DETERMINANTS OF WORKPLACE SATISFACTION IN SECRETARIAT BUILDINGS OF SELECTED UNIVERSITIES IN OSUN STATE

Abstract

Evidence linking workspaces to improved productivity is accumulating. However, it is not clear what attributes of workspaces stimulate satisfaction. The study investigated factors affecting workers’ satisfaction in secretariat buildings of selected universities in Osun State. Primary and secondary data were used. Multi-stage sampling technique was adopted for the study. The study stratified universities in Osun State into federal, state and private universities. Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife (O.A.U), Osun State University, Osogbo, and Bowen University, Iwo were selected in each category of the stratified universities respectively. Preliminary survey of secretariat buildings in the selected universities revealed a total of 852 workstations. Systematic random sampling was used to select 426 workstations (i.e. 50% of total sampling frame) by sampling workers from every other office on each floor in each secretariat building of the selected universities until all the workstations were examined. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed that 41.5% of respondents were female while 58.5% were male. It also established that 89.6% of workers had tertiary education and 80.9% had spent 2-5 years at their workplaces. Results of Principal Component Analysis revealed that workstation design, spatial features and building services, quality of social spaces, psycho-social factors, toilet location and size were the major factors affecting workplace satisfaction. The study concluded that design and organization of the workspaces were poor and inadequate, which induced low levels of workplace satisfaction at both individual and group levels in the secretariat buildings. The study suggested that workplace components in secretariat buildings should be thoughtfully designed around the workstation to improve workplace satisfaction.