Stress, job satisfaction, and workplace climate in Italian police workers

Abstract

Police job, because of its inherent characteristics, predisposes to work in stressful contexts on a daily basis. The features of the work environment, such as a good organizational climate, could play an important role in maintaining a good level of job satisfaction. The aim of the present study is to investigate, using OLS regressions, which climate dimensions predict job satisfaction and stress in a sample of police workers (N = 665) in Northern Italy. In addition, the differences between groups in terms of organizational climate and stress are examined, especially in relation to role (police officers vs. other roles) and gender. Results showed that all dimensions of workplace climate (except fairness, autonomy and communication) were positively and significantly associated with job satisfaction, while job description, job involvement, team and leadership were negatively and significantly associated with stress. Compared to the differences between groups, police officers showed significantly more critical scores on most of the variables included in the analyses (workplace climate and stress); in terms of gender, women showed more negative scores on stress symptoms (relational problems, emotional distress and physical problems) and more positive perceptions of organizational fairness. This study offers new insights into the critical role of police officers and gender differences in the police force. The importance of supporting and maintaining a good organizational climate in such a critical profession is also confirmed.