Perceived organizational support and job satisfaction among employees of Makerere University

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to find whether perceived organizational support influences job satisfaction among Makerere university employees. The study adopted a comparative and a correlation research design with 67 respondents who fully responded to the questionnaires measuring perceived organizational support and job satisfaction. In section A: age was encoded as given, sex will be encoded as M = 1 and F = 2, Marital status will be encoded S, M, D, S, W being score as 1 to 5. The responses to Perceived Organizational Support shall be measured by the shortened 36-item POS scale (Eisenberger et al., 2002). Items were rated on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1=strongly disagree to 7=strongly agree. An example of an item is: ‘the organization values my contribution to its wellbeing’. While Job satisfaction was measured using an 18-item scale instrument by Okaro AO., Eze CU., Ohagwa CC. (2010) The item will be measured on a 6 point scale ranging from very dissatisfied (1) to very satisfied (6). Results indicated that there a relationship between perceived organizational support and job satisfaction. Basing on the results, it is concluded that it is important to note that perceived organizational support is a vital construct in organizations as it creates a connection between employee expectations and job outcomes. High satisfaction levels lead to greater perceived organizational support. This is because those who are satisfied tend to receive favorable treatment from the organization and conclude that the organization values and appreciates their contribution and cares about their wellbeing. However, it is recommended that it is important that the university devote time, effort and resources to encourage maximum perceived organizational support and job satisfaction among employees and formulate policies that promote its levels.