The Impact of Perceived Job Characteristics on Healthcare Workers' Job Involvement: A Comparison of For-profit and Nonprofit Organizations

Abstract

Due to the specialized nature of the healthcare field, the attitudes of healthcare workers have a significant impact on job performance. Therefore, in order to investigate the performance differences resulting from profit orientation in healthcare institutions, it is necessary to examine the relationship between the organization's profit orientation and the job attitudes of its employees. This study assumes that the profit orientation of the institution where healthcare workers are employed affects their perceived job characteristics, which in turn affects their level of job involvement. To investigate this hypothesis, data from the International Social Survey Programme conducted in 38 countries in 2015 on the topic of work orientation were used. A total of 1,007 healthcare workers from 35 countries were included in the analysis. Independent sample t-tests revealed differences in perceived job characteristics between respondents based on the profit orientation of their workplace, and among job involvement variables, pride in job was higher among non-profit institution employees. Regression analysis showed that the job characteristic that had the greatest impact on job 88 involvement variables was interest in the job, and that social contribution and subjective income level influenced pride in work, while job autonomy had a positive effect on turnover intention. These findings reaffirm that healthcare workers are motivated by intrinsic rewards due to their professional ethics, implying that the job attitudes and performance of nonprofit hospitals may be better than those of for-profit hospitals.