Extension Staff Satisfaction

Since its inception, needs assessment has been a common practice in the first stages of program planning for the Cooperative Extension System. Needs assessment is also a valuable tool for internal organizational purposes, including answering questions relevant to staff development, working conditions, and perceptions of Extension as a place to work.

In Rhode Island, we studied job satisfaction among Extension personnel. Using the Brayfield and Rothe Job Satisfaction Index, scores for all 24 Rhode Island Extension employees level of satisfaction with their job was obtained. The overall index of job satisfaction is identified as the mean score obtained from a 20-item questionnaire as shown in Table 1.

A total score of 0-53 is interpreted as low job satisfaction, while 55-90 is considered to represent high job satisfaction.

Analysis of the Brayfield and Rothe Job Satisfaction Index for the 24 Extension employees in Rhode Island indicated a mean score of 68.3, suggesting a "moderate to high" satisfaction with Extension employment. Staff members indicated through their responses that their positions were "usually interesting," "more interesting than other jobs they could get," and in general, "enjoyable."

The index item most suggesting negative job satisfaction was salary. Over 81% of the Rhode Island Extension staff felt they weren't adequately compensated for their work.

Job satisfaction depends on a number of factors and is subject to change. Therefore, administration should conduct a periodic needs assessment to determine the level of job satisfaction of personnel and identify methods for increasing satisfaction.