Healthcare professional motivation in Poland and Ukraine: The role of profession, gender, and country

• Published in: Economics & sociology Vol. 17; no. 3; pp. 30 - 40
• Main Authors: Goncharuk, Anatoliy G., Lewandowski, Roman A., Rogers, Heather L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ternopil Centre of Sociological Research (NGO) 01-09-2024
• Subjects: College students; COVID-19; Feedback; Gender differences; Health services; Hospitals; Incentives; Males; Medical personnel; Medical students; Monetary incentives; Motivation; Nurses; Pandemics; Performance management; Physicians; Professionals; Questionnaires; Sociodemographics; Poland; Ukraine
• ISSN: 2071-789X; 2306-3459
• DOI: 10.14254/2071-789X.2024/17-3/2

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation among medical students, doctors, and nurses in two countries – Ukraine and Poland. As a secondary aim, gender differences were considered as well. During 2019, until the beginning of 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic started, healthcare professionals from two hospitals and medical students from one university in Poland and healthcare professionals from two hospitals and medical students from one university in Ukraine were recruited to participate in the study. The Wilcoxon test for paired samples was used to compare each participant’s score on the intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation sub-scales. Differences were examined by country, gender, profession, and combinations of these factors. In Poland, 142 doctors, nurses, and medical students were recruited. In Ukraine, 126 doctors, nurses, and medical students were recruited. Respondents completed an anonymous paper-and-pencil survey that required minimal socio-demographic information (age, gender, profession, and years of experience) so that the respondent would remain unidentifiable. The results show that male doctors were more extrinsically vs. intrinsically motivated (p=0.003), while female doctors and students were more intrinsically vs. extrinsically motivated in both Ukraine and Poland (p=0.023). Male students and nurses from both countries were equally motivated by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Polish female doctors were more intrinsically vs. extrinsically motivated than Ukrainian ones (p=0.001), whereas Ukrainian and Polish male doctors were more extrinsically vs. intrinsically motivated (p=0.002). There were statistically different motivational patterns concerning gender, occupation, and nationality, which may have important implications for the construction of motivational systems in both organizational and healthcare systems.