مقاله انگلیسی رایگان در مورد اعتبار سنجی رضایت شغلی در رفاه داوطلبانه کودک – الزویر 2018

Job satisfaction has been linked to workforce retention in child welfare agencies. One of the most widely used measures on job satisfaction is the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS). Although it was validated among workers of public social service agencies, its psychometric properties remain untested in workers of voluntary (private, nonprofit) child welfare agencies. Using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), this study aims to examine the reliability and validity of the JSS in frontline child welfare workers in voluntary agencies. The sample was randomly split into two subsamples for factor analyses. Based on Sample 1 (N = 343), the EFA yields a six-factor structure with 23 items: 1) pay, 2) supervision, 3) promotion, 4) benefits, 5) communication, and 6) nature of work. Using Sample 2 (N = 358), the CFA confirms that the six-factor model fits the data well. Except for the communication subscale, the other five subscales have good internal consistency reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The five subscales also have good criterion validity in that they are strongly correlated with both intent to stay in child welfare and intent to leave the current agency. These findings suggest a short-form version of the JSS (JSS-SF) with 19 items loading on five subscales, which can be used to measure job satisfaction among voluntary child welfare workers. Directions for future research and implications for voluntary child welfare agencies are discussed.

Introduction

Many child welfare agencies face high turnover rates. The national turnover rate was estimated to be 30% to 40% each year, and the average tenure for child welfare workers was less than two years (GAO, 2003). The turnover rate of private agencies was higher than public agencies: 40% and 20% respectively (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2004). Moreover, it takes a long time to fill vacant positions. According to a national survey (American Public Human Services Association [APHSA], 2005), in 2003, it took 7 weeks to fill a vacancy for in-home protective services; 10 weeks for child protective services; 13 weeks for foster care and adoption. High turnover can have negative impacts on both clients and the agency. Frequent staff turnover can expose clients to inexperienced workers, and compromise their permanency and well-being outcomes. In a review of turnover in private child welfare agencies in Milwaukee County, the authors (Flower, McDonald, & Sumski, 2005) reported that the turnover among case management staff was associated with lower permanency rates. Specifically, the permanency rate was 74.5% for cases with one case manager, 17.5% for the ones with two case managers, and even lower for the ones with more than two case managers. Many clients in the child welfare system experience trauma from as a result of child abuse and/or neglect. Consequently, they may be psychologically sensitive to disruptions to newly formed relationships, including their relationship with case managers. When they experience staff turnover, they may grow mistrust with the system. Regarding the agency, staff turnover is costly in terms of financial and human resources. For example, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services estimated that each caseworker turnover cost the agency $54,000, partly due to recruiting and training new workers (Sunset Advisory Commission, 2014). Regarding the personnel aspect, high turnover could prevent agencies from fostering experienced workers, which eventually could reduce organizational effectiveness and employee productivity (Pryce, Shackelford, & Pryce, 2007). A number of factors have been found to contribute to high turnover among child welfare agencies.