Organizational Member Attitudes According to Workplace Type of Dental Hygienist

Background: This study aimed to investigate whether there is a difference in organizational member attitudes by workplace environment and workplace types in dental hygienists working at dental health centers. Methods: A face-to-face survey or online survey was administered to dental hygienists working at dental health centers, and a total of 95 subjects were included. The survey includes 13 items to ask factors affecting employee's job satisfaction. Also, some questions were included to assess perception of organizational member attitude: five about organizational citizenship behavior, two about innovative behavior, and four about organizational commitment. Results: Dental hygienists working at dental clinics were more satisfied with their incomes and numbers of working days, while those from dental university hospitals and general hospitals were more satisfied with education support. In addition, hygienists working at dental hospitals were more satisfied with job autonomy, individual work capability, safe working environment, personal relation, potential for personal development, and positive labor-management relations, compared to those working at general and university hospitals (p<0.05). Among the items about perception of organizational member attitudes, the scores of items about organizational citizenship behaviors were higher, whereas the scores of items about innovative behaviors were relatively lower. Individuals working at dental hospitals than those working at general and university hospitals, chiefs and team and department leaders than team members, and those with increased satisfaction with current workplace had more positive perception of organizational member attitudes. Conclusion: For dental hygienists to have positive attitudes as organizational members, working environment should be improved, and executives of dental healthcare centers should pay attention to improving job satisfaction of organizational members. Moreover, since dental hygienists need to improve their perception of innovative behaviors and citizenship behaviors to strengthen specialty of dental hygienists in a changing dental healthcare, relevant training should be addressed in refresher courses or school programs.