Assessing lean satisfaction and its enablers: a care provider perspective

This research aims to explore expectations, perceptions (performance) and satisfactions on lean, and to investigate the effects of satisfactions of lean dimensions on total lean satisfaction from the care provider perspective. The measurement instrument was developed from literature and validated by experts, pilot tests and statistical techniques. Multiple responses were used for data collection from care providers in 220 Thai outpatient departments (OPD) to increase reliability of obtained data. Descriptive statistics were applied to examine the level of expectations, perceptions and satisfactions on lean. Paired-samples t-test and importance-performance analysis were utilized to analyze lean satisfactions by comparing performance and expectations. Multiple regressions were employed to analyze the impacts of satisfaction of individual lean dimensions on total lean satisfaction. It was found that OPD emphasized tangible process improvement. Soft aspects i.e. leadership and culture, and human resource should receive more attentions. Overall, OPD employees significantly were dissatisfied with lean, especially leadership and culture. Leadership and culture, and human resource had significant positive effects on total lean satisfaction. To enhance employee satisfaction on lean, managers should emphasize satisfactions of soft lean factors. Concentration of soft lean factors should be determined as investment rather than expense. This is one of the first studies to empirically investigate expectations, performance and satisfactions on lean, and to evaluate the influences of satisfaction of lean dimensions on total satisfaction in outpatient departments of hospitals in a developing country.