EVALUATION OF THE WORK MOTIVATION SYSTEM OF DENTISTS AND APPROACHES FOR ITS IMPROVEMENT

Abstract

Background. Effective personnel management is one of the key factors for the sustainable development of healthcare facilities in the context of the transformation of the healthcare system, increasing competition in the healthcare services market, and growing patient expectations. Staff motivation is considered a fundamental element that ensures the alignment of the team activities with the institution’s values and the patient-centered approach. The issue of work motivation among medical professionals has attracted considerable attention from the global scientific community. International studies indicate that the motivational profile of a dentist evolves: while financial security and prestige often dominate at the stage of career choice, the concept of “dentistry as a lifestyle,” schedule flexibility, and autonomy come to the forefront during professional practice. Researchers in Ukraine also emphasize the need to modernize management approaches through the introduction of economic independence of healthcare facilities and the improvement of technical infrastructure. However, despite a significant number of theoretical developments, the mechanisms for adapting these models to the conditions of modern Ukrainian healthcare facilities with different ownership structures require deeper empirical analysis. Purpose of the study is to assess dentists’ level of satisfaction with the current work motivation system and to substantiate the directions for its improvement based on the results of a questionnaire. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted using sociological and analytical methods. The main method of collecting the primary information was a questionnaire survey, which allowed obtaining a generalized assessment of motivational factors and respondents’ attitude to the current motivational policy of employers. The study material was the results of a questionnaire survey of 33 practicing dentists. Results. The study surveyed 33 practicing dentists. The results showed that although the salary remains the primary incentive for 87.9% of respondents, only 6.1% of respondents are completely satisfied with their current remuneration. The study revealed a critical lack of systematic financial incentives: more than 70% of doctors receive no bonuses or incentives. At the same time, non-material factors were also highly significant, such as opportunities for professional development (63.8%) and team climate (57.6%). Low transparency of the motivational policy was identified as a problem: only 15.2% of participants considered the current system to be fair and transparent. In general, almost half of respondents (48.4%) assessed the existing incentive system negatively. Based on these findings, the authors developed a pyramid model of motivation that integrates a material foundation with intangible, organizational, professional, psychological, and informational components. Conclusions. The questionnaire study confirmed the presence of a significant imbalance between the expectations of dentists and the current management practices. The proposed pyramid model of motivation, which combines all types of incentives and information transparency, is aimed at increasing work efficiency, reducing staff turnover, fostering employee loyalty, and improving the quality of dental services through the high motivation of medical staff.