Influence of gender, age and job tenure on job satisfaction of medical and non-medical employees of a university teaching hospital in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

The role of employees in ensuring a high level of firm performance advantage cannot be over-emphasised. Employees that are satisfied with their job are expected to exert required effort to ensure effective and timely achievement of organisational goals and objectives. Hospitals in Nigeria are heavily under-funded and underequipped while the employees are under-paid, hence the incessant strikes and agitation. Owing to the salient nature of the life saving responsibilities of hospitals, particularly University Teaching Hospitals, it is imperative to study and understand the job satisfaction of the employees who implement these responsibilities and how demographic factors can determine job satisfaction. This study examined the influence that age, gender and job tenure as demographic variables, have on the job satisfaction of medical and non-medical employees at a University Teaching Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. A sample size of 220 was selected out of the 605 employees in the University Teaching Hospital in Lagos State. The principal instrument used was the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) and a section for demographic data collection. The t- test for independent samples and ANOVA were employed in the study. Neither age nor gender of these employees revealed any significant impact on the job satisfaction of these employees. There was a significant difference in the job satisfaction levels of the employees based on their length of time on the job at the p<.05 level for the three levels [F(2, 217) = 3.117, p = 0.046]. There was also a significant difference in the job satisfaction scores for Medical staff (M=140.8 SD=16.1) and Non-Medical staff (M=137.1, SD=21.7) conditions; t (218) =1.42, p = 0.016. It is concluded that the longer the employees spend on the job, the more satisfied they become. Finding may assist in the informed decisions of executive decision makers of hospitals and health ministry. The implication of the findings of this study is that there is room for further research. It is recommended that hospital management and executives should examine various strategies to improve attrition levels and encourage tenure acquisition in hospital organisations.

Key words: Age, Gender, Job Tenure, Medical & Non Medical Hospital Staff, Job Satisfaction