Abstract
The health care system is usually a reflection of the human development and prosperity index of a country. In particular, a sound health care system is generally deemed essential for providing quality service delivery to service users. Pakistan, in this respect, is lagging even after implementing the district health management model of World Health Organization (WHO). In particular, the province of Sindh reports a higher level of dissatisfaction among the service recipients and, therefore, remains a core concern for the concerned authorities. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the levels of employees’ commitment to service quality in Pakistan’s health care sector. A quantitative survey method was adopted to collect data from 315 medical officers working in 43 public-sector hospitals in Sindh, Pakistan. The data were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique and Smart PLS 3 software. Based on cognitive dissonance theory and path-goal theory, the present study investigated the role of leadership styles in influencing commitment to service quality with the moderation of role clarity. The findings lend support to the direct hypothesized relationships of transformational and transactional leadership with commitment to service quality. The study found significant support for all the hypothetical relationships except laissez-faire leadership’s direct link with commitment to service quality. While role clarity was found to moderate the relationships of two leadership styles, namely, transformational leadership and laissez-faire leadership with commitment to service quality, there was no such moderating effect for the relationship between transactional leadership and commitment to service quality. These findings offer useful theoretical and managerial implications on the importance of leadership styles in influencing commitment to service quality and provide the basis for future research.
Highlights
The health care system in Pakistan had remained entirely centralized
The results suggest that individuals who experienced a lack of robust leadership perceived themselves to be in a better position to strengthen their commitment to service quality (CSQ) through role clarity
The study drawing upon cognitive dissonance theory (CDT) and path-goal theory investigated the role played by different leadership styles in influencing CSQ with the moderation of role clarity
Summary
The health care system in Pakistan had remained entirely centralized. In August 2001, Pakistan implemented the World Health Organization’s (WHO) district health management model (Tarimo, 1991). Research indicates that the province of Sindh, in particular, reports a higher level of dissatisfaction among the service users of public-sector hospitals (Irfan & Ijaz, 2011) and the very issue has remained a matter of concern for the provincial and federal authorities (Mumtaz et al, 2013; Mushtaq et al, 2012). Studies such as Khan and Aleem (2014) have highlighted that the health care sector, in general, and doctors, in particular, face various
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