Mississippi State University Extension agents' perceptions of fundamental job characteristics and their level of job satisfactio

The purpose of the study was to determine if a relationship existed between Extension agents' perceptions of fundamental job characteristics and their level of job satisfaction. The study followed a descriptive correlational design. A modified version of the Job Diagnostic Survey developed by Hackman and Oldham (1980) was sent to 195 Mississippi Extension agents. Based on 143 usable responses, agents perceived the job characteristics skill variety and task significance to be present most in their jobs, while they perceived feedback from agents the least. Agents were most satisfied with the job satisfaction constructs of growth satisfaction and satisfaction with co-worker relations, while they were least satisfied with the job satisfaction constructs of general satisfaction and satisfaction with pay. Significant relationships existed between the job satisfaction constructs and both the job characteristics and selected demographic factors at the p < .05 level.