Factors Affecting Customer Orientation in Iranian Hospitals

Abstract

Customer orientation is one of the new approaches which is recently considered by the Iranian Healthcare Centers. The present study aims to identify the main factors of customer orientation in Iranian hospitals. The study is done through analysis of a questionnaire designed after recognition of the main variables. Iranian Social Security Organization Hospitals (the major governmental health institutions in Iran) were chosen as a sample among all Iranian healthcare centers (n=48). Content validity and construct validity were assured with expert judgment and the reliability of the questionnaire was determined using Cronbach's alpha and Pearson correlation (1st and 2nd times). Cronbach's alpha coefficient was respectively as 0.826 and Pearson correlation was (p<0.001) 0.975. The questionnaire was filled out by the research community. After collection of sufficient samples, the exploratory and confirmatory factors were analyzed. The findings of the study showed two factors after factor analysis; namely, “consideration about customer" and “consideration about stakeholder". The calculated fitness indexes proved the desirability and appropriateness of the factors and their structural relations. It is concluded that these factors have substantial roles in the implementation of customer orientation approach in these organizations.