The Dynamics of Modernization and Job Satisfaction in the British National Health Service

Abstract

The U.K. government is seeking to transform the quality of the National Health Service (NHS) through a process ofmodernization. It is generally thought by government and managers within the service that improving the job satisfaction of employees is an important mechanism for delivering modernization. On the basis of job satisfaction surveys carried out within 2 NHS hospitals, this article suggests that instead of being a driver for improvement, employee perception of job satisfactionmay be acting as a barrier tomodernization. The article then discusses the possibility that there may be structural tensions between the imperatives of modernization and the wish to improve job satisfaction.