Exploring nurses’ perceptions of the influence of compensation on work performance at a South African state hospital

Abstract

This qualitative study explored nurses’ perceptions of compensation at a state hospital in South Africa and its influence on work performance. The research pursued three empirical objectives:  to explore nurses’ perceptions regarding the effect of compensation on their performance;  to examine how compensation packages might be structured to enhance performance; and  to identify interventions beyond compensation that could improve nurses’ performance. A purposive sample of 11 nurses was interviewed, achieving data saturation. The thematic analysis revealed five main themes: inadequate compensation, incentives and financial strain; workload and resource challenges; motivation to perform work; leadership and communication; and training and development. The findings indicated that while nurses expressed dissatisfaction with compensation and inequitable incentives, their performance is sustained through intrinsic motivation, professional pride, and commitment to patient care. However, systemic challenges such as staff shortages,resource constraints, ineffective leadership, and limited training opportunities were identified as significant barriers to morale and optimal performance. The study was limited by its single-site focus, small sample size, reliance on self-reported data, and the researcher’s insider status. Despite these limitations, the research provided valuable insight into the lived realities of nurses in the public health sector. Recommendations have been provided for future research, the participating hospital, and the field of Industrial and Organisational Psychology (IOP). These include expanding the research study across multiple sites; addressing compensation inequities; strengthening leadership and communication; investing in training and development; and advancing theory-practice integration within IOP. Overall, the study contributed to understanding how compensation and organisational practices intersect with intrinsic motivation to shape nurses’ performance in South Africa’s public health system. By situating nurses’ experiences within broader socio-political and organisational contexts, the research offers practical and theoretical insights for hospital management, policymakers, and the IOP discipline.

Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie het verpleegkundiges se persepsies van vergoeding by ’n staatshospitaal in Suid-Afrika en die invloed daarvan op werksprestasie ondersoek. Die navorsing het drie empiriese doelwitte nagestreef:  om verpleegkundiges se persepsies rakende die effek van vergoeding op hulle prestasie te ondersoek;  om te ondersoek hoe vergoedingspakkette gestruktureer kan word om prestasie te verbeter; en  om intervensies benewens vergoeding te identifiseer wat verpleegkundiges se prestasie kan verbeter. ’n Doelbewuste steekproef van 11 verpleegkundiges is ondervra en dataversadiging is bereik. Die tematiese analise het vyf hooftemas aan die lig gebring: onvoldoende vergoeding, aansporings en finansiële druk; werklas- en hulpbronuitdagings; motivering om werk te verrig; leierskap en kommunikasie; en opleiding en ontwikkeling. Die bevindinge het aangedui, dat hoewel verpleegkundiges ontevredenheid uitgespreek het met vergoeding en onbillike aansporings, hulle prestasie volgehou word deur intrinsieke motivering, professionele trots en toewyding aan pasiëntsorg. Sistemiese uitdagings soos personeeltekorte, hulpbronbeperkings, oneffektiewe leierskap en beperkte opleidingsgeleenthede is egter as beduidende hindernisse vir moraal en optimale prestasie geïdentifiseer. Die studie was beperk deurdat die fokus op een enkele terrein was, die klein steekproefgrootte, die afhanklikheid van selfgerapporteerde data en die navorser se binnekringstatus. Ten spyte van hierdie beperkings het die navorsing waardevolle insig verskaf in die lewenswerklikhede van verpleegkundiges in die openbare gesondheidsektor. Aanbevelings is gemaak vir toekomstige xvi navorsing, die deelnemende hospitaal en die veld van Bedryf- en Organisasiesielkunde. Dit sluit in die uitbreiding van die navorsingstudie oor verskeie terreine; die versterking van leierskap en kommunikasie; die belegging in opleiding en ontwikkeling; en die bevordering van teorie-praktyk-integrasie binne Bedryf- en Organisasiesielkunde. Oor die algemeen het die studie bygedra tot die begrip van hoe vergoeding en organisatoriese praktyke kruis met intrinsieke motivering om verpleegkundiges se prestasie in Suid-Afrika se openbare gesondheidstelsel te vorm. Deur verpleegkundiges se ervarings binne breër sosio-politieke en organisatoriese kontekste te plaas, bied die navorsing praktiese en teoretiese insigte vir hopsitaalbestuur, beleidmakers en die Bedryf- en Organisasiesielkunde-dissipline.

Nyakišišo ye ya khwalitheithifi e ile ya hlohlomiša dikgopolo tša baoki mabapi le tefo sepetleleng sa mmušo sa Afrika Borwa le khuetšo ya yona go phethagatšo ya mošomo. Nyakišišo e ile ya tsepelela ditebo tše tharo tša tebeledišišo, e lego go  hlohlomiša dikgopolo tša baoki mabapi le seabe sa tefo mošomong wa bona.  nyakišiša gore meputso le dikholego tša tefo di ka beakanywa bjang go kaonafatša phethagatšo ya mošomo.  hlaola ditsenogare tšeo di fetago tefo tšeo di ka kaonafatšago phethagatšo ya mošomo wa baoki. Go ile gwa boledišanwa le kemedi ye e kgethilwego ya baoki ba 11, go fihlelela kgoboketšo ya datha. Tshekatsheko ye e ka amantšhwago le hlogo ya nyakišišo e utolotše dihlogo tše hlano tše dikgolo: tefo yeo e sa lekanago; meputso le kgatelelo ya tša ditšhelete; tekanyo ya mošomo le ditlhohlo tša methopo; tutuetšo ya phethagatšo ya mošomo; boetapele le poledišano; le tlhahlo le tlhabollo. Dikhwetšo di bontšhitše gore gaešita le ge baoki ba be ba bontšha go se kgotsofale ka tefo le meputso ye e sa lokago, phethagatšo ya bona ya mošomo e tšwetšwa pele ke tutuetšo ya ka gare, boikgantšho bja mošomo le go ikgafa go hlokomeleng balwetši. Le ge go le bjalo, ditlhohlo tša tshepedišo tše bjalo ka go hlaelela ga bašomedi, go hlaelela ga methopo, boetapele bjo bo sa holego le dibaka tše di lekanyeditšwego tša tlhahlo di ile tša hlaolwa e le mapheko a magolo a go fokotša go ba le tutuetšo le go phethagatša mošomo gabotse. Nyakišišo e be e lekanyeditšwe ke go lebiša tlhokomelo lefelong le tee, bogolo bjo bonnyane bja kemedi, go ithekga ka tshedimošo yeo e begilwego ke motho ka noši le boemo bja motho yo a lego ka gare wa monyakišiši. Go sa šetšwe mafokodi a, nyakišišo e ile ya nea temogo e bohlokwa ya maitemogelo a baoki ka lekaleng la tša maphelo a setšhaba. Ditšhišinyo di ile tša newa bakeng sa nyakišišo ya nakong e tlago, sepetlele seo se kgathago tema le lefapha la Saekholotši ya Mokgatlo le Intasteri (IOP). Tše di akaretša go katološa thuto ya nyakišišo mafelong a mantši; go rarolla go se lekalekane ga tefo; go matlafatša boetapele le poledišano; go beeletša ka go tlhahlo le tlhabollo; le go tšwetša pele kopanyo ya teori le tirišo ka gare ga IOP. Ka kakaretšo, nyakišišo e ile ya thuša go kwešiša ka moo tefo le mekgwa ya go rulaganya e kopanago ka gona le tutuetšo ya ka gare ya go bopa phethagatšo ya mošomo ya baoki setemong ya tša maphelo a setšhaba ya Afrika Borwa. Ka go bea maitemogelo a baoki ka gare ga maemo a magolo a tša leago le dipolitiki le a mokgatlo, nyakišišo e nea ditemogo tše bohlokwa le tša teori bakeng sa taolo ya sepetlele, bahlami ba melao le lefapha la IOP