Caring from the core – A case study of employee percieved motivation and job satisfaction as a response to organizational change

The social and healthcare sector is facing several challenges in the future, on both global and national level. The aging of the population, shortage of nurses, digital transformation and in Finland Sote reform, are a few of the most prominent changes in the near future. Also, occupational and organizational wellbeing, and their link to organizational performance, gain attention in the media. Job satisfaction and motivation of the employees are being recognized as means to improve organizational performance and even profitability. Municipal mergers are very common and small municipalities face these in the future. Lapinjärvi municipality has introduced the strategy of Ihmislähtöinen Kunta, as an unique approach to stay viable and attractive for inhabitants. The strategy regards the whole municipality, and includes organizational changes in many working communities. In the elderly care, these changes relate to the introduction of the Person Centerd Care- model. The objective of this research was to identify aspects that prominently influence employee job satisfaction and motivation in elderly care in Lapinjärvi, during this strategic change process. Theories and previous research on motivation are presented as a conceptual framework for the research. The data collection of this research was conducted by using focus group interviews at three occasions during March 2017. The most prominently influencing factors were seen to be good co-workers, shown appreciation, communication, and leadership. The job in itself was experienced as demanding, but simultaneously as a resource for motivation and job satisfaction. The employees perceived change to be necessary and appreciated the efforts from the municipality to cope with contemporary challenges relating to elderly care. However, the employees felt that leadership skills and communication skills were inadequate, and wished for possibilities to participate in planning and decision-making processes. This research provides information on the current state of the motivation and job satisfaction of employees in elderly care Lapinjärvi. The results can be used to improve job satisfaction and as guidelines when planning future changes and strategy implementation. The results are also consistent with previous research on factors promoting or decreasing perceived motivation and job satisfaction