Leadership Strategies to Achieve Organizational Excellence

Inadequate quality management tools and processes can lead to inefficient hospital operations and poor organizational performance. Community hospital leaders who fail to improve operations and organizational performance risk negatively impacting patient care and profitability. Grounded in the theory of high-performance work systems (HPWS), the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies community healthcare leaders use to effectively employ quality management approaches to improve operations and achieve organizational excellence. The participants comprised 5 community healthcare leaders in the northeast United States who effectively used quality management approaches to improve operations and achieve organizational excellence. Data were collected from semistructured interview questions and company documents. Thematic analysis was used to identify 5 strategies: quality management tools and techniques, data measurement and analysis for performance improvement, strategic planning, leadership engagement, and sponsorship, employee engagement, and deliberative management of resources. Key recommendations include pursuing business process improvement, using high-performance work system strategies, investing in special quality training, and enhancing in-house quality management staff. The implications for social change include the potential for hospital leaders to reduce waste, improve healthcare delivery, and operational efficiency, resulting in a healthier patient population and community