In:
PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science (PLoS), Vol. 16, No. 9 ( 2021-9-10), p. e0257412-
Abstract:
Kaizen—a management technique increasingly employed in health care—enables employees, regardless of their hierarchy level, to contribute to the improvement of their organization. The approach puts special emphasis on frontline employees because it represents one of their main opportunities to participate directly in decision making. In this study, we aimed to (1) understand the experiences of nurses in two hospitals that had recently implemented kaizen, and (2) identify factors affecting the implementation of the technique. Methods By means of purposeful sampling, we selected 30 nurses from different units in two private acute care hospitals in Switzerland in May 2018. We used the Organizational Transformation Model to conduct semi-structured interviews and perform qualitative content analysis. Lastly, originating from Herzberg’s motivation theory, we suggest two types of factor influencing the implementation of kaizen—hygiene factors that may prevent nurses from getting demotivated, and motivational factors that may boost their motivation. Results Nurses generally experienced kaizen as a positive practice that enabled them to discuss work-related activities in a more comprehensive manner. In some cases, however, a lack of visible improvement in the workplace lowered nurses’ motivation to make suggestions. Nurses’ attitudes towards kaizen differed across both hospitals depending on the available managerial support, resources such as infrastructure and staffing levels. Conclusions From our findings, we derived several coping strategies to help health practitioners implement kaizen for the benefit of their organization and employees: Strong managerial support, appropriate use of kaizen tools, and a greater sense of team cohesion, among other factors, can influence how effectively hospital teams implement kaizen. To reap the benefits of kaizen, hospital managers should promote the exchange of opinions across hierarchy levels, allocate the necessary resources in terms of personnel and infrastructure, and show nurses how the technique can help them improve their workplace.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1932-6203
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.t001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.t002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.t003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.s001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.s002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.s003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.s004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.s005
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.s006
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.s007
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.r001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.r002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.r003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.r004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.r005
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0257412.r006
Language:
English
Publisher:
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Publication Date:
2021
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2267670-3
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