FLEXIBLE WORK INITIATIVES AND HEALTHCARE SERVICE DELIVERY IN BENIN CITY PUBLIC HOSPITALS (2019 – 2024)
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Abstract
The demand for healthcare services continue to increase as population increases, hence there is a high rate of demand for healthcare services globally. Nigeria is not immune to the high demand for healthcare services, which poses a significant challenge to tackle and it has resulted into having healthcare workers working overtime, longer and irregular hours in a bid to render satisfactory services to the citizens. This study investigated the relationship between flexible work initiatives and healthcare service delivery in five major public hospitals in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Anchored on a cross-sectional survey design, Data were gathered from healthcare professionals through structured questionnaire and in-depth interview to provide both quantitative and qualitative insights. Five hundred and forty one (541) healthcare workers were selected through stratified random
sampling from five public hospitals in Benin City. The study employed descriptive and inferential statistics, particularly the repeated measure Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Chi-Square Goodness of fit test, to test five hypotheses and examined key thematic areas. All five null hypotheses were rejected using Chi-square goodness-of-fit and ANOVA tests, confirming that flexible work initiatives significantly influence healthcare service delivery. The study revealed a significant positive relationship between flexible work initiatives and healthcare service delivery. Respondents strongly agreed that Flexible Work Initiatives (FWIs) positively influenced healthcare service quality (p < 0.05). Among the types of FWIs examined, shift work was the most widely practised and highly rated (mean = 3.47), followed by job sharing (mean = 3.00), while compressed work weeks received the lowest rating (mean = 2.53). Key enhancing factors included supportive organisational culture, clear policies, and effective communication, whereas the major challenges were acute staff shortages, high patient demand, and complex medical cases. Statistical value revealed that employee-centred strategies, stakeholder engagement, and teamwork are the most effective ways to overcome implementation barriers. It concluded that properly designed and supported flexible work initiatives—especially shift work—can enhance service quality and staff performance, in
resource-constrained public hospitals. The study recommendation included urgent recruitment of healthcare personnel, and adoption of employee-centred policies.
sampling from five public hospitals in Benin City. The study employed descriptive and inferential statistics, particularly the repeated measure Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Chi-Square Goodness of fit test, to test five hypotheses and examined key thematic areas. All five null hypotheses were rejected using Chi-square goodness-of-fit and ANOVA tests, confirming that flexible work initiatives significantly influence healthcare service delivery. The study revealed a significant positive relationship between flexible work initiatives and healthcare service delivery. Respondents strongly agreed that Flexible Work Initiatives (FWIs) positively influenced healthcare service quality (p < 0.05). Among the types of FWIs examined, shift work was the most widely practised and highly rated (mean = 3.47), followed by job sharing (mean = 3.00), while compressed work weeks received the lowest rating (mean = 2.53). Key enhancing factors included supportive organisational culture, clear policies, and effective communication, whereas the major challenges were acute staff shortages, high patient demand, and complex medical cases. Statistical value revealed that employee-centred strategies, stakeholder engagement, and teamwork are the most effective ways to overcome implementation barriers. It concluded that properly designed and supported flexible work initiatives—especially shift work—can enhance service quality and staff performance, in
resource-constrained public hospitals. The study recommendation included urgent recruitment of healthcare personnel, and adoption of employee-centred policies.
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