Demographic Differences in Job Satisfaction and Work Engagement in a South African Government Department

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51137/wrp.ijarbm.317

Keywords:

Job Satisfaction, Work Engagement, Demographic Profiles.

Abstract

Employee job satisfaction (JS) and work engagement (WE) have become critical factors in the South African (SA) government. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if there are any statistically significant differences between demographic profiles in job satisfaction and Work Engagement. Despite several studies on job satisfaction and work engagement, there remains a gap in knowledge in relation to whether employees within the selected government department from different demographic profiles experience job satisfaction and work engagement differently. A quantitative research approach and cross-sectional design were used, wherein two existing questionnaires of job satisfaction and work engagement were used. The study targeted 180 administrative employees, while a snowball sampling was used to select respondents. According to the Kruskal-Wallis Test, this study discovered that age, qualification and years of service do not influence work engagement and job satisfaction. The study revealed a significant difference between gender and engagement; no significant difference was found between job satisfaction and work engagement among females and males. Management within the selected government should not make assumptions about work engagement and job satisfaction strategies based on these demographic profiling factors alone. The present study contributes significantly to the existing knowledge, as there is limited literature on the influence of demographic profiling factors. This study highlights the shift towards strategies to improve work engagement and job satisfaction.

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Published

2025-11-19

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Original Research Paper

How to Cite

Mothema, M. M., Ramasimu, N. F., & Maake, G. (2025). Demographic Differences in Job Satisfaction and Work Engagement in a South African Government Department. International Journal of Applied Research in Business and Management, 6(4). https://doi.org/10.51137/wrp.ijarbm.317

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