JOB SATISFACTION AND JOB PERFORMANCE AMONG MAKERERE UNIVERSITY NON-TEACHING STAFF: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This study examined the relationships among job satisfaction, perceived organizational support (POS), and job performance among non-teaching staff in universities in Uganda, with a particular focus on the mediating role of perceived organizational support. Data were collected using a standardized instrument from 118 non-teaching staff selected through random sampling and analyzed using Pearson correlation and the regression analysis for mediation following Baron and Kenny’s (1986) approach. The findings revealed that job satisfaction is positively and significantly related with perceived organizational support (r = .43, p < .01) and also positively and significantly related with job performance (r = .29, p < .01). Similarly, perceived organizational support showed a strong positive relationship with job performance (r = .45, p < .01). Most importantly, the results indicated that perceived organizational support fully mediates the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance (β =.11, p ˃ .05) direct effect and (β =.40, p ˂ .01) indirect effect. This implies that job satisfaction alone may not directly translate into improved performance unless supported by favorable organizational practices that culminate into perceived organizational support. The study concludes that perceived organizational support plays a critical role in enhancing employee performance by strengthening the link between job satisfaction and performance outcomes. It recommends that university management should invest in supportive organizational practices, including recognition, fair treatment, and employee involvement, to improve staff satisfaction and performance. The study contributes to the limited literature on non-teaching staff in Sub-Saharan Africa and provides practical implications for improving institutional effectiveness in higher education.

Keywords Perceived Organizational Support, Job Satisfaction, Job Performance, Non-Teaching Staff, Uganda