The Justice Equation: What Drives Doctor Turnover in Malaysia’s Public Hospitals?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37134/mrj.vol14.1.1.2025Keywords:
Organisational Justice, Turnover Intention, Healthcare Sector, Public Hospitals, DoctorsAbstract
This study examined the effects of distributive, procedural, interactional, and temporal justice on turnover intention among medical doctors in Malaysian public hospitals. Data was collected from 380 permanently employed doctors across ten public hospitals in Klang Valley and analysed using structural equation modelling. The results showed moderate overall turnover intention (adjusted mean = 3.135). Despite this moderate level, 58.16% of doctors intended to leave the public sector, highlighting a potential sustainability challenge in Malaysia’s public healthcare system. The analysis revealed that distributive justice (β = -0.493, p = 0.001) and temporal justice (β = -0.126, p = 0.007) had significant inverse effects on turnover intention. In contrast, neither procedural nor interactional justice exerted significant effects. These findings suggest that fair organisational outcome distribution and individual discretion in balancing time for work and personal life play a more crucial role in doctor retention than procedural fairness or supervisor interactions. The study underscores the need for tangible, outcome-based retention strategies in Malaysia’s public healthcare system, specifically suggesting policymakers should prioritise fair reward systems and work-life balance initiatives to reduce attrition. Overall, the findings of this study contribute to broader academic discussions about organisational justice practices that may contribute to prolonged healthcare sustainability.
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