Donor orientation and employee attitudes and behavior in Spanish blood transfusion centers and services

Abstract

This study seeks to contribute to the challenge faced by public managers in terms of knowing how to generate employees’ positive attitudes, such as satisfaction and commitment towards the organization, that would likely lead to an extra-role behavior. The results of a study carried out with 147 staff members from Spanish blood transfusion centers and services (BTCS) show that, if these public organizations develop a market orientation (MO) focused on the donor, they will enhance both directly and indirectly (through job satisfaction –JS–) the organizational commitment (OC) and ultimately the organizational citizen behavior (OCB) of their employees. The results obtained contribute to the new public management literature by clarifying whether MO is good or bad for organizational performance. Implications for public organizations in the particular context of health care services, and specifically for blood donation services, derive from these results, and future lines of research are outlined for going in depth into determinants of public sector employees’ attitudes and behavior.