A case study examining the impact of public-sector nurses' perception of workplace autonomy on their job satisfaction: lessons for management

This paper uses mixed methods to examine the impact of New Public Management (NPM) on public sector nurses’ perceptions of workplace autonomy and, in turn, their job satisfaction. The quantitative findings of this study suggest that nurses’ perception of autonomy does moderate their job satisfaction. The qualitative findings suggest that the implementation of NPM has negatively affected nurses’ experiences of autonomy and job satisfaction. The impact of NPM has increased the number of patients public hospitals are able to process, however, the same policies have negatively impacted on nurses’ work experience. The findings have implication for governments in their quest to achieve both efficiency and effectiveness.