ABSTRACT MOORMAN, JACK W. Factors Predicting Job Satisfaction
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ABSTRACT MOORMAN, JACK W. Factors Predicting Job Satisfaction of Campus Police Officers at Doctorate-Granting Institutions in The Southern United States (Under the direction of Dr. Duane Akroyd) A high turnover rate for police officers has resulted in a lack of experienced police officers and increased costs associated with recruiting and training police officers. The context of campus police departments is evolving. Federal oversight and an increased focus on campus crime has impacted the roles of campus police officers. Improving job satisfaction of campus police officers can reduce turnover, increase retention, and decrease costs. This study utilized a non-experimental, cross-sectional predictive design (Johnson, 2001). The research question was intended to identify job dimensions, personality characteristics, leader-employee relationships, and availability of alternative employment for their influence on the job satisfaction of campus police officers at doctorate-granting institutions in the Southern United States. A survey was used to collect the data. Multiple regression analysis conducted with the survey data was used to make inferences about the population. The results will contribute to filling the void in literature of job satisfaction of campus police officers. The research revealed that there is a significant relationship between overall job satisfaction and six independent variables. Task identity, autonomy, and feedback from the Job Characteristics Model (Hackman & Oldham, 1974) had positive relationships with job satisfaction. Leader Member Exchange (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995), and Ease of Movement (Gerhart, 1990) had positive relationships with job satisfaction. Neuroticism from the Big Five Personality Characteristics (McCrae & Costa, 1992) had an inverse relationship. An additional finding is that many officers expressed discontent with police administrators. © Copyright 2018 by Jack W. Moorman All Rights Reserved Factors Predicting Job Satisfaction of Campus Police Officers at Doctorate-Granting Institutions in the Southern United States by Jack W. Moorman A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education Adult and Community College Education Raleigh, North Carolina 2018 APPROVED BY: ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Dr. Duane Akroyd, Committee Chair Dr. Tuere Bowles ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Dr. Mark Wilson Dr. Amy Order ii DEDICATION In loving memory of my Dad, Willie Cabell Moorman. Although he grew up on a farm in rural Virginia during the depression and did not have an opportunity to attend high school, he made sure that my brothers, my sister and I understood the value of education. He also modeled adult education by taking vocational farming courses after he came home from World War II (U. S. Army – 70th Infantry “Trailblazers”). For my Mom, Arline Beulah Lewis Moorman. She always took time to read stories and books to all of us. My educational accomplishments are only possible because of the influence of both of my parents. For my children, John Wayne Moorman, Sarahjane Elizabeth Moorman, James Samuel Lewis Moorman and Jesse Allen Moorman, whose love and support are amazing. iii BIOGRAPHY Jack W. Moorman was born in Lynchburg, Virginia and raised in Gladys (Campbell County), Virginia, where he graduated as Valedictorian from Rustburg High School in 1982. Upon graduation, he was awarded a Greater Lynchburg Area Scholarship. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Lynchburg College in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and Religious Studies. He graduated with Highest Honors in Business Administration and High Honors in Religious Studies. He was the recipient of the Virgil Hines Award (School of Religion) and the Outstanding Graduate Award (School of Business). He obtained his Master of Public Administration degree from NC State in 2001. He has over 31 years of service as a police officer. He was employed by the City of Raleigh (NC) Police Department from 1987 to 2006, where he served as a Patrolman, a K-9 Officer, a Community Policing Officer, a Drugs and Vice Investigator, a Patrol Sergeant, a K-9 Sergeant, a Community Policing Sergeant, a Warrant Squad Sergeant, an Administrative Lieutenant, and a District Captain. He has been employed by the North Carolina State University Police Department since 2006 and has been the Emergency Communication Center Director and Support Services Division Commander (Captain). He has served as the North Carolina State University Police Chief since July1, 2011. He co-chaired the Security Awareness and Compliance Committee of the University of North Carolina General Administration (now the “UNC System”) Security Initiative Task Force in 2013-2014. In 2014 and again in 2017, he was elected to the Board of Directors for the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA), representing the Southeastern United States. He is also a graduate of the 267th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to my committee chair, Dr. Duane Akroyd, and my committee members, Dr. Tuere Bowles, Dr. Amy Orders and Dr. Mark Wilson for supporting me and giving me the guidance and advice to accomplish my research. This dissertation would not have been possible without the support of the NC State University Police Department and the NC State University Department of Environmental Health and Public Safety. As the Police Chief for NC State University, my interest in this research was driven by the desire to find ways to continue to improve the job satisfaction of the dedicated police officers within my chosen profession. This research also would not have been possible without the assistance of the campus police officers at the doctorate-granting institutions in the Southern United States. The willingness of these officers to participate in this survey is what enabled this research to be successful. Police officers are often underappreciated, second-guessed and underpaid, but willingly risk their lives on a daily basis to make our world a better place. The sacrifices of our police officers should be recognized and appreciated. Researchers should strive to study the law enforcement environment and make recommendations to improve the working environment for officers. I would also like to thank my family and friends for their support and understanding during this research. v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................1 Campus Law Enforcement .........................................................................................2 Importance of Job Satisfaction...................................................................................3 General Job Satisfaction ..................................................................................3 Police Officer Job Satisfaction.........................................................................4 Context of Campus Police Departments ....................................................................6 Problem ......................................................................................................................7 Limitation of General Law Enforcement Job Satisfaction Research ...............8 Limitation of Campus Law Enforcement Job Satisfaction Research ............11 Conceptual Framework ............................................................................................12 Job Satisfaction ..............................................................................................12 Job Dimensions ..............................................................................................13 Skill Variety .........................................................................................15 Task Identity ........................................................................................15 Task Significance .................................................................................16 Autonomy ............................................................................................16 Feedback ..............................................................................................17 Personality Characteristics .............................................................................17 Neuroticism ..........................................................................................18 Extraversion .........................................................................................18 Openness to Experience .......................................................................19 Agreeableness ......................................................................................19 Conscientiousness ................................................................................19 Demographics ..................................................................................................20 Gender ..................................................................................................20 Race......................................................................................................21