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Author ORCID Identifier
Date Available
5-13-2022
Year of Publication
2022
Document Type
Capstone
Degree Name
Doctor of Social Work (DSW)
Faculty
Laura Escobar-Ratliff, DSW
Abstract
Social work job satisfaction is a pressing concern, becoming even more dire, in times of depleted social work workforces like experienced in Kentucky in 2021 or during an overall depleted workforce like experienced nationally due to The Great Resignation labor trend of 2022. Over recent years, it has become evident social workers and social service workers are less willing to settle for employment experiences and work environments of high stress, exhaustion, and frustration. Instead, social workers’ work expectations are changing, with social workers looking for positive work experiences such as workplaces which promote wellness, self-care, work-life balance, flexibility, and professional growth. Considering these new expectations, how can social work administrators create and lead work environments that promote job satisfaction among social workers, which may promote the recruitment, retainment, and retention of social workers in the workforce?
Job satisfaction among social workers is not a new administrative practice problem. It is a persistent problem impacting social workers and social work employers and recipients, which has been studied extensively by social workers since the 1970s, yet it continues to be a current problem being addressed in social work literature in the United States within the last 10 years. Back to Basics: Re-Envisioning Job Satisfaction through Social Work – Strength-Based Leadership, is a DSW capstone project consisting of a collection of papers including a systematic literature review, a conceptual paper and an application paper, which explores social work job satisfaction and supports how an intentional and unique social work – strength-based leadership approach can be used to create work environments that provide social workers the space, support, and opportunities to thrive in satisfying employment experiences.
Back to Basics: Re-Envisioning Job Satisfaction through Social Work – Strength-Based Leadership contributes new insight regarding social work job satisfaction. The most significant finding of the systematic literature review is the discovery of an omission of social work job satisfaction literature from a social work perspective. Ironically, social workers are not exploring nor addressing social work job satisfaction from a social work perspective. The following five themes emerged in the literature: 1.) Job satisfaction explained and general information, 2.) Addressing job satisfaction with specific interventions, 3.) Using theory to predict job satisfaction, 4.) Job satisfaction associations with poor outcomes and 5.) Leadership. Despite an omission of a social work approach, there is evidence of a positive psychology approach, which may suggest other disciplines may recognize the value of capitalizing on their own strengths in addressing job satisfaction concerns. Additionally, contrary to the absence of a specific social work approach, social work job satisfaction scholarship emphasizes concepts and philosophy significant in social work practice for example focus on human relationships, communication, competence, respect, dignity, empowerment and more. So, how can social work administrators create and lead work environments that promote job satisfaction among social workers? Back to Basics: Re-Envisioning Job Satisfaction through Social Work – Strength-Based Leadership provides evidence-based practical recommendations to help social work administrators promote job satisfaction among social workers.
Recommended Citation
McDaniel, Mary, "Back to Basics: Re-Envisioning Job Satisfaction Through Social Work-Strengths-Based Leadership" (2022). DSW Capstone Projects. 45.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/csw_grad_reports/45
