Relationships among quality management, IS use and organizational performance in the health care and non-health care setting

Abstract

In this research, we investigate the relationships between organizational adoption and extent of use of Quality Management (QM) programmes and Information Systems (IS) in two somewhat different organizational settings--health care and non-health care. Specifically, we contend that organizations from the two settings may vary considerably in what we term QM Maturity. Some organizations appear to adopt QM only superficially, while others move far more fully into QM. We use the term QM Maturity to describe organizations that have adopted QM programmes more fully and in 'better' ways qualitatively. Are there differences in the paths which health care and non-health care organizations have used in approaching and implementing QM? In this research, we contend that QM Mature organizations will be characterized by perceptions that the culture is different in ways that are supportive of QM. Moreover, we argue that the higher QM Maturity organizations will approach IS implementation in more mature, qualitatively better ways. In turn, we expect QM Maturity and more mature IS adoption to lead to perceptions by those in the organization that both organizational performance and service quality are better. Where there are differences between health care and non-health care organizations, these areas could be impacted upon as well. Our exploratory research provides support for these ideas and suggests that there may, in fact, be differences in the two settings.