Abstract
Background: Pharmacy services have expanded tremendously over the past few decades to provide comprehensive patient-centered pharmaceutical care. This expansion inevitably places a growing demand on the pharmacy workforce. Positive correlations have been established between job satisfaction and key factors such as motivation, job performance, productivity, organizational commitment and most importantly patient safety and satisfaction. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among all fully registered pharmacists (FRPs) in Miri Hospital using a questionnaire that has been previously validated (n = 47). This questionnaire consists of four parts with aims to capture the demographic profile of the respondents, factors affecting job satisfaction, assessment of job satisfaction and organizational commitment and assessment of decision to stay or leave their current employer, the Ministry of Health (MOH). Participants were also invited to express their opinion on how to improve the pharmacy service in the public workforce through open- ended question. Results: A total of 42 pharmacists (response rate 85.7%) in Miri Hospital participated in this survey. Most of the respondents in this study were female (81%) and of Chinese ethnicity (78.6%), with a median age of 31 years old. The proportion of single and married respondents were similar (54.8% and 45.2% respectively). The length of employment of the respondents in MOH ranged from 3 to 13 years, with a median of 7 years. The mean job satisfaction and organizational commitment scores were 60.81 (standard deviation (SD) 8.70) and 56.48 (SD 7.21) respectively out of a maximum possible score of 90.0. 95.2% of the respondents indicated strong inclination to remain in their current job. Conclusion: Gaining insight into the factors which influence job satisfaction and organizational commitment holds significance in reducing the turnover rate of pharmacists and enhancing their productivity levels. Our study showed moderate job satisfaction and organizational commitment among pharmacists in Miri Hospital. Job satisfaction does not seem to differ for all respondents; nevertheless, female respondents were found to be more committed the organization.
Introduction
In response to the growing demand for quality, patient-centered care, the roles of healthcare professionals have expanded tremendously. The efficiency of healthcare reforms requires the full and effective cooperation of all healthcare the professionals, including pharmacists. In order to meet the requirements of this healthcare reform agenda, professional service delivery of the pharmacy profession has expanded significantly. Before independence, the main roles of the pharmacy service in Malaysia were limited to procuring, storing and distributing medications [1]. However, in order to provide comprehensive patient-centered pharmaceutical care, pharmacy services have expanded significantly over the past few decades. Pharmacy-led medication adherence clinics, ward pharmacy services, methadone dispensing and counselling, parenteral nutrition, oncology pharmacy, nuclear pharmacy and clinical pharmacokinetics services are a few examples of expanded pharmacy services in Malaysia [2]. The expansion of pharmacy services inevitably places a mounting strain on the pharmacy workforce.
There is no consensus on the definition of job satisfaction despite its widespread use in scientific research and daily life. In fact, various authors have different approaches when it comes to defining job satisfaction. Dowell et. al defined job satisfaction as ‘the feelings that an individual has about his or her current job and the extent to which these feelings are satisfied in the workplace’ [3]. The most influential theory that is utilized to explain job satisfaction is Herzberg’s theory (Hygiene-Motivator Theory). Frederick Herzberg first proposed it in the 1950’s. According to this theory, job satisfaction is affected by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Extrinsic factors or “hygiene” factors are those factors that are extrinsic to the job itself, but will lead to job dissatisfaction if absent or mishandled. Examples of hygiene factors include salary, administrative policies, working environment and interpersonal relationships. On the other hand, intrinsic factors are “motivator” factors which create a sense of satisfaction by fulfilling an individual’s needs and promote personal growth. Examples of motivator factors include achievement, recognition, professional responsibility of a position and the meaningfulness of the job itself [4].
Meanwhile, organizational commitment refers to ‘the relative strength of an individual’s identification with and involvement in a particular organization’ [5]. It is also defined as ‘the degree to which an individual is psychologically attached to an employing organization through feelings such as loyalty and affection’ [4]. Organizational commitment is important as employees show more commitment to the organization when their psychological need is supported [5].
Positive correlations have been established between job satisfaction and key factors such as motivation, job performance, productivity, organizational commitment and most importantly patient safety and satisfaction. Conversely, job dissatisfaction is associated with absenteeism, complaints against management and increased job turnover. A low level of job satisfaction may lead to difficulties in retaining experienced staffs in the workforce. In public healthcare setting, excessive turnover is costly to the employer. The impact of high job turnover includes loss of job performance and productivity due to insufficient staffing, increased reliance on inexperience or overworked employees to cover the vacant position as well as increased time and expenses to train new employee [6][7].
In the year 2016, 6303 pharmacists were working in the Ministry of Health (MOH) and 4009 pharmacists in the private sector [8]. However, in the year 2017, the number of pharmacists in the MOH and private sector were 6409 and 4960 pharmacists respectively [9]. It is therefore apparent that there is a trend of pharmacists in the public workforce joining the private sectors such as community pharmacies or private hospital pharmacies. This might be attributed to the liberalization of provisionally registered pharmacists (PRP) training in the private sector since July 2012 in view of places in the government sector being oversubscribed [10]. With this liberalization policy, it is no longer mandatory for pharmacy graduates to undergo their PRP training in the government sector [10]. It also helped them to reduce their waiting time for their placement [10].
Interestingly, pharmacists exhibited lower job satisfaction levels compared to physicians and surgeons in a survey conducted in New Zealand in 2001 [3]. Janahiraman et al. conducted a study in 2007 to assess job satisfaction among pharmacists in Malaysia. 75% of the pharmacists who responded to the survey reported a moderate level of job satisfaction whereas only 12.3% were highly satisfied with their jobs [11]. In 2015, Manan et al. showed that among the registered pharmacists employed in the public sector in the three states with the highest density of pharmacists (Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Perak), only 52% of them expressed satisfaction with their current jobs [2]. A study conducted by Chua et al. in 2014 showed that young pharmacists with a median age of 2.75 working years with the Ministry of Health (MOH) have mean job satisfaction scores of 64.5, but surprisingly 71.3% of them are willing to continue their service in this public workforce [4]. This shows that exploring the job satisfaction of pharmacists in Malaysia is necessary due to its multifaceted nature. This study aims to assess job satisfaction and organizational commitment among pharmacists in Miri Hospital and explore the factors affecting their job satisfaction.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted from 11th November 2019 to 15th November 2019 among all fully registered pharmacists (FRPs) in Miri Hospital using a questionnaire that has been adopted from Chua et. al (4). This questionnaire consists of four parts with the aim to identify the demographic profile of the respondents (10 questions), factors affecting job satisfaction (17 questions), assessment of job satisfaction and organizational commitment (30 questions) and assessment of the decision to stay or leave their current employer, the Ministry of Health (MOH). Participants were also invited to express their opinion on how to improve the pharmacy service in the public workforce through open-ended questions. The questionnaire in this study was obtained with permission to use from the original author (4). The Cronbach’s alpha for job satisfaction and organizational commitment scale were 0.79 and 0.78 respectively (4).
Questionnaires were distributed to all FRPs in Miri Hospital, excluding those who are on a contractual basis and provisionally registered pharmacists (PRPs). At the time of the survey, Miri Hospital has 47 FRPs who were eligible to participate in this study. Participation in this study was on a voluntary basis. Respondents were assured of anonymity and confidentiality.
This study was registered with Malaysia’s National Medical Research Registry and approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee (NMRR-19-2896-49446). All quantitative data obtained were analysed with SPSS version 23.0. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment score as well as factors affecting job satisfaction were recorded based on the responses on a 6-point Likert scale and summing it across all items in the questionnaire. Items that are negatively phrased were calculated as reverse points. The written responses to the open-ended question in this questionnaire were analyzed and described thematically.
Results
The response rate yielded for this study is 85.7% (42 respondents) in which questionnaires were completed and returned out of 47 questionnaires distributed. Most of the respondents in this study were female (81%) and of Chinese ethnicity (78.6%), with a median age of 31 years old. The proportion of single and married respondents were similar (54.8% and 45.2% respectively). The length of employment in the Ministry of Health (MOH) of the respondents ranged from 3 to 13 years, with a median of 7 years (Table Ⅰ).
The mean job satisfaction and organizational commitment scores in this study were 60.81 (standard deviation (SD) 8.70) and 56.48 (SD 7.21) respectively out of a maximum possible score of 90.0. This study has shown a significant correlation between job satisfaction and organizational commitment (r=0.550, P<0.001).
The responses of all respondents across all items assessing job satisfaction and organizational commitment in this questionnaire were presented in Table II.
The respondents also rated the factors they think are significant in overall job satisfaction. Our study has identified the five most common factors that affect job satisfaction as workload, co-workers, treatment by management, work schedule and benefits such as annual leaves and allowance.
In this study, we also analyzed the impact of gender, marital status and ethnicity on job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The results are shown in table III. We failed to demonstrate a significant influence of the abovementioned demographic characteristics on job satisfaction. However, female employees are found to be significantly more committed to the organization compared to male (p=0.02).
Table Ⅰ. Demographic profile of respondents (n=42).
| Demographic characteristics | n (%) |
|---|---|
| Gender | |
| Male | 8 (19.0) |
| Female | 34 (81.0) |
| Age | Median 31 (IQR 5.25) |
| Ethnicity | |
| Chinese | 33 (78.6) |
| Malay | 6 (14.3) |
| Indian | 1 (2.4) |
| Others | 2 (4.8) |
| Marital status | |
| Single | 23 (54.8) |
| Married | 19 (45.2) |
| Highest qualification | |
| Doctorate degree | 0 (0.0) |
| Master degree | 4 (9.5) |
| Bachelor’s degree | 38 (90.5) |
| Length of employment in the MOH (years) | Median 7 (IQR 4.25) |
| Current department of practice | |
| Clinical pharmacy | 9 (21.4) |
| Cytotoxic drug reconstitution | 3 (7.1) |
| Drug information service | 2 (4.8) |
| Manufacturing pharmacy | 1 (2.4) |
| Outpatient pharmacy | 8 (19.0) |
| Store pharmacy | 4 (9.5) |
| Therapeutic drug monitoring | 1 (2.4) |
| Inpatient pharmacy | 9 (21.4) |
| Medication therapy management | 5 (11.9) |
| Duration of practice in current department (years) | Median 3 (IQR 2.00) |
The majority of the respondents (95.2%) indicated strong inclination to remain in their current job. Only two respondents expressed their intention to quit. One of them explained that this is due to “I would like to get an academia job or a job with better pay or both” whereas the other respondent did not give further explanation on the decision. Respondents who reported that they are unlikely to stay with MOH reported relatively lower job satisfaction and/or organizational commitment score compared to those who were likely to stay (Table IV).
Table V shows the number of respondents likely to stay with their current employer (MOH) and the difference in their average length of practice in MOH.
In this survey, respondents were also encouraged to provide their opinions on the potential measures that could enhance their job satisfaction. Only 21 (50%) of the respondents responded to this question. The responses were grouped thematically as shown in table VI.
Table Ⅱ. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
| No. | Statement | Strongly disagree | Disagree | Slightly disagree | Slightly agree | Agree | Strongly agree | Mean score (SD) |
| n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |||
| Job satisfaction | ||||||||
| 1. | I look forward to come to work every day. | 1 (2.38) | 1 (2.38) | 11 (26.19) | 20 (47.62) | 7 (16.67) | 2 (4.76) | 3.88 (0.97) |
| 2. | I talk about my job with my family and friends. | 1 (2.38) | 4 (9.52) | 5 (11.90) | 9 (21.43) | 17 (40.48) | 6 (14.29) | 4.31 (1.28) |
| 3. | My job provides me with ample opportunity to use my abilities. | 0 (0.00) | 0 (0.00) | 11 (26.19) | 14 (33.33) | 12 (28.57) | 5 (11.90) | 4.26 (0.99) |
| 4. | I have sufficient freedom to use my own judgement on my job. | 1 (2.38) | 1 (2.38) | 3 (7.14) | 18 (42.86) | 17 (40.48) | 2 (4.76) | 4.31 (0.95) |
| 5. | My job provides me enough flexibility to choose any method of doing the job. | 1 (2.38) | 4 (9.52) | 4 (9.52) | 19 (45.24) | 10 (23.81) | 4 (9.52) | 4.07 (1.15) |
| 6. | I get a feeling of accomplishment from my job. | 0 (0.00) | 0 (0.00) | 5 (11.90) | 17 (40.48) | 17 (40.48) | 3 (7.14) | 4.42 (0.80) |
| 7. | At the end of each working day, I feel that the day has been well-spent. | 0 (0.00) | 2 (4.76) | 8 (19.05) | 18 (42.86) | 13 (30.95) | 1 (2.38) | 4.07 (0.89) |
| 8. | If I were to start my career again, I would choose this job. | 3 (7.14) | 2 (4.76) | 10 (23.81) | 17 (40.48) | 8 (19.05) | 2 (4.76) | 3.74 (1.19) |
| 9. | If other people can get a job like mine, they would be very lucky. | 1 (2.38) | 1 (2.38) | 7 (16.67) | 19 (45.24) | 11 (26.19) | 3 (7.14) | 4.12 (1.02) |
| 10 | I am satisfied with my job. | 0 (0.00) | 0 (0.00) | 4 (9.52) | 22 (52.38) | 13 (30.95) | 3 (7.14) | 4.36 (0.76) |
| 11. | I am satisfied with my salary. | 2 (4.76) | 1 (2.38) | 10 (23.81) | 16 (38.10) | 9 (21.43) | 4 (9.52) | 3.98 (1.18) |
| 12. | I am satisfied with the fringe benefits offered by my job. | 2 (4.76) | 3 (7.14) | 9 (21.43) | 13 (30.95) | 12 (28.57) | 3 (7.14) | 3.93 (1.24) |
| 13. | I am satisfied with the working conditions. | 1 (2.38) | 3 (7.14) | 10 (23.81) | 22 (52.38) | 5 (11.90) | 1 (2.38) | 3.71 (0.94) |
| 14 | I am satisfied with the personnel policies of this organization. | 2 (4.76) | 2 (4.76) | 7 (16.67) | 25 (59.52) | 4 (9.52) | 2 (4.76) | 3.79 (1.02) |
| 15. | I am satisfied with the style and/ or quality of supervision. | 1 (2.38) | 2 (4.76) | 6 (14.29) | 26 (61.90) | 7 (16.67) | 0 (0.00) | 3.86 (0.84) |
| Organizational commitment | ||||||||
| 16. | I am willing to put in a great deal of effort beyond that normally expected in order to help this organization to be successful. | 0 (0.00) | 1 (2.38) | 2 (4.76) | 27 (64.29) | 11 (26.19) | 1 (2.38) | 4.21 (0.68) |
| 17. | I talk about this organization (ie. Hospital/ PKD/ KK/ Enforcement office) to my friends as a great organization to work for. | 1 (2.38) | 4 (9.52) | 8 (19.05) | 23 (54.76) | 6 (14.29) | 0 (0.00) | 3.69 (0.92) |
| 18. | I feel very little loyalty to this organization. | 1 (2.38) | 12 (28.57) | 12 (28.57) | 13 (30.95) | 3 (7.14) | 1 (2.38) | 3.19 (1.09) |
| 19. | I would accept almost any type of job assignment in order to keep working for this organization. | 2 (4.76) | 6 (14.29) | 13 (30.95) | 15 (35.71) | 6 (14.29) | 0 (0.00) | 3.40 (1.06) |
| 20. | I find that my values (point of view) and the organizations values (point of view) are very similar. | 2 (4.76) | 0 (0.00) | 10 (23.81) | 26 (61.90) | 3 (7.14) | 1 (2.38) | 3.74 (0.89) |
| 21. | I am proud to tell others that I am a part of this organization (ie. Hospital/ PKD/ KK/ Enforcement office). | 0 (0.00) | 0 (0.00) | 9 (21.43) | 20 (47.62) | 11 (26.19) | 2 (4.76) | 4.14 (0.81) |
| 22. | I could just as well be working for a different organization (ie. Hospital/ PKD/ KK/ Enforcement office) as long as the type of work was similar. | 0 (0.00) | 1 (2.38) | 9 (21.43) | 20 (47.62) | 8 (19.05) | 4 (9.52) | 4.11 (0.94) |
| 23. | This organization really inspires the best in me by way of job performance. | 1 (2.38) | 3 (7.14) | 13 (30.95) | 19 (45.24) | 5 (11.90) | 1 (2.38) | 3.64 (0.96) |
| 24. | It would take very little change in my present circumstances to cause me to leave this organization. | 1 (2.38) | 9 (21.43) | 17 (40.48) | 11 (26.19) | 3 (7.14) | 1 (2.38) | 3.21 (1.02) |
| 25. | I am extremely glad that I choose this organization to work for over others I was considering at the time I joined. | 1 (2.38) | 2 (4.76) | 4 (9.52) | 22 (52.38) | 12 (28.57) | 1 (2.38) | 4.07 (0.95) |
| 26. | There’s not much to be gained by sticking with this organization indefinitely. | 1 (2.38) | 7 (16.67) | 18 (42.86) | 11 (26.19) | 1 (2.38) | 4 (9.52) | 3.38 (1.17) |
| 27. | Often, I find it difficult to agree with this organization’s policies on important matters relating to its employees. | 1 (2.38) | 3 (3.14) | 16 (38.10) | 13 (30.95) | 7 (16.67) | 2 (4.76) | 3.67 (1.07) |
| 28. | I really care about the fate of this organization. | 1 (2.38) | 2 (4.76) | 5 (11.90) | 26 (61.90) | 8 (19.05) | 0 (0.00) | 3.90 (0.85) |
| 29. | For me this is the best of all possible organizations to work for. | 1 (2.38) | 2 (4.76) | 11 (26.19) | 23 (54.76) | 5 (11.90) | 0 (0.00) | 3.69 (0.84) |
| 30. | Deciding to work for this organization was a definite mistake on my part. | 6 (14.29) | 17 (40.48) | 15 (35.71) | 3 (7.14) | 0 (0.00) | 1 (2.38) | 2.45 (0.99) |
Table Ⅲ. Effect of demographic characteristics on job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
| Demographic characteristics | Job satisfaction score (Median, IQR) | Z statistics | p-value | Organizational commitment score (Median, IQR) | Z statistics | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender • Male (n=8) • Female (n=34) | 58.5 (13.5) 60.0 (13.8) | -0.74 | 0.46 | 51.5 (9.8) 58.5 (9.3) | -2.29 | 0.02* |
| Marital Status • Single (n=23) • Married (n=19) | 63.0 (16.0) 59.0 (9.0) | -0.43 | 0.67 | 54.0 (13.0) 58.0 (9.0) | -1.89 | 0.06 |
| Ethnicity • Chinese (n=33) • Non-Chinese (n=9) | 59.0 (12.0) 61.0 (14.5) | -0.17 | 0.87 | 56.0 (8.0) 61.0 (16.0) | -0.88 | 0.38 |
Majority of the respondents expressed that there is a need for pharmacists to be compensated monetarily instead of being given time-off for after office hour shifts or on call services. Some respondents felt that in addition to the extra pay as mentioned above, it is necessary to increase the current remuneration scheme. Several respondents reflected that hospital facilities and the availability of resources should be improved in order to enhance job satisfaction (extra work space, better reference support). Additionally, several respondents felt that transfer or job placement within the organization should be on a voluntary basis. Some of them supported that staffs should be promoted based on merit and competence, rather than time-based promotion. A few commented that reduced workload is helpful in alleviating job dissatisfaction. Team work is another important aspect that was perceived as important for job satisfaction. It does not only apply within the pharmacy but also extends to the inter-relationship with other healthcare professionals such as doctors and nurses. A few respondents felt that the opportunity for personal development is also vital to improve overall job satisfaction.
Discussion
Most of the respondents in this survey demonstrated moderate job satisfaction and organizational commitment to their current employer (MOH). The five most common factors which were perceived to be affecting their job satisfaction were workload, co-workers, treatment by management, work schedule and benefits. The majority of them expressed their intention to stay with MOH.
In agreement with the previous study, our study found a significant correlation between job satisfaction and organizational commitment [4]. Even though we failed to demonstrate the significance of certain demographic characteristics such as gender, marital status and ethnicity on overall job satisfaction and organizational commitment, we found that female respondents tend to have a better organizational commitment compared to their male counterparts. A possible explanation for this phenomenon could be that most female pharmacists see this profession as one that holds good prospects for them. Compared to other healthcare professionals, the pharmacy profession seems to offer relatively more flexibility in work arrangements, thereby allowing them to attend to family responsibilities or other important needs [2][6].
Gender and ethnicity were also known to influence the decision to stay in the current workforce [4]. 75.6% of the female respondents from the study conducted by Chua et al. exhibited a higher likelihood to stay in their current workplace compared to their male colleagues [4]. It was also observed that pharmacists of Chinese ethnicity were 3.8 times more likely to leave the public service in comparison to Malay and Indian respondents [4]. Nevertheless, owing to the small ratio of respondents who expressed the intention to quit MOH in our survey, we were unable to see the influence of these demographic characteristics on the likelihood to stay in MOH.
Workload and work schedule are closely related and have been identified as prime factors affecting the overall job satisfaction of pharmacists in Miri Hospital. This finding is similar to that of studies by Eden et al., Lea et al. and Teong et al. [12][13][14].
Table Ⅳ. Job satisfaction score and organizational commitment score for respondents unlikely to stay with MOH.
| Respondents | Job satisfaction score (maximum 90) | Organizational commitment score (maximum 90) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42 | 35 |
| 2 | 66 | 40 |
Table Ⅴ. Respondents’ likeliness to stay with MOH.
| Likeliness to stay with MOH | n (%) | Length of employment (years), Mean (SD) |
|---|---|---|
| Likely | 40 (95.2) | 6.65 (2.6) |
| Unlikely | 2 (4.8) | 4.50 (0.7) |
Currently, pharmacists working in Miri Hospital are scheduled to provide on-call services and extended working hours in order to provide 24-hours service to the community. As the profession of pharmacy is expanding in terms of services, an increase in workload is inevitable. An inordinate workload and heavy work schedule have been positively linked to medication dispensing errors, thus jeopardizing the overall delivery of patient care [6]. Therefore, the provision of sufficient staffing not only serves as a powerful tool to propel the overall job satisfaction of employers, but it could also indirectly minimize harm to patients [12].
Apart from that, the relationship with co-workers is one of the key factors claimed to affect job satisfaction among pharmacists in Miri Hospital. Good rapport with other co-workers has been related to better satisfaction in their job [6][14]. It fosters mutual support and produces a conducive working environment. Carvalaj et al. discussed on the norm of reciprocity among coworkers whereby those who are supported by their colleagues will respond by helping the
Table Ⅵ. Responses on how to improve respondents’ job satisfaction.
| Themes | Example of responses |
|---|---|
| Remuneration scheme | “Pharmacists should be given pay by rate for extra or weekend shifts instead of time-off on working days.” “Increase in pay/paid for shift work.” “Overtime allowance for pharmacists.” |
| Working environment | “To provide better workplace environment (or proper room to do counselling session for patients).” “Better office, better facilities in office.” “Institution or organization should sponsor reference application to enable update of knowledge or work.” |
| Improvement in organization management | “Can easily transfer to hometown.” “Abolish involuntary transfer or placement.” “Better career achievement option and merit-based promotion.” “Management should reduce rate of weekend or night shifts to reduce heavy workload.” |
| Improvement in working relationship or communication | “Healthy social environment, good colleague, team spirit.” “Team work.” “Have proper black and white guidelines or protocols so that there is less conflict between pharmacists and doctors.” |
| Opportunity for personal development | “To send me for conferences or course to update my knowledge.” |
others in need [6]. Hence, pharmacists who adhere to the norm of reciprocity would have higher job satisfaction which will result in greater stability and functioning of the organization [6].
Treatment by management is another facet related to job satisfaction among pharmacists in Miri Hospital. Qualitative input from respondents conveyed their desire to be able to choose their preferred location of service in order to reduce job dissatisfaction related to work sector. Some reflected that managers could adopt a more transparent approach in work communication and reward system based on the merits and performance. If an employee perceives that his or her values are appreciated within the job, his or her attitude and satisfaction towards his or her job will be more positive. Besides that, supportive managers also take staffs’ suggestions pertaining to their work into consideration, showing empathy to employees, encouraging employees on the importance of teamwork, abolishing unnecessary policies or restrictions as well as providing adequate amenities [6]. Fair treatment and supportive managers add to the feeling of contentment of the employees, which subsequently fosters organizational commitment [6].
Extra benefits offered in the job such as allowance and annual leaves are also important to pharmacists’ job satisfaction [4]. Multiple qualitative comments from the respondents also reflected that additional allowance should be provided to pharmacists for working during extended hours and on call shifts similar to the other healthcare professionals. Although budgetary constraints may raise the challenge bar pertaining to this request, we think that it is worth considering because salary should ideally be proportional to the amount of work and the level of responsibility among pharmacists.
Last but not least, some respondents think that personal development is important to improve their job satisfaction. Attending conferences, courses, or sending staffs for trainings may create more confident and professionally more competent staffs, satisfying the work ambitions of its own [4].
Study limitation:
All data were based on self-reporting and therefore may be subject to bias. The small sample size and the higher proportion of female respondents in this study makes generalization more difficult. As a recommendation, this study may be extended to other facilities in the future in order to get a more comprehensive view of the overall pharmacists’ job satisfaction and commitment to their job.
Conclusion
Gaining insight into the factors which influence job satisfaction and organizational commitment holds significance in reducing the turnover rate of pharmacists and enhancing their productivity levels. Our study has identified the five most common factors that affect job satisfaction as workload, co-workers, treatment by management, work schedule and benefits such as annual leaves and allowance. Our study showed moderate job satisfaction and organizational commitment among pharmacists in Miri Hospital. A strong association was found between job satisfaction and organizational commitment (r=0.550, P<0.001). Job satisfaction does not seem to differ for all respondents; nevertheless, female respondents were found to be more committed to the organization. In view of the small number of respondents who expressed the intention to quit MOH, we were unable to analyze the possible link between the likelihood to stay with MOH and the characteristic profile of the respondents.
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank the Director of General Health Malaysia for his permission to publish this article. We would like to express our gratitude to Miss Chai Shirlie for her guidance throughout this study and to the respondents who spend their time to participating in this study.
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest for this study.
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Please cite this article as:
Mee Yien Kiing and Ling Weng Wong, Exploring Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment and the Intention to Stay or Leave the Public Workforce Among Fully Registered Pharmacists (FRP) in Miri Hospital. Malaysian Journal of Pharmacy (MJP). 2023;1(9):35-42. https://mjpharm.org/exploring-job-satisfaction-organizational-commitment-and-the-intention-to-stay-or-leave-the-public-workforce-among-fully-registered-pharmacists-frp-in-miri-hospital/