Measuring social responsibility towards employees in healthcare settings in Egypt and its interrelation to their job satisfaction.

OBJECTIVES: Developing a valid tool to measure perceived social responsibility (SR) practices towards employees and examining the impact of employee-centered SR considerations on the employees' job satisfaction.

METHODS: A cross sectional survey of employees at three private hospitals was conducted. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. It consists of baseline characteristics, structured SR measuring scale, job satisfaction questionnaire and Perception of Empowerment Instrument (PEI).

RESULTS: The questionnaire developed to measure SR towards employees showed excellent internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha is > 0.7). A considerable number of SR criteria were perceived as partially or fully met by the majority of studied employees except for rewarding, training activities, salary satisfaction and enhancement activities. Significant correlation was found between employees' job satisfaction and all domains of SR as well as employees' empowerment. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that significant predictors of employee's satisfaction are fulfillment of economic and social responsibility criteria as well as the level of perceived empowerment.

CONCLUSIONS: In healthcare industry in Egypt, fulfillment of the basis for SR is one of the predictors of achieving high job satisfaction. Extra-performance rewarding and career development should be looked at while managing human resources.