The impact of organizational downsizing on the job satisfaction of nurses

Professional nurses across Canada are being affected by health reform initiatives designed to deinstitutionalize the health care system. This panel study examined the impact this restructuring has had on nurses' overall job satisfaction as well as their satisfaction with various aspects of their job and work environment. The participants consisted of 345 nurses employed in 3 community hospitals in southwestern Ontario. Hospital downsizing had relatively little effect on overall job satisfaction, satisfaction with kind of work, amount of work, and physical work conditions. However, compared to before the downsizing, nurses reported a significant deterioration in satisfaction with their career future, hospital identification, supervision, and co-workers following the implementation of restructuring initiatives. We discuss the organizational and management implications of these findings and suggest ways that hospital administrators can minimize the negative effects of downsizing on nursing professionals.     

A comparison of perceived- and computed-change measures over a three-year period.

Used longitudinal data, collected for 3 yrs from a large community general hospital, to assess the validity of retrospective reports of changes in job satisfaction, communication, and coordination. 90 registered nurses answered 2 questionnaires 3 yrs apart. Responses were assessed using correlational and contingency analyses. Although retrospective reports of change did to some extent measure before-after change, it is noted that retrospective measures are not accurate enough to be considered as substitutes for computed-change measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A longitudinal test of the investment model: The impact on job satisfaction, job commitment, and turnover of variations in rewards, costs, alternatives, and investments.

A 12-mo longitudinal study of 88 newly hired nurses and junior accountants (mean age of all Ss 24 yrs) tested a series of assumptions from the authors' (see record 1981-31481-001) investment model concerning the determinants of job satisfaction, job commitment, and turnover. In general, greater job satisfaction resulted from high job rewards and low job costs; whereas strong job commitment was produced by high rewards, low costs, poor alternative quality, and large investment size. Whereas the impact of job rewards on satisfaction and commitment remained relatively constant, job costs seemed to exert an increasingly powerful influence over time. Investment size also exerted greater impact on job commitment with the passage of time. Just prior to their leaving, the job commitment of Ss who left was best predicted by a combination of rewards, costs, and alternatives. Ss who stayed and those who left differed from one another with regard to changes over time in each investment model factor—those who left experienced greater decline in rewards, increase in costs, increase in alternative quality, and decrease in investment size than those who stayed. Turnover appeared to be mediated by a decline over time in degree of job commitment. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Relationship Between Employee Job Change and Job Satisfaction: The Honeymoon-Hangover Effect.

Recent research suggests that the turnover process is not fully captured by the traditional sequential model relating job dissatisfaction to subsequent turnover. The present study contributes to this research by modeling within-individual job satisfaction as a function of job change patterns to determine if individual work attitudes change systematically with the temporal turnover process. Specifically, the authors hypothesized that low satisfaction would precede a voluntary job change, with an increase in job satisfaction immediately following a job change (the honeymoon effect), followed by a decline in job satisfaction (the hangover effect). Though this pattern is suggested in the literature, no prior research has integrated and tested this complete temporal model within individuals. Findings based on a sample of managers supported the proposed honeymoon-hangover effect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Performance as a moderator of the job satisfaction–turnover relationship.

Examined the effects of job satisfaction and rated job performance on voluntary turnover among 295 hospital employees (approximate average age 35 yrs). Measures of job satisfaction were obtained from Ss, independent performance ratings by superiors were obtained from company records, and voluntary turnover data were collected 1 yr after administration of the questionnaire. With the use of subgroup analysis and moderated regression, it was found that employee performance ratings significantly moderate the job satisfaction–turnover relationship. Results suggest that satisfaction level represents a greater influence for low performers than for high performers on the decision to stay in a job. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A conceptual and empirical analysis of the cognitive ability–voluntary turnover relationship.

Despite much research into cognitive ability as a selection tool and a separate large literature on the causes of voluntary turnover, little theoretical or empirical work connects the two. We propose that voluntary turnover is also a potentially key outcome of cognitive ability. Incorporating ideas from the person–environment fit literature and those regarding push and pull influences on turnover, we posit a theoretical connection between cognitive ability and voluntary turnover that addresses both why and how voluntary turnover is related to cognitive ability. Integrating data from 3 different sources, our empirical analyses support the theoretical perspective that the relationship between cognitive ability and voluntary turnover depends on the cognitive demands of the job. When the cognitive demands of a job are high, our findings support the hypothesized curvilinear relationship between cognitive ability and voluntary turnover, such that employees of higher and lower cognitive ability are more likely than medium cognitive ability employees to leave voluntarily. With regard to jobs with low cognitive demands, our data are more consistent with a negative linear relationship between cognitive ability and voluntary turnover, such that higher cognitive ability employees are less likely to leave voluntarily. We also examine the role of job satisfaction, finding that job satisfaction is more strongly linked to voluntary turnover in jobs with high cognitive demands. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intracellular signaling of osteogenic protein-1 through Smad5 activation

This research examines job satisfaction and need for autonomy of 190 registered nurses in Hong Kong using a cross-sectional survey design. The level of job satisfaction towards six job components (autonomy, professional status, pay, interaction, task requirements and organizational policies) was measured using the Index of Work Satisfaction. Results showed that the sample was dissatisfied more than satisfied, they valued the job components of autonomy, professional status and pay more than interaction, task requirements and organizational policies. In addition, comparisons were made between nurses working in different hospitals and also different nursing units within a hospital. The level of need for autonomy was assessed using the autonomy subscale of the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule. Results showed that the level of need for autonomy of this group of nurses was below the mid-score of the sub-scale and there was no significant relationship between their satisfaction with job autonomy and their individual need for autonomy.     

Perceived and actual change in job satisfaction.

Analysis of identified questionnaire data collected from 196 office employees at the start and end of a 6-mo period showed that change in overall job satisfaction as perceived at the end was a very poor, though statistically significant, proxy measure of change as computed from initial and terminal reports on levels of satisfaction. Perceived change in job satisfaction had zero regression on initial satisfaction but regressed very significantly on terminal satisfaction and on change in 14 job aspects as perceived at the end of the period. The findings cast serious doubts on the usefulness of the quasilongitudinal design in studies of the impact of technological and organizational changes upon job satisfaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Classification of the spoilage flora of raw and pasteurized bovine milk, with special reference to Pseudomonas and Bacillus

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of job satisfaction to job difficulty and worthiness, reported by the clinical psychologists who worked at medical institutions. A mail survey of 748 clinical psychologists working at hospital and clinics revealed the following results. First, job satisfaction was related more to job situation than job content. Also, job satisfaction was low among those who worked at non-university psychiatric or geriatric hospitals, who did not practice psychotherapy, and who were not in education, research, or management. In addition, compared to the high job satisfaction group, the low group perceived more incongruity between institutional climate and their psychological work, felt being less valued by other professionals, were less able to function fully as a practicing psychologist, and experienced more role ambiguity as a clinical psychologist in a hospital setting.     

Proactive personality in the context of job complexity.

This study examined the moderating influence of proactive personality (i.e., a disposition to initiate change in the environment) on the relationship between job complexity and demands–abilities fit (i.e., the extent to which a person's ability level matches the job demands), job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. It was found that for workers with a high proactive personality, moderate-to-high job complexity was positively associated with demands–abilities fit and job satisfaction; negatively with turnover intentions. Conversely, for workers with a low proactive personality, moderate-to-high job complexity was negatively associated with demands–abilities fit and job satisfaction; positively with turnover intentions. Many of the relationships were also curvilinear. This research supports the expansion of work design and job enrichment theories to include individual differences and a consideration of nonlinear relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does affective disposition moderate the relationship between job satisfaction and voluntary turnover?

J. Weitz (1952) argued that job dissatisfaction would be more predictive of turnover if it was considered in light of an individual's predisposition to be satisfied with everyday life events. In the present study it was hypothesized that affective disposition moderates the relationship between job satisfaction and voluntary turnover. With data collected from a sample of nurses, support was indicated for the hypothesis. The more positive the disposition of the individual, the stronger the relationship that was observed between job dissatisfaction and turnover. Furthermore, individuals dissatisfied with their jobs but positively disposed to life in general were the individuals most likely to quit. Implications of the results for future research and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changes in newcomer job satisfaction over time: Examining the pattern of honeymoons and hangovers.

In this study, the authors contribute insight into the temporal nature of work attitudes, examining how job satisfaction changes across the 1st year of employment for a sample of organizational newcomers. The authors examined factors related to job change (i.e., voluntary turnover, prior job satisfaction) and newcomer experiences (i.e., fulfillment of commitments, extent of socialization) that may strengthen or weaken the job satisfaction pattern. Results of a study of 132 newcomers with data collected at 4 unique time periods show a complex curvilinear pattern of job satisfaction, such that satisfaction reached a peak following organizational entry and decreased thereafter. However, examination of moderating factors revealed that individuals who reported less satisfaction with their prior job and those having more positive experiences on the new job, such as greater fulfilled commitments and a higher degree of socialization, were most likely to experience this pattern. Findings from this study offer important implications for theory and research on changes in newcomer attitudes over time as well as practical insight on key factors that shape the pattern of job attitudes as individuals enter and experience a new workplace. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Initiating a patient service partner program

Rising costs and the need to increase patient satisfaction are driving hospitals to restructure care delivery. At one hospital, housekeeping, food service and nurse technician duties are combined to form one nurse-extender role: the Patient Service Partner (PSP). Findings about patient and nurse satisfaction before and after implementation show that nurses agreed that the PSP program improved patient care delivery and helped control costs. Patients reported the same or higher rating of satisfaction with various aspects of their hospitalization. Call lights were answered more quickly and attitudes of personnel answering the lights were more positive. Nurses are finding more time for patient education and documentation.     

Factors influencing job satisfaction on specialty nursing units

In the midst of downsizing, restructuring, layoffs, hospital closures, mergers, and the beginning cycle of shortages in specialty units, nursing administrators must extend their understanding of the factors influencing job satisfaction and the implications these findings may have for nursing practice, in order to enhance the quality of worklife for nurses in a hospital setting and create competitive work environments. The Causal Model of Job Satisfaction for Nurses (Blegen & Mueller, 1987), including Leatt and Schneck's (1981) technology variable, was the conceptual framework used to look at the effect of the 14 variables (opportunity, routinization, autonomy, job communication, social integration, distributive justice, promotional opportunity, motivation, pay, workload, general training, kinship responsibility, unit size, technology) on job satisfaction. This study demonstrated a statistically significant positive correlation between autonomy, motivation and job satisfaction and a statistically significant negative correlation between routinization and job satisfaction.     

A multivariate analysis of the determinants of job turnover.

Developed and tested a multivariate analysis of the turnover process with 654 accountants (mean age 37 yrs). The following variables were measured: demographic variables, tenure, cognitive/affective orientation to current position (including multiple measures of job satisfaction and organizational commitment), perceived job security, intention to search for an alternative position, perceived existence of alternative positions, and intention to change positions. Turnover data were collected 1 yr later, and it was found that 22% of Ss had changed jobs. Results support the existence of significant relationships between the set of independent variables presented in the working model and actual turnover, but not the hypothesis that all variables influence turnover behavior through their impact on intentions to change position. Turnover was significantly influenced by age, tenure, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job security. Turnover behavior was also more strongly related to intentions to search for alternatives than to intentions to change positions. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An evaluation of precursors of hospital employee turnover.

To evaluate a heuristic model of employee turnover, survey data were collected from 203 hospital employees. The questionnaire included measures of general and job facet satisfaction, thoughts about quitting, the intention to quit, the perceived probability of finding another job, and biographical information. Turnover data were collected 47 wks later. Zero-order correlations between job satisfaction and turnover, age–tenure and turnover, satisfaction and thinking of quitting, and intention to quit and turnover were consistent with previous research. When a simplified heuristic model of the employee withdrawal decision process was subjected to regression analysis, significant coefficients were evident from job satisfaction to thinking of quitting and intention to search, but not to actual turnover. As hypothesized, intention to quit exhibited the only significant coefficient with actual attrition. Results support the primacy of intentions in the withdrawal process and serve to further demonstrate the need for models of the turnover process more complete than the traditional dissatisfaction–turnover model. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Service quality in dentistry: the role of the dental nurse

Patients judge the dental service they receive by the interaction with the service providers-the dentist and his or her staff-as they are unable to judge the technical quality of the service. To perform well as a service provider, employees such as dental nurses have to be well motivated and satisfied with their position. A study of the role of the dental nurse in contributing to service quality in dentistry was carried out through interviews with dentists and nurses at 20 dental practices in the South Thames region in 1995. The results revealed that while dental staff believed that the role of the dental nurse was important in terms of the patient's view of the practice, perceptions of the nurse's role differed. The majority of dentists felt that the nurse's role should be to anticipate their needs, while the nurses' opinions were evenly divided between putting the needs of the patient first or those of the dentist. Nurses also felt that their role was stressful and reported a lack of praise and recognition of their efforts by dentists. Few practices had written contracts or performance appraisals. The results indicated a lack of effective communication in many dental practices, producing role strain for the nurse and reducing job satisfaction. Increasing job satisfaction reduces staff turnover, resulting in more consistent service quality and reducing associated costs. In order to achieve this, several recommendations are made with the aim of improving communication between staff in dental practices.