Are you satisfied? An examination of law enforcement job satisfaction, job stress, and police culture

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how job stress and the embodiment of the police culture influence levels of job satisfaction for two mid-sized law enforcement agencies in the Southeastern United States. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted of police officers from two mid-sized law enforcement agencies in the Southeastern United States. Ordinary least squares regression models were utilized to assess the impact of job stress and the embodiment of the police culture on job satisfaction. Findings Results indicated that officers with higher levels of job stress reported being less satisfied with their careers. Contrary to prior research, officers with a greater embodiment of the police culture were significantly less satisfied. Demographic variables were not statistically noteworthy; however, working on a rotating shift and having more years of service significantly decreased job satisfaction. Research limitations/implications Survey data collected from two mid-sized police agencies in the Southeastern United States may not be generalizable to other areas or regions. Originality/value These findings provide practical insights for police agencies to address the operational strains of working in law enforcement and the cultural component embedded in this field. Based on these findings, there is a clear need to increase future work on the interplay between job satisfaction, job stress, and occupational culture.