Job Satisfaction of Government Engineering College Teachers in Tiruchirappalli District

Abstract

Job satisfaction is a pleasurable emotional state that results when a person’s job fulfils their dominant needs and is consistent with their personal expectations and values. The feeling is positive or negative depending on whether the need is satisfied. Job satisfaction is distinct from motivation and morale. Motivation refers to the willingness to work; satisfaction implies a positive emotional condition; morale implies a general attitude of a group towards work and the work environment; and job satisfaction is an individual feeling. Job satisfaction may be considered a dimension of morale, and morale can be a source of satisfaction. This study examines the job satisfaction of government engineering college teachers in the Tiruchirappalli district. Primary data were collected from a convenience sample of 50 teachers drawn from two government engineering colleges in the district using a structured questionnaire. Percentage analysis, chi-square test, t-test, and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the data. The results show that 56 per cent of the respondents reported high job satisfaction and 44 per cent reported low job satisfaction. There was a statistically significant association between job satisfaction and the subject taught by the respondents (χ² = 16.601, df = 4, p = 0.002), but no significant association between job satisfaction and either the age (χ² = 1.231, df = 2, p = 0.540) or the educational qualification of the respondents. The findings indicate that demographic and occupational variables have a differential rather than a uniform influence on the job satisfaction of government engineering college teachers. The study concludes with suggestions for policymakers regarding salary structure, transfer policy, and work–family balance. Future research should extend the study to larger multi-district samples, use validated job satisfaction instruments with reported reliability coefficients, and adopt longitudinal or government-versus-self-financing comparative designs.