The impact of trust and information networks on teachers’ job satisfaction

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of how two types of informal social networks – those related to instrumental purposes of information sharing and those related to expressive purposes of interpersonal trust – impact teachers’ job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses social network analysis (SNA) degree and betweenness measures and job satisfaction scales from the Job Diagnostic Survey to collect longitudinal data from employees in one of the vocational schools in Saint Petersburg, Russia via structured interviews. Data on a total of 354 ties were analysed for 40 ego networks in 2018 and 33 ego networks in 2019. Findings The obtained results partially confirm the positive effect of teachers’ position in instrumental and expressive networks on job satisfaction. More centrally positioned teachers were more satisfied with peers and colleagues. They feel more secure in regard to job security, given the unique and multi-faceted knowledge they possess. Structural diversity of the network, as well as the category of a teacher (core subject or vocational subject), are found to explain the uneven evolvement of network size. The authors argue that the decrease in network size can be treated as a positive externality of changes in an informal network. The variation in teachers’ experience seems to explain both job satisfaction and network composition. Research limitations/implications The paper is based on a case study and its findings are limited to one particular organization. Nonetheless, the proposed SNA application is of potential value for similar organizations in terms of enhancing their capacity to benefit from networks. This study uses a structured interview to collect network data and job satisfaction data. However, overt observation or secondary data on written communication (e-mail, reports) may provide additional insights about the sought impact in the context of school. Practical implications Both teachers and managers benefit from the results of the paper. Educational policymakers and schools’ administration can exploit the bird’s eye view on an organization that SNA provides. By identifying focal employees and their attitude towards school, one receives an opportunity to prevent structural holes, organizational conflicts and uneven distribution of workload. Novice teachers can nurture their well-being by enhancing personal and instrumental social networks at the start of their careers. Experienced teachers benefit from social cooperation as it fosters the exchange of experience and skills, which is vital for job retention. Originality/value This research extends the understanding of the role of different kinds of social networks in teachers’ job satisfaction. The paper provides new insights into the SNA application to vocational schools and developing economies. Authors address teachers’ informal networks both from ego and complete network analyses to provide the holistic, yet detailed view. The use of longitudinal data advances the understanding of how personal and group networks develop over time.

Impact of Using Social Media Networks on Individual Work-Related Outcomes

“…Such people are more likely to achieve greater overall satisfaction, and thus be more satisfied with the job and more easily identify with the organization in which they work. In this section, the results are consistent with the results of research where there is a positive relationship between social media usage and job satisfaction [26,29], as well as social media usage and organizational commitment [32,33].…”

“…At the same time, private social media platforms, used only for socially related motivations, have positive effects on job satisfaction [26]. Two types of informal social networks (those related to instrumental purposes of information sharing and those related to expressive purposes of interpersonal trust) have positive effects on teachers' job satisfaction [29]. However, Vyas and Pandey [8] come to a slightly different result, according to which social media usage has a beneficial effect on knowledge sharing, but there are no significant links between social media usage and job satisfaction.…”

Beyond skills and knowledge: the role of self-efficacy and peer networks in building capacity for species conservation planning

“…Studies of peer networks have concluded that networks can result in benefits such as further learning (Pietri et al, 2015), exploring ideas (Hur & Brush, 2009), and increased job satisfaction (Veretennik & Kianto, 2019). However, they can also have unintended consequences, such as overestimating the frequency or intensity of a problem, but these consequences can be overcome with effective facilitation (Naegels et al, 2020).…”