Job Satisfaction: Key Factors Influencing Information Technology (IT) Professionals in Washington DC

A problem most organizations face is how to retain skilled employees. As technology has gone from common to prevalent over the past twenty years, retaining skilled information technology (IT) professionals has become more difficult. Therefore, this study focused on examining job satisfaction of IT professionals in the D.C. area, paying particular attention to two of the most important factors of job satisfaction for IT workers: autonomy and the opportunity for advancement. Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) members from the D.C. metro area were surveyed using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). This paper reviewed existing literature to find what other researchers have done to ensure that IT professionals get job satisfaction. The paper went further to identify the most pertinent job satisfaction factors as follows: personality trait, values: extrinsic and intrinsic, working condition and social influence. This study employed quantitative research methods in order to address the research questions; what are the factors that influence IT professional's perceptions of job satisfaction and can organizations and management influence the issue of job satisfaction among IT professionals. The results of this study indicate that general satisfaction is significantly associated with satisfaction levels regarding autonomy and intrinsic factors.