Tekijät

• Nakari, Risto (University of Tampere. Work Research Centre (WRC))

Asiasanat

employees, job satisfaction, labour relations, managers, municipal officials, municipalities, productivity, public services, work motivation, working communities, working conditions, workplace relations

Sisällön kuvaus

A self-reported survey of working conditions, job satisfaction, workplace relations and services in Finnish municipalities. Respondents were asked to what extent they agreed with statements relating to municipal services: importance of municipal services to citizen equality, their effectiveness compared to private services, the management, competitive tendering and privatization of public services etc. Degree of stress in respondents' job, changes in working pace, work load, wage level, nature of the job and career prospects were charted. Respondents were asked about job independence, degree of information on planned or decided changes in the work, support from the management or fellow employees. Attitudes towards client feedback and demands were investigated.

The survey carried a set of statements relating to the respondent's working community and workplace relations. Workplace conflicts and the ways of dealing with them, relations with the superiors and the characteristics and methods of the managers were examined. Some questions pertained to productivity, work motivation and methods for improving motivation. Competence and skills required by the respondent's job and job-related training were charted.

Respondents evaluated the managers of their own sector with the help of paired concepts (for example enterprising vs. obstructing, co-operative vs. creates conflicts), rated the significance of certain factors causing productivity problems in their community and evaluated how good or bad the services of different sectors were in their own municipality. One question covered which issues should be included in the local bargaining between the municipality and trade unions.

Background variables included the municipality where the respondent works, the respondent's workplace, job title, sex, year of birth, trade union membership, type of contract and whether the respondent held a managerial or supervisory position.