The Effects of Job Characteristics of Firefighters Dispatched to Disaster Sites on Job Satisfaction

Abstract

This empirical study investigates how the job characteristics of firefighters, who provide immediate fire suppression, rescue, and emergency response services when a disaster occurs, affect their job satisfaction. Through a literature review, we evaluated the job characteristics of firefighters dispatched to disaster sites according to their levels of “risk”, “urgency”, “uncertainty”, “ambiguity” and “shift work” and selected 296 firefighters involved in fire suppression, rescue, and first aid. We surveyed the subjects to verify the causal relationship between their job characteristics and job satisfaction. Uncertainty and shift work were found to have a statistically significant negative (−) effect on job satisfaction, and urgency was found to have a positive (+) effect. On this basis, an efficient and effective personnel policy plan for the fire service organization was presented.