Date
3-10-2026
Department
Helms School of Government
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration (PhD)
Chair
Corrine Bates
Keywords
job satisfaction, motivation, federal employee viewpoint survey, Herzberg motivation-hygiene theory, public employees, public organizations
Disciplines
Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration
Recommended Citation
Speed-Johnson, Ardelia Deneen, "Understanding The Impact of Job Satisfaction Among Public Sector Employees: An Analysis of The U.S. Federal Government" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8016.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8016
Abstract
This quantitative, non-experimental, correlational study examined the relationship between job satisfaction and Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene factors among public sector employees. Herzberg’s two-factor theory provides the foundation for exploring how motivation factors (achievement/meaningful work, recognition, advancement/career growth) and hygiene factors (job security, salary/pay satisfaction, supervision) were independent variables to job satisfaction outcomes, while controlling for agency and gender. The researcher used secondary data obtained from the FY 2022 US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), which includes responses from 2,522 actively employed OPM federal employees. Job satisfaction was operationalized using FEVS and recoded into a binary variable (satisfied or unsatisfied). Predictor variables were treated as continuous based on Likert-scale responses and analyzed using logistic regression, with descriptive statistics summarizing all study variables. The findings provided practical implications for identifying specific Herzberg factors that influence overall job satisfaction in work environments across federal agencies. The findings showed a statistically significant and positive relationship between job satisfaction and the predictor and outcome variables in the study. Agency and gender were determined to have comparatively smaller effects on job satisfaction than motivator and hygiene factors. This study contributes to public administration (PADM) research by integrating Herzberg’s theory into a validated statistical approach, thereby strengthening the theoretical and empirical understanding of job satisfaction in the public sector.
