Exploring managerial and professional view to health care service quality

Health care service quality is a critical issue for many researchers from different fields of science and practice. Studies of evolution of health care service quality concept allow envisaging that historically health care service quality meant different things for different stakeholders, even if they used the same concept. Physicians traditionally relate service quality with good medical results, expressed in terms of objective measures. The managers of health care organizations tend to evaluate service quality by using some managerial measures. While patients tend to evaluate health care quality as a function of their relationships with health care provider. Trying successfully operating in nowadays fast-changing environment, it is necessary to provide health care service recipients with services that would meet or exceed their needs and expectations. At the same time, it’s important to understand the service providers’ perspective about high quality service determinants. The complexity of health care services and the importance of the competence of health care providers on health care results enable not to rely only on the consumers’ perspective to quality. A number of studies have been conducted to identity the health care quality perception from the patient perspective; there are also many researches done exploring differences between patient and health care provider perceptions of quality. However, a few studies have been conducted trying to reveal the differences of quality perception between the separate groups of health care providers. This paper tries to explore the differences and similarities of health care service quality perception between two groups within health care organization: managers of HCO and health care professionals

Žmogiškųjų išteklių ir jų valdymo vaidmuo kuriant ilgalaikį konkurencinį pranašumą

There is an ongoing debate in research over the source of organisational competitive advantage. Strategy theorists have looked for it in both external and internal environments of business. However, given such challenges of the global business world as the need to increase productivity, expand into global markets, implement new technologies, attract and retain high-performing workforce (Burke, 2005), and the fact that traditional sources of competitive advantage (e.g. natural resources, access to financial resources, economies of scale, etc.) no longer suffice (Pfeffer, 1994), growing relevance has recently been attributed by both researchers and practitioners to human resources and their management. However, there is no consensus in scientific literature as to what in particular serves as a source of competitive advantage – the possession of unique and valuable human resources, or their effective management. Drawing on prior research, this paper is aimed at further developing the dispute by looking into the role of human resources and their management in the enhancement of organisational effectiveness.First, to unravel the centrality of human resources in the organisation, this paper draws mainly on the propositions of the resource-based view, which, contrary to the external environment approach, suggests that organisational resources and capabilities serve as a strategic foundation for the organisation (Barney, 1991; Grant, 1998). The paper also looks into the features of human resources which make them of strategic value for an organisation: human resources qualify for a source of competitive advantage, for they possess specific features which make them valuable, rare, inimitable, dynamic, etc. To better disclose the role of human resources in the organisation, the paper also juxtaposes different approaches to the very concept of 'human resources'. Respectively two strands of the concept definitions are discussed: generalist (Wright et al, 1994; Fisher et al, 2006; etc.), and distinctive (Barney, 1995; Grant, 1998; Kamoche, 1999). Next, the paper provides some insights on the high relevance of human resource management in the enhancement of organisational effectiveness. [...

Lietuvos turizmo įmonių darbuotojų pagrindinių kompetencijų nustatymas

Quality of service is one of the sources of competitive advantage in tourism industry as successful interaction between employees and customers influences income and profit. Clients' satisfaction after the first contact, communication, information and gained proposals usually determines where to obtain the trip package, if other conditions are similar and acceptable. This research aims to determine what core competencies are essential for successful guide/tour escort and travel consultants in order completely satisfy the requirements and expectations of tourism services customers This research presents a new approach to a long-term viability of an enterprise as no similar researches were ever carried in Lithuania. The questionnaires were received from 171 customers, thus ensuring statistically reliable sample for further analysis. The answers, processed using SPSS, confirmed that core competencies of guide/tour escort are mostly hidden, while majority of travel consultant's core competencies are visible. Results of the research will be useful for Lithuanian tourism companies, who seek to improve personnel working with customers skills for realizing the better strategy (guarantee the profit) in order to seek the satisfy expectations of customers. As the tourism is the part of the experience economics, the huge essentials in the success take part the customers expectation realization. The research has shown that managers do not recognize expectations of customers. Using the results of this research in nowadays the quality of services will be better, will be no tourists dissatisfactions and tourism companies will find the method how to expand customers' loyalty to agency ensuring safe and financial vitality future

Lietuvos turizmo įmonių darbuotojų pagrindinių kompetencijų nustatymas

Quality of service is one of the sources of competitive advantage in tourism industry as successful interaction between employees and customers influences income and profit. Clients' satisfaction after the first contact, communication, information and gained proposals usually determines where to obtain the trip package, if other conditions are similar and acceptable. This research aims to determine what core competencies are essential for successful guide/tour escort and travel consultants in order completely satisfy the requirements and expectations of tourism services customers This research presents a new approach to a long-term viability of an enterprise as no similar researches were ever carried in Lithuania. The questionnaires were received from 171 customers, thus ensuring statistically reliable sample for further analysis. The answers, processed using SPSS, confirmed that core competencies of guide/tour escort are mostly hidden, while majority of travel consultant's core competencies are visible. Results of the research will be useful for Lithuanian tourism companies, who seek to improve personnel working with customers skills for realizing the better strategy (guarantee the profit) in order to seek the satisfy expectations of customers. As the tourism is the part of the experience economics, the huge essentials in the success take part the customers expectation realization. The research has shown that managers do not recognize expectations of customers. Using the results of this research in nowadays the quality of services will be better, will be no tourists dissatisfactions and tourism companies will find the method how to expand customers' loyalty to agency ensuring safe and financial vitality future

Veiksniai, darantys poveikį pardavimo darbuotojų, dirbančių verslas verslui rinkoje, ryšiui su organizacija

[...] The study was designed to investigate the nature of salespeople-organization long-term relationship dimensions (commitment to the organization and psychological contract) and motivation dimensions' (personal growth and ability, recognition of effort and results, financial compensation and incentives, leadership support, employee autonomy, and team work) relationship within B2B environment. A survey was conducted involving 105 salespeople working in B2B sector at telecommunication and financial companies. Research findings indicate that salespeople relationship with the organization is determined mainly by two motivation dimensions positive feedback from the immediate supervisor about salespeople behaviour and decision making autonomy. The study extends prior literature highlighting the positive impact of employee autonomy on employees' psychological contract, their satisfaction with personal growth, and their effort and results. Specifically, the employee autonomy dimension - decision making autonomy - demonstrated the strongest relationship with psychological contrac

The role of relationship marketing dimensions in the customer retention

Advancement of science and technology, growth of service sector, strengthening of competition and, what is the most important, diversity of customer needs and regular changes thereof, determined the necessity for a new approach to the development of operations. Relationship marketing is defined as “the new marketing”, oriented towards the main objective of the company’s operations – fulfillment of customer needs and building of long-term relationships with customers. However, loyalty from the customers’ side is not guaranteed. customer’s wish to maintain loyal relationships depends on the company’s ability to foresee the needs of potential customers and to fulfil them before the competitors do that. A company that seeks to  earn  the  customer  loyalty  and  maintain  a  competitive  advantage  has  to  be  well  versed  in  the  qualitative  dimensions  of relationships – the main principles for maintaining of relationships.As shown in the analysis of scientific literature on the subject of relationship marketing, only a few of scientific researches were  devoted  to  operationalization  of  the  key  dimensions  of  relationship  marketing.  After  taking  into  consideration  the interpretations of commentation on relationship marketing dimensions, presented by the scholars, and their significance to the company’s relationships with business partners, the following main relationship marketing dimensions were identified: empathy, communication, cooperation, satisfaction, trust and commitment. Manifestation of these dimensions in conjunction with formal measures of the company such as organizational rules of behaviour and the code of ethics determine the strength and development of relationships between the parties that maintain them. Empirical research into manifestation of relationship marketing dimensions in relationships of cargo vehicles manufacturers’ representative offices with their customers allowed to establish that the manifestation of relationship marketing dimensions in relationships of these companies with customers was sufficiently strong and in turn determined closeness of these relationships. Article in Lithuanian. Santykių marketingo dimensijų vaidmuo išlaikant vartotojus Santrauka. Mokslo ir technikos pažanga, paslaugų sektoriaus augimas, stiprėjanti konkurencija, o svarbiausia vartotojų poreikių įvairumas bei nuolatiniai jų pokyčiai lėmė naujo požiūrio į veiklos plėtotę būtinumą. Santykių marketingas apibūdinams kaip naujasis marketingas, kuris orientuotas į pagrindinį įmonės veiklos tikslą – vartotojų poreikių tenkinimą ir ilgalaikių santykių su vartotojais kūrimą. Kaip įmonei pavyksta hiperkonkurencinėje rinkoje užmegzti ir palaikyti glaudžius santykius tiek su vartotojais, tiek su kitais rinkos subjektais, priklauso nuo to, kaip įmonė gerai išmano santykių marketingo dimensijas – pa-grindinius santykių palaikymo principus. Reikšminiai žodžiai: santykių marketingas, įmonės santykiai su vartotojais, vartotojų išlaikymas, santykių marketingo dimensijos, pasitenkinimas, pasitikėjimas, įsipareigojimas. First published online: 22 Dec 200

Impact of leadership styles on employees' organizational commitment in Lithuanian manufacturing companies

Besikeičianti darbo rinkos demografija privertė JAV ir Europos vadybininkus iš naujo permąstyti darbo jėgos trūkumo klausimus. Lietuva ir kitos šalys, naujai įstojusios į Europos Sąjungą, ypač stipriai patiria šį reiškinį, nes darbo jėga migruoja į labiau išsivysčiusias Europos Sąjungos šalis. Viena iš svarbiausių vadybos problemų šiandien yra kaip išlaikyti darbuotojus ir jų atsidavimą organizacijai. Tyrimai leidžia daryti prielaidą, kad darbuotojų atsidavimą organizacijai įtakoja vadovo elgesys. Šio straipsnio tikslas yra ištirti ryšį tarp vadovavimo stiliaus ir darbuotojų atsidavimo organizacijai. Atliekant tyrimą buvo apklausti vidutinio lygio vadovai iš penkių gamybinių Lietuvos kompanijų. Apklausos analizė parodė, kad transformacinis vadovavimo modelis stipriau įtakoja emocinį darbuotojų atsidavimą, nei normatyvinį. Galima teigti, kad transformacinis vadovavimo stilius sukelia teigiamas asociacijas su darbuotojo įsipareigojimais psichologiniu, vertės, moraliniu ir ekonominiu aspektais. Tuo remiantis, galima daryti išvadą, kad transformacinis vadovavimas geriau užtikrina darbuotojų atsidavimą. Taip pat kompromisinis vadovavimo stilius yra susijęs tiek su emociniu, tiek su normatyviniu įsipareigojimu. Kompromisinė tarpusavio sąveika tarp viršininko ir darbuotojo įtakoja darbuotojo emocinį susitapatinimą su organizacija ir jo atsakomybės jausmą. Rezultatai taip pat rodo, kad šie abu vadovavimo stiliai labai silpnai veikia ilgalaikį įsipareigojimą.The changing labour market demography forced the US and European managers to reconsider the issues of the lack of labour force. Lithuania and other new European Union Member States particularly strongly experience this phenomenon, because labour force migrates to more developed countries of the EU. One of the most important management problems nowadays is to retain employees and their loyalty to the organisation. Studies lead to an assumption that employees’ loyalty to the organisation is influenced by the behaviour of the manager. The aim of this paper is to explore the connection between the style of leadership and employees’ loyalty to the organisation. The research included the survey of middle-level managers from five Lithuanian manufacturing companies. The analysis of the survey showed that the transformational leadership model more strongly influences employees’ loyalty than the normative one. It could be stated that the transformational leadership style evokes positive associations with the employee’s commitments from the psychological, value, moral and economic aspects. Thus, a conclusion may be drawn that transformational leadership better ensures employees’ commitment. Moreover, compromising leadership style is related to both emotional and normative commitment. Compromising mutual interaction between the manager and the employee influences the employee’s emotional identification with the organisation and a sense of responsibility. The results also show that these two leadership styles have a very weak effect on long-term commitment

Drivers and performance outcomes of responsible care : the case of Lithuanian chemical industry

Straipsnyje nagrinėjami skirtingi motyvai, kurie skatina organizacijų vadovus taikyti savo veikloje kompanijų socialinės atsakomybės (KSA) principus ir siekiama nustatyti tokios politikos ir praktikos pasekmes organizacijai. Ypač atkreipiamas dėmesys į KSA politiką ir praktiką chemijos pramonėje, apie kurią šiuo metu yra susidariusi prasta viešoji nuomonė dėl grėsmės aplinkai. Straipsnyje taip pat nagrinėjamos savireguliacijos pastangos šioje pramonės šakoje ir požiūris į Responsible Care (RC), chemijos pramonės organizacijų iniciatyvą veikti atsakingai, kuri yra svarbiausia savanoriška pramonės iniciatyva pasaulyje, ir jos situaciją tarp chemijos pramonės organizacijų Lietuvoje. Tyrimo rezultatai rodo, kad organizacijas taikyti KSA skatina visa eilė strateginių, komercinių, etinių, moralinių, altruistinių ar filantropinių motyvų. Lietuvos chemijos pramonėje respondentai daugiausia nurodė strateginius motyvus arba RC iniciatyvą. Tačiau kadangi tik trečdalis Lietuvos organizacijų, priklausančių chemijos pramonės asociacijai, remia šią iniciatyvą, galima daryti prielaidą, kad jas skatina ne tik strateginiai, bet ir moraliniai bei etiniai motyvai. Kompanijos ir vadovavimo vertybės čia taip pat vaidina svarbų vaidmenį. Atsižvelgus į prastą viešąją nuomonę apie šią pramonės šaką ir faktas, kad dauguma organizacijų neremia RC iniciatyvos, rodo, kad jos nesuvokia strateginės ar komercinės KSA naudos. Šio tyrimo rezultatai atitinka rezultatus, gautus kitose Lietuvos pramonės šakose. Reikšminiai žodžiai: Atsakingas požiūris; Įmonių socialinė atsakomybė; Chemijos pramonė; Responsible care; Corporate social responsibility; Chemical industry; LithuaniaThe paper looks into different motives that drive organisation managers to engage into the activities of corporate social responsibility, and seeks to determine organisational outcomes of such policies and practices. Specific focus is given to the CSR policies and practices in the chemical industry, which suffers an extremely low public opinion in respect to environmental safety. The paper also looks into the industry’s self regulation attempts and looks into Responsible Care, an initiative of the chemical industry organisations to act responsibly, which is the world’s leading voluntary industry initiative, and its situation among chemical industry organisations in Lithuania. Research findings show that currently only a third of Lithuanian organisations belonging to the chemical industry association support the initiative, while the main motive for engaging into it activities is corporate image enhancement