Hospital employees' organizational democracy perceptions and its effects on organizational citizenship behaviors

Abstract

Objectives: This research was designed to investigate organizational democracy perceptions and organizational citizenship behaviors of hospital employees. Material and Methods: Population of this descriptive study are consisted of employees (N=2290) in two university hospitals. Sampling was designated via stratified sampling method (n=582). Data were collected via a survey questionnaire that includes demographics, Organizational Democracy Scale and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors Scale. The data were analyzed by frequencies, mean, t-test, One-Way ANOVA, Chronbach's Alfa, Correlation and Regression analyses. Results: Results revealed that employees' perceived democracy level in their organizations was in medium range; that democracy level perceived by female participants and nurses was in low level; and that in parallel with the length of total employment the level of perceived democracy decreased. It was also identified that organizational citizenship behaviors were significantly related to gender, profession, and total employment length. Furthermore significant relations were detected between perceived organizational democracy level and organizational citizenship behaviors. Conclusions: Organizational democracy perceptions nourish organizational citizenship behaviors. To enable employees to feel like citizens of their organization and promote their disposition toward organizational citizenship behaviors organizations are suggested to activate democratic practices effective to unveil employees' organizational democracy perception and/or further empower that view.