The impact of job characteristics on correctional staff members

The job characteristics of job stress, supervision, job variety, and job autonomy have been theorized to affect the job satisfaction and organizational commitment of correctional staff members. Most of the research to date has focused on the impact of these variables on job satisfaction, with little attention being paid to organizational commitment. To determine the effects of these job characteristics on correctional staff members job satisfaction and organizational commitment, data from a survey of 272 employees at a midwestern correctional facility were examined using ordinary least squares regression. All four job characteristics had significant effects on correctional staff members' job satisfaction. Only job stress and supervision had statistically significant effects on organizational commitment. Moreover job satisfaction had the greatest effect on correctional staff members' organizational commitment. Additionally, the effects of the job characteristics differed among various groups of correctional staff members.