Job satisfaction in African public administrations: a systematic review
| Published date | 01 September 2018 |
| Date | 01 September 2018 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0020852316651693 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
International Review of
Administrative Sciences
2018, Vol. 84(3) 596–610
!The Author(s) 2016
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DOI: 10.1177/0020852316651693
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International
Review of
Administrative
Sciences
Article
Job satisfaction in African
public administrations:
a systematic review
Fanou Arse
`ne Vigan
University of Lausanne, Switzerland
David Giauque
University of Lausanne, Switzerland
Abstract
In this study, we present a review of public agents’ job satisfaction in Africa between
1990 and 2014. Using the systematic review methodology, we analyse and put in per-
spective 22 English and French publications on this subject. Results suggest that work
environment attributes are the most important antecedents of job satisfaction among
African public servants, whereas the effects of personal and work characteristics are
marginal. We also found that most of the research dedicated to job satisfaction in Africa
relied primarily on theoretical frameworks developed in Western countries. This leads
to unexpected results, indicating the need to fit the research models to local specifi-
cities. The consequences of job satisfaction in Africa and suggestions for future research
are also discussed.
Points for practitioners
This contribution allows practitioners to obtain an overview of the factors that pro-
mote the satisfaction/dissatisfaction of public sector employees in Africa. It helps them
identify factors on which to act for the implementation of effective personnel policies
geared towards the officials’ performance and welfare. The results suggest paying atten-
tion to factors related to the working environment (such as the atmosphere at work,
organisational support and working conditions) in order to enhance effectively job
satisfaction in African public organisations. However, practices such as the establish-
ment of clear objectives and procedures, autonomy, work content, and the recognition
of effort are not to be overlooked.
Keywords
administration in transition, Africa, job satisfaction, staff policy
Corresponding author:
David Giauque, University of Lausanne, Institute of political, historical and international studies (IEPHI),
Ge
´opolis building, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Email: david.giauque@unil.ch
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