Modeling the Mediating Role of Patient Safety Culture in Interplay of Total Quality Management, Organizational Learning, and Organizational Image in Health Services Sector

A patient’s mental image of quality of health services can greatly form his/her overall judgment of the organizations providing these services. This study aims to analyze the effects of organizational learning and total quality management on the organizational image through the mediating role of patient safety culture in the health services sector.

This is a correlational descriptive study, in which the employees of hospitals were selected as the statistical population to analyze three variables, namely total quality management, organizational learning, and patient safety culture. Regarding the organizational image variable, the statistical population included the patients who visited the selected hospitals within a six-month period. Finally, the simple random sampling technique was employed to select 240 individuals from both groups. Standard questionnaires were then used for data collection; the reliability and validity of questionnaires were checked through Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, convergent validity, and divergent validity. The resultant data were analyzed in SPSS and SmartPLS.

Organizational learning had positive effects on total quality management, patient safety culture, and organizational image. Moreover, total quality management had positive, significant effects on patient safety culture and organizational image. The Sobel test was utilized to determine the effect of the mediating variable; the results confirmed the mediating role of patient safety culture. Therefore, patient safety culture acted as a mediating variable in the relationship between organizational learning and total quality management by having a positive, significant effect on organizational image.

Managers of organizations that provide health services can improve organizational image in the minds of patients through the effective implementation of total quality management plans and improvement of organizational learning.