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The roles of human resource management systems in post-traumatic stress disorders and intention to quit among paramedics
Conference presentation

The roles of human resource management systems in post-traumatic stress disorders and intention to quit among paramedics

Tiet Hanh Dao Tran, Keith Townsend, Adrian Wilkinson and Rebecca Loundoun
The Association of Industrial Relations Academics in Australia and New Zealand Conference (Adelaide, Australia, 07/02/2018–09/02/2018)
08/02/2018

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Abstract

Workforce planning Mental health nursing
Research questions: Paramedics are known to have a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Hegg-Deloye et al., 2014) and low organisational commitment (Alexander, Weiss, Braude, Ernst, & Fullerton-Gleason, 2009). This study aimed to answer the following research questions: 1. Is the human resource management (HRM) system associated with PTSD and intention to quit among paramedics? 2. What aspects of HRM are associated with PTSD status and intention to quit among paramedics? Theoretical focus: In HRM theory, Bowen and Ostroff (2004) argue that senior managers (including HRM executives) design an HRM system that requires implementation by middle- and lower-level managers. When the implemented system closely aligns with employees' experiences, it is considered a strong system and is more likely to produce positive benefits for employees and the organisation. Based on this theory, the study hypothesises that a strong HRM system will ameliorate the risk of PTSD and reduce intention to quit among paramedics. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted on 270 randomly selected paramedics in one Australian jurisdiction. The union density is close to 100 per cent. Perceived HRM system strength scale (Delmotte, De Winne, & Sels, 2012), PCL-5 scale (Blevins, Weathers, Davis, Witte, & Domino, 2015), and turnover scale (Walsh, Ashford, & Hill, 1985) were used for phone-administered data collection. Descriptive analysis, independent t-tests, and Pearson correlation tests were used for data analysis. Major conclusions: Among paramedics, perceived poor overall HRM, and particularly in visibility, consistency in HRM messages, procedural justice, and distributive justice aspects, are positively associated with PTSD. Perceived strong overall HRM and all aspects of HRM except for agreement are significantly and negatively associated with intention to quit.

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