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Makhsosi B, Soltani M, KaramiMatin B. (2026). The Conceptualization of Employee Welfare Services in Teaching Hospitals: A Qualitative Study with a Thematic Analysis Approach. Social Welfare Quarterly.
URL: http://refahj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-4590-en.html
URL: http://refahj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-4590-en.html
Abstract: (16 Views)
Introduction: Teaching hospitals, characterized by their tripartite mission of treatment, education, and research, are complex and high-stress work environments in which employee welfare is a strategic imperative for ensuring healthcare service quality. This study aimed to develop a contextually grounded conceptualization of employee welfare services based on staff experiences.
Method: Employing a qualitative design, this study utilized Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis framework. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with clinical, administrative, support, and managerial personnel in teaching hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2025. Purposeful sampling with maximum variation was used until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were analyzed using MAXQDA 2022 through systematic generation, organization, review, integration, and refinement of codes and themes. Trustworthiness was established using Lincoln and Guba’s four criteria: credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability.
Findings: Thematic analysis identified 21 employee welfare elements, organized into eight subthemes and four overarching themes: economic (direct monetary payments and indirect financial support), physical (workplace facilities, nutritional provisions, work scheduling, and occupational health), psychological (psychological support, psychological safety, growth, and development), and social (organizational culture and justice, collective interactions, and family-related support).
Discussion and Conclusion: The findings indicate that some identified welfare components correspond to fundamental managerial prerequisites rather than welfare services in their own right. This phenomenon may be conceptualized as “perceptual displacement of welfare” or “organizational learned helplessness,” whereby employees may perceive basic organizational entitlements as welfare benefits amid chronic systemic deficiencies.
Method: Employing a qualitative design, this study utilized Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis framework. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with clinical, administrative, support, and managerial personnel in teaching hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2025. Purposeful sampling with maximum variation was used until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were analyzed using MAXQDA 2022 through systematic generation, organization, review, integration, and refinement of codes and themes. Trustworthiness was established using Lincoln and Guba’s four criteria: credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability.
Findings: Thematic analysis identified 21 employee welfare elements, organized into eight subthemes and four overarching themes: economic (direct monetary payments and indirect financial support), physical (workplace facilities, nutritional provisions, work scheduling, and occupational health), psychological (psychological support, psychological safety, growth, and development), and social (organizational culture and justice, collective interactions, and family-related support).
Discussion and Conclusion: The findings indicate that some identified welfare components correspond to fundamental managerial prerequisites rather than welfare services in their own right. This phenomenon may be conceptualized as “perceptual displacement of welfare” or “organizational learned helplessness,” whereby employees may perceive basic organizational entitlements as welfare benefits amid chronic systemic deficiencies.
Article number: 6
Keywords: Employee Welfare Services, Human Resource Welfare, Management, Teaching Hospitals, Thematic Analysis
Type of Study: orginal |
Received: 2026/05/22 | Accepted: 2026/08/22 | Published: 2026/11/4
Received: 2026/05/22 | Accepted: 2026/08/22 | Published: 2026/11/4
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