Incentives for Health W orker Retention in Private Hospitals

Abstract

The need of health workers in large numbers is widely recognised for the effective functioning of the healthcare sector.Shortage of health workers significantly affect the achievement of health-related development goals in the society. The past few years have been the most challenging period for the private hospitals in Sri ianka in retaining their employees. (Sri Lanka Health Accounts 1990-2006) Developing and maintaining skilled employees is the major determinnat of sustainbal compatitive advanatge for most organizations. Retention of highly skilled employees in private hospitals has become a difficult task due to the fact that this type of employees are attracted by the other hospitals with various kind of incentives. Private hospitals in particlar, offer a number of financial incentives including overtime pay, paid leaves, housing or car loans at lower negotiated market rates, entertainment, transport, responsibility and uniform allowances. Non-financial incentives for health workers include oppportunitiy for medical education, shorter working hours and life insurance. Given these factors and events this research aims to explore the extent to which intrinsic and extrinsic motivational variables affected in retention of employees in private hospitals in SriLanka. Data were collected using self administerdd questionnaire from 120 nurses in the Co-operative hospitals PLC, Galle. Mulipie regression found that pay and benefits (B=.451***), training and development opportunities (B=.132**) and supervisory support (B=322***) significantly impact to the employee retnetion. Correlation analysis found pay and benifits (r=.283***), training and development opportunities (r=.123**) and supervisory support (r=.246***) is significantly and positively associated with employee retention. Further, ANOVA results found that there is no significant differences among motivational variables between demogrphic variable such as gender, marital and age. Since few studies conducted in SriLanka contenxt, the findings of the study would be important for administrative bodies of the private hospitals in designing and implementing approprita employee retention progrm.