The present study examined the strategies of personal niche construction among Hungarian physicians at the workplace through basic psychological needs satisfaction and territoriality, within the socio-physical context of their workplace. The study aimed to delineate the latent patterns underlying participants’ organization, to characterize the attributes differentiating each subgroup, and to examine how these distinctive configurations contributed to strategies of niche construction within the workplace. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Hungarian physicians who have at least a degree in medicine and are currently pursuing medical practice (N = 261). Participants completed validated instruments assessing basic psychological needs satisfaction, workplace territoriality, and occupational well-being. Exploratory factor analysis identified underlying dimensions of need fulfillment and territoriality, followed by latent profile analysis to classify physicians into subgroups based on these patterns. Multinomial logistic regression and ANOVAs assessed demographic predictors and group differences in work satisfaction, fulfillment, interpersonal disengagement, exhaustion, and turnover intention. A three-profile solution emerged, reflecting distinct personal niche construction strategies: (1) Effortful self-expression (2), “Effortless self-expression”, and (3) “Low engagement in self-expression”. The profiles were named based on the quality of person-environment fit. Profiles differed significantly in basic psychological needs satisfaction, professional fulfillment, and interpersonal disengagement (p < 0.01). Profiles also differed significantly in work satisfaction, professional fulfillment, and interpersonal disengagement, with the “Low engagement in self-expression” group reporting the least favorable outcomes. The findings highlight the relevance of socio-ecological perspectives in occupational health, demonstrating that physicians’ capacity to construct, claim, and maintain their professional niches serves as a central mechanism of resilience in complex healthcare systems. Supporting autonomy, competence, and balanced ownership of workspace may sustainably foster physicians’ well-being and engagement.
Gyöngyösi et al. (Tue,) studied this question.