Personality and Job Satisfaction in the Public Health Sector

Vocational choice theory asserts that an individual's career choice will be based on that person's anticipated satisfaction from working in a particular field and that the person's personality will determine which field will be most satisfying. This study measured personalities and job satisfaction among public health workers to determine if public health work is satisfying to individuals with particular personality types. The study was performed on 47 public health workers in the Southeastern region of Louisiana. These workers were given a questionnaire consisting of the Big 5 personality profile, the Job Descriptive Index, several open-ended questions, and a demographic survey. The findings indicate that emotional stability is a personality characteristic associated with satisfaction from public health work. Possible reasons for this finding and its implications are discussed.