| 1. |
- Bergström, Kamilla, et al.
(författare)
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EXPLORING POSITIVE PERCEPTIONS OF DENTAL WORK IN SWEDEN AND DENMARK
- 2009
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Objectives: Dentistry is an example of human service work, involving cognitively, emotionally and technically demanding tasks. These tasks are potentially implicative of negative as well as positive personal effects. The aim was to study work enjoyment, satisfaction with work, and good working life, comparing Danish and Swedish general dental practitioners. Materials and methods: In 2008, a questionnaire was sent to a randomly selected sample of practicing dentists in Sweden (n=900) and Denmark (n=937). The study was approved by the Swedish regional ethical board. Distribution analysis and Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparison between the groups Swedes/Danes, private-/public practitioners, and dentists with/without management responsibility. Results: Response rate was 68%, whereas 51% were Swedes and 49% Danes. Sixty percent had management responsibility and 40% had not. Further, 58% were private and 37% were public practitioners. Frequency analysis showed that almost three fourths of the dentists experienced a high or a very high degree of (1) work enjoyment (73%), (2) of satisfaction with their work as a whole (72%) and (3) of a good working life (74%). The items (1) and (2) showed differences between all three groups: Danes, private practitioners and dentists with management responsibility scored higher than their counterparts (p≤0.05). Item (3) showed similar results (p≤0.05), except for the comparison Danes/Swedes, which was non-significant. Conclusions: The initial results corroborate that Danish and Swedish dentists have positive perceptions of their work. The differences between the three groups are to be further studied to track potential correlations promoting positive perceptions of work. Funding: The Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research, Malmö University, The Danish Dental Association.
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| 2. |
- Bergström, Kamilla, et al.
(författare)
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Organizational affiliation and overall job satisfaction among Danish and Swedish dentists
- 2009
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Ingår i: Abstract book.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Objectives: Good work in dentistry concerns the manual skills as well as the patient relation. The ability to provide quality care in dentistry is not only dependent on individual resources but also on work organization, which can affect the job satisfaction. This study aims to describe dentists in different organizational settings in Sweden and Denmark and the relation to their overall job satisfaction. Materials and methods: In 2008, a questionnaire was sent to a random proportionally stratified sample of practicing dentists in Sweden (n=898) and Denmark (n=937). The study was approved by the Swedish regional ethical board. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used on three items aiming to measure overall job satisfaction; (1) work fulfillment, (2) satisfaction with the work as a whole, and (3) the perception of having a good working life. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare the overall job satisfaction between Swedish and Danish private and public practitioners. Results: The response rate was 68%, whereas 51% were Swedes and 49% Danes, 62% were women and 32% men. Further, 61% were private and 39% were public practitioners. PCA on the three items showed a one factor solution with 78% variance explained. The PCA was stable when splitting the sample as to gender and organizational affiliation. An index for overall job satisfaction was established, having a Cronbach’s alpha 0.86. The overall job satisfaction means (range 3-15) for the four subgroups were; Swedish public (11.0) and private (11.8) practitioners and Danish public (11.9) and private (11.8) practitioners. Statistically significant differences were found between the groups (P< 0.001). Conclusions: The average response rate was reasonably satisfactory. The PCA showed an index of overall job satisfaction as a measure of eudaimonic work life elements as well as more practical contentment with work. The initial results showed that Danish and Swedish dentists have a high overall job satisfaction. The Swedish public practitioners had the lowest overall job satisfaction compared to the other groups. The results are to be further analyzed as to more specific organizational differences. Funding: The Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research, Malmö University, The Danish Dental Association.
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| 3. |
- Bergström, Kamilla, et al.
(författare)
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Overall job satisfaction among dentists in Sweden and Denmark : A comparative study, measuring positive aspects of work
- 2010
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Ingår i: Acta Odontologica Scandinavica. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0001-6357 .- 1502-3850. ; 68:6, s. 344-353
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective. Human service work differs from industrial work, which should be considered when organizing work. Previous research has shown organizational differences in the perceptions of work, often with a focus on negative aspects. The aim of this study was to analyse the overall job satisfaction among private- and public-practising dentists in Sweden and Denmark. This also implied a description of the questionnaire Swedish and Danish Dentists' Perceptions of Good Work about opportunities and positive and rewarding aspects of work. Material and methods. A questionnaire covering the multidimensional concept of good work was developed. A total of 1835 dentists randomly sampled from the dental associations were sent a questionnaire in November 2008. A special non-response study was performed. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to create a measure of overall job satisfaction, comparing four organizational subgroups. Results. The average net response rate was 68% (n = 1226). The special non-response study of the Danish private practitioners showed more males, managers and dentists with more working hours than the respondents. PCA of three satisfaction questions showed a stable one-factor solution. There were differences in job satisfaction, with Danish public dentists ranked highest in overall job satisfaction and Swedish public dentists lowest. Conclusions. There were organizational differences in the perception of job satisfaction. Further analysis of how the human service is organized in the different groups is needed.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Berthelsen, Hanne, et al.
(författare)
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Collaboration among Danish dentists in private general practices
- 2007
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Perceived social support is a central concept in classical stress models and is known to be important to health. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent Danish general dental practitioners support each other, in relation to background factors. Methods The study was a cross-sectional survey with a postal questionnaire sent to 300 dentists who were randomly selected members of the Danish Dental Association. Response rate was 80% after one reminder. Factor analyses of items describing collaboration among colleagues were performed. The extracted support factors were used as outcome variables in multiple regression analyses with background factors like age, gender, and work characteristics as independent variables. Results Two factors were extracted describing perceived support and were interpreted as emotional and practical support. The regression analyses with support as dependent variables gave the following main results (Model 1: R2=0.34; F=13.53 8/184; p≤0.000; Model 2: R2=0.24; F=8.50 8/184; p≤0.000): • Dentists from solo practices perceived significantly less emotional and practical support than dentists working in bigger units (p=0.002; p= 0.001); • The more time dentists spent with colleagues outside the clinical sphere, the more emotional support was perceived (p≤0.000). A parallel relation, but weaker was found for practical support (p=0.041); • Male dentists reported significantly less emotional support than their female colleagues (p=0.004). A similar gender difference was not found for practical support (p=0.843). • Being single in private life was associated with less perception of practical support compared to married dentists (p=0.044). Conclusion The study underlines the importance of structural and cultural conditions in work environment for the perception of social support from colleagues. Acknowledgements The study was financially supported by Telia and PFA.
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| 6. |
- Berthelsen, Hanne, et al.
(författare)
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Collegial Support and Community with Trust in Swedish and Danish dentistry
- 2011
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Ingår i: Acta Odontologica Scandinavica. - : Informa Healthcare. - 0001-6357 .- 1502-3850. ; 69:6, s. 343-354
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives. The aim of the study was to better understand the associations between work factors and professional support among dentists (Collegial Support) as well as the sense of being part of a work community characterized by trust (Community with Trust). Methods. A questionnaire was sent to 1835 general dental practitioners, randomly selected from the members of dental associations in Sweden and Denmark in 2008. The response rate was 68%. Two models with the outcome variables Collegial Support and being part of a Community with Trust were built using multiple hierarchical linear regression. Demographic background factors, work factors, managerial factors and factors relating to objectives and to values characterizing climate of the practice were all introduced as blocks into the models. Results. A different pattern emerged for Collegial Support than for Community with Trust, indicating different underlying mechanisms. The main results were: (I) Female, married/cohabitant, collegial network outside the practice, common breaks, formalized managerial education of leader and a climate characterized by professional values, which were positively associated with Collegial Support, while number of years as a dentist and being managerially responsible were negatively associated. (II) Common breaks, decision authority and a climate characterized by professional values were positively associated with Community with Trust. Conclusion. A professionally-oriented practice climate and having common breaks at work were strongly associated with both outcome variables. The study underlined the importance of managing dentistry in a way which respects the professional ethos of dentists.
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| 7. |
- Berthelsen, Hanne, et al.
(författare)
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Decision Authority among Dentists from Denmark and Sweden
- 2009
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Ingår i: Abstract book.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Objectives: Karasek and Theorell define job control as the worker's control over work tasks and performance during the working day. This study aims to analyze differences in job control as decision authority over aspects of the work, among general dental practitioners from Denmark and Sweden. Materials and methods: In 2008, a questionnaire was sent to 1835 general dental practitioners, randomly selected from the dental associations in Sweden and Denmark (17% of the eligible population). The response rate was 68% after two reminders. Principal Components Analysis was applied to eight items about influence. Based on the resulting two factors, additive indices were established to measure decision authority: “influence on scheduling appointments” (2 items) and “general influence” (6 items). ANOVA with Tukey's HSD test was used for comparison between groups based on nationality and sector for dentists with/without managerial responsibility. For analyses without equal variances, Kruskal-Wallis test was applied. Results: Influence on scheduling appointments: In both Denmark and Sweden, dentists from the public sector reported lower influence on scheduling appointments than private practitioners (p≤0.01). Comparing dentists from the same sector showed no significant differences between the countries, neither after controlling for managerial responsibility. Dentists with managerial responsibility had higher influence than employed dentists (p≤0.001). Influence in general: For dentists without leadership tasks, similar patterns were seen. In contrast, Swedish dentists with managerial responsibility reported higher general influence than their Danish colleagues (p≤0.01). Independently of gender and nationality, private managers had higher general influence than their public counterpart (p≤0.01). Dentists with managerial responsibility had higher influence than employed dentists (p≤0.001). Conclusion and perspective: Differences in decision authority were found between general dental practitioners working in the public and the private sector in both countries. The results may reflect different management cultures as well as different structural organization of the work. In light of changes in demands made on health care professionals it is important to secure decision authority in order to keep work balance as well as quality in care. The authors wish to acknowledge the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research, Malmö University and The Danish Dental Association for financial support.
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| 8. |
- Berthelsen, Hanne, et al.
(författare)
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"Good Work"
- 2007
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Konferensbidrag (populärvet., debatt m.m.)
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| 9. |
- Berthelsen, Hanne, et al.
(författare)
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Good work : the relations between social capital, influence at work and perceived quality of work
- 2014
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Ingår i: The 8th Novo symposium Sustainable Health Care Production Systems. - : Department of Management Engineering, Technical University of Denmark. ; , s. 15-15
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Introduction A model for Good Work, understood as positive and rewarding aspects of work, has previously been developed based on interviews including dentists working under different organizational systems. An overall finding was that a positive work climate with trustful relations and professional freedom was found important for being able to carry out high quality work. The aim of this presentation is to assess whether the central part of this model can be corroborated empirically. Material and methods All staff employed at public dentistry in two counties in Sweden received an email with a personal login to an electronic questionnaire. After two reminders a response rate of 78% and 81% respectively was obtained including a total of 610 respondents. Data from non-managerial dental hygienists and dentists with direct patient contact in their work were included in the analyses (N=198). The analyses are preliminary as data from more organizations are in the process of being collected. A scale was developed for perceived quality of the work done at the clinic. This scale was used as the dependent variable in a multiple linear hierarchical regression model. Independent variables: county, a scale developed to measure social support in relation to patient-work in addition to scales from the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire on horizontal trust, community at the workplace and influence. The study has been approved by the Regional Ethics Board in Southern Sweden and is funded by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE). Results A significant difference in average for perceived quality of work was seen in relation to organization, but this difference disappeared in the final regression model. Being part of a work-related community, having trusted relations and a good support were all significantly associated with a positive assessment of the quality of work performed at the workplace, while influence did not contribute to further explanation. The final regression model explained 35% of the variance of the outcome. Conclusion The overall model for Good Work was corroborated concerning the relationship between social capital and valuation of quality of care.
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| 10. |
- Berthelsen, Hanne, et al.
(författare)
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Good Work for dentists - a qualitative analysis
- 2010
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Ingår i: Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. - : Wiley. - 0301-5661 .- 1600-0528. ; 38:2, s. 159-170
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: This study explores dentists' perceptions of Good Work in the meaning of positive and rewarding aspects in their work in contrast to a traditional problem-centred focus on work life. Methods: Nine informants were selected among Danish and Swedish general dental practitioners to obtain variation as to country of origin, gender, age and clinical work experience. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim in the original language. Statements concerning positive aspects of work were used for systematic text condensation according to the principles of Giorgi's phenomenological analysis, as modified by Malterud, generalizing descriptions reflecting aspects of Good Work. Selection of participants continued until saturation of the emerging categories was achieved. Results: The core of Good Work emanates from the clinical encounter: from the relation with the patient and from the opportunity to carry out high quality odontological handicraft. Social relations at the workplace, as well as organizational values and conditions were perceived as influencing the opportunities to achieve the rewarding aspects from the clinical encounter. Conclusions: The results implicate a need for developing a work-environmental model with intrinsic as well as extrinsic rewards when dealing with human service organizations. At policy level it is necessary to address the professional culture.
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