Job Satisfaction Among Psychologists in a Managed-Care Environment
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Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2001 Job Satisfaction Among Psychologists in a Managed-Care Environment Walter R. Vyhmeister Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Clinical Psychology Commons, and the Other Mental and Social Health Commons Recommended Citation Vyhmeister, Walter R., "Job Satisfaction Among Psychologists in a Managed-Care Environment" (2001). Dissertations. 758. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/758 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. 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Andrews University School of Education JOB SATISFACTION AMONG PSYCHOLOGISTS IN A MANAGED-CARE ENVIRONMENT A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Walter R. Vyhmeister June 2001 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3019338 Copyright 2001 by Vyhmeister. Waiter Roy All rights reserved. UMI UMI Microform 3019338 Copyright 2001 by Bell & Howell Information and Leaming Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Leaming Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © C opyright by W alter R. Vyhm eister 2001 All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. JOB SATISFACTION AMONG PSYCHOLOGISTS IN A MANAGED CARE ENVIRONMENT A dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy by W alter R. V yhm eister APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: Chair: Frederick A. Kosinski Jç E ducation Member: Nancy J. Nixen Carbonell Member: Jerome D. Thayer ixtemal: Don-Nee E. German Date approved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT JOB SATISFACTION AMONG PSYCHOLOGISTS IN A MANAGED-CARE ENVIRONMENT by W alter R. Vyhmeister Chair: Frederick A. Kosinski, Jr. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University School of Education Title: JOB SATISFACTION AMONG PSYCHOLOGISTS IN A MANAGED- CARE ENVIRONMENT Name of researcher: Walter R. Vyhmeister Name and degree of faculty chair: Frederick A. Kosinski Jr., Ph.D. Date completed: May 2001 The Problem The efforts of managed care to balance resources, cost, and quality of services have created new issues among mental health professionals, affecting their careers and having the potential to affect their job satisfaction. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to investigate how managed care has impacted career satisfaction among professional psychologists. The M ethod The present investigation examined 21 factors in the prediction of job satisfaction among licensed psychologists. A sample of 1,000 licensed Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. psychologists located in California, Oregon, and Washington was randomly selected from the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. Three hundred seventeen participants responded and 312 provided useable data. Participants completed a 44-question survey; 20 items were from the Short-Form Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (Short-Form MSQ; Weiss et al., 1967) and 24 items measured job characteristics and attitudes regarding managed care. The Results Bivariate correlations indicated that only 4 of the 21 variables were significantly related. Job satisfaction was positively correlated with the number of colleague providers present in a psychologists' practice and negatively correlated with (1) the general perception that managed care has a negative impact on the quality of care, (2) the specific perception that managed care has a negative impact on the quality of care by taking control of patient care, and (3) the perception that managed care has a negative impact on treatment by affecting the types of interventions used. Conclusions Stepwise regression procedures that were used in combination with theoretical and statistical criteria resulted in a prediction model of job satisfaction that included annual income, number of colleagues in practice, the general perception that managed care has a positive impact on the quality of care, and the specific perception that managed care has a negative impact on the Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. quality of care by controlling of patient care. Results were interpreted using Herzberg's (1966) Motivator-Hygiene theory of job satisfaction. Implications were proposed and directions for future research offered. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. To my wife, Cheryl, and my sons, Aric and Ross who sacrificed so much during my training. Ill Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS UST OF TABLES............................................................................................... vü ACKNOWLEDGMENTS................................................................................vüi Chapter I. INTRODUCTION................................................................................... 1 Background and Rationale for the Study ................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem .............................................................................5 Purpose of the Study .....................................................................................6 Definition of Terms ........................................................................................ 7 Significance of the Study .............................................................................. 8 Research Questions ........................................................................................ 8 H ypotheses .......................................................................................................9 Delimitations ................................................................................................. 13 Limitations of the Study ............................................................................. 13 Organization of the Study ..........................................................................14 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE...............................................................15 Distress and Job Performance Among Psychologists .........................15 Conceptualization of Job Satisfaction ......................................................16 Research on Job Satisfaction Among Qinical and Counseling Psychologists.......................................................................................... 24 Managed Care and Psychologists .............................................................33 m . M ETHOD.......................................................................................................42 Introduction ..................................................................................................