Employee motivation and employee performance in child care: the effects of the introduction of market forces on employees in the Dutch child-care sector

Abstract

Employee Motivation and Employee Performance in Child Care: The Effects of the Introduction of Market Focus on Employees in the Dutch Child-Care Sector Mirjam Plantinga (RUG) This research describes and explains the effects of the introduction of market forces in the Dutch child-care sector on employee governance, motivation and performance. The Dutch child-care sector is transitioning from a welfare sector into a market sector. The transition process in child care is concurrent with a trend in Dutch society as a whole towards a more business-like approach and an accompanying emphasis on raising efficiency. Even in traditionally welfare-oriented sectors, such as the care sector, market forces are introduced. Although in discussions regarding the introduction of market forces in care work the possible effects for providers and customers are taken into consideration, usually no focus is given to the possible effects for care work employees. The question is whether or not the possible effects on employees are rightly dismissed. What if the introduction of market forces in care work affects employee motivation and performance? In order to be able to explain how the transition of the Dutch child-care sector from a welfare sector to a market sector affects the employee governance of child-care organisations and the employee motivation and performance of childminders, data is collected in 30 Dutch child-care organisations. The results show that the introduction of market forces in the Dutch child-care sector does not have a large influence on the motivation and performance of the childminders. The rewards childminders derive from their job do, however, change. The level of extrinsic rewards increases slightly, whereas the level of intrinsic rewards decreases slightly. While the childminders perceive, on average, an increase in work pressure over time, this increase is modest and hardly interferes with the enjoyment derived from working in child care. Although the introduction of market forces in the Dutch child-care sector goes hand in hand with an increase in attention paid to realising a high level of efficiency, the childminders still greatly enjoy working in child care and are willing to perform in the best way they can. Therefore, the quality of the Dutch child-care sector, measured in terms of the quality of the performance of the childminders, is high and stable over time. Nederlandse samenvatting: Het doel van dit onderzoek is om te beschrijven en te verklaren in hoeverre de introductie van marktwerking in de kinderopvang in Nederland invloed heeft op de aansturing van groepsleid(st)ers in kinderopvangorganisaties en op de arbeidsmotivatie en arbeidsprestaties van deze groepsleid(st)ers.