Person–Job Fit and Communication with Angry Patients Among Frontline Administrative Healthcare Staff: The Moderating Role of Job Tenure

Background: Effective communication with angry patients and their relatives is a critical determinant of patient satisfaction and service quality in healthcare settings. Medical secretaries, as frontline administrative healthcare staff, frequently manage emotionally demanding interactions with patients. However, limited research has examined the factors influencing their communication effectiveness in such situations. Objectives: This study investigates the association between person–job fit and frontline administrative healthcare staff’s communication competencies with angry patients and their relatives and examines the moderating role of job tenure in this relationship. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 363 frontline administrative healthcare staff working in public and private healthcare institutions in Turkey, all of whom were medical secretaries. Pearson correlation analysis, simple linear regression, and Hayes’ PROCESS macro were employed to test the research hypotheses and examine the moderating role of job tenure. Results: The results indicated that person–job fit was significantly associated with all dimensions of communication competencies with angry patients, including displaying a positive approach (β = 0.464, p < 0.001), creating effective messages (β = 0.378, p < 0.001), anger anticipation and awareness (β = 0.366, p < 0.001), and anger management (β = 0.436, p < 0.001). In addition, job tenure moderated these relationships, with associations weakening at higher levels of tenure. Notably, for creating effective messages, the association became non-significant at higher tenure. Conclusions: Enhancing person–job fit—particularly among frontline administrative healthcare staff with shorter job tenure—may contribute to more effective communication, reduce potential conflicts, and better healthcare service quality. The study provides meaningful theoretical and managerial implications for healthcare organizations seeking to foster safer and more effective working environments.