Drivers of job satisfaction among healthcare professionals: a quantitative review

ABSTRACT

This study aims to understand the drivers of job satisfaction (intrinsic rewards, work relations, extrinsic rewards, and work-life balance) among healthcare professionals on a global scale. Job satisfaction responses from the 2015 Work Orientations IV wave of the International Social Survey Programme were analyzed. Respondents self-identified their occupation based on corresponding International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08) codes. Overall job satisfaction was highest among health service managers and generalist medical practitioners and lowest among environmental hygiene professionals and nursing professionals. The findings of this study may assist health services managers in recognizing low job satisfaction and developing occupation-specific engagement strategies for healthcare employees.

KEYWORDS:

• Job satisfaction
• healthcare industry
• global comparisons
• healthcare worker engagement
• employees

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ruthann Cunningham

Ruthann Cunningham, DHSc, MS: Assistant Professor in Organizational Leadership and Healthcare Management in the Woodbury School of Business at Utah Valley University (UVU). Prior to joining UVU, she was Population Health Network Engagement Leader for Intermountain. Her experience is in population health strategy, quality improvement, data analytics, organizational behavior, and leadership consulting.

Jonathan Westover

Jonathan Westover, Ph.D., MS: Professor and chair of Organizational Leadership in the Woodbury School of Business at UVU. He is an award-winning US-based Amazon.com #1 Best Selling Author, ranked # 1 HR, Innovation, and Future of Work Global Thought Leader & Influencer (Thinkers360), ranked in the Top 30 in Management and Organizational Culture (Global Gurus), entrepreneur, management consultant, teacher, and researcher.

Jaron Harvey

Jaron Harvey, Ph.D.: Assistant Professor in Organizational Leadership in the Woodbury School of Business at UVU. He is a specialist in human resources management and change management.