Employed family physician satisfaction and commitment to their practice, work group, and health care organization

Test a model of family physician job satisfaction and commitment.

Data were collected from 1,482 family physicians in a Midwest state during 2000-2001. The sampling frame came from the membership listing of the state's family physician association, and the analyzed dataset included family physicians employed by large multispecialty group practices.

A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data about physician working conditions, job satisfaction, commitment, and demographic variables.

The response rate was 47 percent. Different variables predicted the different measures of satisfaction and commitment. Satisfaction with one's health care organization (HCO) was most strongly predicted by the degree to which physicians perceived that management valued and recognized them and by the extent to which physicians perceived the organization's goals to be compatible with their own. Satisfaction with one's workgroup was most strongly predicted by the social relationship with members of the workgroup; satisfaction with one's practice was most strongly predicted by relationships with patients. Commitment to one's workgroup was predicted by relationships with one's workgroup. Commitment to one's HCO was predicted by relationships with management of the HCO.

Social relationships are stronger predictors of employed family physician satisfaction and commitment than staff support, job control, income, or time pressure.