THE IMPACT OF JOB SATISFACTION AND WORKERS PERFORMANCE IN THE HEALTH SECTOR

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study: Nigeria is one of several nations that has been impacted by a "brain drain" of health workers in recent years. In quest of better health opportunities, thousands of highly qualified medical professionals have relocated to other regions of the world. The lack of financing for health services and the failing infrastructure of health services have contributed to the current health crisis that the African continent is experiencing. In Nigeria, the effectiveness of hospitals and the well-being of medical personnel are both put in peril due to a combination of these problems and the phenomenon known as "brain drain." The loss of health workers has substantial economic as well as replacement effects, such as the high cost and time required to educate trained and licensed staff. These costs are a direct result of the high turnover rate in the industry (Seo, 2004; Lyons, 2003; Chu 2003). There is a growing understanding that the grave health difficulties that Nigeria is currently confronting cannot be adequately addressed without first improving the health system and the professionals operating within that system (Locke, 1976). It has been noted that elements related to organizations, such as laws enacted by governments, the estrangement of workers from the decision-making process, and injustice resulting from corruption all have an effect on job satisfaction. In developing nations such as Nigeria, the requirement to maximize productivity is significant because maximization of productivity paves the way for the nation to realize its aspirations of becoming a more developed nation (Collin et al, 2002). The topic of job satisfaction is particularly important and interesting to public health practitioners since the performance of organizations and the wellness of their employees are strongly dependent on it. This reality makes the subject extremely relevant and interesting. This is due to the fact that workers in the healthcare delivery system are expected to offer high-quality care in the institutions in which they are employed. When employees are unhappy in their jobs, it can lead to increased turnover, absenteeism, tardiness, poor performance, and even grievances filed against the job. This problem of discontent is glaringly obvious in the vast majority of health facilities in Nigeria, regardless of whether or not they are private or public. This may have been the cause of the high number of incidents of work to rule, strike, and brain-drain in the health industry. Patients, in the end, are the ones who bear the brunt of the situation when health workers go on strike and they are unable to receive treatment. In most cases, hundreds to thousands of patients pass away, thousands of man hours are wasted, and productivity drops dramatically. It is crucial to put in place or check difficulties that might lead to industrial discontent because of the essential nature of health and the fundamental role it plays in the agenda for the growth of a nation. The current study represents a significant departure from the paradigm that was established by previous research on the subject of job satisfaction, which was conducted on a more holistic level. Only clinical workers were included in this study; more specifically, medical physicians and nurses/midwives were the focus of the investigation regarding the phenomena of job satisfaction. Because of this, the researcher was able to bring to light the characteristics that are associated with this category of workers in the health care system. Benin City's University of Benin Teaching Hospital serves as the site of the study being conducted there. The following research questions were asked in order to steer the direction of this study. These questions were formulated on the basis of the topic that this research set out to investigate. To what extent do workers in the healthcare job feel fulfilled by the responsibilities of their jobs? Is there a correlation between job satisfaction and employee retention in the healthcare industry? Is there a correlation between employees' level of job satisfaction and their level of dedication in the healthcare industry? Does being happy at job have a satisfaction on how productive workers are in the healthcare productivity?

1.2 Statement Of Problem

The idea of a health system as a whole includes public health as an essential part of that system. The term "occupational health and safety" refers to "what we as a society do collectively to guarantee that the conditions in which individuals work are healthy" (Hussami, 2008). The purpose of public health is to improve health outcomes for the population as a whole by achieving the objectives of preventing disease and the health consequences of environmental hazards and natural or man-made disasters, promoting behaviors that reduce the risk of communicable and non-communicable diseases and injuries, and ensuring public access to quality health services (Smith-Lovin, 1991). As a result, clinical workers in the public health sectors, including consultants, resident doctors, nurses, and others, are continually confronted with endemic problems, the majority of which are related to their level of job satisfaction (Oshagbemi, 2000). The level of satisfaction that employee feels in their job is influenced by a wide variety of variables, some of which include an increase in pay, a positive working environment, allowances, and training, as well as a comprehensive welfare package (Kniveton, 1991). In light of this, it is imperative that any organization prioritize the development of its human resources in order to increase their effectiveness and productivity, since people are the organization's most precious asset and the primary driver of its expansion. The perspectives that individuals have about their organizations are a significant factor in the level of satisfaction experienced in one's job (Anton, 2009). The elements that contribute to one's sense of satisfaction at one's place of employment have the potential to influence one's opinion of themselves inside an organization. When it comes to health care, ensuring that workers are happy and healthy is absolutely necessary in order to accomplish the goals that the system has set forth for itself. This is because ensuring the well-being of workers might have an effect on the level of job satisfaction they experience. According to Hassellorm and Tackenberg (2003), the term "job satisfaction" refers to an employee's affection for his or her job based on comparing actual outcomes with desired outcomes. Job satisfaction is a complex construct that includes employee feelings about a variety of both intrinsic and extrinsic job elements. When the accumulation of unmet expectations becomes sufficiently large, that is, when job satisfaction is low, there is a tendency of a higher probability of the occurrence of withdrawal behaviors. The range and importance of these values vary across individuals, but when job satisfaction is low, there is a tendency of a higher probability of the incidence of withdrawal behaviors. This is due to the fact that the extent to which a worker is satisfied with his job is dependent on a multitude of different variables, such as the work climate, autonomy, repetition of duties, the nature of the tasks performed on the job, job outcomes, welfare package, employees' participation in decisionmaking, and organization's policies. Workplace climate refers to the environment in which an employee works. Autonomy refers to the amount of control an employee has over his or her (Collins, et, al. 2000). According to the findings of a study conducted by Mackintosh (2003) in Malawi on the factors that are connected with the retention of midwives in that country, retention strategies need to be looked at differently in each health institution. This is due to the fact that the positive and/or negative views that individuals hold in regard to their professions may both contribute to job satisfaction. Not only does it describe the circumstances of an employee's health and longevity, but it also has an impact on how well an employee performs their performance. Managers and administrators have an obligation to the staff members under their supervision to convey to them that they are appreciated, and as a result, to respect them (Obisi, 2003). They also need to generate organizational commitments in their workers by including them in the decision-making processes, while at the same time offering and supporting possibilities for professional growth and development. A focus on professional support and growth, a balanced workload, appropriateness and quality of technical equipment, materials resources, the physical work environment, and worker participation in health systems are all important factors that should be considered in order to increase job satisfaction (Obisi, 2003). It is a well-established fact that workers will devote their whole attention to their work if their employers do not lower the bar set by their inherent values (Hussami, 2008). Therefore, whatever it is that rouses an individual or compels him to act towards a desired objective while working for an organization is related to that person's motivation. In order to fulfill a need, behavior must be directed and energized by motivation. It is critical to have a solid understanding of the factors that motivate individuals to take action and the factors that shape the actions they ultimately decide to do. Maslow (1954) proposes a theory that identifies five levels of human needs that employees need to fulfill at work. The satisfaction that workers obtain from their jobs may be affected by how well these needs are met at work. Every one of these requirements is organized into a hierarchy, and in order for a worker to be motivated by the possibility of having the next need up the hierarchy supplied, the worker's lower-level needs must first be completely satisfied. When the requirements of workers in an organization are met, it may have a positive satisfaction on workers' welfare inside the organization and motivate them to have a good disposition toward the organization. As a result, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between being happy in one's job and how well it may help one's career at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) in Benin City.

1.3 Objective Of The Study

The overall aim of this study is to critically examine the impact of job satisfaction and workers performance in the health sector. Hence, the study will be channeled to the following specific objectives;

1. Determine the extent to which healthcare workers are satisfied with their job role.

2. Find out if job satisfaction influences workers retention in the healthcare sector.

3. Ascertain whether job satisfaction influences workers commitment in the healthcare sector.

4. Ascertain whether job satisfaction influences workers productivity in the healthcare sector.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

The study will be guided by the following questions;

1. What is the extent to which healthcare workers are satisfied with their job role?

2. Does job satisfaction influence workers’ retention in the healthcare sector?

3. Does job satisfaction influence workers’ commitment in the healthcare sector?

4. Does job satisfaction influence workers productivity in the healthcare sector?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

H0: Job satisfaction does not influence workers performance in the health sector.

Ha: Job satisfaction influences workers performance in the health sector.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings from the study serve as a reference for future researchers who may while wish to explore the subject. This will enable them to get feedback regarding the effectiveness of the subsequent policy formulation and planning.

The employee themselves will find this study very useful it will the need arise.  The motivational tendency of workers to feel that their effort and welfare have been recognized in an organization.

It will also give the workers the idea of what to expect the management to do for them and also serve as a guide enabling them set limit to their unnecessary demands.

The employee will serve the effort of any of the management and restores sanity to organization productivity.  The workers used for the study should not only be useful at a practical level but all in the theory where it would assist in propagating knowledge in workers job satisfaction.  It would also constitute a useful and interesting text in library.  The study would also provide a data base for future research work.

1.7 THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study was limited to the impact of job satisfaction and workers’ performance in the health sector using Federal Medical Center, Asaba as a case study for the research study.

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

There is no gain saying that there are no limitations in research work generally. Any shortcoming that arises in this study is as a result of factors which are beyond the researcher’s control.

Therefore, it will be of more importance to highlight certain militating factors that tend to narrow or limit my scope of study. This project research would have been easier if not for these limitating factors:

1.      Time factor: time was not on the researchers to consult various sectors of the economy to review workers or given out questionnaire to various institutions on the effect of government revenue policies.

As we all know, time is never our friend. The time scheduled for the completion of this research thesis was too short. As a result, generating information/data was strenuous as it coincides with final year examination period, which needed attention.

2.      Finance: this is another barrier that limited the researcher’s work.

3.      Available resources: was unavailable for the research work.

1.9  THE DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.      Drive - The motivational to act or carry out an action.

2.      Emotion - The inward feelings for outward observation.

3.      Job satisfaction - The total body of felling that an individual has about his j

4.      Ethic - The professional rules or code of doing job.

5.      Corporate objective - the company set goal.

6.     Bifurcation of objective - When the corporate objective conflict with the workers objectives.

7.      Conceptualized - this means the imagination and visualized the presence of something in presence.

8.  Interesting - The job or satisfaction and desire from doing something he likes.

1.10 Organization Of The Study

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows. Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study.