RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: The study examined the mediating influence of individual psychological reactions to work on the relationship between organisational climate and job withdrawal behaviours (viz, intention to leave and absenteeism). METHODS: 1097 hospital employees were surveyed using the Queensland Public Agency Staff Survey (QPASS) to obtain measures of organisational climate, psychological reactions to work, job satisfaction, and self-reported levels of intention to leave. Group-level absenteeism data were provided from the Health Service District files. RESULTS: Two psychological states, quality of work life and job satisfaction, were found to fully mediate the relationship between the organisational climate variable, role clarity, and intention to leave, while individual distress was found to partially mediate the same relationship. However, the hypothesised mediation effect of psychological states on the relationship between organisational climate and absenteeism did not emerge. CONCLUSION: Skills shortages and increasing demands for health services make retention of staff in the health service industry vitally important. As a means of addressing this issue, this study presents an emergent mediating model defining relationships among individual psychological factors, aspects of organisational climate and intention to leave. Identification of the processes associated with staff withdrawal behaviours or intentions will assist in devising interventions to improve retention.
Asunto(s)
Absentismo , Reorganización del Personal , Personal de Hospital , Adulto , Actitud del Personal de Salud , Australia , Femenino , Procesos de Grupo , Humanos , Satisfacción en el Trabajo , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Modelos Psicológicos , Reorganización del Personal/estadística & datos numéricos , Personal de Hospital/psicología , Personal de Hospital/estadística & datos numéricos , Calidad de VidaRESUMEN
This study was conducted with 1097 employees (866 females, 217 males, 14 did not indicate gender) in a regional Health Service District who completed the Queensland Public Agency Staff Survey in 2002. Nurses' results on measures of organizational climate and psychological outcomes were compared with those of other employees in the Health Service District. Nurses reported less favourable outcomes on all but one of the organizational climate scales, and also were found to have more distress (strain), and lower levels of morale, Job Satisfaction and Quality of Worklife than others. Results were generally less favourable for nurses working in the large regional hospital and in mental health than for nurses in other facilities. The study has implications for recruiting and retaining nurses at a time when shortages within the profession are chronic.