Slack resources and individual performance of clinicians: the mediating role of job satisfaction and empirical evidence from public hospitals in Beijing, China

Abstract

Abstract Background: The individual performance of clinicians is key to improving the output of the healthcare industry. Clinicians in Chinese public hospitals have an important functional position and face a complex and severe clinical practice environment. This study aims to explore the mechanism of slack resources in improving individual performance of clinicians and the effect of job satisfaction in this process. Methods: Based on the study framework composed of slack resources, individual performance, and job satisfaction, hypotheses have been put forward, and questionnaires have been distributed to representative clinicians in tertiary public hospitals. Finally, 318 valid data collected from clinicians have been obtained. To verify the four conditions of the mediation hypothesis, multiple linear regression models have been established to explore the relationship between variables. Results: Clinicians' job satisfaction has played a mediating role in the impact of slack resources and its three dimensions on individual performance. Among them, there has been a complete mediating effect for staff slack, while time and space dimensions have played a partial mediating role in the impact of slack resources on individual performance. Conclusions: In public hospitals in environments where behavior is subject to significant government interference, it is necessary and feasible to retain appropriate slack resources to improve individual performance. From the perspective of resources management in hospitals, it is necessary for public hospitals to implement a strategy of reserving an appropriate portion of time, staff and space in order to have the conditions to improve clinicians' satisfaction. The existence of slack resources in public hospitals can improve the job satisfaction of clinicians, and then improve the individual performance through the process.