Testing the determinants of job satisfaction among police administrative officers in Taiwan

Abstract

Purpose

The current paper aims to provide insights into the determinants associated with job satisfaction among police administrative (personnel) officers in Taiwan, especially both internal organizational predictors and unique external predictors related to the Chinese cultural context.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered from police administrative officers across major and medium-sized police agencies in Taiwan. Multiple regression models were employed to analyze the relationship between both internal factors to the organization (e.g. workplace fairness, supervisor support, self-efficacy) and external factors (related to traditional Chinese culture and its expectations) and job satisfaction.

Findings

The external factors of work-family life balance and financial benefits are strong predictors, emphasizing the cultural significance of family harmony and financial stability in Taiwanese society. This finding challenges the prevailing notion in the literature that the primary source of job satisfaction among police officers is derived from internal organizational factors. Collectively, the findings concluded the multi-faceted determinants of job satisfaction among administrative officers in Taiwan, intertwining both individual and internal organizational factors with broader external cultural influences.

Practical implications

This study investigated the job satisfaction among administrative officers who play a key role in a police department. The findings showed that external factors exert a significant impact on job satisfaction. This offers a new frontier to examine job satisfaction among not only administrative officers but also patrol officers in Taiwan and Asian countries. In addition, training courses can be developed and focus on work-family relations when officers are off duty.

Originality/value

While previous research has extensively explored job satisfaction among police officers in various roles and countries, by integrating internal organizational and external predictors, this study pioneers the focus on “police administrative officers” within Taiwanese police agencies.

Citation

Lin, C. and Zhao, J. (2024), "Testing the determinants of job satisfaction among police administrative officers in Taiwan", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 47 No. 6, pp. 880-896. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-11-2023-0145