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Improving hospital performance: culture change is not the answer
Sandra G Leggat1, Judith Dwyer
1La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. s.leggat@latrobe.edu.au
Healthcare Quarterly (Toronto, Ont.)
|April 15, 2005
Summary
Hospital culture change requires specific management conditions. Effective people management, focusing on teamwork, performance, and training, drives high performance and cultural improvement.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Organizational Behavior
- Hospital Administration
Background:
- Organizational culture is frequently cited as a barrier to achieving best practices in hospitals globally.
- The prevailing view suggests that improving hospital culture is key to resolving issues in quality, safety, and productivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the preconditions for successful culture change in hospitals.
- To highlight the critical role of people management in enhancing hospital performance and quality.
Main Methods:
- The study challenges the direct causality of culture on performance.
- It emphasizes the necessity of specific management conditions preceding culture transformation.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests that people management is a prerequisite for culture change, not a result of it.
- Key aspects of people management identified are teamwork development, performance management, and advanced training.
Conclusions:
- Underestimating the impact of people management on hospital improvement is a significant oversight.
- Improved people management practices are a primary driver of positive cultural shifts and enhanced performance in healthcare settings.