An Empirical Analysis of Employee Attitudes in Service Sector

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the relationship between sense of belonging and job satisfaction in hospital-based nurses.  By discovering what contributes to job satisfaction, organizations will be able to better retain their nurses.  This empirical paper used a non-experimental design to test a proposed model based on a review of relevant literature. Working nurses in a hospital setting completed surveys capturing the constructs researched.  The findings of this research suggest that sense of belonging leads to positive outcomes and higher job satisfaction. Older employees tend to be less satisfied than their younger counterparts.  While this study offers some insight into the factors affecting the job satisfaction of nurses, the sample was limited to respondents who were working at local hospitals in Southeastern United States. Thus these results may not represent the views of all nurses in the health care sector.  To retain high-valued nurses it is important that an organization has a work environment that enhances their commitment to their occupation.

These research findings provide evidence that nurses who feel as though they are part of an organization will be more motivated to better their respective organizations. In turn, these profitable organizations invest back in the community they operate in, improving the overall socio-economic fabric of local economy.  Although a considerable amount of research has been done evaluating the value of a sense of belonging, none of these studies link it to job satisfaction based on gender. This contribution is also of special importance amid the recent criticism of the healthcare costs by prominent management scholars.

Keywords – Sense of Belonging, Job Satisfaction, Healthcare, Age, Work Experience