Motivation, social work and immigration: Job satisfaction according to a qualitative and quantitative evaluation

Abstract

This research is aimed at examining the motivational elements that the social worker specialised in immigration considers as determinants of their job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. An instrument was designed and validated to collect these perceptions in quantitative and qualitative terms, among a sample composed of 100 social services professionals from 43 localities in Galicia, Spain. The findings report that, while labour satisfaction is associated with intrinsic aspects of their job (such as personal self-fulfilment and constant contact with clients), the main sources of dissatisfaction relate to organisational and extrinsic work aspects (like workload, lack of support or excess of bureaucracy).