Job satisfaction of South African quantity surveyors

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to report on the significance of the relationship between job satisfaction experienced by South African quantity surveyors and demographic factors, workplace characteristics, choice of career, and instances of harassment and discrimination at work. Design/methodology/approach - Data were obtained via a web-based national questionnaire survey of the registered quantity surveyors. The results were analysed in order to establish the degree of significance between perceived levels of job satisfaction and the identified factors. Findings - Demographic factors found to have a significant relationship with job satisfaction are gender and race. Workplace characteristics such as feelings of personal satisfaction, recognition, the opportunity to undertake challenging work and non-repetitive work, the degree of supervision, participation in decision making, and the opportunity for social interaction at work were found to be significantly associated with job satisfaction. Significant career choice factors include the fulfilment of career expectations, a willingness to choose the same career again, and a willingness to recommend the career to others. Discrimination on the basis of gender and religious affiliation were found to have a significant relationship with job satisfaction. Originality/value - Little is known about the job satisfaction of design team professionals, particularly quantity surveyors. The findings provide indicators for managers of quantity surveying practices to facilitate improved job satisfaction amongst professional staff.