Measurement of attitudes of U.K. dental practitioners to core job constructs.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a measure to identify dental practitioner attitudes towards core job dimensions relating to job satisfaction and motivation and to test this against practice characteristics and provider attributes of U.K. practitioners.


METHODS
an 83-item questionnaire was developed from open-ended interviews with practitioners and use of items in previously used dentist job satisfaction questionnaires. This was subsequently sent to 684 practitioners. Item analysis reduced the item pool to 40 items and factor analysis (PCA) was undertaken.


RESULTS
440 (64%) dentists responded. Factor analysis resulted in six factors being identified as distinguishable job dimensions, overall Cronbach's alpha = 0.88. The factors were: 'restriction in being able to provide quality care (F1)', 'respect from being a dentist (F2)', 'control of work (F3)', 'running a practice (F4)', 'clinical skills (F5)', and 'caring for patients (F6)'. All six factors were correlated with a global job satisfaction score, although F1 was most strongly related (r = 0.60). Regression model analysis revealed that 'whether the dentist worked within the National Health Service or wholly or partly in the private sector' (p < 0.001), 'time since qualification' (p = 0.009), and the position of the dentist within the practice (whether a practice owner or associate dentist), (p = 0.047) were predictive of this factor.


CONCLUSIONS
Six core job constructs of U.K. practitioners have been identified, together with several practice characteristics and practitioner attributes which predict these factors. The study demonstrates the importance of refining measures of dentists' job satisfaction to take account of the culture and the system in which the practitioner works.
Harris
R V
RV
Liverpool University School of Dental Sciences, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5PS, United Kingdom. R.V.Harris@liverpool.ac.uk
Ashcroft
A
A
Burnside
G
G
Dancer
J M
JM
Smith
D
D
Grieveson
B
B
D000328:Adult; D003815:Dentists / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics; D015279:Organizational Culture; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013218:State Dentistry / Q000191:economics*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D016526:Workload / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data