Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Contextual Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Community Mental Health Centers Undergoing System Changes in the Financing of Care

  • Published:
Mental Health Services Research

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between contextual factors and job satisfaction and organizational commitment among a sample of 148 administrators and staff in 17 community mental health centers undergoing the transition from fee-for-service (FFS) reimbursement to capitation of Medicaid-funded mental health services in Colorado. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to assess both organizational level factors as well as factors at the individual level of analysis in relation to job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Results indicated significant associations between type of financing for Medicaid-funded services and organizational commitment. Direct, nonprofit capitation was positively linked to organizational commitment, relative to traditional FFS reimbursement. Aggregate perceptions about the organization, including its culture and climate, and the formalization of policies and procedures were strongly linked to job attitudes, over and above individual perceptions about the organization. Individual perceptions of the organization were also related to job attitudes as was respondent level within the hierarchy of the organization. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for research and intervention in mental health service settings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Barber, G. (1986). Correlates of job satisfaction among human service workers. Administration in Social Work, 10(1), 26-38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bickman, L. (1996). A continuum of care: More is not always better. American Psychologist, 51, 689-701.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bickman, L., Guthrie, P. R., Foster, E. M., Lambert, E. W., Summerfelt, W. T., Breda, C. S., et al. (1995). Evaluating managed mental health services: The Fort Bragg experiment. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bloom, J. R., Toerber, G., Hausman, J. W., Cuffel, B. J., & Barrett, T. J. (1995). Colorado's capitation plan: An analysis of capitation for mental health services. Policy Studies Journal, 22(4), 681-690.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradford, D. L., & Cohen, A. R. (1984). Managing for excellence: The guide for developing high performance organizations. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryk, A. S., & Raudenbush, S. W. (1992). Hierarchical linear models: Application and data analysis methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bureau of the Census. (1995). County and city data book. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burke, J. (1995). Management practices, employees' satisfaction, and perceptions of quality of service. Psychological Reports, 77, 748-750.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, E., & Bloom, J. R. (2000). Managed care and service capacity development in a public mental health delivery system. Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 28(2), 63-74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, S., & Eimicke, W. (1998). Tools for innovators: Creative strategies for managing public sector organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooke, R. A., & Rousseau, D. M. (1988). Behavioral norms and expectations: A quantitative approach to the assessment of organizational culture. Group and Organization Studies, 13, 245-273.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daft, R. L. (1995). Organization theory and design (5th ed.). St. Paul, MN: West Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Denison, D. R. (1996). What is the difference between organizational culture and organizational climate? A native's point of view on a decade of paradigm wars. Academy of Management Review, 21(3), 619-654.

    Google Scholar 

  • Denison, D. R., & Mishra, A. K. (1995). Toward a theory of organizational culture and effectiveness. Organization Science, 6(2), 204-223.

    Google Scholar 

  • Florin, P., Giamartino, G. A., Kenny, D. A., & Wandersman, A. (1990). Levels of analysis and effects: Clarifying group influence and climate by separating individual and group effects. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 20(11), 881-900.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glisson, C. (1992). Structure and technology in human service organizations. In Y. Hasenfeld (Ed.), Human services as complex organizations (pp. 184-202). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glisson, C. (2000). Organizational climate and culture. In R. Patti (Ed.), The handbook of social welfare administration (pp. 195-218). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glisson, C., & Durrick, M. (1988). Predictors of job satisfaction and organizational commitment in human service organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 33, 61-81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glisson, C., & Hemmelgarn, A. (1998). The effects of organizational climate and interorganizational coordination on the quality and outcomes of children's service systems. Child Abuse and Neglect, 22(5), 401-421.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldman, H. H., Morrissey, J. P., & Ridgely, M. S. (1996). Evaluating the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Program on Chronic Mental Illness. Milbank Quarterly, 72(1), 37-47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, J. (1998). Creating a high performance work culture at Chaparral Steel. In M. K. Gowing & J. D. Kraft (Eds.), The new organizational reality: Downsizing, restructuring, and revitalization, (pp. 99-110).Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hage, J., & Aiken, M. (1969). Routine technology, social structure, and organizational goals. Administrative Science Quarterly, 14, 368-369.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hasenfeld, Y. (1992). The nature of human service organizations. In Y. Hasenfeld (Ed.), Human services as complex organizations (pp. 3-23). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hausman, J. W., Wallace, N., & Bloom, J. R. (1998). Managed mental health experience in Colorado. New Directions for Mental Health Services, 78, 107-114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hemmelgarn, A., Glisson, C., & Dukes, D. (2001). Emergency room culture and the emotional support component of family-centered care. Children's Health Care, 30(2), 93-110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, D. A., & Gavin, M. (1998). Centering decisions in hierarchical linear models: Implications for research in organizations. Journal of Management, 24(5), 623-642.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hohmann, A. A. (1999). A contextual model for clinical mental health effectiveness research. Mental Health Services Research, 1, 83-91.

    Google Scholar 

  • James, L. A., & Jones, A.P. (1974). Organizational climate: A review of theory and research. Psychological Bulletin, 81, 1096-1112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joyce, W. F., & Slocum, J.W. (1982). Correlates of climate discrepancy. Human Relations, 35, 951-972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joyce, W. F., & Slocum, J. W. (1990). Strategic context and organizational climate. In B. Schneider (Ed.), Organizational climate and culture (pp. 130-150). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanter, R. M. (1983). The change masters. New York: Simon & Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kenny, D. A., & LaVoie, L. (1985). Separating individual and group effects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48, 339-348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kopelman, R. E., Brief, A. P., & Guzzo, R. A. (1990). The role of culture and climate in productivity. In B. Schneider (Ed.), Organizational climate and culture (pp. 282-318). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kreft, I., & DeLeeuw, J. (1998). Introducing multilevel modeling. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larson, E. W., & Fukami, C. V. (1984). Relationships between worker behavior and commitment to the organization and union. Academy of Management Proceedings, 34, 222-226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehman, A. F., Postrado, L. T., Roth, D., McNary, S. W., & Goldman, H. H. (1994). Continuity of care and client outcomes in the Robert Wood Johnson Program on Chronic Mental Illness. The Milbank Quarterly, 72(1), 105-122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manz, C., & Sims, H. P. (1987). Leading workers to lead themselves: The external leadership of self-managing work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 32, 106-128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manz, C., & Sims, H. P. (1989). Super leadership: Leading others to lead themselves. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mathieu, J. E., & Zajac, D. M. (1990). A review and meta-analysis of the antecedents, correlates, and consequences of organizational commitment. Psychological Bulletin, 108(2), 171-194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mechanic, D. (1998). The changing face of mental health managed care. New Directions for Mental Health Services, 78, 7-14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrissey, J., Calloway, M., Bartko, W. T., Ridgely, M. S., Goldman, H. H., & Paulson, R. I. (1994). Local mental health authorities and service system change: Evidence from the Robert Wood Johnson Program on Chronic Mental Illness. The Milbank Quarterly, 72(1), 49-80.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Council on Mental Health Centers. (1993). The Managed Care Readiness Survey. Rockville, MD: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ostroff, C. (1992). The relationship between satisfaction, attitudes, and performance: An organizational level of analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77(6), 963-974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peters, T. J., & Austin, N. (1985). A passion for excellence: The leadership difference. New York: Random House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petty, M. M., McGee, G. W., & Cavender, J. W. (1984). A meta-analysis of the relationships between individual job satisfaction and individual performance. Academy of Management Review, 9, 712-721.

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter, L. W., & Smith, F. J. (1970). The etiology of organizational commitment. Unpublished paper, University of California, Irvine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quinn, R. P., & Staines, G. L. (1979). The 1977 Quality of Employment Survey. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan, Institute for Survey Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reichers, A. E., & Schneider, B. (1990). Climate and culture: An evolution of constructs. In B. Schneider (Ed.), Organizational climate and culture (pp. 5-39). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rousseau, D. M. (1978). Characteristics of departments, positions, and individuals: Contexts for attitudes and behavior. Administrative Science Quarterly, 23, 521-540.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rousseau, D. M. (1985). Issues of level in organizational research: Multilevel and cross-level perspectives. In L. L. Cummings & B. M. Staw (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior (pp. 1-38). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rousseau, D. M. (1988). The construction of climate in organizational research. In C. L. Cooper & I. Robertson (Eds.), International review of industrial organizational psychology (Vol. 3). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rousseau, D. M. (1990). Normative beliefs in fundraising organizations: Linking culture to organizational performance and individual responses. Group and Organization Studies, 15(4), 448-460.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schein, E. H. (1996). Culture: The missing concept in organization studies. Administrative Science Quarterly, 41, 229-240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, B. (1975). Organizational climates: An essay. Personnel Psychology, 28, 447-449.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, B. (1990). The climate for service: An application of the climate construct. In B. Schneider (Ed.), Organizational climate and culture (pp. 383-412). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schorr, L. B. (1997). Common purpose: Strengthening families and neighborhoods to rebuild America. New York: Anchor Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, W. R. (1998). Organizations: Rational, natural, and open systems, (4th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shinn, M. (1990). Mixing and matching: Levels of conceptualization, measurement, and statistical analysis in community research. In P. H. Tolan, C. Keys, F. Chertok, & L. Jason (Eds.), Researching community psychology: Integrating theories and methods (pp. 111-126). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shinn, M., & Rapkin, B. D. (2000). Cross-level analysis without cross-ups. In J. Rappaport & E. Seidman (Eds.), Handbook of community psychology (pp. 669-695). New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shortell, S. M., O'Brien, J. L., Carman, J. L., Foster, R.W., Hughes, E. F. X., Boerstler, H., et al. (1995). Assessing the impact of continuous quality improvement/total quality management: Concept versus implementation. Health Services Research, 30(2), 377-401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shortell, S. M., Zimmerman, J. E., Rousseau, D. M., Gillies, R. R., Wagner, D. P., Draper, E. A., et al. (1994). The performance of intensive care units: Does good management make a difference? Medical Care, 32(5), 508-525.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shrout, P. E., & Fleiss, J. L. (1979). Intraclass correlations: Uses in assessing rater reliability. Psychological Bulletin, 86(2), 420-428.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnik, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (1996). Using multivariate statistics (3rd ed.). New York: HarperCollins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tate, R. L., & Wongbundhit, Y. (1983). Random versus nonrandom coefficient models for multilevel analysis. Journal of Educational Statistics, 8, 103-120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van de Ven, A. H., Polley, D. E., Garnd, R., & Venkataraman, S. (1999). The innovation journey. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodward, J. (1965). Industrial organization. London: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, T. A., & Cropanzano, R. (2000). Psychological well-being and job satisfaction as predictors of job performance. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 5(1), 84-94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yukl, G., & Van Fleet, D. D. (1992). Theory and research on leadership in organizations. In M. D. Dunnette & L. M. Hough (Eds.), Handbook of industrial organizational psychology (2nd ed. Vol. 3, pp. 147-198). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Mental Health Services Research, University of California, Berkeley, California

    Anne Morris & Joan R. Bloom

  2. School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California

    Joan R. Bloom

Authors
  1. Anne Morris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joan R. Bloom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anne Morris.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Morris, A., Bloom, J.R. Contextual Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Community Mental Health Centers Undergoing System Changes in the Financing of Care. Ment Health Serv Res 4, 71–83 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015248116246

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015248116246

Search

Navigation