Ajakirjanike töörahulolu kujundavad tegurid
Kuupäev
2010
Autorid
Ajakirja pealkiri
Ajakirja ISSN
Köite pealkiri
Kirjastaja
Tartu Ülikool
Abstrakt
Kirjeldus
For decades, job satisfaction has been paid attention to. Researches have been trying to
establish how it affects job performance, workforce flow, and life satisfaction. A
number of theoretical approaches have been developed. The significance of the topic is
understandable since the majority of the time when people are awake, they spend at
work. In 2007, out of all the countries of the European Union, Estonia was leading in
the number of work hours per year. It is possible to say that out of the time a person is
awake, an Estonian spends averagely a third at work, which shows that when a person is
satisfied with his job, he is satisfied with a large part of his life.
During the years of fast economic growth, polls showed increase in the job satisfaction
of Estonians. According to researches it was found that the increase is primarily basing
on changes in work and the opportunities offered by the employer. The economic crisis
however brought on salary cuts, layoffs and the loss of other opportunities offered by
the employer. The Estonian newspapers were not left unaffected by the recession and
the crisis has not passed yet. That gives all the more reason for employers to know,
what kind of options they have in addition to salary and other material benefits, to shape
job satisfaction.
Researches have shown connection between job satisfaction and work quality. With this
Master’s thesis, the factors which shape journalists’ job satisfaction are dealt with.
Although a news piece is created in teamwork, a journalist is the one to collect
information and the quality of content is based on his actions; hence the quality of the
newspaper as well. Researches have also confirmed that job satisfaction helps lift the
outcome of the work. Meaning that journalists who are more satisfied, can produce
newspapers that have better quality. For a news organisation that is essential since the
newspaper circulation depends on it – the better the newspaper, the bigger the
circulation. Next to newspaper advertising, selling the newspaper is the main source of
income. In the years of recession it is an important aspect to pay attention to, since
people have less money for subscribing or buying newspapers, resulting in the rise of
competition between newspapers. The circulations of Estonian newspapers have
decreased by thousands in the last couple of years. This means that the work quality of
journalists has to be brought into attention, in order to hold on to the readers. Increasing
job satisfaction is a factor that helps to enhance the quality of a newspaper.
As a rule, a very good journalist also has very good sources of information, which
provide information that the competing newspapers are not aware of. This means that a
journalist with valuable sources can be a critical competitive advantage to a company,
comparing to other newspapers. However, the departure of that same journalist can also
be a major loss for the newspaper. Researches have shown that one of the main reasons
for a journalist to departure is the decrease of job satisfaction. Thus, increasing job
satisfaction can reduce workforce flow and problems caused by it.
The aim of this Master’s thesis is to use the analysis of factors in order to make
propositions to leaders for increasing journalists’ job satisfaction. To reach the aim, the
following research tasks have been posed:
• Analyzing the theoretical usage of job satisfaction from the aspect of a
journalist’s work.
• Conducting research in order to specify the shaping factors of journalists’ job
satisfaction.
• Making propositions to leaders to shape journalists’ job satisfaction.
In the Master’s thesis journalists are regarded as reporters, editors and also the leaders
of editorial staff or department. The journalists of both paper and online outlets have
been involved in the research.
Around the world, different researches concerning the shaping factors of job satisfaction
have been aiming to clarify what kind of inner (job related) as well as outer
(environment related) factors are more crucial in shaping job satisfaction. Basing on
this, suggestions have been made to leaders for increasing journalists’ job satisfaction.
Regarding the theoretical concept dealing with job satisfaction, satisfaction theories
have been used as a basis most of all, most popular of them being Herzberg’s Two
factor theory, the validity of which has been affirmed through several researches
regarding journalists’ job satisfaction. Basing on them it was determined that the
shaping factors of job satisfaction can be divided into factors which either cause
satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
In the research, journalists from seven Estonian newspapers were questioned: Eesti
Päevaleht, Postimees, Õhtuleht, Pärnu Postimees, Sakala, Tartu Postimees and Virumaa
Teataja. 71 journalists filled out the questionnaires on Internet. Out of five questions
four were open questions, allowing the journalists to name the advantages and
disadvantages of their profession as well as incidents and situations that increase or
decrease job satisfaction. Categories were compiled basing on the replies.
The journalists were asked to evaluate their job satisfaction on a five point scale. The
result was that journalists are ’’rather satisfied“ or ’’very satisfied“ with their job;
meaning, that 74% of the respondents evaluated their satisfaction with ’’four“ or ’’five“.
Comparing to other researches conducted amongst Western European and Northern
American journalists, the outcome is similar. In those countries, at least three fourths of
journalists are satisfied with their job.
The main advantages of the profession are the job itself, personal growth and need of
power. The journalists enjoy that the job is interesting, exciting and eventful, allows
meeting interesting people, develops the employee and involves everyday learning. It is
also important for the journalists that their job enables to change the world, help people
and be close to information. The main disadvantages of the job are the work
environment, the job itself, salary, negative feedback and the conflict between work and
personal life. Out of these, work environment and the job itself rose out most of all. This
means, that the journalists find their work intense, stressful and possibly affecting their
health. The disadvantage of the content of their work is working on dislikeable stories,
conflicting or emotionally difficult topics as well as great responsibility accompanying
the job.
Out of incidents that increase job satisfaction, appreciation and feedback stood out from
others; all other factors were considerably less important in that category. Under
appreciation and feedback the journalists meant feedback and appreciation coming from
inside the office as well as outside. This category was followed by satisfying the need of
accomplishment, the job itself, prestige and relationships. None of the job satisfaction
decrease factors had such advantage as the increase factors. The top three categories in
order of naming were the actions of the management, work result and negative
feedback. These were followed by discontentment with appreciation. Regarding the
actions of the management, respondents brought out several different cases and causes
why it decreased satisfaction – starting with the persona of the leader and ending with
giving out job assignments in secret and unclear chain of command. Negative feedback
can also derive from inside and outside the office and in several cases it was noted that
satisfaction decreases due to unjust negative feedback.
The replies of seven editors in chief revealed that their evaluation of journalists’ job
satisfaction on a five point scale ranged from ’’3“ to ’’4+“. In comparison to the
journalists’ opinion, the evaluation is similar, meaning that editors in chief are aware of
their employees’ job satisfaction. The interviews show that editors in chief have many
ways to shape the journalists’ job satisfaction: appreciating employees for good work
and give feedback, creating a good work environment for the journalists, developing
supporting relationships, supporting and stimulating journalists in their everyday work,
standing for their interests and defending them in front of the management and the
public.
The categories that formed on the basis of the research have common characteristics
with the job satisfaction and dissatisfaction factors of Herzberg’s Two factor theory.
However, the results show that there are factors which can cause both dissatisfaction
and satisfaction. For example the job itself, relationships between people, work
environment. Depending on the content (positive-negative) the feedback can either be
increasing or decreasing job satisfaction. In earlier researches around the world,
feedback has also been classified as job satisfaction increasing factor, but this Master’s
thesis showed that in that category, negative aspects should be considered as well. In
addition, in earlier journalist researches the job itself has been classified as job
satisfaction increasing factor only, though it really causes both job satisfaction and
dissatisfaction. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the categories cannot be strictly
divided into inner/motivation and outer/hygiene factors. It should be taken into account
that some factors are significant in both cases. Regardless, it is possible to say that
Herzberg’s main idea that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are shaped by different
factor groups, was confirmed.
In consequence, Herzberg’s theory is used as a foundation for making propositions and
recommendations. Job satisfaction can be increased by perfecting the factors that have
affect on motivation; by decreasing hygiene factors, job dissatisfaction level can be
decreased.
In conclusion, 13 propositions were made to leaders of newspapers, which enable to
increase satisfaction, decrease dissatisfaction or do both. In addition there are notes that
indicate which job satisfaction shaping factors the proposition/recommendation
influences. The leader of the company has to draw his own conclusions, which
propositions to use and which not. The requirement for implementing the propositions is
that the leader has to know the needs, abilities and wishes of the employees and shape
the employees’ job satisfaction basing on that.
Märksõnad
magistritööd, ajakirjanikud, töörahulolu, elukutsed, intervjuud, küsitlusuuringud