Do working conditions impact the perception of current recognition practices and expectations of recognition at work? The case of a university hospital centre in France

Recognition at work is one of the key factors of quality of working life. While literature has revealed the decline in working conditions at the hospital, the purpose of this article is to examine the relationship between working conditions and expectations of recognition at work. We take the four-dimensional approach to recognition (existential, work practice, job dedication and results of work) defined by Brun and Dugas (2005) to identify the dimensions which are most affected by changes in working conditions. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 people in a French university hospital centre in the course of 2018. The results show that most categories of staff deplore the lack of material and human resources provided by senior management for producing a high standard of work. This lack of resources is perceived as a lack of recognition of the high standard of work by the hospital's senior management. Many staff members overly dedicate themselves to produce a high standard of healthcare for patients, in spite of everything. We recommend that the hospital address this expectation of a recognition of job dedication.