An evaluation of the use of TQM (Total Quality Management) to gain competitive advantage in Private Healthcare

A case study of Eko Hospital,Lagos, Nigeria.

By

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background1

Problem statement1

Research aims and objectives2

Research questions2

Significance3

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW4

TQM Defined4

History of TQM5

Competitive Advantage6

TQM and Competitive Advantage7

TQM in Health Care8

The Quality Improvement Movement in Health Care9

TQM Variables in Health Care11

System Perspective11

Customer Focus12

Upper Management Commitment12

Quality Department13

Involvement of ALL organizational members13

Quality Culture14

Teamwork14

Management by Fact15

Continuous Improvement15

Training and Education16

Suppliers16

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY18

Mixed Research18

Classification of research methods18

Multi-method studies19

Mixed method studies19

Steps in mixed methodology19

Strength and weakness of the mixed research20

Strengths20

Weaknesses21

Instrument for data collection21

REFERENCES22

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background

In the last decade, Total Quality Management (TQM) has become something of a social movement in North America. Despite the ubiquitousness of TQM in contemporary organizations and the widespread attention it has been given in the popular press, however, total quality still remains a hazy, ambiguous concept receiving mixed reviews from the popular press and the academic literature (Adam 2001 pp. 25-39).

In an attempt to provide a more solid theoretical basis for TQM, the Academy of Management Review, the Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, the California Management Review and the Journal of Organizational Change Management devoted special editions to TQM theory development. These forums have demonstrated TQM's construct Validity, have reported implementation results and provide a clear path for future researchers to follow. Indeed, they have demonstrated TQM's credibility in academic thought and its applicability to contemporary organization. Recent research also demonstrates that TQM's implementation in certain industries has different requirements and may be mitigated by unique circumstances. The aim of this research, therefore, was to determine whether TQM does have unique implications in Eko Hospital,Lagos, Nigeria.

Problem statement

Unfortunately health care organizations, like any other organization, face many challenges to successful implementation and integration of TQM. Recognizing these difficulties in implementing TQM and developing strategies to address these challenges are essential for making progress toward high quality and toward more efficient health care organizations. Many studies found perceived barriers to hospital's efforts to improve quality of care. The major barriers to implementing TQM are as follows, Lack of top management commitment and support, Frequent senior leadership turnover; Not enough resources committed to the effort; lack of physicians' support; inadequate employee training in relevant principles and methods of TQM; insufficient senior management knowledge of TQM approaches; insufficient time for staff to attend training sessions; inability of key people to work together; inadequate information systems; inadequate organizational structure; and lack of realistic goals (Anderson et al 2001 pp. 141-6).

Research aims and objectives

The researcher aims to study the use of TQM (Total Quality Management) to gain competitive advantage in Eko Hospital,Lagos, Nigeria. The aim of the research has been broken into following objectives

To study the literature on TQM

To study the implications of TQM in health care

To study the implications of TQM in private health care

To study the use of TQM to gain competitive advantage

Research questions

The researcher will address the following questions

How TQM can be used to gain competitive advantage in health care?

How Eko Hospital, Nigeria can have an edge over its competitors ...