Abstract:
The aim of the study was to explore the factors influencing the level of job
satisfaction among the Employee Assistance professionals in the Jacaranda
branch of EAPA-SA. The researcher was motivated to choose this subject as
a result of the challenges she faced while she worked as an Occupational
social worker for a motor vehicle manufacturer. Furthermore, the lack of
literature concerning EAP professionals and job satisfaction motivated the
researcher to conduct the study.
The qualitative approach was utilized in this study and interviews were used to
gather data about the factors influencing the level of job satisfaction among
the EAP professionals. Utilising an interview schedule, the researcher
interviewed 1 0 respondents who were all registered members of the
Jacaranda branch of EAPA-SA. A purposive sampling method was used to
select the suitable respondents for the study. The type of research used was
applied research, as the intention was to answer practical questions about the
factors influencing the level of job satisfaction among the EAP professionals. The exploratory design was utilized in this study since there was limited
information about job satisfaction of EAP professionals in existence. The
purpose of using this design was thus to explore the factors influencing the
level of job satisfaction among the EAP professionals in order to provide new
information about the topic.
A discussion on the theoretical overview on job satisfaction focused on the
importance of job satisfaction, theories of job satisfaction, cultural and
demographic factors impacting on job satisfaction, antecedents of job
satisfaction and the potential consequences of job satisfaction. In addition, a
theoretical overview of Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) and the
Employee Assistance Professionals Association of South Africa (EAPA-SA)
was also discussed. In this section, emphasis was placed on the historical
development of EAPs and EAPA-SA, the rationale behind implementing
EAPs, the core EAPs activities, EAP service models and the EAP
professional.
The research findings indicated that most EAP professionals were very
satisfied about their jobs. Most respondents expressed their feelings of
happiness and love for their jobs, which may be linked to their high levels of
job satisfaction. The research findings however also indicated that job
satisfaction is influenced by different factors for instance, some respondents
were not satisfied with their salary even though they were happy with their
jobs as a result of training opportunities and recognition by management. The
low level of job satisfaction because of the salary was attributed to the
positioning of the EAP, which differs from one organisation to the other. The
issue of positioning should thus be addressed to ensure that all the EAP
professionals are rated in the same level in terms of remuneration. -
In addition, the study also showed that management lack adequate
information about the EAP, which may result in lack of support to the EAPs. In
order to gain support for EAPs, the EAP professionals should ensure that
management becomes educated and informed about what the EAP entails.
