Job Satisfaction of School Security Guards in Baringo County

Abstract

Job satisfaction is a critical factor in work places in all professions globally. It affects work-related behaviours such as productivity, efficiency, absenteeism and turnover. Thus, organizations cannot reach competitive levels of quality if the employees do not feel satisfied. In Baringo County, there has been a notable concern over the low job satisfaction among security personnel in secondary schools. The purpose of this study was to find out the various levels of job satisfaction among secondary school security personnel in Baringo County. The study was guided by the theories of motivation and job satisfaction. The study used descriptive cross-sectional survey design and targeted a population of 508 security personnel and 169 principals in public secondary schools in Baringo County. A sample of 194 security personnel was used in the study. Random sampling technique was used to select 10% of the school principals to participate in the study. A questionnaire and interview guide were used to collect data. The questionnaire had a reliability index of 0.799. Quantitative data was collected and analysed using descriptive (means, percentages as well as frequencies) and inferential statistics. Results showed that a majority of school guards felt a strong sense of belonging to their school and were happy with their work because it offered them a feeling of accomplishment but their main outcry was on low salary and lack shelter for protection, especially during harsh weather. There is need to align the salaries of school guards with government recommendations, that both monetary and non-monetary rewards should be used to motivate security personnel in schools, schools should offer regular trainings for security personnel to enhance their skills and make them more productive and alert to emerging security threats in institutions of learning. Schools should avail adequate working tools such as gumboots, torches, rain coats, utensils and equipment and put up houses for security guards or offer commensurate house allowances to motivate these workers. In so doing, the schools will foster a healthy and safer working relations with security personnel.