What matters most? Comparing the impact of individual, job, and organizational factors on job stress and job satisfaction among juvenile justice personnel

ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study was to examine if job stress and job satisfaction differed for juvenile detention officers compared to juvenile probation officers. Specifically, we assessed if there were different determinants (e.g., gender, education, supervisor/co-worker support, perceptions of dangerousness, and several role-related variables) of job stress compared to job satisfaction, and then we established which group of variables (i.e., individual, job, or organizational) had a greater overall impact on these outcomes. Using data collected from nearly 300 juvenile probation and detention officers across the Midwest, the ordinary least squares regression analysis found that job stress and job satisfaction did not vary by job position, but there were different predictors for each outcome. Role conflict and role overload had significant effects on job stress, while perceived dangerousness, role overload, input into decision-making, and lack of opportunities were significant determinants of job satisfaction. Additionally, job perceptions had the strongest relative impact on job stress, while organizational factors were the most influential for job satisfaction.