Assessing Hygiene Factor Needs for a Statewide Extension Strategic Planning Process

UF/IFAS Extension launched a long-term strategic planning process in 2019 to create positive change within the organization and within Florida. Conducting an internal needs assessment was prioritized as an important component of the planning process to address concerns that the previous strategic plan did not sufficiently focus on the organization’s needs, especially faculty needs. So, this study was conducted in 2020 to determine UF/IFAS Extension faculty’s perceptions of selected hygiene factors associated with workplace motivation. An online survey consisting of 13 sections was distributed through Qualtrics to 612 UF/IFAS Extension faculty. Faculty tended to be slightly satisfied with the UF/IFAS Extension Roadmap, their job workload, and their salary and benefits. The faculty reported the greatest degree of dissatisfaction for items related to the performance appraisal system. Annual appraisal and reporting system policies need to be reviewed to improve the clarity of instructions, decrease the time burden, and adjust the document’s format, as these actions should decrease faculty dissatisfaction and improve job performance. Then, UF/IFAS Extension will be well-positioned to focus its efforts on enhancing motivation factors for faculty and its overall organizational effectiveness as it heads into the next phase as an organization