EFFECT OF SOFT TQM PRACTICES ON JOB SATISFACTION AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

Abstract

This study aims to measure the effect of soft TQM practices on job satisfaction and organizational commitment of healthcare professionals. Data were collected from three ISO 9000:2008 certified hospitals located in two northern cities of Pakistan. Out of 800 self-administered questionnaires distributed to doctors and nurses, 530 filled questionnaires were returned. Results were drawn by applying reliability, correlation, and linear regression analyses. Study proves that soft TQM practices exert a positive effect on organizational commitment and job satisfaction of healthcare professionals. However, the study fails to find any significant impact of top management commitment, leadership, and customer focus on job satisfaction. Contrary to previous work, the study proves the negative effect of customer focus on organizational commitment. Hospital administration should be committed to successfully implement the TQM practices for the improvement of organizational commitment and job satisfaction of healthcare professionals. This study can be considered as a pioneer work that examined the relationship of TQM practices with job satisfaction and organizational commitment of healthcare professionals in Pakistan.