Financial incentives and work commitment among Ghanaian COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers

Abstract

The influence of financial incentives on work commitment is widely studied, yet the effects of financial incentives on healthcare workers ‘commitment in a pandemic situation remains underexplored. Drawing on Ghana government’s financial incentives policy as part of its COVID-19 response, we examined the relationship between Financial Incentives (GFI) and work commitment [Adherence to Work Ethics (ATWE), Task Involvement (TI) and Organisational Citizenship Behaviours (OCB)] among COVID-19 Frontline Healthcare Workers (FHWs), and the mediating effect of Job Satisfaction (JS). Of the 187 COVID-19 FHWs in two sampled hospitals in the Ashanti region, purposive and stratified sampling techniques were used to select 126 respondents from whom data were gathered using structured questionnaires. SPSS and Smart PLS Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) were used to analyse the data. Baron and Kenny's (1986) causal-effect model of mediation analysis was used to determine the mediating role of Job Satisfaction (JS). GFI predicted ATWE positively but insignificantly. However, GFI had a significant positive effect on TI, OCB and JS. JS had no significant mediating effect on the relationship between GFI and ATWE. However, JS partially mediated the relationship between GFI, TI, and OCB. These findings offer critical insights for effectively managing the healthcare workforce during pandemics.