No abstract

BackgroundEnsuring health worker job satisfaction and motivation are important if health workers are to be retained and effectively deliver health services in many developing countries, whether they work in the public or private sector. The objectives of the paper are to identify important aspects of health worker satisfaction and motivation in two Indian states working in public and private sectors.MethodsCross-sectional surveys of 1916 public and private sector health workers in Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, India, were conducted using a standardized instrument to identify health workers' satisfaction with key work factors related to motivation. Ratings were compared with how important health workers consider these factors.ResultsThere was high variability in the ratings for areas of satisfaction and motivation across the different practice settings, but there were also commonalities. Four groups of factors were identified, with those relating to job content and work environment viewed as the most important characteristics of the ideal job, and rated higher than a good income. In both states, public sector health workers rated "good employment benefits" as significantly more important than private sector workers, as well as a "superior who recognizes work". There were large differences in whether these factors were considered present on the job, particularly between public and private sector health workers in Uttar Pradesh, where the public sector fared consistently lower (P < 0.01). Discordance between what motivational factors health workers considered important and their perceptions of actual presence of these factors were also highest in Uttar Pradesh in the public sector, where all 17 items had greater discordance for public sector workers than for workers in the private sector (P < 0.001).ConclusionThere are common areas of health worker motivation that should be considered by managers and policy makers, particularly the importance of non-financial motivators such as working environment and skill development opportunities. But managers also need to focus on the importance of locally assessing conditions and managing incentives to ensure health workers are motivated in their work.

No abstract

We have analysed the properties of an electromagnetically induced grating formed in a Ξ-type three-level atomic system in the presence of a standing wave pump and travelling wave probe fields at resonant and off-resonant two-photon absorption. We have also shown the validity of this grating in an inhomogeneously broadened regime.

Polycrystalline Na2W2O7 (anhydrous) was prepared by a solid‐state reaction technique. The formation of the compound has been confirmed by X‐ray powder diffraction studies and Raman spectroscopy. The unit cell structure of the material has been found to be orthorhombic of the Cmca space group. Complex impedance analysis of the material indicates the electrical conduction to be due only to the grain interior up to a temperature of 300 °C. Above 300 °C the contribution of the grain boundary to electrical conduction is more evident. The grain boundary resistance is found to decrease with increasing temperature. Impedance results also indicate that the material exhibits a negative temperature coefficient of resistance. The electrical processes in the material show temperature‐dependent relaxation phenomena. The electrical conduction in the material is a thermally activated process governed by the release of space charge in close agreement with the observations made from impedance spectrum analysis. The dc conductivity of the material as evaluated from the complex impedance spectrum is observed to attain a maximum value of 1.16 × 10−6 S cm−1 at 425 °C. This is a very large increase, nearly four orders of magnitude, when compared with the room temperature conductivity of the material (3.99 × 10−10 S cm−1). (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)