Paulina Bąk

Analysis of the hierarchy of motivational factors in the work of nurses

Introduction: Employees incentive scheme is one of the main components of human resource management in any modern organization. A properly functioning incentive system enabling an effective motivation process allows to utilize the potential and commitment of employees, which directly affects the efficient functioning of a given facility. The aim of the study was to establish the hierarchy of motivational factors and the relationships that exist between them in the group of nurses working in one of the network of healthcare centers in the city of Kraków.

Materials and methods: The survey was conducted among 79 nurses working in several healthcare centers. The study uses the method of a diagnostic survey with the use of a research technique in the form of a questionnaire. The questionnaire contained demographics questions and the “Self assesment scale of work motivators” by Stefan Tokarski. Results: The study uses the terms “dominant motive” and “meaningless motive”.The research showed that the most numerous group of respondents chose “job security” as the dominant motive. At the lowest level in the hierarchy of respondents were “possibility of promotion” and “independence”. The research also uses the term “leading motive”, which was designated as the one with the highest score in the hierarchyof respondents’ motives, but not necessarily the dominant motive. Conclussions: Research has shown a relationship between seniority and the choice of the leading motive. Among the respondents, the group with work experience over 20 years showed significant leading motives. These included “job security”, “relationships with colleagues” and “earnings”. The remaining groups did not show any visible leading motives. The research also showed a relationship between education and the classification of motivators. The group with a master’s degree assessed the relations with their superiors significantly lower compared to other motivating factors.