Psychological capital, contract violation and medical doctors’ retention in the Nigerian healthcare sector

Abstract

Introduction: The global healthcare sector is currently facing an unprecedented crisis, primarily attributed to the emigration of medical personnel especially from developing and under-developed countries to high-income nations. Among the countries most significantly impacted is Nigeria, which has recorded one of the highest numbers of migrating medical doctors globally. This situation has placed Nigeria in a considerably disadvantaged position, particularly given the substantial burden of disease prevalent in the country. Consequently, the moderating role of psychological capital (PsyCap) in the influence of contract violation and employee retention was examined in this study.

Methods: The study adopted cross-sectional research design and gathered data from a total of 362 medical doctors (resident doctors = 252; house officers = 110; Males = 56.6%; Females = 43.4%). Data were collected using employee retention scale, psychological contract violation (PCV) scale and psychological capital scale.

Results: The findings indicated that PCV had a significant and negative influence on the retention of medical doctors (β = -.37; p < .01). However, when moderated by PsyCap, PCV had a significant and positive influence on the retention of medical doctors (β = .21; p < .01).

Conclusion: Based on the findings, it was concluded that when medical doctors possess higher levels of PsyCap, it is strong enough to suppress the negative effect that PCV initially would have on their intention to remain committed to work with the medical institution in Nigeria. It was therefore recommended that medical doctors should be provided with interventions designed to enhance their psychological capital qualities (Resilience, hope, optimism, and self-efficacy).