PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARD AND JOB SATISFACTION AMONG PUBLIC SERVANTS IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

This study investigated psychosocial hazard and job satisfaction among public servants in Rivers State. To achieve the aim of this study, two research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to direct the study. The research design adopted for the study was expost-facto research design. The population of this study comprised of all public servants working in the ministries/department of Rivers State Government in two senatorial zones of the State, namely Rivers East and Rivers South-East senatorial zones. A sample of 377 public servants was used in the study. This sample size was selected through the use of the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table of sample size specification. The researcher adopted simple random sampling technique. The instrument used for the study included two instruments title Psychosocial Hazard Inventory (PHI) and Job satisfaction Questionnaire (JSQ). The reliability of the instruments was determined by Cronbach Alpha Coefficient to obtain the reliability coefficient of 0.88, indicating a high reliability estimate. Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation was used to answer the research questions and test the corresponding null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance.  The findings of the study revealed the following: There was a strong negative correlation between excessive workload and job satisfaction of public servants in Rivers State; there was a strong negative correlation between workplace bullying and job satisfaction of public servants in Rivers State. Based on the above findings, the researcher recommends among other that State Government should develop and enforce clear anti-bullying policies within public service organizations in Rivers State. These policies should outline acceptable behaviour, consequences for bullying, and provide a confidential reporting mechanism. Regular training sessions for employees and supervisors can help raise awareness and foster a more respectful workplace culture.