Quality Loyalty Research Articles

Differences in medication errors between central and remote site telepharmacies

To examine differences in dispensing errors within community telepharmacy practices by comparing error rates across central sites (community telepharmacy sites with pharmacists present) and the corresponding remote sites, which are staffed by registered technicians and overseen by the central site pharmacist. Cross-sectional pilot study with a test group (remote sites) and comparison group (central sites). 24 rural community telepharmacies (14 remote sites and 10 central sites). Pharmacy staff. The Pharmacy Quality Commitment (PQC) reporting system was integrated into the North Dakota Telepharmacy Project and used to track dispensing errors over a 45-month period. Both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians were trained on the use of the PQC system. The PQC system focused on two quality-related events (QREs): a "near miss" (i.e., a mistake discovered by the pharmacy staff before a medication reaches the patient) and an "error" (i.e., a mistake discovered after the patient leaves the pharmacy with the medication). The distribution of QREs across central and remote sites. The remote (central) telepharmacy group reported 47,078 (62,480) prescriptions and a QRE rate of 1.34% (1.43%). QREs at the remote sites were more likely than at the central sites to be caught at the final pharmacist check (58.2% vs. 40.8%, P < 0.01) and less likely to be caught by the patient (0.17% vs. 0.28%, P < 0.01). Remote sites were more likely to include incorrect directions (18.9% vs. 13.4%, P = 0.01) in the medication entry process. QRE rates for remote site and central site telepharmacies were consistent with each other and with national estimates in traditional community pharmacies. However, significant differences between central and remote sites existed based on how QREs arose and how they were caught. Pharmacists must recognize this fact and use diligence when working in a telepharmacy setting.

What Makes Protégés Take Mentors’ Advice in Formal Mentoring Relationships?

This study examines the factors affecting a protégé’s willingness to take a mentor’s advice. The sample for this study consisted of 183 protégés from two different South Korean organizations who were part of formal mentoring programs. We found protégé commitment to be the principal factor that predisposes a protégé to take advice from mentors and protégé-perceived relationship quality as the antecedent of protégé commitment. In particular, protégé commitment was identified as a full mediator between relationship quality and willingness to take mentor’s advice. In addition, a protégé’s trust in a mentor was regarded as a partial mediator between protégé-perceived relationship quality and protégé commitment. The theoretical and managerial implications of our findings are also discussed herein.

Service Performance Quality and Organizational Commitment of Customer Contact Employees in Indian Call Centers

Current study explores the relationship between an organizational functioning variable i.e. organizational commitment of customer-contact employees (CCE) and quality of services delivered to the customers, by call centre employees. This research is an attempt to contribute to the growing body of knowledge establishing links between commitment of employees and services delivered to the customers in a pure service industry. This study expands the organizational commitment to include normative and continuance commitment, the neglected aspect of commitment in marketing literature. Data was collected from 150 customers and 150 CCEs customer contact employees of four call centers in the NCR region and customers (SERVPERF), with help of a structured self administered questionnaire. Data analysis was done using correlation and step wise regression analysis. Results of the study highlight that hypothesis of Linkage research applies to this relationship based industry as well. However the interesting output of the study was the relation between service performance quality and normative commitment. These results highlight that, if managed properly, in a relationship based service industry, human resource could be a source of core competence and inimitability through competitive ambiguity. Research results further suggest that service companies should develop human resource strategies for normative commitment targeted at younger and well educated people CCE.

Modeling quality commitment in service organizations: an empirical study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to attempt to model the antecedents and consequences of quality commitment among employees in a service organization.Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual model based on extant literature on quality commitment is validated through a study among employees in a consultancy organization in Turkey involved in servicing SMEs.FindingsThe conceptual model finds reasonable support through the study. All the proposed antecedents and consequences are found to be linked positively as per the propositions.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based on a single organization, which could impact the generalizability of the results. Further two of the constructs are measured using two item scales, affecting the scale validity.Originality/valueThis paper introduces a model of quality commitment, which focuses on the outcomes of quality commitment, and validates it in the context of a service organization.

Professional involvement in the design of accreditation manuals

This paper aims to describe the participation of health professionals as key agents for the successful definition of skills manuals supporting professional accreditation in Andalusia (Spain). The increasing extent to which different stakeholders are recognized reflects the importance they hold in all decision-making processes. The Andalusian Agency for Healthcare Quality's commitment to this process has facilitated the healthcare professionals' participation when professional skills manuals are designed for their respective specialities. The process involved over 400 healthcare professionals from 58 disciplines between March 2005 and January 2008. Results were conditioned by several factors, some acting as drivers while others represented a barrier. The experience relates to a specific geographical context. Healthcare professionals eligible to participate had to be in active employment and working for the Andalusian Public Health Service. There was an overrepresentation of members from scientific associations. Co-operation based on mutual trust is the essential ingredient accounting for the success of participative involvement. The paper incorporates all categories of personnel and specialities in a regional healthcare system that covers eight million inhabitants and employs over 90,000 professionals, includes 33 public hospitals, more than 1,500 primary care centres and other healthcare units.

STUDENT PARENT PERCEPTION TOWARDS CONSUMER BASED BRAND EQUITY

It can be argued that parental role in selecting which university should a student candidate take is instrumental. With the rapidly growing Indonesia higher education industries over the last ten years, study in brand equity area focussing on the parent’s perception towards the brand equity of a university become more and more crucial. This study investigates student parent’s perception using five variables of consumer based brand equity from Lassar et al. (1995) in a private university in Jakarta (University X). There are two different departments to be compared with in order to know whether there are differences in brand equity perception between student parents from both departments. The result shows most variables are indifference with exceptions in three questions and the three questions relate to performance and attachment concerning quality and long-term commitment. Implication and suggestion have been promoted according to the result.

Do remote community telepharmacies have higher medication error rates than traditional community pharmacies? Evidence from the North Dakota Telepharmacy Project

ObjectiveTo evaluate the differences in medication dispensing errors between remote telepharmacy sites (pharmacist not physically present) and standard community pharmacy sites (pharmacist physically present and no telepharmacy technology; comparison group). DesignPilot, cross-sectional, comparison study. SettingNorth Dakota from January 2005 to September 2008. ParticipantsPharmacy staff at 14 remote telepharmacy sites and 8 comparison community pharmacies. InterventionThe Pharmacy Quality Commitment (PQC) reporting system was incorporated into the North Dakota Telepharmacy Project. A session was conducted to train pharmacists and technicians on use of the PQC system. A quality-related event (QRE) was defined as either a near miss (i.e., mistake caught before reaching patient; pharmacy discovery), or an error (i.e., mistake discovered after patient received medication; patient discovery). Main outcome measureQREs for prescriptions. ResultsDuring a 45-month period, the remote telepharmacy group reported 47,078 prescriptions and 631 QREs compared with 123,346 prescriptions and 1,002 QREs in the standard pharmacy group. Results for near misses (pharmacy discovery) and errors (patient discovery) for the remote and comparison sites were 553 and 887 and 78 and 125, respectively. Percentage of “where the mistake was caught” (i.e., pharmacist check) for the remote and comparison sites were 58% and 69%, respectively. ConclusionThis study reported a lower overall rate (1.0%) and a slight difference in medication dispensing error rates between remote telepharmacy sites (1.3%) and comparison sites (0.8%). Both rates are comparable with nationally reported levels (1.7% error rate for 50 pharmacies).

Graduates pledge commitment to quality

Graduates pledge commitment to quality

Graduates pledge commitment to quality

Graduates pledge commitment to quality

Restructuring the Nursing Staff and its Influence on Care Hours

This descriptive study aimed to calculate and compare the nursing staff at the medical-surgical clinical units of a philanthropic hospital in current and projected situations, and to investigate how much time the nursing team delivers patient care in the current and projected situations. Gaidzinski's method was used to calculate the nursing staff, and the equation proposed by the Hospital Quality Commitment (HQC) to estimate care hours. The findings showed an increase of 33% in the staff, with a 68.4% increase in the number of nurses and 15.6% in the number of technicians / nursing auxiliaries. According to the projected situation, the care hours varied from 5.7 to 7.2. The number of nursing and the mean care time provided to the patients were inadequate according to the clientele's care needs. This could impair the quality of care.

The impact of small business B2B virtual community commitment on brand loyalty

In effort to focus research attention on emerging business-to-business (B2B) virtual communities (VCs), we review and extend business-to-consumer (B2C) literature, resource-advantage theory and relationship marketing to describe how community-hosting organisations build brand loyalty in B2B markets. We explain how functional usefulness, system quality, business opportunity, dialogue initiation and response frequency impact B2B VC commitment and brand loyalty towards the community-hosting organisation. Results of this study support hypotheses that B2B VCs critically impact relationship marketing. Further, functional usefulness, system quality, business opportunity, dialogue initiation and response frequency impact B2B community commitment and brand loyalty.

Effect of Educational Service Quality and Organizational Commitment on Organizational Behavior

Effect of Educational Service Quality and Organizational Commitment on Organizational Behavior

Quality commitment

Shirley Willis was made a queen’s nurse because of her outstanding career and her drive for improvement. she talks to Jenny Knight

Conceptualizing Consumer Need for Product Authenticity

This exploratory study investigates the perceived characteristics of product authenticity and the idiosyncrasies and propensities of consumers who express a need for such authenticity. Based on personal interviews of 10 consumers and three sessions of focus group interviews with 17 consumers, this study identifies six characteristics of authenticity: (1) originality, (2) quality commitment and credibility, (3) heritage and style persistence, (4) scarceness, (5) sacredness, and (6) purity. The study finds that consumers will expend high-acquisition efforts to search for and buy authentic products with one or more of the six authenticity characteristics. It also finds that consumers with a high need for authenticity consume authentic products deliberately, remain loyal to authentic products, and refuse to consume imitation goods.

Selection of DEK Horizon 03i underpins DCI quality commitment

Selection of DEK Horizon 03i underpins DCI quality commitment

The Relationship between Internal Service Quality and Organizational Commitment

The Relationship between Internal Service Quality and Organizational Commitment

The impact of customer education on customer participation, functional service quality and trust in restaurant services

Previous studies have provided evidence that customer education play an important role in building service quality, customer trust and relationship commitment, but these studies have focused almost exclusively on complex services, such as financial services. This study extends the current work to examine the impact of customer education in restaurant services. A conceptual framework is proposed to explain how customer education affects customer participation, functional service quality and trust. Data were collected by using a videotape simulation of a cooking education program in a real restaurant, 258 participants were asked to be involved in a role-playing process and then complete the questionnaire. The results of a structural equation model suggest that the main effect of customer education on customer participation, functional quality and trust were significant; customer participation also affects functional service quality and trust, but not the relationship between customer participation and trust. Implications of the study and future research are discussed.

Pioneering Foodservice Firm Battles Pollution Using Innovative Environmental Strategies

ABSTRACT A single case study approach was adopted to identify the innovative environmental strategies with one pioneering food service company. An investigation of environmental strategies in the foodservice industry was carried out through multiple sources of evidence including interviews with key decision makers in the head office, observations of environmental conditions, and documentary information. The findings suggested that not only waste preventing strategies but also environmental marketing and corporate strategies were important aspects in addressing the problems of pollution in foodservice. From the data analysis the four key factors of cost savings, corporate image, customer's concerns for food safety, food quality, and convenience and top management commitment were also found to have an important impact on the company's environmental strategies. Some options for future research are identified.

Exploring the antecedents of quality commitment among employees: an empirical study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the major factors that impact the quality commitment of employees in organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a cross‐sectional design and the propositions are validated through two sample surveys conducted in two separate organizations in Turkey.FindingsThe study presents four independent variables as the major factors affecting quality commitment of employees, viz. the leadership commitment towards quality; the quality orientation of the organization; team effectiveness and effectiveness of quality‐related communication. The four hypotheses are found to be valid.Originality/valueThe paper attempts to contribute towards the literature on quality commitment of employees. So far, studies on quality commitment have been quite limited and hence this effectively fills a gap in the literature. Examination of data collected from a government ministry and a manufacturing company reveals some significant findings, which contributes to quality management literature.

Lean production and quality commitment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine antecedents of employee quality commitment at two Korean auto firms.