
Odunlade, R.O. (2012), “Managing employee compensation and benefits for job satisfaction in libraries
and information centres in Nigeria”, available at: digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1788&context=libphilprac 193
Ololube, N.P. (2006), “Teachers job satisfaction andmotivation for school effectiveness: an assessment”,
Online Submission, available at: https://files.eric.edu.gov/fulltext/ED496539.pdf
Ombima, H.P.A. (2014), “Factors affecting employee job satisfaction in institutions of higher
education in Kenya: a case study of United States international university (USIU)”,
Master’s Thesis, United States International University-Africa, available at: http://hdl.
handle.net/11732/87
Omole, V.I. (2020), “Relationship among job satisfaction, leadership styles and career indecision of
library personnel in selected private universities in South-West”, Nigeria. International Journal
of Library Science, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 40-50.
Oshagbemi, T. (1999), “Academics and their managers: a comparative study in job satisfaction”,
Personnel Review, Vol. 28 Nos 1/2, pp. 108-123, doi: 10.1108/00483489910249027.
Otterbring, T., Pareigis, J., Wästlund, E., Makrygiannis, A. and Lindström, A. (2018), “The relationship
between office type and job satisfaction: testing a multiple mediation model through ease of
interaction and well-being”, Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, Vol. 144
No. 3, pp. 330-334, available at: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29334117
Popoola, S.O. (2009), “Organizational commitment of records management personnel in Nigerian
private universities”, Records Management Journal, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 204-217, doi: 10.1108/
09565690910999193?fullSc=1.
Public Records and Archives Administration Establishment Instrument (1996), 92(1).
Raina, R. and Roebuck, D.B. (2016), “Exploring cultural influence on managerial communication in
relationship to job satisfaction, organizational commitment and the employees’ propensity to
leave in the insurance sector of India”, International Journal of Business Communication, Vol. 53
No. 1, pp. 97-130, doi: 10.1177/2329488414525453.
Silva, M.M.C.D. (2014), “The impact of job satisfaction and employee education on employee efficiency”,
Social Affairs, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 30-51, available at: https://socialaffairsjournal.com/Achive/
Fall_2014/2_SAJ_1(1)Silva.pdf
Spector, P. (1997), Job Satisfaction: Applications, Assessment, Causes and Consequences, Sage
Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA, pp. 75-76.
Sriratanaprapat, J. and Songwathana, P. (2011), “Nurses’ job satisfaction within the context of
Asian cultures: a concept analysis”, Pacific Rim International Journal of Nursing Research,
Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 57-73, available at: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=
10.1.1.882.6019&hx0026;rep=rep1&type=pdf
Ssegawa, G. (2014), “Factors influencing employee job satisfaction and its impact on employee
performance: a case of Unilever Kenya”, Master’s Thesis, United States International University
Africa, available at: https://erepo.usiu.ac.ke/handle/11732/38
Suleman, Q. and Hussain, I. (2018), “Job satisfaction among secondary-school-heads: a gender based-
comparative study”, Education Sciences, Vol. 8 No. 1, p. 28, available at: www.mdpi.com/2227-
7102/8/1/28/pdf
Suttikun, C., Chang, H.J. and Bicksler, H. (2018), “A qualitative exploration of day spa therapists' work
motivations and job satisfaction”, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Vol. 34,
pp. 1-10, available at: www.ic.kku.ac.th/documents/pdf/A%20qualitative.pdf
RMJ Taliadorou, N. and Pashiardis, P. (2015), “Examining the role of emotional intelligence and political
32,2 skill to educational leadership and their effects to teachers’ job satisfaction”, Journal ofEducational Administration, Vol. 53 No. 5, pp. 642-666, doi: 10.1108/jea-02-2014-0025.
Tumfo, N. (2017), “Civil service organization and management”, available at: www.ohcs.gov.gh/sites/
default/files/INDUCTION%202017%20-%20CIVIL%20SERVICE%20MANAGEMENT.pdf
Yee, L.C. (2018), “An analysis on the relationship between job satisfaction and work performance
194 among academic staff in Malaysian private universities”, Journal of Arts &Social Sciences,
Vol. 1 No. 2, pp. 64-73, available at: ruijass.com/wpcontent/uploads/2017/10/2-002LCY-
Final.pdf
Yeboah, A.E. (2013), Use of ICT in the Civil Service: A study of some selected Ministries, Departments
and Agencies, (Unpublished Mphil Thesis) Department of Information Studies, University of
Ghana.
Further reading
Hofmans, J., De Gieter, S. and Pepermans, R. (2013), “Individual differences in the relationship between
satisfaction with job rewards and job satisfaction”, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Vol. 82 No. 1,
pp. 1-9, available at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1005885
Hyun, S. (2009), “Reexamination of Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation in the Korean army
foodservice operations”, MAThesis, Lowa State University, available at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/
cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com.gh/&httpsredir=1&article=1520&context=
etd
Ileana, P.A. and Simmons, R. (2008), “Human resource management practices and workers’ job
satisfaction”, International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 29 No. 7, pp. 651-667, available at: https://
pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7ab4/40edadbfca642774e1f9e000c4ae8ff45c8c.pdf
Liu, C.S. and White, L. (2011), “Key determinants of hospital pharmacy staff’s job satisfaction”,
Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 51-63, available at: www.ncbi.
nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21397881
Mohammad, M.R.A. and Hossein, Y.M. (2006), “A study of relationship between managers’ leadership
style and employees’ job satisfaction”, Leadership in Health Services, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 11-28,
doi: 10.1108/13660750610665008.
Palmer, M. (2006), “Records management and accountability versus corruption, fraud and
maladministration”, Records Management Journal, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 61-72, doi: 10.1108/
EUM0000000007256.
Popoola, S.O. and Oluwole, D.A. (2007), “Career commitment among records management personnel in
a state civil service in Nigeria”, Records Management Journal, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 107-116,
doi: 10.1108/09565690710757904?fullSc=1.
Pule, S., Mwesigye, J., Kanyangabo, E. and Mbago, R. (2014), “Human resource policy and job satisfaction
of employees in knowledge-based enterprises: a comparative study of the indigenous and
expatriate teaching staffs of Kampala international university”, Uganda. Global Journal of Human
Resource Management, Vol. 2 No. 3, pp. 13-27, available at: www.eajournals.org/journals/global-
journal-of-human-resource-management-gjhrm/vol-2issue3september-2014/human-resource-policy-
job-satisfaction-employees-knowledge-based-enterprises-comparative-study-indigenous-expatriate-
teaching-staffs-kampala-international-university-uganda/
Riley, S. (2005), “Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation applied to the motivational techniques
within financial institutions”, Senior Honors Thesis, University of Michigan, available at: https://
commons.emich.edu/honors/119/
Schafer, J.A. (2009), “Developing effective leadership in policing: perils, pitfalls and paths forward”,
Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management, Vol. 32 No. 2,
pp. 238-260, doi: 10.1108/13639510910958163.
Wells, J.E. and Peachey, J.W. (2011), “Turnover intentions: do leadership behaviors and satisfaction Career record
with the leader matter? Team performance management”, An International Journal, Vol. 17
Nos 1/2, pp. 23-40, doi: 10.1108/13527591111114693. personnel
Wojtara-Perry, S. (2016), “The impact of transformational leadership style on the success of global
virtual teams”, PHD Thesis, Walden University, available at: www.scholarworks.waldenu.edu/
cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3283&context=dissertatns
Corresponding author 195
Noah Darko-Adjei can be contacted at: ndarko-adjei@ug.edu.gh
RMJ Appendix
32,2
196 Type of staff Total no.
Professional 23
Table A1. Technical staff 7
Population (PRAAD Paraprofessional 19
staff) Total number 49
Ghana ministries Professional Paraprofessional Total staff
Attorney General and Ministry of Justice 4 4 8
Aviation 2 0 2
Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs 2 1 3
Communication 3 1 4
Defense 5 0 5
Education 2 4 6
Employment and Labour Relations 2 1 3
Energy and Petroleum 2 1 3
Environment, Science and Technology 2 1 3
Finance 3 12 15
Fisheries and Aquaculture 0 2 2
Food and Agriculture 4 0 4
Foreign Affairs 4 11 15
Gender, Children and Social Protection 2 1 3
Health 3 1 4
Information 3 3 6
Interior 1 4 5
Lands and Natural Resources 4 5 9
Local Government and Rural Development 5 5 10
Railway Development 2 0 2
Roads and Highways 3 1 4
Sanitation and Water Resources 2 0 2
Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts 2 1 3
Trade and Industry 9 6 15
Table A2. Transport 3 2 5
Population Works and Housing 3 3 6
(ministries’ records Youth and Sports 2 1 3
personnel) Total 84 75 159
Career record
personnel
197
Table A3.
Summary of inter-
correlation matrix
showing the
relationship of job
satisfaction indicator
variables
Variables Mean SD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Reward 11.28 3.72 –
Transformation 45.68 12.44 0.04 –
Transactional 14.48 4.65 0.08 0.74** –
Actual work 12.63 4.09 
0.04 0.34** 0.34** –
Supervision 9.14 2.61 0.17* 0.53** 0.52** 0.33** –
Communication 8.99 3.65 0.25** 
0.25** 
0.23** 
0.21** 
0.15* –
Promotion 10.76 3.75 
0.01 0.23** 0.16* 0.22** 0.33** 
0.00 –
Policies 6.90 2.91 0.35** 
0.06 
0.10 
0.21** 
0.03 0.24** 
0.12 –
Benefits 5.59 2.55 
0.11 0.16* 0.05 0.01 
0.03 0.06 0.21** 
0.01 –
Salary 13.26 3.29 0.17* 0.11 0.09 0.24** 0.15* 0.12 0.28** 0.17* 0.15* –
Coworker 14.96 3.17 0.32** 0.22** 0.21** 0.33** 0.27** 0.06 0.07 0.12 0.01 0.32** –
Satisfaction 168.24 26.99 0.32** 0.84** 0.75** 0.49** 0.65** 0.01 0.40** 0.14* 0.22** 0.40** 0.48** –
Notes: * p< 0.05; ** p< 0.01; N = 155