title: What do physicians want in their ideal job?
abstract: This article explores the question of what physicians want in their "ideal job" using a nationally representative sample of physicians in ambulatory practice. The importance of ten work values was examined overall by specialty, practice setting, race/ethnicity, age, and gender. More than 90% of physicians rated the following as very important: good relationships with staff and colleagues; control of time off; adequate material resources; and autonomy in decision making. Remarkably, the relative importance of these work values remained consistent across each grouping. As more physicians practice in organized settings, there is a greater potential for a clash of work values to occur between physicians and their practice organizations. The consequences for physicians include lower job satisfaction and a greater likelihood of quitting. Practice organizations suffer through lower patient satisfaction and increased recruiting costs. Based on our findings, we offer five recommendations to maximize the well-being of physicians in ambulatory care settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Management and Marketing, Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration, 164 Alston Hall, Box 870225, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA. ewilliam@cba.ua.edu
authors.forename: Eric S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linzer
authors.forename: Donald E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Pathman
authors.forename: Julia E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: McMurray
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Konrad
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D020399:Practice Management; D014481:United States