Measuring Job Satisfaction Patterns in Saudi Arabia’s Southern Regions Hospitals: Implications for Hospital Staff Retention

Abstract

Saudi Arabia Southern Region hospitals have shortage of health professionals especially doctors. Retention of quality doctors and minimizing staff turnover has, therefore, become a major priority for hospitals. Job satisfaction is recognized as key factor influencing retention of doctors. In our paper special emphasis is put on doctors working is Southern Region hospitals of Saudi Arabia. By conducting correlation analysis we determine the most important factors conducive to job satisfaction. Results of the study indicate that opportunities for promotion have a strong link with job satisfaction, whereas relations with co-workers and attitude toward supervisor exhibited a moderately strong relationship with job satisfaction. The factors of nature of the work, compensations and benefits lack a significant link to overall job satisfaction. The findings imply that the health care service managers need to pay closer attention to the needs of their human resources, especially doctors, in order to not only minimize the doctors turnover but also to improve the organizations’ performance. Additionally, introducing turnover risk programs as well as employee satisfaction programs within the hospital’s management schemes have become a must. Saudi Arabian hospitals, especially those in the Southern Region, can make use of retention strategies to annihilate the unbalance caused by the doctors’ high turnover.