ABSTRACT

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the employment relationship and job characteristics of occupational therapists working in dementia care centers and the effects on their job satisfaction. Methods: This study was conducted on 78 occupational therapists who work at a dementia care center and agreed to participate in the study. The questionnaire items used by Kim (2010) and Lee (2013) were modified and applied to the employment relationship characteristics, job characteristics, and job satisfaction of the participants. Results: As a result of a dependent variable analysis based on the general characteristics, there was a significant difference in job satisfaction depending on the average monthly salary of the participants. A hierarchical regression analysis showed that the average monthly salary, reward fairness, and participation opportunities had significantly positive impacts on job satisfaction. For the job characteristics, it was confirmed that none of the participants had a significant effect on job satisfaction. Conclusion: This study found that, to improve the job satisfaction of occupational therapists at dementia care centers, a consideration of the reward fairness, participation opportunities, and monthly salary should first be considered.