A. I. Alao

 Abstract

One hundred two university library cataloguers in Nigeria were surveyed, using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) with a view to (1) ascertaining the status and level of the cataloguers’ job satisfaction, and (2) determining whether or not age, sex, marital status, length of service as a professional librarian, and length of service as a cataloguer were accountable for any differences in the cataloguers’ job satisfaction. Thirty–four of the 70 cataloguers who responded to the questionnaire had an overall job satisfaction score of 58.2 or more, while 36 had less. None of the five variables was significantly correlated with the cataloguers’ overall job satisfaction. The variables were, however, variously and significantly correlated with some aspects of the cataloguers’ jobs. It was recommended (1) that further studies be undertaken to compare the cataloguers’ level of job satisfaction with that of other groups of librarians, and (2) that the administrators of the individual libraries look at the various aspects of their cataloguers’ job with a view to improving the areas where there is dissatisfaction.

 Introduction

As in most types of libraries, cataloguing in university libraries is regarded as a routine job. As such, the level of job satisfaction among university library cataloguers is presumed low. In fact, this was one of the significant findings of some previous studies, notably those of Vincent [1], D’Elia [2], and Christman [3], all of which were carried out in the developed parts of the world. In a developing country such as Nigeria, however, there is little or no information on the status of job satisfaction among university library cataloguers, because there is a dearth of published literature on the subject. The study reported in this article, therefore, sought to assess the status and level of job satisfaction among university library cataloguers in Nigeria as well as to determine the influence of variables such as age, sex, marital status, length of service as a professional librarian, and length of service as a professional librarian, and length of service as a cataloguer.

 Methodology

The data for the study were collected by means of a seven–item questionnaire which was mailed in March 1995 to the 102 cataloguers [4] in the country’s 34 university libraries. Items 1–6 of the questionnaire sought information on the respondent’s age, sex, marital status, length of service as a professional librarian, and length of service as a cataloguer. Item 7 invited responses to the 21 job dimensions measured by the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). A typical item of the MSQ as operationalized in the study was as follows:

For the respondent’s convenience, items 17 (Supervision–human relations) and 18 (Supervision–technical) were matched and operationalized as follows:

In determining whether a cataloguer was satisfied with his overall job, the mean of the cataloguers’ responses to all the twenty dimensions of the MSQ as adapted for the study was computed. Using the mean as a cut–off point, the cataloguer was regarded as being: (1) satisfied with his overall job if the sum of his responses to the twenty dimensions was equal to or greater than the mean of the cataloguers’ responses to those dimensions, and (2) dissatisfied with his job if the sum of his responses to the dimensions was less than the mean of the cataloguers’ responses.

To determine whether a cataloguer was satisfied with an aspect of his job, the mean of all the cataloguers’ responses to the aspect was computed. Using the mean as a cut–off point, the cataloguer was regarded as being (1) satisfied with the aspect if the cataloguer’s responses to the aspect was equal to or greater than the mean of the cataloguers’ responses to the aspect, and (2) dissatisfied with the aspect if his responses to the aspect was less than the mean of the cataloguers’. Chi–squared tests were used to determine the relationships between the five variables and the cataloguers’ (a) overall job satisfaction, and (b) satisfaction with specific aspects of their jobs.

 Findings

Of the 102 questionnaires sent out, 71 were returned, out of which one was not usable. The results of the analysis of the usable responses were as follows.

As shown in Table 1, 34 of the cataloguers studied, having each obtained an overall job satisfaction score of 58.2 or more, were satisfied with their overall jobs. This was against 36 who, having each obtained an overall job satisfaction score of less than 58.2, were dissatisfied.

At .05 for degrees of freedom (df)=1 in each case, the values of χ² for age, sex, and marital status as shown in Table 2 were each less than the critical values of 3.84 required for significance. Also at .05 from the same table, the values of χ² for length of service as a professional librarian and length of service as a cataloguer were each less than the critical value of 15.51 required for significance for df=8 in each case. Hence, the differences in the cataloguers’ overall job satisfaction could not be attributed to any of the five variables.

From Table 3, social service, having been rated 2.19 or more required for satisfaction by majority of the cataloguers, was the most satisfactory dimension. Conversely, creativity, in which most cataloguers had a satisfaction score of less than 3.06 each, was the most unsatisfactory dimension.

1. The values of χ² for age, sex, and marital status vis–à–vis ability utilization, activity, advancement, authority, library polices and practices, compensation, co–workers, independence, moral values, recognition, responsibility, security, social service, social status, supervision–human relations and technical, and working conditions were each less than the critical value of 3.84 required for significance for df=1 in each case. Therefore, none of these three variables was accountable for the differences in satisfaction with the 16 dimensions. Age was also not accountable for the differences in satisfaction with achievement and creativity, but it was for variety, while sex and marital status (which were also not accountable for the variation in satisfaction with variety) were for achievement and creativity.

2. The values of χ² for length of service as a professional librarian and length of service as a cataloguer vis–à–vis the 20 dimensions were also each less than the critical value of 15.51 required for significance for df=8 in each case. As such, neither of the two variables was accountable for the differences in satisfaction with all twenty dimensions of the MSQ as adapted for the study.

 Discussion

When compared with the findings of previous studies, notably that of Herrick [5] in which 88 of the 92 academic library cataloguers surveyed were satisfied with their overall jobs, the number of the satisfied to the dissatisfied cataloguers obtained in the study (34.36) could be considered low. On the other hand, one might not be surprised with the figure in view of the purported routine nature of cataloguing. As a matter of fact, the expectation was that the number of cataloguers dissatisfied with their overall jobs would be much higher than the 36 obtained. Also, the mean of the cataloguers’ overall job satisfaction score of 58.2 against which the cataloguers were judged was rather high, and so it was not expected that as many as 34 cataloguers would attain this level of job satisfaction. How this seemingly high level of job satisfaction compares with the levels of other groups of librarians is a different matter, and calls for further investigation.

The findings on some aspects of the cataloguers’ job were striking and need to be noted. For instance, it was interesting that the job dimension “creativity,” which was last among the most satisfactory dimension to the cataloguers, came in first among the most unsatisfactory dimensions. With this pattern of response, the cataloguers, like those studied by Chwe [6], presumably did not regard cataloguing as a creative job.

Also, the dimension “social service,” which was first among the most satisfactory dimensions, came in last among the most unsatisfactory dimensions, thereby indicating that the cataloguers were from all angles satisfied with this aspect of their jobs. This was not expected, especially when the term “social service” was defined in the study as “the chance to do things for other people,” and cataloguing offers limited opportunity for direct personal contact with library patrons. Nevertheless, cataloguing is vital to the totality of the public services in any library, and the cataloguers’ feeling about this dimension might well be in recognition of this fact.

Above all, it should be noted that while none of five variables investigated — age, sex, marital status, length of service as professional librarian, and length of service as catalooguer — was related to the differences in the cataloguers’ overall job satisfaction, the same variables were variously accountable for some aspects of the cataloquers’ jobs. This might well be a reflection of the nature of job satisfaction itself which Locke [7], among others, has described as a multidimensional phenomenon. In other words, if the idea of job satisfaction as a multidimensional phenomenon implies that a satisfied worker is not necessarily satisfied with all aspects of his job, then the influence of certain variables on his overall job satisfaction could differ from his satisfaction with individual aspects of his job, as was the case in the study.

 Conclusion

1. By the rules of thumb, most university library cataloguers in Nigeria were dissatisfied with their jobs. Although the difference between the dissatisfied and the satisfied cataloguers was small, this situation calls for concern on the part of the administrators of the libraries. They should therefore have a hard look at the various aspects of their cataloguers’ jobs with a view to improving areas in which there is dissatisfaction.
2. The level of job satisfaction among the satisfied cataloguers was high. However, since such a level may be more meaningful when compared with the levels of other groups of librarians, further studies of the cataloguers’ job satisfaction relative to those of other librarians are required.
3. Differences in the influence of age, sex, marital status, length of service as a professional librarian and length of service as a cataloguer on the cataloguers’ overall job satisfaction and on their satisfaction with the individual job dimensions might offer clues to the nature of job satisfaction itself.

 References

1. Vincent, E. “A Study of Administrative Style in Five University Libraries and Its Reflection in Staff Attitudes and Internal Management Processes,” Ph.D. Thesis, Graduate School of Library Science, University of Michaigan, 1974.

2. D’Elia, George P. “The Adjustment of Library School Graduates to the Job Environment of Librarianship: A Test of the Need Gratification and Expectation fulfillment Theories of Job Satisfaction,” Ph. D. Thesis, Graduate Library School Service, Rutgers University, 1975.

3. Christman, Larry G. “An analysis of the Cataloguer’s Role Within the Academic Library Organisation,” Ph.D. Thesis, Graduate Library School, Indiana University, 1975.

4. This figure was computed from the returns to the inquiries sent to the 34 university libraries prior to the study.

5. Herrick, Mary D. “Status of Worker Morale Among College Cataloguers,” College and Research Libraries 1–11 (1950): 38.

6. Chwe, Steven Seokho, “A Comparative Study of Job Satisfaction: Cataloguers and Reference Librarians in University Libraries,” Journal of Academic Librarianship 3–4 (1978): 142.

7. Locke, Edwin A. “What Is Job Satisfaction?” Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 4 (1969): 330.

 About the Author

I. A. Alao is Principal Librarian, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.

©1997 I. A. Alao