Keeping Elderly Care Nurses through Organizational Commitment- an Inner-Organizational View

The demographic trend influences the geriatric care sector twofold: While the demand for geriatric care increases constantly, the number of work force declines at the same time. For 2025 a shortage of about 125.000 full time nurses in Germany is estimated (Afentakis, Maier 2010). Additionally, the problem of fluctuation in the geriatric care sector causes a competition about qualified personnel among care-providing organizations.

Other sectors already use the idea of organizational commitment to keep their employees. The basic concept of commitment (Allen, Meyer 1990) distinguishes three components: affective, continuance and normative commitment. These components are not mutually exclusive but rather coexistent. So far no specific study has researched the concept of commitment considering the specifics of geriatric care.

This paper is based on preliminary results from a qualitative research project looking at this topic from an inner-organizational perspective. As geriatric care in Germany is provided by non-profit organizations as well as for-profit organizations both types will be looked at.

Results from interviews with elderly-home managers give an overview of problems about keeping qualified employees. The range of instruments, which are already used by organizations to strengthen organizational commitment and problems in everyday work, will be illustrated. In addition determining factors, which restrict human resource management in the geriatric sector, are identified. Besides general factors also organization-linked factors are included.

Furthermore, results from problem-centered interviews with elderly care nurses provide reasons and conditions for why they work for their current organization. These results will be set into context with the Allen/Meyers organizational commitment model to specify the three commitment components in the context of geriatric care.

Finally a guideline based on the research results is presented. It will help organizations in the geriatric care sector to strengthen the organizational commitment.