European Journal of Educational Studies 4(2), 2012
European Journal of Educational Studies 4(2), 2012
© 2012 Ozean Publication
THE LEVEL OF THE JOB SATISFACTION OF TEACHERS IN BOTSWANA
PEDZANI PERCI MONYATSI
University of Botswana, Faculty of Education, Gaborone, Bostwana
Senior Lecturer in Educational Management
E-mail address for correspondence: percimonyatsi@yahoo.com
.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Abstract: This paper investigates the level of job satisfaction of the teachers of all categories in Botswana. Due to
many changes that have taken place in the education system of the country and internationally, there is a need to
find out how these have affected the satisfaction of those tasked to lead secondary schools. Teachers have been said
to be the most crucial part of a countries resource as they build the base for all professions in a country. Therefore
it has been found to be very important to measure their satisfaction as dissatisfaction can produce negative results.
The population of the study comprised all categories of primary school teachers, junior secondary school teachers
and senior secondary school teachers; that is teachers, senior teachers, heads of department, deputy headteachers,
and headteachers in Botswana. The sample consisted of 150 for teachers (50, primary, 50 junior secondary, and 50
senior secondary); 150 for senior teachers (25, primary, 100 junior secondary, and 25 senior secondary), 80 for
heads of departments (20 primary, 40 junior secondary and 20 senior secondary), 75 for deputy headteachers (25
primary, 25 junior secondary and 25 senior secondary); and 55 for headteachers (20 primary, 20 junior secondary
and 15 senior secondary) selected randomly. A modified version of the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) was used to
collect data for this study. The results of this survey, using the Job Description Index (JDI) and the Job in General
(JIG) scale as published by Bowling Green State University, indicate that teachers are generally satisfied with their
jobs.
Key words: Headteacher, job satisfaction, Botswana, junior secondary school, Job Descriptive Index (JDI), job
satisfaction.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
In the past three decades or so, there have been numerous changes in the education system of Botswana that have
greatly influenced the way teachers conduct themselves in the workplace. The past three decades have witnessed
numerous innovations being introduced into the education system in order to enhance the quality of the products.
The period has among others seen the adoption of the Job Evaluation for Teachers in 1988, the Revised National
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Education Policy in 1994 with the resultant adoption of levels of operation, the Secondary Schools Management
Development Project of 1993, Parallel Progression Policy of 1994 with its legal entanglements, the decentralization
of the Ministry of Education, Performance Management System, and most recently the introduction of double shift
in the schools in 2006. All these should have had some effects and impact on the way teachers in the schools feel
about their jobs. It is also pertinent to gain understanding of the level of satisfaction of the teachers as employees as
an indication of the health of the education system as a whole in meeting its mandate of providing educated and
informed future citizens in line with the national vision, which one of its pillars says: A prosperous, productive and
innovative nation (Republic of Botswana, 1997a:6). Literature abounds of studies conducted on the job satisfaction
of teachers as employees in schools (Bishay, 1996; US Department of Education, 1997).
UNDERSTANDING JOB SATISFACTION
Employee satisfaction has taken centre stage especially in the corporate world in recent years as it has been realized
that organizations cannot reach competitive levels of quality; either at a product level or a customer service level if
their human resources do not feel satisfied or do not identify with the company (Garcia-Bernal, Gargallo-Castel,
Marzo-Navarro & Rivera-Torres, 2005). The crucial role played by employee job satisfaction in the efficiency and
productivity of organizations was also identified by Fitzgerald, Johnston, Brignall, Silverstro & Voss, (1994) and
Crossman & Abou-Zaki, (2003) who are of the view that job satisfaction is one of the criteria for establishing the
health of the organization as rendering effective services.
Although there is no universal definition of the concept job satisfaction, some researchers have come to the
conclusion that it should be conceived as a multi-dimensional concept that includes a set of favourable or
unfavourable feelings by which employees perceive their jobs (Mumford, 1991; & Garcia-Bernal, et al., 2005). Job
satisfaction has been defined by Locke (1976) and Spector (1997) as a positive emotional state resulting from the
pleasure a worker derives from the job. According to Spector (1997), job satisfaction is simply how people feel
about their jobs and different aspects of their jobs. It is the extent to which people like (satisfaction) or dislike
(dissatisfaction) their jobs. This is echoed by Moorhead and Griffin (2004:99) who say that: Job satisfaction is the
extent to which a person is gratified or fulfilled by his or her work. As a result, a satisfied employee tends to be
absent less often, to make positive contributions, and to stay with the organization longer; whereas a dissatisfied
employee may be absent more often, may experience stress that disrupts other co-workers, and maybe continually
looking for a job. Furthermore, Abu-Saad and Hendrix (1995:141) define job satisfaction as: the pleasurable
emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job as achieving or facilitating the achievement of one’s
values. It should be noted however that according to some job satisfaction theorists, it is a function of a combination
of situational characteristics and situational occurrences (Quarstein, McAfee & Glassman, 1992). Churchill, Ford
and Walker (1974) define job satisfaction in the context of all the characteristics of the job itself and of the work
environment in which the workers may find rewards, fulfillment and satisfaction; or conversely sentiments of
frustration and/or dissatisfaction.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Various authors have dealt with the subject of job satisfaction in different organizations using various variables such
as demographic characteristics, work, pay, relations with co-workers, promotion and others (Mok and Finlev, 1998;
Murray & Atkinson, 1981; Sloane & Williams, 1996; Clark, 1997; and Ward & Sloane, 1998). Some research has
also shown that gender played a part in determining job satisfaction and some studies have shown that males were
more satisfied than females (Weaver 1974; Forgionne & Peeters 1982; Smith & Plant 1982). Other factors such as
education, experience, supervision, work and relations with co-workers may be responsible for the observed
differences in job satisfaction (Swanepoel, Erasmus, van Wyk & Schenk, 2005; Cole, 2004; Moorhead & Griffin,
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2004; and Marczely & Marczely, 2002). Figure 1 presents the conceptual framework for this study based on the
Model of Herzberg‘s Two-Factor Theory showing Motivators (Satisfiers) (Achievement, recognition, work itself,
responsibility and advancement); and Hygiene Factors (Dissatisfiers) (Organisation policy, supervision, salary,
working conditions and interpersonal relationship). Many theories of job satisfaction have been proposed, but one of
the most widely utilised in educational settings has been that of Herzberg and his associates (Abu Saad & Isralowitz,
1992; Derlin & Schneider, 1994; Dinham & Scott, 1996; 1998; 2000; Scott, Cox & Dinham, 1999). The main
concept of the theory is the distinction between two groups of factors called motivation factors and hygiene factors.
According to the theory, the motivation factors operate only to increase job satisfaction while the hygiene factors
operate to decrease job dissatisfaction. Herzberg, Mausner, and Snyderman (1959:113-114) stated thus:
Among the factors of hygiene, when the factors deteriorate to a level below that which the employee
considers acceptable, then job dissatisfaction ensues. However, the reverse does not hold true. When job
context can be characterized as optimal, we will not get dissatisfaction but neither we will get much in the
way of positive attitudes. It should be understood that both kinds of factors meet the needs of the
employees; but it is primarily the ―motivators‖ that serve to bring about the kind of job satisfaction, …, the
kind of improvement in performance that industry is seeking from its work force.
Satified





Achievement
Recognition
Work itself
Responsibility
Advancement
Not Satisfied
____________________________________________________________
Not Satisfied





Organisation policy
supervision
salary
Working conditions
Interpersonal
relationship
Dissatisfied
Figure 1: Model of Herzberg‘s two-factor theory (source: Smit & Cronje, 2002:351).
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Herzberg‘s two-factor theory posits that job satisfaction comes from one set of job variables (called motivator needs
or satisfiers) and job dissatisfaction from another set of variables (hygeine factors or dissatisfiers) (De Nobile and
McCormick, 2005). Herzberg‘s two-factor theory, also known as the dual-structure theory illustrated that there is
one dimension ranging from satisfaction to no satisfaction and another ranging from dissatisfaction to no
dissatisfaction (Moorhead & Griffin, 2004:127). Satisfiers include, variables such as recognition, responsibility for
ones work, personal growth, achievement and advancement, while dissatisfiers include many aspects of work
external to the self such as pay, relationships with colleagues and supervisors, work conditions and security
(Herzberg, 1968).
The motivators or satisfiers are intrinsic to the work itself and include factors such as achievement, recognition,
responsibility, advancement, opportunity for independent thought and actions, and the work itself; while the hygiene
factors are extrinsic to the work itself and include supervision, relationships with superiors, relationships with peers,
work conditions, personal life, relationships with subordinates, status, and security (Swanepoel, Erasmus, van Wyk
& Schenk, 2005; Cole, 2004; Moorhead & Griffin, 2004; and Marczely & Marczely, 2002). Herzberg in his study
suggested that it should not be construed that the opposite of satisfaction is dissatisfaction as removing the hygiene
factors does not necessarily results in job satisfaction, but the presence of hygiene factors will not lead to a state of
job satisfaction but simply to a state of no dissatisfaction (Moorhead & Griffin, 2004). Conversely, it has been
established that for motivators to operate as motivators the hygiene factors ought to be present. Marczely and
Marczely (2002) contend that although hygiene factors such as salary, fringe benefits, supervision style, working
conditions, workplace climate, and policies are not in themselves motivators leading to job satisfaction, they are a
prerequisite to motivational factors that lead to job satisfaction and good performance. In other words, hygiene
factors can be regarded as the ingredients of job satisfaction which need to be taken care of in order to avoid
employee dissatisfaction.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The study was guided by the following research questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is the general satisfaction level among all categories of teachers in Botswana schools?
What are the general saisfaction levels of all categories of teachers according to the six dimensions of the
JDI?
What are the general satisfaction levels of all categories of teachers according to the demographic variables
level of operation, gender, age, position, highest qualifications, experience.
What is the satisfaction level of all categories of teachers for each of the six demographic dimensions of the
JDI?
METHODOLOGY
Research Approach and Instrument
Literature search shows that there are many instruments that have been developed over the years to measure the
levels of the job satisfaction of employees in organizations. Some of the instruments include the Minnesota
Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) which was developed by Weiss, Dawis, English and Lofquist in 1959 to measure
the individual‘s satisfaction with twenty different aspects of the work environment. The Herzberg two-factor theory
was also identified as one of the most reliable instruments that can be used to measure the level of school heads as it
was applied in the United States of America and proved reliable (Newby, 1999).
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The data for this study was collected using the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) with an abridged Job in General Scale
(Bowling Green State University, 2009). The JDI and the JIG scale were chosen for this study because they are
widely used to measure job satisfaction and they have been shown to be valid predictors (Balzer et al. 1997; Kinicki
et al. 2002). The JDI is the most widely used measure of the job satisfaction extant because of several reasons.
Firstly, the Job Descriptive Index is a reliable facet measure over time (Kinicki, McKee-Ryan, Schriesheim &
Carson, 2002), and applicable across a variety of demographic groups (Golembiewski & Yeager, 1978). Secondly, it
is the care with which it was developed which is described in Smith, Kendall, and Hulin (1969). The JDI is said to
possess good content validity, impressive construct validity, and adequate reliability, and very few instruments in
industrial-organizational psychology have received the attention of researchers that the JDI has. It is short and
simple to fill out, seemed ideal from the point of view of maximization of response and practicality of scoring. "The
Job Descriptive Index (JDI) measures five important aspects or facets of job satisfaction. The Job in General (JIG)
scale evaluates overall job satisfaction" (Bowling Green State University 2002). The five aspects or facets of job
satisfaction are: Work on Present Job, Pay, Opportunities for Promotion, Supervision, and People on Your Present
Job (Bowling Green State University, 2009). Normally, the JDI contains either nine or 18 items, with an overall total
of 72 items (http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/psch/JDI/). The abridged version of the Job Descriptive Index has 30
items while the Job in General has 8, making a total of thirty eight. Copies of the JDI scales and the JIG scale were
obtained from the publisher, Bowling Green State University. The surveys were mailed to the administrator at the
facility address with the introductory letter addressed to "Colleague." Surveys were not addressed to individuals
because of the anticipated movement of administrators among organizations. Anonymity of respondents was
emphasized, thus eliminating respondent tracking. The response rate to the single mailing was 149, or 36 percent.
This is an acceptable level for a single mailing (Vehovar and Lozar 1997). A followup mailing was not sent to
prevent recording duplicated data. Permission to use the Job Descriptive Index including the Job in General Scale
was sought from and given by the Bowling Green State University.
Population and Sample of the study
The questionnaires were administered to primary school teachers, junior secondary school teachers and senior
secondary school teachers. A primary school level of education in Botswana is the equivalent of elementary
education and it takes seven years; a junior secondary is the equivalent of intermediate school and takes three years
while a senior secondary is the equivalent of high school and takes two years. The first ten years are regarded as
Basic Education in Botswana. For the teachers, there were five categories (positions occupied) namely, teacher,
senior teacher, head of department, deputy headteacher and headteacher. All in all, five hundred and twenty
questionnaires were mailed to 60 schools that were randomly selected. There were: 150 for teachers (50, primary, 50
junior secondary, and 50 senior secondary); 150 for senior teachers (25, primary, 100 junior secondary, and 25
senior secondary), 80 for heads of departments (20 primary, 40 junior secondary and 20 senior secondary), 75 for
deputy headteachers (25 primary, 25 junior secondary and 25 senior secondary); and 55 for headteachers (20
primary, 20 junior secondary and 15 senior secondary). The overall response rate was 67%. The response rate
according to positions occupied is illustrated in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Response rates according to Level and Position held
Position
Teacher
Level
Total
Total
Senior
Head
of
Deputy
Teacher
Department
Head
Headteacher
Primary
(82) 41
(80) 20
(15) 3
(100) 25
(45) 9
98
Junior Secondary
(68) 34
(85) 85
(85) 34
(20) 5
(80) 16
174
Senior Secondary
(64) 32
(52) 13
(90) 18
(60) 15
(0) 0
78
(71)
(78.6) 118
(68.7) 55
(60) 45
(45) 25
350
107
Note: % in bold and in brackets ( ).
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The response rate varied according to category from 45% for headteachers to 78.6% for senior teachers. For all the
categories of teachers, the overall response rate was 67% (N = 350).
RESULTS
Biographic data
Satisfaction according to gender
This section presents and discusses the gender dynamics in the teaching force at primary, junior secondary and
senior secondary school levels. There were 229 females and 121 males who responded, with more females at
primary and junior secondary schools. The result of the analysis shows that the male respondents had a relatively
higher level of overall job satisfaction compared to the female respondents. This result supports the findings of
Quitugua (1976) cited in Abdullah, Uli and Parasuraman (2009) who showed that male teachers were overall more
satisfied than female teachers but contradict the findings of Ghazali (1979) cited in Abdullah, Uli and Parasuraman
(2009) who reported that there was in significant relationship between sex and teachers‘ overall job satisfaction.
This also contradicts some studies thathave suggested that men and women exhibit similar levels of satisfaction
(Brush, D.H., Moch, M.K. and Pooyan, 1987 & Clark, A., Oswald, A. and Warr, P. (1996) while others, in the UK
and elsewhere, indicate higher levels of satisfaction among women (Hickson & Oshagbemi, 1999). At senior
secondary level there were more males than females, a situation reflecting the real status on the ground.
Satisfaction according to age
The following are the satisfaction levels according to the age ranges: 26 to 35 years (77.4%); 36 to 45 years
(74.6%); 46 to 55 years (71.7%) and finally 56 years and above (100%). The highest are also all at senior secondary
level. That the oldest group shows a 100% satisfaction is in line with Bishay (1996, p150) that ―Job satisfaction
seems to increase with age … .‖. However, the results of this study show a higher satisfaction rate at above 70% for
other are ranges. Although the teaching force in Botswana according to this result is relatively young to middle age
(71.2%), Government must be prepared for large exodus of teachers as and when they retire from the service which
can create skill deficits and knowledge transfer gaps. As teachers retire early after forty five years and take
advantage of early retirement options, the shortage of suitably qualified and experienced teachers may worsen. It can
be conluded that generally, the respondents in this study are satisfied with their job of teaching.
Satisfaction according to qualifications
The minimum teaching qualification in Botswana for primary school teachers is a Primary Teachers‘ Certificate
(PTC), for the junior secondary level is the Diploma in Secondary Education (DSE) while for the Senior Secondary
level is a Bachelor‘s Degree (BEd, Sec). All respondents in this study held the required minimum qualifications for
their level and there were some instances where they exceeded that.
The level of satisfaction according to qualifications shows the following: PTC (52%); Diploma in Primary
Education (60%); Diploma in Secondary Education (61.9%); Degree in Primary Education (100%); Degree in
Secondary Education (91.8%); and Master of Education (82%). A review of job satisfaction literature with education
as a variable indicates that the relationship between job satisfaction and education can be negative or positive; a
large number of studies have shown that there is increased job satisfaction with increasing occupational level and
clearly, the higher the education, the likelier it is that one would be at a higher occupational level (European
Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2007).
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Satisfaction according to experience
From this study, the results show that the higher the number of years spent in the service the higher the level of
satisfaction; for instance, the age ranges 31 to 41+ years show a 100% satisfaction level. This supports Bishay
(1996, p150) assertion that: ―Job satisfaction seems to increase with age and years of service‖. This, according to
Abdullah, Uli and Parasuraman (2009) may be that the teachers who remain in their jobs for a long time are those
who are satisfied with the job. However, there are also higher levels of satisfaction in the age ranges 0 – 5 years and
11 – 15 years which contradict Bishay‘s assertion. Some studies have also found that younger teachers were more
satisfied than some seniors and this is supported by early studies which have revealed a U-shaped or curvilinear
relationship implying that employees experience high levels of job satisfaction at the start of their careers, a midcareer decrease and an increase towards the end (Crossman and Harris, 2006; Handyside, 1967; Herzberg, Mausner,
Peterson & Capwell 1957). Crossman and Harris, (2006, p33) sum this up by declaring that: As far as teachers are
concerned, there is evidence to suggest that those with less than five years service are the most satisfied while those
who have been teaching for between 15 and 20 years are the least satisfied.
Satisfaction level according to level of operation and position
From this study, all categories of teachers at Senior Secondary schools are highly satisfied at the level of 100%;
followed by the Deputy Headteacher cadre whose satisfaction leves are above 60% except in the cadre of Deputy
Headteacher, Junior Secondary School where it is only 40%. At primary school level, Teachers and Heads of
Department are highly satisfied while the Senior Teachers and Headteachers are minimally satisfied. From this
study, it can be concluded that Junior and Senior Secondary Schools teachers at all categories are more satisfied with
their jobs than those at Primary Schools. Furthermore, Senior Secondary Schools teachers are highly satisfied.
General Level of Satisfaction
As illustrated in Table 3, all categories of teachers are generally satisfied as follows: Primary School level (65%).
Junior Secondary School level (72.4%) and Senior Secondary School level (100%).
Table 2: General Satisfaction Level According to Level of Operation
Level
Primary
Junior Secondary
Senior Secondary
Total
Not satisfied at all
34
48
0
82
Fairly satisfied
56
102
38
196
Most satisfied
8
24
40
72
98
174
78
350
Total
Furthermore 85.9% respondents in the teachers‘ category, 63.5% in the senior teachers‘ category, 92.7% in the head
of department category, 68% in the deputy school heads category, and 76% in the school head category were
generally satisfied. It can therefore be concluded that all categories of teachers in Botswana are generally satisfied in
their job. Much as this study points to a generally satisfied cadre of employees, teachers at all levels have been
showing signs over the years of being not satisfied with certain facets of their jobs.
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General saisfaction levels of all categories of teachers according to the five dimensions of the JDI
The six dimensions of the JDI are: Opportunities for Promotion, Supervision, Work on Present Job, Pay, People on
Your Present Job.
Opportunities for Promotion
Much as teachers at all levels are generally satisfied with their job, two hundred and seventy eight (79%) are of the
view that there are no good opprtunities for promotion. Three hundred and twenty three (92%) believe that there are
limited opportunities for promotion. One hundred and forty six (41.7%) of the respondents were not decided on
whether their job was a dead-end one whilst one hundred and thirty two (37.7%) of the respondents believed it was a
dead-end job. One hundred and ninety three (57.5%) of the respondents were categorical that there were no good
chances for promotion in their job whilst ninety nine (28%) were not decided. While one hundred and thirty eight
(39%) said that there were fairly good chances for promotion, one hundred and sixty eight (48%) were of the
opinion that there were no chances. On whether there were regular promotions, two hundred and twenty four (64%)
of the respondents said there were no such promotions.
Responsibility is one of the motivating factors according to Herzberg‘s Two-Factor Theory, but according to this
study‘s findings, teachers are not satisfied with all the facets with regards promotion. This therefore means that
teachers in Botswana schools are not satisfied with the availability of promotions, regularity of promotions, and
believe that their jobs are dead-end therefore no chances of being ellevated beyond the schools. Abdullah, Uli and
Parasuraman (2009) have argued that failure to obtain promotion is a blow to a man‘s self respect from which it will
arouse and cause dissatisfaction and also frustration in work. This study reveals that teachers in general dissatisfied
that there are no opportunities for promotion in teaching. In the 1990‘s, the Government of Botswana tried to
improve the opportunities for employment in the teaching force by implementing a career ladder model called
parallel progression, which failed and led to more dissatisfaction as there was no transparency in the promotional
process. There was no clear assessment model used to measure performance. The other problem was that those who
were in the field during the implementation of the model filled all the available posts and therefore limiting the
protion chances as the attrition rate was very low.
Supervision
On whether supervisors praise subordinates for good work done, two hundred and ten (60%) of the respondents said
their supervisors do praise them for good work. However, 81.8% of the Heads of Department, 71% of teachers,
57.7% of Deputy Headteachers and 52% of Headteachers all said that they are praised when they do a good job by
their supervisors. Only 48% of the senior teachers supported the view that they are praised for good work. On how
tactful supervisors are in their job, one hundred and twenty (34%) said yes, one hundred and twenty nine (36.8%)
said no while one hundred and one were undecided. Supervisors should be influential on their jobs and from this
study, one hundred and forty nine (42%) of the respondents believe their supervisors are influencial while a
substantial one hundred and eight (30.8%) said they are not. In order to do their job adequately, supervisors should
be up to date on the requirements of their jobs. From this sudy, one hundred and thirty five (38.5%) of the
respondents are of the view that their supervisors are up to date while one hundred and twenty four (35%) said they
were not. Among these, 56% of the teachers‘ and 57.7% of the deputy headteachers‘ categories believe they got up
to date supervision. One hundred and ninety two (54.8%) of the respondents believe the supervision they get is not
annoying while 92 (26%) said it was annoying and the same number was undecided. Furthermore, supervisors
should know their job well. In this study, one hundred and fifty one (43%) of the respondents say supervisors know
their jobs well while one hundred and seventeen (33%) were undecided. Among these, 56% of teachers, 82% of
senior teachers and 54.5% of heads of department all believe supervisors know their jobs well.
Leadership styles can determine the level of motivation subordinates get as they are related to teacher satisfaction. It
has been pointed out that the quality of leadership and supervision affects a range of factors in the school
environment, including the overall organizational climate of the school (Bogler, 2001). Tierney, Bauer, and Potter
(2002), assert that a high quality relationship between employees and supervisors lead to high levels of job
satisfaction. It has been found that employees are extremely productive when they feel accepted by their supervisors
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and the organizational environment is open to diversity of ideas and work ethos, which in turn leads to innovation
and creativity. Abdullah, Uli and Parasuraman (2009) say that supervisors who establish a supportive personal
relationship with their subordinates and take a personal interest in them contribute to their employees‘ satisfaction.
Generally, teachers in this study are satisfied with the supervision they get in their job.
Work on Present Job
This section deals with issues related to the work in the job of a teacher. It presents and discusses whether the work
is intresting, satisfying, good, exciting, rewarding, and unitresting. On whether the work is fascinationg or not, one
hundred and ninety four (55.4%) of the respondents found it not; and this was also the case with 88% of the
headteachers and 70.9% of heads of department. One hundred and seventy six (50%) found it satisfying while one
hundred and forty six did not find it that way. On whether the job was good or not, two hundred and nine (59.7%)
said that it was good while one hundred and one (28.8%) of the respondents said it was not satisfying at all. One
hundred and ninety three (55%) did not find the job exciting but one hundred and fourteen found it exciting. Another
two hundred and thwenty three (63.7%) did not believe that the job is rewarding; and of these, 83% of the senior
teachers did not find it rewarding. One hundred and sixty (45.7%) found their job intresting while one hundred and
eighteen (33.7%) said it was not intresting.
Literature shows that the nature of the work itself generally emerges as the most important job facet (Saari & Judge,
2004; Judge & Church, 2000; Jurgensen, 1978); and employers can influence job satisfaction by ensuring work is as
interesting and challenging as possible. It has been pointed out that satisfaction with the nature of the work itself—
which includes job challenge, autonomy, variety, and scope—best predicts overall job satisfaction, as well as other
important outcomes like employee retention (Fried & Ferris, 1987; Saari & Judge, 2004). The importance of the
work as a motivating factor has also been identified in the Herzberg Two-Factor Theory. From this study, the results
on the different facets of the work show a balanced outcome.
Pay
Here, the presentation looks at whether the respondent was satisfied with the income from the pay for the job,
whether the pay was good, whether they were well paid, underpaid, comfortable or the pay was enough to live on.
One hundred and ninety four (55.4%) of the respondents said that they barely live on the pay. On whether the pay
was bad or not, one hundred and fifty five (44%) said it was not bad while one hundred and thirty five (38.5%)
found it bad. However, 88% of the deputy headteachers and 68% of the headteachers found the pay not bad at all.
Two hundred and seventy eight (79.4%) of the respondents are of the opinion that they are not well paid; and among
these, 100% of the headteachers and 97% of the senior teachers also believe that they are not well paid. One hundred
and ninety three (55%) say that they are underpaid. On whether they are comfortable or not, two hundred and eight
(59.4%) of the respondents are not; while among them, 80% of the headteachers were not and 73% of the deputy
headteachers were comfortable. Two hundred and twelve (60.5%) are of the view that their pay was not enough.
Globally, low salaries and a truncated salary scales have been cited as the main reasons are among the main reasons
that the most academically able leave or do not join teaching. Good pay is a hygiene factor. Herzberg, Mausner, &
Snyderman (1959) stated that to the degree that motivators are present in a job, motivation will occur. Herzberg
argues that good hygiene will only lead to average performance preventing dissatisfaction. The absence of
motivators does not lead to dissatisfaction. Further, they stated that to the degree that hygienes are absent from a job,
dissatisfaction will occur. When present, hygienes prevent dissatisfaction, but do not lead to satisfaction. Paying
lower wages (hygiene) than what employees believe to be fair may lead to job dissatisfaction. Conversely,
employees will be motivated when they are doing work in a safe area and but will not necessarily be motivated by
higher pay. Smith (1992) believes that job satisfaction and salary can lead to cost reduction by reducing absences,
task errors, and turnover.The findings from this study reflect a workforce that is dissatisfied with its pay. However,
those in senior management, headteachers and their deputies believe that their pay was not that bad.
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People in Present Job
Organizations are mostly made up of people and these have a bearing on their job satisfaction both as employees and
employers. In this section, issues of whether they are boring, slow, responsible, smart, lazy, or frustrating are
presented. One hundred and eighty three (52%) of the respondents believe that people they are working with are not
boring; and amongst these, 80% of the headteachers also say they are not boring. While one hundred and thirty
(37%) of the respondents say their colleagues are not slow, one hundred and twenty three (35%) believe they are.
Eighty percent of the headteachers also believe that people are slow. Most of the respondents (67%) say that the
people they are working with are responsible; one hundred and eight (62%) at junior secondary, sixty seven (68%) at
primary, and sixty (76.9%) at senior secondary level. Furthermore, 85.9% of the teachers also believe their
colleagues are responsible. Two hundred and one (57.4%) of the respondents say that the people they work with are
smart; 77.7% deputy headteachers and 68% headteachers also believe are smart. One hundred and ninety three
(55%) of the respondents say their colleagues are not lazy. Some of the respondents (35.7%) believe that their
colleagues are not frustrating, one hundred and six (30%), and one hundred and nineteen (34%) were undecided.
Motivation among employees is a human psychological characteristic that contributes to a person‘s degree of
commitment (Adeyemo, 1997). Khaleque and Rahman (1987) cited in Abdullah, Uli and Parasuraman (2009, p15)
observed that good working relationship among co-workers in an organization is very important in determining
higher job satisfaction of employees. The findings of this study show that teachers are responsible people which
means they cooperate and support each orher. They are not lazy which also means they are hard-working and are not
boring which means that the environment they work in is interesting. This study reveals that generally, employees
are satisfied with the people they are working with.
Job in General
Two hundred and twelve (60%) of the respondents believe that generally their job is good. Eighty eight percent of
the headteachers, 80% of heads of department and 66.8% of the deputy headteachers also say the job in general is
good. One hundred and ninety one (54.6%) belive their job is desirable; while one hundred and eighty three (52%)
say that it is not better than most. One hundred and seventy seven (50.6%) of the respondents were not decided
while one hundred and thirty four (38.3%) believed it was not disagreeable. One hundred and thirty one (37.4%) of
the respondents were undecided while one hundred and twenty four (35.4%) were of the opinion that it made them
content. One hundred and eighty six (53%) of the respondents say that their job was not excellent; while one
hundred and twenty five (35.7%) enjoyed and one hundred and nineteen (34%) did not enjoy their job. Two hundred
and ten (60%) of the respondents think that their job is poor.
CONCLUSION
From this study, it can be concluded that all categories of teachers in Botswana schools are generally satisfied with
their job of teaching. The majority of respondents in this study are not satisfied with opportunities for promotion in
general. This may be because promotional chances in the teaching field are limited as teaching is a dead-end job.
There are no good chances in teaching and therefore promotions are not regular.
Generally, the results of this study show that all categories of teachers are satisfied with the supervision they get as it
is not annoying but it is given tactfully; and they are praised whenever they do a good job. The majority of the
respondents found their current job satisfying which is good because as illustrated earlier, a satisfied employee tends
to be absent less often, to make positive contributions, and to stay with the organization longer.An organization with
satisfied employees is bound to be productive.
They feel that they are not well paid and therefore can barely live on the income from their salaries. However, a
large number of headteachers and deputy headteachers believe that their pay is not that bad; maybe because in
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Botswana they are paid more than any category of teachers. This study also shows that the respondents were
satisfied with the people they work with.
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