Top manager and network effects on the adoption of innovative management practices: a study of TQM in a public hospital system

• Published in: Strategic management journal Vol. 22; no. 10; pp. 935 - 951
• Main Authors: Young, Gary J., Charns, Martin P., Shortell, Stephen M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.10.2001; John Wiley and Sons; Wiley; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Subjects: adoption; Applied sciences; Business innovation; Demography; diffusion; Directors; Early adopters; Employees; Empowerment; Exact sciences and technology; Firm modelling; Health care; Hospital administration; Hospitals; Innovation; Innovation adoption; Innovation diffusion; Innovations; institutional forces; Institutionalism; Management styles; Management techniques; Managers; Medical referrals; Networks; Operational research and scientific management; Operational research. Management science; Public management; Public sector; Quality control; Quality improvement; Quality management; Reliability theory. Replacement problems; Strategic management; Studies; top manager; Total quality; Total quality management; Veterans; United States > US; Organization management; Innovation; Perspective; Institutional system; Network; Hospital; Diffusion; Enterprise organization; Total quality; Quality management
• ISSN: 0143-2095; 1097-0266
• DOI: 10.1002/smj.194

This paper reports findings from a study that combined two theoretical perspectives-top manager and network/institutional-to examine the factors influencing organizations to adopt innovative management practices. The study setting was a system of public hospitals and the innovation was Total Quality Management (TQM). Study results indicate that both top manager and network/institutional factors are important determinants of whether and when organizations adopt innovations. However, as predicted, the relative importance of these two sets of factors appears to change as an innovation becomes more widely diffused.