Meaning in motivation: does your organization need an inner life?

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology
• Employee Engagement

Background:

• High employee turnover and lack of commitment in healthcare negatively impact patient care and organizational finances.
• Healthcare managers require effective, efficient, and sustainable solutions to address these critical issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and extend research on the "meaningfulness of work" for employee retention and commitment in healthcare.
• To explore the impact of employee disengagement on care quality and costs.
• To introduce Viktor Frankl's logotherapy principles for integrating meaning into healthcare work.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of theoretical and applied research on meaning and work.
• Application of Viktor Frankl's logotherapy principles.
• Utilizing Pattakos's work to demonstrate practical application in healthcare settings.

Main Results:

• Lack of employee commitment and engagement leads to significant negative effects on healthcare quality and costs.
• Logotherapy provides a theoretical foundation for fostering meaningful work.
• Practical strategies can be derived from logotherapy to enhance employee commitment.

Conclusions:

• Identifying and fostering a sense of meaning and purpose in work is crucial for improving employee commitment and engagement in healthcare.
• Implementing principles of logotherapy can lead to more sustainable and effective employee retention strategies.
• A focus on meaningful work can positively influence both the quality of care and the financial health of healthcare organizations.