Date of Conferral

1-29-2026

Date of Award

January 2026

Degree

Doctor of Public Administration (D.P.A)

School

Management

Advisor

Denise Land

Abstract

High healthcare employee turnover rates pose a significant threat to organizational productivity, workforce stability, and patient outcomes. Healthcare leaders are concerned with high employee turnover because it contributes to rising operational costs, employee burnout, and a decline in the quality of patient care. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation, this qualitative, pragmatic inquiry identified and explored effective strategies that healthcare leaders use to retain employees to maintain organizational productivity and enhance patient outcomes. Data were collected from nine healthcare leaders in the United States using semistructured interviews and publicly available documents. Through thematic analysis with triangulation and member checking to ensure trustworthiness, five themes were identified: (a) fulfilling employees’ intrinsic motivation enhancement and psychological needs, (b) prioritizing relational trust building and organizational advocacy, (c) providing personalized professional development and trajectory advancement, (d) fostering an inclusive organizational culture and decision-making dynamics, and (e) implementing adaptive organizational structures and integrated employee well-being. A key recommendation is to foster authentic and transparent leadership through clear communication, ethical decision-making, and open team engagement. The implications for positive social change include the potential to improve workforce stability, reduce burnout, and enhance patient care in healthcare settings. This social change may specifically benefit healthcare leaders through greater employee well-being and retention, patients through higher-quality care, and underserved communities through more reliable access to healthcare services.

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