ABSTRACT
One of the methods of service training and development of human resources is job rotation and systematic interchange of the employees; but there are few researches about it in Iran health care organizations. The main goal of this research is to study the correlation between job rotation and the performance of the environmental health employees of health centers, affiliated to the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science. The current study is descriptive and correlative type and was conducted in 2011 in three health centers of North, North-West and East of Tehran. The study sample composed of 42 environment health employees of the health centers which were selected by random-classification. The data were collected using collection forms and performance evaluation forms, based on detailed monthly statistics of employees [number of visits, suspended, off suggestion, group training, chlorine and iodine measurements and water sampling]. The data were consequently analyzed by Mann-Whitney test and the Spearman correlation methods in SPSS software. The averages and standard deviation of performance in employees who recently experienced job rotation and those who didn't were 87.13 +/- 18.9 and 82.73 +/- 22.6 [out of 100 scores], respectively; thus, no significant correlation was found between job rotation and performance of environmental health employees [p =0.178]. This lack of correlation was found between job rotation and performance items, as well. In this study, performance of the environmental health employees in health centers was independent of their job rotation status, but it has been suggested that job rotation is one of the goals for increasing performance of the health center employees. It seems that with respect to the findings of this study, less usage of job rotation and stability in job activities can be effective in improving performance of the employees.