Executive Summary

Employee Turnover is one of the major challenges organizations face in regards to their human resources. Employees are an integral part of an organization, and high employee turnover can create a wide variety of issues. As a result, organizations develop various strategies to manage their human resources in a more effective manner. One of the most common human resources strategy applied in addressing employee issues is organizational support. It is apparent that despite the motives of the organization being sincere, corporate support is perceived differently hence affecting job satisfaction. In the health sector being part of the service industry, employees are an integral part of the system hence the need to address numerous issues associated with the human resource. The article critically analyzes how perceptions of organizational support affect Job satisfaction in the health sector in Saudi Arabia. The analysis includes the evaluation of both primary and secondary data. Peers in the health care and human resource fields have undertaken various research projects to decipher job satisfaction and the role of organizational support on job satisfaction.

Introduction

According to a 2018 healthcare overview of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the healthcare sector is expected to encounter numerous challenges to numerous factors. The repeat revealed that due to the increased life expectancy rate in the Kingdom, an increase in lifestyle diseases and over 19 million babies expected is bound to exert pressure on the healthcare sector. To deal with the increased numbers of persons requiring healthcare services in the region the kingdom requires a minimum of additional 178,000 hospital bed by the year 2050. The findings of the report indicate a need for the kingdom to apply various strategies to address the increasing population and chronic diseases.  According to vision 2030, the healthcare sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is expected to undergo major structural changes. Healthcare stakeholders in the region assert that the healthcare sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing significant changes focusing on various aspects namely; technology, research, and development to be at par with global trends (Bell, 2018).

Saudi Arabia’s current hospital bed ration is at 2.23 per 1,000 people, and the population is expected to rise at a rate of 2.65 percent on an annual basis. The report estimates that over 19 million babies will be born between 2015 to 2050. Also, the life expectancy for women is expected to increase from 76. to 81.3 by the year 2050. It is therefore apparent that the Kingdom will experience an increased demand for LTC(Long term care) centers(Bell,2018).

Since 2010, the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has applied various strategies to address issues in the healthcare sector and despite major advances. The kingdom is still facing significant challenges in the delivery of, especially in the public sector. The most critical issues affecting the industry include human resource development, diversification of financial resources, implementation of cooperative health insurance, effective management of chronic diseases, and diversification of MOH’s roles and privatization of public hospitals among others.

Perceived Organizational Support In health Industry

Perceived Organizational Support refers to the perceptions of employees concerning the value to the organization places on their contribution and wellbeing. Numerous theories assert the role of perceived organizational support has employee performance. In the mid-1980s research on perceived corporate support commenced, where it was observed that employees were more committed to organizational goals when they perceived the managers were concerned with their welfare. Besides, employees develop perceived corporate support with the aim of meeting individual needs for affiliation, approval, and esteem(Abdullah Osman et al.,2015). Thus perceived organizational support increases employee’s perceived obligation to assist the organization to meet its objectives. Also, employees become more committed to the organization as they perceive that their dedication will be rewarded as they are valued. It is critical to note that behavioral outcomes of Perceived organizational support vary and may include a decrease in employee turnover, motivated employees, job satisfaction and increased productivity levels(Els.et.al,2018).

According to the article “Does perceived organizational support influence career intentions? The qualitative stories shared by UK early career doctors” the authors carried out a research to determine the effect of perceived organizational support in the healthcare sector. The authors assert that this form of research was the first of its kind in the united kingdom. The research findings indicated that support from supervisors and senior team members significantly influenced the organizational engagement of employees. Citing positive relationships as a major factor in increasing perceptions of supportive culture in the workplace and the vice versa was also illustrated to be true(Scanlan GM et al.,2018). It was apparent that employees who perceived that their seniors were not supportive, developed negative perceptions of the organization as a result developed greater intentions to change their profession from that of healthcare providers to any other specialty. Therefore the character of members of an organization acted as an indicator of whether the healthcare facility respected, cared and valued the individual as members of the organization. The research further asserted various literature on the subject of perceived organizational support, for instance, that; an increased level of support from supervisors leads to increased employee loyalty, Increased job performance has a positive impact of the psychological health of employees as well as degree of employee retention(Scanlan GM et al.,2018). Perceived organizational support was noted as one of the most influential factors in determining potential increase in employee turnover.

It is therefore apparent that perceived organizational support plays a significant role in the healthcare sector as it does in other industries. It is critical to note that the employee perceptions are developed as a result of beliefs and observations in the working environment(Anneswary & Bahron,2015). The impressions can be created and altered by small as well as big gestures. For instance, a supervisor encouraging an employee can create positive perceptions of organizational support. Since its development as an organizational and human resource strategy(Mabasa et al.,2016) perceived organizational support had been applied in various ways to address high employee turnover, low employee motivation, increase productivity as well as create perceptions of job satisfaction. The healthcare sector is perceived as one of the most strenuous areas to work and as illustrated in the research above. Perceived organizational support is a major factor that medical students and healthcare professionals consider in furthering their career in the sector or changing places of employment.

Job Satisfaction

Job Satisfaction is one of the primary concern in business and human resource management as it is a critical aspect that leads to numerous challenges and benefits depending on how the organization applies the concept.  In definition, job satisfaction refers to the level of commitment and value that an individual holds to their job. According to “Organizational conditioning of Job satisfaction: A model of Job satisfaction”  the author focuses on job satisfaction as a model by organizational variable including personal organization fit, organizational support, supervisor support and the relationship between the three. Information on corporate conditioning of job satisfaction is critical as it provides employers with a means of developing and implementing effective jobs satisfaction mechanisms to retain employees. It is crucial to note that various aspects of employees lives, dealings, and experiences at work play a critical role in shaping there professional choices and decisions. Commonly employees searching for jobs often choose those they perceive to be consistent with their values and those of the organization they intend to seek employment. Important to note is that the relationship between values and employment is two-sided as employers seek employees whose values are consistent with those of the organization.

Job satisfaction is closely related to the job satisfaction of employees as employees who are satisfied with their job are motivated to work harder. In an aim to understand the concept of job satisfaction it is critical to note that there are various issues that lead to the job satisfaction of employees as well as their perceptions of job satisfaction.

Organizations, whose employees are unmotivated often, encounter some issues in regards to productivity. Thus managers are encouraged to develop and implement a variety of motivational strategies ensuring the employees are well motivated at all times. Therefore it is apparent that job satisfaction is a crucial aspect of managing employees. The following document is a critical evaluation of the concept of motivation.

The concept of job satisfaction is derived from the term “motive” which refers to needs, wants, desires and or drives within human beings. Thus job satisfaction can be described as the process of stimulating people to a variety of actions which include accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives. In the context of an organization a wide range of factors that can be used to motivate employees include job security, job satisfaction, success, recognition, and remuneration among others. It is critical to note that the core responsibility of a manager is to ensure that employees perform at their best — thus the need to motivate the employees. In this respect, the central role of the leader is to create an interest in employee performance. To achieve job satisfaction managers need to implement the job satisfaction process which comprises of three stages namely; drive stimulus and satisfaction. In the first phase, a drive must be created as the employees must feel a need — thus the conclusion that job satisfaction is a psychological phenomenon which can only be achieved when the wants of individuals are managed through an incentive plan.

To motivate employees and indeed create job satisfaction, the manager must first understand the concept of job satisfaction through the evaluation of various theories that have been applied over the decades to explain the job satisfaction and its effects

Douglas McGregor proposed Theory X and Y to explain job satisfaction in employees as early as the 1960s.  In his theories employees were divided into two distinct groups X and Y. The X category comprises of employees who dislike working and indeed responsibility; thus they take measures to avoid work. Therefore when willing to motivate such individuals, the manager must develop strategies that include punishments as an approach to stimulating them. While on the other hand category Y comprises of employees who enjoy working hard only when they are provided with control. Therefore managers need to grant employees in category Y responsibilities as a motivational tool.  Years later a third theory Z was developed Dr. Ouchi which argues that group work and social interaction is the most effective tool in motivating employees in an organization

According to Abraham  Maslow’s human needs can be classified into five levels in the form of a pyramid at the bottom of the pyramid are the human basic needs namely food, clothing, shelter, education and love.

Conversely, the top of the pyramid represents self-fulfillment. Thus, Maslow argues that the majority of human beings are at the bottom of the pyramid and we seek to get to the top of the pyramid. Hence the desire to get to the top of the pyramid is what motivates employees to work harder. When people seek employment there, the main aim is to cater for their basic needs. Once they have successfully provided for their basic needs, then they go to the second level and cater for the needs at that level which are secondary. For instance, at the bottom of the pyramid, an employee seeks to pay rent, buy food, educate their children and buy clothes. At the secondary level, the employee is more concerned about the quality of the food they eat, the type of clothes they wear as well as the car they drive.  Maslow’s asserts that human beings are not content in their current state thus the opportunity and promise for more acts as motivation for them.

Elton Mayo carried out a variety of experiments in the 1920s and developed the Hawthorne effect which argues that employees are more productive when they are aware that there work being studied and measured. Also, employees were more effective when they received feedback and are allowed to contribute to the work processes by providing there opinion and ideas. Thus the conclusion that employees require recognition for a well-done job as a well as reassurance that there role and indeed opinion matters to the organization.

According to John Stacey employees are motivated when they are satisfied that the treatment they receive from their employer is indeed fair and vice versa. Hence when they perceive that their employer is taking advantage of them, they lose job satisfaction rapidly. Appropriate treatment of employees involves recognizing employees, rewarding them accordingly as well as treating them with dignity and respect.

Indeed job satisfaction is a crucial stage in human resource management as it provides a wide variety of benefits for the organization. Firstly, job satisfaction plays a significant role in putting the human resource into action. No organization can function without the human resource as they are the ones tasked with completing a variety of business functions to accomplish goals and objectives set by the organization — thus the need to motivate the employees to utilize their skills to perform the tasks. Through motivation, employers build a willingness in the human resources pushing them to do their best.  Secondly, job satisfaction improves the efficiency of employees. It is critical to note that employment levels do not purely depend on one’s qualifications and skills. Thus the employer needs to bridge the gap between the ability to perform and willingness to act which is crucial in improving performance levels of employees. Thus, resulting in increased productivity, reduction of operational costs and overall organizational efficiency.

Effective job satisfaction also leads to the accomplishments of goals and objectives in various ways namely through the effective utilization of resources, co-operation, employees are goal oriented. Therefore, facilitating the achievement of goals through simultaneous co-ordination and co-operation. Also, employees are part and parcel of the organization hence the need to develop healthy relationships. Since job satisfaction brings employee value the employees perceive themselves as part of the organization, therefore, they make an effort to ensure that they perform at their best as an organizational success is a personal success as well. To provide that the bond between the employees and the employer is developed and maintained the employer must craft an incentive plan that benefits the employees and caters to their needs and wants. The incentives must, therefore, include monetary and non-monetary incentives, disincentives for inefficient employees as well as employee growth and development opportunities.

Build relationships with employees is not a simple task as it requires many considerations hence there some strategic steps that the manager must take as they play a significant role in assisting in creating active co-operation which results in stability. Limits industrial disputes and employee strikes ensure that employees support change as they do not perceive difference as a threat but rather as an opportunity to achieve personal and organizational goals. They are hence aligning, individual and corporate objectives and culminating in profit maximization as a result of increased productivity.

Job satisfaction also plays a role in creating stability in the human resource department. It is critical to note that a stable human resource influences the goodwill and reputation of an organization. Loyal employees will focus their efforts on ensuring the success of the organization. The efficiency and skills of an organization is a significant asset for an organization as they create a positive public image which is replicated in the market and attract the target market as well as investors.

In the healthcare sector, it was noted that the highest levels of employee dissatisfaction was remuneration. It was cited that low pay was a significant issue affecting job satisfaction rates in the healthcare sector. Furthermore, the healthcare professionals in various regions have argued that the most negative aspect of being in the healthcare sector is poor monetary returns and benefits. In the article “Job satisfaction and associated factors among healthcare staff: a cross-sectional study in Guangdong Province, China” the research revealed that nurses were more satisfied with their jobs as compared to a physician. The argument being that the work of a physician includes numerous risks hence contributing to low job satisfaction rates. Despite this fact, some other studies highlighted in the article revealed that education levels were associated with job satisfaction in the healthcare sector. Whereby individuals with higher educational levels experienced higher levels of job satisfaction. In addition, it was revealed that an increase in night shifts had a positive impact on job satisfaction rates of healthcare employees. Similarly, research carried out on employees in India and Germany revealed that the major factors contributing to job satisfaction include educational background, occupation, professional status and years of employment. None the less a decrease in workloads and increased remuneration had a positive impact on job satisfaction rates.

Also, the article asserts that work stress influences job satisfaction in the healthcare sector. In previous studies work stress was divided into two categories namely good and bad stress. It was noted that each of the types of stress had conflicting effects on the healthcare staff. In that; good stress defined as work-related stress and as a result had a positive impact on job satisfaction. It is apparent that good job stress played a role in motivating employees making them feel energetic, confident and positive. Conversely, bad stress was described as harmful to an individual’s mental and physical health. Hence the study concluded that tension based on work has a positive effect on job satisfaction. According to the staff at the Guangdong center, tension emanating from work was good stress a while tension created as a result of the work was perceived as bad stress.

The relationship between Perceived Organizational Support and Job Satisfaction

According to the article “Exploring the relationship between POS, OLC, job satisfaction and OCB” the study focused on exploring the impact of Perceived organizational support and OLC on job satisfaction among employees as well as the public’s behavior towards various organizations. The key findings of the research revealed that indeed there was a positive correlation among OLC, POS, OCB and job satisfaction. As a result, the data supported the argument that employee’s perception of organizational support contributes to enhancing development cultures where employees share ideas and knowledge among each other. Furthermore, it was noted that PCB and OLC influenced job satisfaction. Also, the results reveal a positive association between OCB-O and OLC. Job satisfaction as noted to affect OCB positively.

In conclusion Job, satisfaction was found to play a critical role of mediating between OCB and POS with a variance of 46 percent. Conversely, Job satisfaction was found to act partially as a mediator between OCB and OLC. In conclusion, the article asserted the relationship between OLC and POS, illustrating that it positively influences employee satisfaction which in turn affects the behavior of citizens towards an organization. Furthermore, job satisfaction was presented as a mediator between OCB and POS as illustrated in the diagram below.

 

 

 

link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10869-013-9312-y

According to the article “The Influence of Job Satisfaction, Job Motivation & Perceived Organizational Support towards Organizational Citizenship Behavior(OCB): A Perspective of American-Based Organization in Kulim, Malaysia” the research focuses on three hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that there is a positive relationship between OCB and Job satisfaction. The second hypothesis argues that OCB has a positive relationship with Job Motivation.  While the third hypothesis argues that there is a positive relationship between Kulim and OCB. The research findings were able to assert and validate the three hypotheses, illustrating that perceived organizational support(POS) is highly correlated to OCB. The correlation between the two is achieved when employees revive organizational support as they are elevated to increase organizational performance. Also, incentives and rewards can be perceived as forms of organizational support, hence increasing the motivation of employees. The regression analysis supports these theories as the Perceived organizational support scored the highest value. They are therefore indicating that Perceived Organizational support has a positive impact on OCB significantly. It is critical to note that current business strategies perceive job motivation as a highly relevant variable in discussing OCB as illustrated in the diagram below.

 

link: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/THE-IMPACTS-OF-PERCEIVED-ORGANIZATIONAL-SUPPORT-%2C-%2C-Wann-Yih-Cheng/12ebf4fc92ea74443c51cde49bf842f79ae0234d

Methodology and Data Collection

The research focused on determining how perceived organizational support influences job satisfaction in the healthcare sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For the purpose of the study, it was decided that primary sources of data would be more effective. In this respect, a sample size of 50 persons working in the Kingdom’s healthcare sector was provided with a questionnaire. Twenty-five persons were picked from the ministry of health, and 25 persons were selected from Dallah Hospital. The participants were required to respond to a set of open-ended and close-ended questions. In the open-ended question, they were to provide personal information and educational background. For the close-ended questions, they were to provide with a rector scale on which they would select a number that would represent their response. The nature of questions was straightforward, hence easy to understand and respond to. In addition, the participants were provided with instructions on various issues to enable them to comprehend what was required of them. Primary data was considered critical in this research as it would reveal the perceptions of a wide variety of persons in the healthcare sector in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Analysis

The data collected was placed in an excel sheet for easier interpretation. Each participant was allocated a column with rows which contained answered provided in the questionnaire. Section A of the excel sheet contained descriptive data namely, name of the hospital, age, educational background, experience, and gender. While section B focused on dimensions which included measurements on job satisfaction and perceived organizational support. Number 1 represented very dissatisfied while five represented very satisfied.

Findings

It was noted that the majority of the participants had graduate degrees and less than 20 percent of the respondents have postgraduate degrees. The highest number of work experience was nine years while the shortest work experience was one year. The average age of the participants was 27- 32 years while the number of females and males was close to similar; hence it was not considered to be a major factor. Over 80 percent of the participants chose average numbers while the remaining 20 percent chose number 1 to indicate very dissatisfied and 5 to indicate very satisfied.

 

 

 

Discussions

The research findings indicated that a majority of the population interviewed considered perceived organizational support in making decisions as well as their level of job satisfaction. Those who perceived that the organization valued their input and listened to them scored a higher grade in job satisfaction. The opposite was also true as those who observed that the organization did not listen to them, care about their welfare as well as value them scored poorly on job satisfaction. Hence indicating that perceived organizational support directly influenced job satisfaction. An increase in perceived corporate support resulted in increased job satisfaction.

In addition, it was also revealed that the educational level of the participants played a role in developing perceived organizational support and indeed job satisfaction. Those who were fresh graduates and had not gathered experience of more than five years had a negative perception of the organizations they worked for. Similarly, those with post graduate degrees appeared to be more satisfied at their places of work as opposed to those who only had degrees. There could be various reasons as to why those who have more extended work experience and postgraduate degrees had a higher score in job satisfaction. Firstly, it could be that at the beginning of a medical career the healthcare providers encounter numerous challenges in terms of employment and dealing with patients. Also,at the beginning of their careers, the employees may be expecting high expectations which are not achieved resulting in disappointment. There is also a possibility that over some time in form of years the healthcare workers develop a variety of skills as a result of encountering numerous challenges. The healthcare workers learn to reduce their reliance on the organizations and the ministry of health. Therefore shifting the role of perceived organizational support on job satisfaction.

Based on the data provided in the research it was apparent that the healthcare workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia experience low levels of job satisfaction. It is also evident that the employees are somewhat unhappy about there working environment as well as experiences. It is critical to note that low job satisfaction rates in the kingdom could result in numerous issues in the healthcare sector. It is essential to note that in the next couple of decades, the demand for healthcare services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is expected to increase significantly due to the expected rise in population, increase in life expectancy rates and rise of lifestyle diseases. Also, the Kingdom has developed a strategy to develop various aspects of the region through infrastructure, education and an improved healthcare sector by 2030. For the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to meet its objectives it needs to address the issue of job satisfaction of healthcare employees in the ministry of health and in hospitals.

Conclusion

It is apparent that perceived organizational support plays a critical role in job satisfaction rates and as a result, the healthcare sector in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia should invest in various strategies to develop perceived organizational support. Though various techniques, the ministry of health as well as hospitals in the region can shift the perceived organizational support held by the healthcare employees. For instance, the stakeholders may apply better remuneration methods or offer employees bonuses on an annual basis. Regardless of the technique the organization’s apply, it is critical that the employees perceive that the organizations are concerned about their welfare and that they value their contribution. Positive perceived organizational support is crucial as it will play a significant role in improving job satisfaction. An increased job satisfaction rate is critical in developing the goals of the healthcare sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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