Improving Operational Performance of Public Hospital in Pakistan: A TQM Based Approach

Total quality management (TQM) has been widely and successfully implemented and is considered as a strategic and operational tool to gain competitive edge through increased performance and customer satisfaction. However, developing countries, especially Pakistan is still lagging behind to adopt TQM as a strategic tool to optimize its performance. Public health care in Pakistan is one of the most ignored sectors with regard to its service quality implementation and delivery. Pakistan, with its rapid growing population exceeding 179 million people today typically results in the highest levels of adverse effect on the overall system of the country. Given the fact that public hospital is one major source healthcare facilities provider to its citizens, however facilities provided by them are inadequate to meet the needs of its people. It affects the smooth functioning of public hospital. A questionnaire using fourteen TQM practices was designed to measure the impact of TQM practices on operational performance of public hospital in Pakistan. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach with AMOS 16.0 was employed to develop a TQM and performance model. A total of 239 questionnaire was included in the study and the results show that selected TQM practices has a significant positive impact on TQM implementation and also on operational performance in terms of increased flexibility, improved quality of services, reduction in service time and effective diagnostics.