Sirion Phandhufung. Organizational culture and quality of care in government hospital under hospital accreditation : a case study of one service unit in the hospital . Master's Degree(Medical and Health Social Sciences). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2006.
Organizational culture and quality of care in government hospital under hospital accreditation : a case study of one service unit in the hospital
Abstract:
This investigation was to study the organizational culture, i.e. bureaucratic system, and
patronage system in government hospitals with hospital accreditation (HA) and its impact on the
quality of care in the government hospital accredited. It is a case study of a service unit in a
hospital.
Qualitative research was applied in this study by in-depth interviews with samples
containing 20 public welfare service providers, i.e. doctors, nurses and practical nurses and 20
service recipients in the units of study. The investigation of the organizational culture was
focused on the bureaucratic system and the patronage relationship and the concepts of Judith
Bruce were applied for quality of care and the perception of the recipient on the quality of care.
It was found that the bureaucracy still existed and was evidenced by the structure of the
line of command, work systems, clear cut duty divisions, procedures and plans. But the process
of development and the hospital accreditation created a neo-bureaucracy. The commander’s
roles had dramatically changed from the totalitarian and a authoritarian to a role as a facilitator
empowering operands to handle their problems by delegating power to each job unit with
flexibility and embracing work quality development. The work systems were focused on the
recipients leading the organization to learn and to develop work systems. There was horizontal
coordination and more teamworking allowing agility in services. This included enabling the
discretion and solution of effective services. It was found that there were new projects arisen,
e.g. a project of reducing waiting time , a project to prevent misplacement operation and a
project of admission system and so on. In addition, operants sensed being part of the service
system and were more attentive to the services attempting to respond to the needs of recipients
in order to develop services to meet their needs and continuing the service development as well.
In the meantime, the organizational culture under the patronage relationship was existing and
static even though there was development and the hospital accreditation. It critically influenced
the work system, morale, and courage of expression among the operants for improving the
organization because it raised dominance and patronage system in the workplace rather than
imposing a morality system or by knowledge and ability in working and in performance
appraisals.
The patronage system hindered the quality of care in the government hospitals under the
process of development and accreditation. The administrators should encourage and support the
creation of a learning process in the organization for self-improvement and work development.
Operants should be allowed undisclosed participation during