Top manager and network effects on the adoption of innovative management practices: a study of TQM in a public hospital system

Abstract

This paper reports findings from a study that combined two theoretical perspectives—top manager and network/institutional—to examine the factors influencing organizations to adopt innovative management practices. The study setting was a system of public hospitals and the innovation was Total Quality Management (TQM). Study results indicate that both top manager and network/institutional factors are important determinants of whether and when organizations adopt innovations. However, as predicted, the relative importance of these two sets of factors appears to change as an innovation becomes more widely diffused. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Learning: The interface of quality management and strategic alliances

“…It has been indicated that both top managers and network/institutional perspectives were important for understanding patterns in the adoption of innovations among organizations (Young et al, 2001). While the role of the top manager has been recognized as one of the key variables in the model, the network effect has been considered as well.…”

“…Previous studies show that both the top manager and network/institutional factors influence the adoption of new innovation practices such as QM (Young et al, 2001). However, in the context of a single firm, top management is the driving force for quality initiatives (Wilson and Collier, 2000).…”

“…However, in the context of a single firm, top management is the driving force for quality initiatives (Wilson and Collier, 2000). We argue that the practice of QM within a firm will be different from the practice of QM within an alliance (Westphal et al, 1997;Young et al, 2001). To address the practice of quality in strategic alliances, a process orientation of quality has been employed (Robinson and Malhotra, 2005).…”

“…In the context of a firm, the decision to purse a specific quality initiative is primarily determined within the scope of the firm. The dynamics will be different as firms move towards the network (Westphal et al, 1997;Young et al, 2001). …”

Management practices in Australian healthcare: can NSW public hospitals do better?

“…Health care organizations that incorporate aspects of high performing work systems (HPWS) have been shown to drive employee commitment and job satisfaction (Young et al, 2001), and thereby deliver better quality of patient care (Leggat et al, 2011;McDermott and Keating, 2011). Studies show an inverse link between human resource management practices, infection rates and patient mortality (West et al, 2002;Omar et al 2007;Patterson et al, 2012).…”