Relationship between Job Characteristics and Satisfaction among Iranian Soccer Referees: the Mediate Role of Professional Commitment

The aim of this study was to determine the mediate role of professional commitment in relationship between job characteristics and job satisfaction among Iranian soccer referees. 174 soccer referees in premier league and 1 league responded to Jacko’s questionnaire (2004), Aranya's questionnaire (1999) and MSQ (1967). Validity of questionnaires was confirmed by university experts and confirmatory factor analysis and their reliability verified by Alpha Chronbach (r=0.85). Friedman and t Wilcoxon tests showed that characteristics of task significance, skill variety and specialization had more effectiveness than characteristics of process information and feedback. Also, involvement was the most important dimension of professional commitment from participant's view point (p≤ .05). Structure equations model analysis illustrated that professional commitment can significantly (R2= .94) be facilitate relation of job characteristics and satisfaction among soccer referees (RMSEA= 0.076; λ2/df= 1.98; IFI= .92; CFI= .92; GFI= .94). According to the present research results can be stated that other attitudinal and psychological constructs such as professional commitment could be have better conditions in cycle of job characteristics model in sport settings. Additionally, description of job satisfaction among participants showed that unemployment, payment and management are from unsatisfactory factors and social status and work values are from satisfactory factors. According to the result of this study can certainty be expected that will be improve their commitment and satisfaction by enriching the job characteristics among soccer referees.