Study on the job performance of Chinese physicians: a moderated mediation model

Abstract Background:To explore the mechanisms between achievement motivation and job performance among physicians of public hospitals in China, this article researched the influence of different personality traits on physicians' job performance. Methods: A survey conducted in 2017, containing samples of 1,523 physicians from eight tertiary grade A hospitals in Harbin, China.A cross-sectional study was applied to data collection about physicians’ achievement motivation, job performance, organizational commitment, personality traits and other demographic variables. This paper also analyzed the relationships between physicians’ job performance and achievement motivation using a moderated mediation model.Independent t-test and ANOVA were applied to describe and compare the demographic data. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine the correlation among the variables. To test the correlation of the eight variables, moderated mediation analysis was performed in this study. Results:Achievement motivation directly affects job performance of Chinese physicians, and organizational commitment partially mediates the direct effects of achievement motivation on job performance. Additionally, we also found that agreeableness and conscientiousness moderate the strength of the relationships between achievement motivation and job performance mediated by organizational commitment. Conclusions:Managers in Chinese public hospitals should pay attention to increase physicians’ level of achievement motivation, and we recommend to enhance organizational commitment through a reasonable compensation system and active organizational culture. And they should also tend to be conscientiousness or agreeableness in the arrangement. Key Words job performance; hospital management; achievement motivation; psychology; moderated mediation model