Archives of Hellenic Medicine

Last update:

04-Apr-2013

Arch Hellen Med, 30(1), January-February 2013, 46-58

ORIGINAL PAPER

Job motivation factors and performance incentives as efficient management tools:
A study among mental health professionals

I.A. Grammatikopoulos,¹ S.A. Koupidis,² D. Moralis,¹ A. Sadrazamis,¹ D. Athinaiou,³ I. Giouzepas¹
¹Second Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Hospital of Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki,
²"Evangelismos" General Hospital, Athens, 3Corfu Mental Health Hospital, Corfu, Greece

OBJECTIVE To identify significant motivational factors according to the views of mental health professionals in two Greek psychiatric hospitals and to determine whether these differ among medical, nursing and administrative staff, in terms of improving work performance.

METHOD A specially developed and validated instrument addressing four work-related motivators (job attributes, remuneration, co-workers and achievements) was used. Four categories of health care professionals, doctors (n=28), nurses (n=224), office workers (n=72) and others (psychologists, social workers, n=13), working in two psychiatric hospitals (Thessaloniki and Corfu) participated in the study. Motivation was compared according to socio-demographic factors and occupational categories.

RESULTS "Achievements" was ranked highest for the entire sample and by professional subgroup (p<0.001) among the four main motivators, followed by remuneration, co-workers, and job attributes. Remuneration, and salary in particular, was reported as a significant incentive only for professionals in managerial positions (p=0.032) among the total study sample. The range of reported motivational factors was mixed and the distribution of motivators in the professional categories was varied. Job-attributes and co-workers were significant motivational predictors for nurses in managerial positions. The most significant determining variable in the "achievements" factor was educational level, which was positively associated with higher motivation for the total sample (p=0.034).

CONCLUSIONS In the present economically unstable environment, both monetary and non-monetary incentives are important in the motivation of health care professionals when considering management approaches that improve performance. Mental health care professionals tend to be more motivated by intrinsic factors in the workplace, which should be a target for promotion of effective employee motivation, particularly in the public sector.

Key words: Greece, Health personnel, Mental health services, Motivation, Organizational efficiency.