OBJECTIVES: Public service motivation refers to the idea of commitment to the public service, pursuit of the public interest, and the desire to perform work that is worthwhile to society. This study investigates how challenge stress and hindrance stress influence job performance among healthcare workers in Chinese public hospitals. It has also examined the mediating effect of public service motivation. METHODS: Data of 1594 healthcare workers were obtained from typical public hospitals in eastern, central, and western China. To test our hypotheses, we used descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and subgroup analysis to investigate the sample. RESULTS: Challenge stress and hindrance stress were strongly correlated among healthcare workers in Chinese public hospitals (β = 0.59; p < 0.001). Challenge stress was significantly positively associated with public service motivation (β = 0.14; p < 0.001) and job performance (β = 0.13; p < 0.001). Hindrance stress was significantly negatively associated with public service motivation (β = - 0.27; p < 0.001) and job performance (β = - 0.08; p < 0.05). Public service motivation was directly positively associated with job performance (β = 0.58; p < 0.001), and it indirectly mediated the association between job stress and job performance. CONCLUSIONS This study provides important empirical evidence on the effects of job stress and public service motivation on job performance among healthcare workers in Chinese public hospitals. Job performance may be raised by limiting hindrance stress, which provides moderate challenge stress and increases public service motivation.
Adult ; China ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Health Personnel ; psychology ; Hospitals, Public ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Motivation ; Occupational Stress ; psychology ; Public Sector ; Regression Analysis ; Self Report ; Work Performance ; Workplace ; psychology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the role of social support in presenteeism by examining organizational commitment among Chinese healthcare workers. METHODS: One thousand four hundred thirty-four healthcare workers from 6 hospitals in 4 Chinese cities completed a questionnaire measuring presenteeism, social support, and organizational commitment. With organizational commitment as the mediator, regression analyses and structural equation modeling were used to test the model. RESULTS: Organizational commitment was directly inversely associated with presenteeism (β = - 0.42, p < 0.001). Coworker support was moderately but significantly inversely associated with presenteeism (β = - 0.15, p < 0.001), but the path from supervisor support to presenteeism was not significant (β = 0.05, p > 0.05). The correlation between supervisor support and coworker support was significant (β = 0.71, p <0.001). Supervisor support and coworker support were significantly positively associated with organizational commitment (β = 0.41, p < 0.001, and β = 0.14, p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Supervisor support was more important in promoting organizational commitment, while coworker support was more effective in reducing presenteeism. The mediating effect of organizational commitment was significant.