Enhancing nurses’ job satisfaction through remuneration: can materialism be a threat?

Purpose - Materialism has been reported to be on the increase among health workers, a situation that can oppose the expected effect of remuneration on nurses’ satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of materialism on the remuneration–satisfaction relationship in an attempt to know if materialism is a negative behaviour that can counter efforts to increase nurses’ satisfaction through remuneration. Design/methodology/approach - The quantitative (correlational) research technique was applied to test hypotheses of interest, with relevant confounding variables controlled for. The simple random sampling method was used to select a representative sample of 458 nurses. A self-reported questionnaire was used to gather data. The authors used structural equation modelling (SEM) to examine the factor structures of the measurement scales used in this study and to test hypotheses. Findings - The study’s ultimate structural model produced a good fit at 5 per cent significance level [Chi-square = 11.654;p= 0.309]. After controlling for the relevant variables, remuneration makes a significant positive effect on the satisfaction of nurses, whereas materialism makes a negative effect on it. Materialism interacts with remuneration to make a significant negative effect on job satisfaction. Originality/value - This study adds to the literature and adjusts for a unique set of relevant confounding variables in testing the primary relationships.