Job satisfaction of physicians in Russia

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to determine the relationship between job characteristics and job satisfaction amongst physicians in Russia. Design/methodology/approach - Overall satisfaction and relative satisfaction on the bases of facility and gender were measured. Approaches included the perception vs expectation paradigm, and statistical techniques using chi-square, independent samples t-tests, and logistic regression. Findings - The study finds that, overall, male doctors report higher levels of satisfaction than female doctors, while those who work in polyclinics are more satisfied than those employed by hospitals. Female physicians are more satisfied in their relations with patients and colleagues than their male counterparts. The majority of physicians are dissatisfied with administration and time constraints. Practical implications - This paper provides practical advice to hospital and polyclinic managers in Russia as attempts at reforming and restructuring the healthcare system gather momentum. Originality/value - There is scant empirical data on the job satisfaction of physicians in Russia. This paper found that job characteristic variables such as clinical autonomy, resources, time, and administration moderate physician satisfaction relationships in Russia, just as they do in the West.