Purpose: The present study focuses on the job satisfaction (JS) and organizational commitment (OC) vis-à-vis doctors in Saudi Arabia. It is a cross-sectional study, and the instruments used for gauging the perceptions of the doctors for the study variables are organizational commitment questionnaire (OCQ) and job descriptive index (JDI). Data was collected from public hospitals located in six cities in Saudi Arabia. Inclusion/Exclusion criteria are established prior to the collection of data. The data was collected by students of the first semester studying in executive masters’ program HSAE 613 in King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah as integral part of their learning outcomes for application of statistical tools in hospital administration. The selected dimensions of job satisfaction in the present study are: work, pay, promotion, supervision, and co-workers. Statistical software (SPSS) was used for eliciting the requisite information to address the research questions. The outcomes of the present study will supplement decision-making process of power be in healthcare provider institutions while dealing with psychological aspects that affect job satisfaction and organizational commitment of doctors in public hospitals in Saudi Arabia.

Design/methodology/approach

(a) The data collected and used are cross-sectional and quantitative in nature.

(b) It is a correlational research where the researcher cannot intervene in the research setting.

(c) Convenience sampling is used in the selection of respondents.

(d) Only doctors currently employed in public hospitals participated  in the study. A total of 170 doctors from six cities in Saudi Arabia participated in the study. The measures used were job descriptive index (JDI) and organizational commitment questionnaire (OCQ).

Findings: The results showed that promotion has the highest impact on JS and OC. Also, JS is a highly significant predictor of OC.

Research limitations/implications  

(a) The current study is restricted to only six cities, in Saudi Arabia, and only public hospitals are explored so the generalizability of the current study may to some extent is constrained.

(b) Gender disparity is witnessed as only 39% of the respondents were female doctors.

Originality/Value: Doctors are the first group to handle a medical contingency and throughout the Middle East are always in short supply, hence the raison d’etre emerges. Therefore, the healthcare organizations should have a proper insight into the JS and OC of doctors.

job satisfaction, organizational commitment, doctors, dimensions, variation explained.

Received: December 3, 2021; Accepted: December 18, 2021; Published: January 11, 2022

How to cite this article: Abdullah M. Almarashi, Saud Al Wadei, Ahmed Suliman Alajaj, Ahmad Zogphee M. Alshoqiqe, Mahdi Naser Altherwi, Sami Habib Almubarak, Hussain Bin Howaij Alsulea, Hussam Abdulaziz Madkhali, Faisal Fahad Alnemari, Nhari Mohammed Malhan, Ahmed Faisal AlThaher, Ahmed A. Almurashi, Abdulalim Al Marashi and Khushnoor Khan, Job satisfaction and organizational commitment of doctors: a case study of Saudi Arabia, JP Journal of Biostatistics 19 (2022), 15-35. DOI: 10.17654/0973514322002

This Open Access Article is Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

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