Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Abstract
A movement to professionalize the field of non-school youth development is stymied by low salaries and even lower educational standards (Howard, 1993b). This movement is suffering due to a lack of professional preparation of its employees, and to the temporary nature of the work. These conditions have a direct effect on job satisfaction and employee tenure. The purpose of this study was to describe selected elements which positively and negatively impact job satisfaction, length of tenure, and professional identification of professionals working with and for youth in selected non-school community-based programs. Those surveyed in this non-experimental descriptive study were college-degreed professionals working in any of the 11 American Humanics affiliated agencies, surrounding the campuses of Arizona State University, Murray State University, Salem-Teikyo University, Rockhurst College, and the University of Northern Iowa. A total of 48 agencies were mailed survey packets containing three questionnaires to be completed by three professionals at each agency. Data were collected from 53 (36.8%) professionals in the areas of demographics, employment status, job satisfaction, and tenure. Based on the responses received, 25 (47.2%) professionals were agency directors, 19 (35.8%) were supervisors, and 9 (17%) were direct service workers. The majority of the respondents (54.7%; n = 29) were female and the majority (84.9%; n = 45) were Caucasian. The annual salary earned by the respondents averaged between $20,000 and $39,999. Thirty-eight professionals (71.7%) reported spending 0-24% of their professional time with youth and 41 (77.4%) self-identified as non-school youth development professionals. Of the 17 measured elements of job satisfaction, the four highest positive mean scores belonged to: ability to achieve goals, influence on clientele, organizational goals, and co-workers. There were no negatively scoring elements reported. The responses regarding job tenure found that 23 (43.4%) professionals had been with their organization for 3 to 10 years, while the majority (75.5%; n = 40) of the responding professionals had been in their current position with the organization for 2 years or less. Twenty-eight (52.8%) professionals had not considered leaving the non-school youth development field in the past 3 years, and 35 (66%) reported that they were not likely to find a new position with a new employer in the next year. In conclusion, this study has provided a basis for further study of non-school youth development professionals. It has shown that these 53 professionals are satisfied and stable in their organizations and have plans to remain in their positions for the present time. It has also shown that the majority identify themselves as non-school youth development professionals pointing to the importance and influence of this work.
Year of Submission
1994
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services
First Advisor
Dan McDonald
Second Advisor
Cathy L. Martinez
Third Advisor
Sue Joslyn
Date Original
1994
Object Description
1 PDF file (108 leaves)
Copyright
©1994 Susan L. Hanzelka
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Hanzelka, Susan L., "A Descriptive Study Identifying Job Satisfaction, Tenure, and Professional Identification Among Nonschool Youth Professionals" (1994). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 1866.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/1866
Comments
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