Professional efficacy, commitment and the value of purpose in work

This study investigated the relationships between various factors that are associated with positive outcomes of work. Physicians, nurses, and laboratory technologists (N=393) provided data on five variables by answering questions relating to work on a Likert-type scale. Model testing was conducted to examine the relationships among the variables in the study. Results suggested that professional efficacy may be predicted by the degree to which workers experience purpose in meeting occupational goals, and by the degree to which they are given responsibility to determine what occupational goals to pursue and how they may be accomplished. It was also suggested that commitment to an organization and to one's profession is positively associated with professional efficacy. In addition to model testing, group comparisons were conducted on measures of professional efficacy and on measures of organizational and professional commitment. The degree of association between the two forms of commitment was also compared across the three occupational groups. When groups were rank ordered on a scale of professionalism, physicians were identified as the most professional group, followed by nurses, and then by laboratory technologists. Results suggested that physicians feel most professionally efficacious and committed, both to their profession and to the organization for which they work. In contrast, nurses and laboratory technologists appear to doubt their professional abilities, and lack commitment to their profession and to the organization. But when nurses and laboratory technologists are committed to their profession, they also tend to be more committed to the organization for which they work. Possible explanations for the relationships among variables and the group differences were discussed.