The Theory of Systems Development
The problem of shortage of trained and competent healthcare workforce that meets the demand for senior care can be approached through several theories related to the subject. The Theory of Systems Development is affiliated to Karl Ludwing von Bertalanffy, the Austria-born biologist (Anderson, 2016). It was later known as the Theory of General Systems. The concept has been applied in a range of disciplines. In healthcare, it is resourceful in addressing the problem of the inability of the concerned organizations to retain their workforce. The Theory of General Systems suggests a number of influences impacting employee recruitment and retention capabilities. It mainly focuses on the efficiency and functional attributes of the systems within which the employees work. It further implies that the environment, rather than the individuals, is responsible for the failings of the latter (Anderson, 2016). The theory will be used as a theoretical foundation for explaining the proposition that healthcare organizations’ inability to retain the workforce specialized in older adult care is caused by other factors besides the employees and individual managers of the entities in question. The theory paves the way for the examination of the ideal practices that would not only aid in the provision of healthcare to the older adults but also retain the people charged with the responsibility within the organizations that employ them. The concept is primarily connected to the theories of motivation. There is the proposal that there are various factors that determine employees’ motivation to work in the organizations in which they are employed. Two factors are identified in 1959 by Frederick Herzberg (Yusoff et al., 2013). They are the extrinsic and extrinsic determinants of the work environment. While the theories apply to different industries, they could not be better applied in the healthcare industry. There is a situation in which the healthcare industry is experiencing a shortage of professionals who may have migrated to other professions. It is worth noting that people trained in the healthcare profession may choose to move out of the industry or move from one organization to another.
The explanation of the concept is based on the theory of two factors. They are the Extrinsic and Intrinsic factors. The extrinsic factors do away with the dissatisfaction of the individuals making up the workforce. However, intrinsic factors aim to satisfy the employees’ inner aspirations (Alshmemri et al., 2017). Combined, the two factors enable the maximum productivity of the employees while retaining them in their workplaces. The concepts presented by the theory have a crucial impact on the study in the sense that employees in the healthcare industry chose to stay on in their jobs courtesy of the satisfactions and dissatisfactions that guide their choices. In other words, the satisfaction of the workforce enables organizations to retain their employees. At the same time, dissatisfaction puts the organizations at the risk of losing the talent that would drive their objectives. The two-factor theory explains the importance of the theory in healthcare employee retention of the professionals who possess the most valuable skills in caring for older adults. Perry et al. ( 2018) support the concept, proposing turnover cognitions based on the theory of turnover and the EOI (Employment Opportunities Index.
Perry et al. (2018) further posit that the theories are founded on the dissatisfaction, which is initially explained by the two-factor theory.
Perry (2018) goes ahead to explain that cognitions that lead to turn over begin even before the individuals leave employment.