| Author: | Tong, Tak-fai |
| Title: | Internal customer management and total quality management in health care |
| Degree: | M.Sc. |
| Year: | 1996 |
| Subject: | Hospital Authority (Hong Kong, China) Hospitals -- China -- Hong Kong -- Administration Total quality management Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Multi-disciplinary Studies |
| Pages: | iv, 60, [16] p. : ill. ; 30 cm |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Quality is a matter of survival in all organizations. Total Quality Management and Continuous Quality Improvement are emphasised in all hospitals under the governance of Hospital Authority. The history and development of TQM are reviewed in this paper. The concepts of TQM are explored to fit the health care settings. Being an important/inherent part of the TQM process, minimal studies were found on Internal Customer Management. Internal Customer Management focus on identifying who are the customers along the product manufacturing process and service delivery. The key elements of success in implementing TQM is having a true understanding of both internal and external customers' needs. A generic instrument is searched to measure and diagnose the customers needs. This study utilizes the Parasuraman et al. (1991) 's SERVQUAL to identify various service dimensions valued by internal customers in two intensive care units and to prioritize areas for service quality improvements. Questionnaires are applied to the front-line staff and the managers to identify antecedents of service performance gaps. 'Reliability', 'Responsiveness' and 'Assurance' are key aspects to be addressed by managers in improving service quality. The results showed high reliability in the 22 item SERVQUAL and consistent results in antecedents of service-performance gaps among front-line staff. Development of formal performance standards and Task Standardization will reduce Role conflict and ambiguity. Exaggerated promise will result in higher grievances among staff and lead to staff stress and burnout. Further study is recommended to generalize the results in other related settings in other health care organization. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b12229052.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 2.88 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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