An Empirical Examination of the Effect of TQM Practices on Hospital Service Quality: An Assessment Study in UAE Hospitals

Abstract

Ahmad Aburayya, Muhammad Alshurideh, Amina Al Marzouqi, Osama Al Diabat, Alanood Alfarsi, Roberto Suson, Mohammad Bash and Said A. Salloum.

Nowadays, the ability to deliver excellent quality to customers is key to an organization’s survival and global competitiveness. Essentially, delivering excellent quality increases customer satisfaction and enhances the productivity of institutions. The implementation of quality improvement initiatives, such as Total Quality Management (TQM), is one way that organizations are seeking to deliver quality services to customers. The main aim of this resaerch paper is to examine the impact of TQM elements on hospital service quality in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), focusing on accredited hospitals in Dubai. The empirical data was collected via a self-administered questionnaire using the drop-off technique. Senior hospital employees filled questionnaires examining two variables: TQM and hospital service quality. Of the 480-questionnaire distributed, 292 usable questionnaires were analyzed, yielding a response rate of 60.8%. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis methods were used to analyse the data using principle component analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analyses. The results in this study reinforce the positive effects of organization culture, continuous improvement, customer focus, teamwork and participation, process management, and top management commitment, as independent variables, on improving the quality of services delivered by hospitals as the dependent variable. It was also found that among the eight TQM implementation factors, organization culture expresses the strongest effect on hospital service quality with highest coefficient value of 0.373. The research paper has contributed to the current TQM literature regarding the association between TQM factors and hospital service quality that will deliver significant knowledge to hospital managers, to enhance their existing TQM practices and successively improve service quality.