Bridging Disciplinary Boundaries (January 11 - 14, 2007)

Studies have suggested that job satisfaction is a major factor influencing social workers' intention to leave their profession. It has also been related to turnover of qualified employees in social service organizations. However, literature relating to professional identity as a factor among staff and professionals allied to social work is scarce. A random sampling techniques were used to choose a sample from a pool of sampling with 5,000 out of 85,000 members affiliated with a Professional Association of Social Workers in Korea. A total of 736 social workers completed the survey and response rate was about 15%. Of the 736 respondents, 70.8% (n=521) were women. More than half (51%, n=376) were between 20 and 29 years of age. The work experience of respondents was at average 7 years (range 1-23; SD 3.67). The majority of respondents worked as direct practitioners (68%, n=507) in services for aging (18.3%), disability (28.5, n=210), children and families (11%, n= 81), or multiple service organizations (18%, n=131). More Korean social workers in the study worked in metropolitan (53%, n=393) or mid-sized urban areas (35%, n=255) than in rural areas (12%, n=88). A self-completion questionnaire was developed as part of a larger study exploring job satisfaction of licensed social workers in the country. Job Analysis Survey (Robert, 1981)was tranlsated by a team of experts with back-translation. Data analysis occurred in three stages. The first stage explored relationships between individual characteristics of social workers, job satisfaction and turnover intention using analysis of variance. The second stage examined relationships between workers' job satisfaction and their perceptions of professional identities by correlating scale scores using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Finally, in order to asses the cumulative effects of identity on social workers' job satisfaction, multiple regression analysis was carried out using a stepwise procedure. Levels of job satisfaction were high among social workers in Korea. Increased freedom and autonomy, managing their own work environment and increased responsibility were the three main factors identified by the respondents as attributing to this. These findings are consistent with the findings of many other job satisfaction studies Job satisfaction was significantly related to feeling integrated within the social workers' own professional identity. A significant proportion of respondents (51%) said they would leave their profession if they could. Low job satisfaction was significantly related to intention to leave the profession (p<.01). Having professional identity was significantly associated with enhanced job satisfaction. This is surprising when autonomy and freedom to develop were also given as explanations for job satisfaction. It may be that clearly defined protocols within the role provide the post-holder with role clarity, thus giving them a sense of knowing their boundaries and feeling more secure to practice autonomously within those boundaries. However, an increased sense of job satisfaction is likely to contribute to retention of these highly skilled and experienced professionals within the social service context.