On job satisfaction in German archaeology (EvaBA 3)

Abstract

This third report from the DGUF project “Evaluation Beruf Archäologie” (EvaBA), that is based on the DGUF’s correspondent survey from 10 June 2019-31 October 2019 with 624 participants, presents a look at the “soft” but by no means insignificant factor of job satisfaction. For this purpose, a proven standard questionnaire (“JDI”/”ABB”) was embedded in the extensive EvaBA questionnaire (Siegmund, Scherzler & Schauer, 2020; Siegmund, Schauer & Scherzler, 2020). The results show that the job satisfaction of archaeologists corresponds well to the general job satisfaction in Germany. When examining the individual aspects, professional satisfaction of archaeologists with colleagues, with direct supervisors and with everyday activities proves to be particularly high. At the other end of the scale are (dis-)satisfaction with the respective organisation and management of the institution or company as a whole and with personal professional development opportunities. Beyond these general trends of the profession in Germany, individual interest groups, fields of activity, etc. are compared with each other and examined for significant and substantial differences. The very low level of satisfaction with personal working conditions and the salary in private sector archaeology is striking. Equally significant are the very different levels of satisfaction with the payment between the federal states: they are high e. g. in Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, very low e.g. in Berlin and Brandenburg. Municipal archaeologists are significantly more professionally satisfied than their colleagues in other fields of activity, especially with their everyday activities and their everyday working conditions.