Naslov
DOCTORAL DISSERTATION SUMMARY: Employees' job satisfaction in public health institutions with implemented quality management system

Autori
Škarica, Ivana

Izvornik
Tourism and hospitality management (1330-7533) 26 (2020), 1; 253-257

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, sažetak doktorske disertacije, ostalo

Ključne riječi
management system ; job satisfaction ; employees ; TQM, public health

Sažetak
Purpose In today's global market, organizations are faced with competition, regardless the sector in which they operate. Following the above, it is necessary to state that neither the health sector is spared in that way. Many researchers claim that quality is a competitive advantage because implementation of one of the quality management standards increases efficiency of business processes, increases the satisfaction level of all interested parties (including users/patients and employees), reduces costs and complaints and consequently improves the position of an organization and its competitiveness on the market. Quality is defined in many somewhat different ways. As stated by American Society for Quality (2018), quality is “a subjective term for which each person or sector has its own definition. In technical usage, quality can have two meanings: 1) the characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs ; and 2) a product or service free of deficiencies.” Furthermore, according to one of the quality gurus, Juran, quality is a “fitness for use “(1999: 4), while to another, Crosby, “quality is free” (1996: 9). Even though these are only some of the definitions and they slightly differ, they all have one goal in common, to meet and exceed customer/patient expectations. When talking about quality in healthcare sector, the focus is on meeting and exceeding patients’ expectations to get the best possible care with minimal risk to his/her health and well-being. Although at its very beginnings quality was mainly focused on products and manufacturing, in the last few decades services and service industry became equally important and represented when it comes to the quality of a product or a service offered to users. So in regards to health industry, especially public health, it is more than obvious that activities and programs carried out are crucial for the general health of society seeing that they represent the essence of preventive health care activities. As stated by Winslow (1920: 30), public health is “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting physical health and efficiency through organized community efforts for the sanitation of the environment, the control of community infections, the education of the individual in principles of personal hygiene, the organization of medical and nursing services for the early diagnosis and preventive treatment of disease, and the development of the social machinery which will ensure to every individual in the community a standard of living adequate for the maintenance of health“. Therefore, the quality of services provided by the Institutes of public health that represent holders of preventive healthcare activities in the Republic of Croatia is pivotal and the best foundation for the increasement of quality level lays in application of total quality management (TQM) principles. Croatian Institutes of public health, as stated before, are major institutionalized providers and coordinators of activities aimed at preserving and improving population health in Croatia. There are 21 county public health institutes that together with the national carrier - Croatian Institute of Public Health, form a Network of Public Health Institutes. Public health institutes cover various areas of preventive healthcare: epidemiology, microbiology, environmental health, school health, mental health and addiction prevention, and public health (Škarica and Vrtodušić Hrgović, 2018). Preventive measurements are also supported by different laws in Croatia that require implementation of quality standards, to be more precise, accreditation of testing laboratories for testing food, waters, air, object of common use, waste eluates etc., according to standard ISO/IEC 17025:2017.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Ekonomija

POVEZANOST RADA