Abstract:
This study was an investigation of individual and
organizational factors, as perceived by front-line vocational
service workers from Adult Rehabilitation Centres (ARC
Industries) for mentally retarded adults. The specific
variables which were measured included role conflict/role
ambiguity (role factors), internal/external locus of
control (individual differences), job satisfaction with
work and supervision (job attitudes) and participation
in deci~ion making (organizational factor). The exploration
of these constructs was conducted by means of self-report
questionnaires which were completed by sixty-nine out
of a total of ninety front-line employees. The surveys
were distributed in booklet form to nine distinct rehabilitation
facilities from St. Catharines, West Lincoln, Greater
Niagara, Port Colborne, WeIland, Fort Erie, Hamilton,
Guelph and Brantford. The survey data was evaluated
by the statisti.cal Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)
which used the Pearson Product Moment Correlation procedure
and a compar~son of means test. A comparison of correlation
coefficients test was also conducted. This statistical
procedure was calculated mathematically. The results
obtained from the statistical evaluation confirmed the
prediction that self-reported measures of participation
in decision making and satisfaction (work and supervision)
would be negatively correlated with role conflict and
role ambiguity. As well, the speculation that perceived satisfaction (work and supervision) would be positively
correlated with participation in decision making was
empirically supported. Internal and external locus of
control did not contribute to a significant difference
in r~sponses to role perceptions (conflict and ambiguity) ,
satisfaction (work and supervision) or the correlational
relationship between participation in decision making
and satisfaction (work and supervision). Overall, the
findings from this study substantiated the importance
of examining employee perceptions in the workplace and
the interrelationships among individual and organizational
variables. This research was considered a contribution
to the general area of occupational stress and to the
study of individuals in work organizations.
