Abstract
Objectives : The purpose of this study was to verify the impact of the empowerment of dental personnels as one of variables affecting the performance of dental institutions and to seek ways of boosting their organizational productivity. Methods : The subjects in this study were dental personnels who worked in dental institutions. After three investigators were trained, a pilot survey was conducted from October 20 to November 20, 2009, and the questionnaire used in the pilot survey was finalized. The collected data were analyzed with a SPSS(Statistical Package for the Social Science) WIN 12.0 program. The findings of the study were as follows: Results: 1. The dental personnels investigated got 3.98 in meaningfulness, one of the empowerment factors. They found a meaning in their job when they performed it. 2. The dental personnels who were older were more excellent in self- determination and influence, and age made a significant difference to their empowerment. 3. The dental personnels who were better educated were more superior in terms of empowerment, and academic credential made a significant difference to their empowerment factors was statistically. 4. The dental personnels whose yearly salary was larger were more which were the factors of empowerment of each factor was statistically significant. 5. Dental health agency workers less than three years accounted for most of 152 people were working longer duration of empowerment as a whole was that each of the factor scores. Empowerment of each factor was statistically significant. 6. The dental hygienists made up the largest group among the dental institution employees, and the kind of occupation made a significant difference to meaningfulness, competency and influence, which were the factors of empowerment. 7. The greatest group of the dental personnels worked in dental clinics, and the dental hospital employees surpassed the dental clinic employees in competency, self-determination and influence. There was a significant difference in the influence factor according to the type of dental institutions. Conclusions : Thus, the dental personnels were more aware of the meaningfulness factor when their perception of the job-related empowerment was checked, and it indicated that most of them attached importance to meaningfulness during their job performance. But just employees who worked in dental institutions located in particular regions were examined, the findings might not be generalizable. In the future, more extensive research should be implemented, and the sorts of programs that could stir up empowerment among dental institution employees or bolster organizational empowerment should be developed.
