Volume 46 | Number 6pt2 | December 2011

Abstract List

Ping Zhou, Kate Bundorf, Ji Chang, Jin Xin Huang, Di Xue


Objective

To measure perceptions of organizational culture among employees of public hospitals in hina and to determine whether perceptions are associated with hospital performance.


Data Sources

Hospital, employee, and patient surveys from 87 hinese public hospitals conducted during 2009.


Study Design

Developed and administered a tool to assess organizational culture in hinese public hospitals. Used factor analysis to create measures of organizational culture. Analyzed the relationships between employee type and perceptions of culture and between perceptions of culture and hospital performance using multivariate models.


Principal Findings

Employees perceived the culture of hinese public hospitals as stronger in internal rules and regulations, and weaker in empowerment. Hospitals in which employees perceived that the culture emphasized cost control were more profitable and had higher rates of outpatient visits and bed days per physician per day but also had lower levels of patient satisfaction. Hospitals with cultures perceived as customerā€focused had longer length of stay but lower patient satisfaction.


Conclusions

Managers in hinese public hospitals should consider whether the culture of their organization will enable them to respond effectively to their changing environment.