Job satisfaction among rural extension agents: a qualitative research in Caldas, Colombia

As a contribution to the positioning of the rural extension as multidimensional object of study, we analyzed the assessments made by rural extension agents about situations inherent to their everyday experience of work, followed by the identification of factors of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Consistent with the qualitative nature of the study, the information was generated from semi-structured interviews with 23 rural extension agents affiliated to the Agency of Agricultural Technical Assistance (UMATA) in five municipalities of Caldas State, Colombia. The analysis identified eight factors: a) love for the profession, b) possibilities of social projection, c) scope and display of achievements, d) public recognition, e) promotion opportunities, f) possibilities of continuous learning, g) autonomy, h) labor stability. We concluded that ignoring the emotional condition of the extension agents towards the job produces the risk of creating or preserving scenes that limit the commitment with the social work practice realized and the preservation of the professional vocation.