Employee motivation: quality versus business concerns

The traditional factors that influence employee motivation and morale remain important in healthcare organizations. However, the nursing staff tends to be more self-motivated than many employees in other occupations because of values that are intrinsic to the nursing profession. When the humanist values of the nursing profession conflict or compete with business values, erosion of nursing morale and motivation may result with attendant employee "burnout" that undermines the organization's business objectives. There are several steps that both management and nursing educators can take to lessen the cultural conflict and avert motivational breakdowns. The future may teach us that an ideal blend of business and humanist values may result in a situation where good business decisions are good humanist decisions, and vice versa.