STUDY EXAMINES JOB SATISFACTION OF PSYCHIATRISTS
There is a significant correlation between the job satisfaction of psychiatrists and organizational commitment in a community mental-health system.
That's one of the findings in a recent study co-authored by Dr. Diane F. Baker, assistant professor of management at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi; and Dr. James Baker, medical director of Adult Mental Health with the Mental Retardation Authority of Houston, Texas. The study, "Perceived Ideological Differences with Coworkers Correlates with Organizational Commitment Among Psychiatrists in a Community Mental Health Center," appears in the February issue of Community Mental Health Journal.
"Understanding factors associated with physician job satisfaction and commitment should be especially important for mental health administrators, in light of the historically high- turnover rate of psychiatrists at community mental-health centers," says Diane Baker.
This study was also intended to compare psychiatrists' treatment ideology with their perceptions about the treatment ideology of the other clinicians and administrators with whom they work. The study was conducted at a regional mental health center in the Southern U.S. Twenty-nine psychiatrists participated in the study.
Among their findings:
* Psychiatrists felt most satisfied with the degree to which they used their abilities and felt a sense of accomplishment, being able to keep busy, the amount of job security they had, and the chance to work alone. They felt least satisfied about the way in which company policies were put into practice and the salary they received relative to the amount of work they did.
* Psychiatrists were only moderately committed to their employing organization. Their responses indicated a willingness to put in effort, a concern about the fate of the organization, little regret over the decision to work for the organization, and a sense of loyalty to the organization. "On the other hand, psychiatrists' responses indicated that they would not accept just any job to remain with the organization, found it difficult to agree with important employee policies, and could just as well be working for a different organization as long as the type of work was similar," says Diane Baker.
* Psychiatrists' perception of ideological differences with coworkers was found to be significantly related to organizational commitment, but not to overall job satisfaction. This would suggest, the researchers say, that although the perceived differences in ideology may not have a large effect on job satisfaction, they nevertheless affect organizational commitment and may lead to turnover, as it has in other settings. "This would be especially likely in areas where alternative employment choices are available to psychiatrists," says James Baker.
There was a larger correlation of organizational commitment to psychiatrists' perception of ideological differences with clinician coworkers than between organization commitment and the psychiatrists' perception of ideological differences with administrators.
"This supports previous research that suggests that the quality of relationships among more immediate coworkers may have a different effect on satisfaction, organizational commitment and intention to quit than the quality of relationships among upper levels of management," says Diane Baker.
Several factors may lead psychiatrists to perceive their ideology as significantly different than coworkers. Administrators charged with hiring clinicians may hire those whose ideology matches their own, rather than matching the ideology of the treatment-team psychiatrist. Or, lack of time in a busy clinic may disallow relationship-building or foster misperceptions.
"However, matching perceptions with realities would appear to be a primary step in enhancing organizational commitment among psychiatrists. Perhaps team-building activities focused on the development of a shared view of mental illness and its treatment may be a critical component in fostering the commitment of psychiatrists to a community mental health center," says Diane Baker.
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EDITORS: Dr. Diane Baker is at 601-974-1276. Dr. James Baker is at 713-970-7174. Please contact Steven Infanti of Dick Jones Communications at 814-867-1963 for a copy of the study.
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