title: Organizational learning and continuous quality improvement: examining the impact on nursing home performance.
abstract: Interest is growing in learning more about the ability of total quality management and continuous quality improvement (TQM/CQI) initiatives to contribute to the performance of healthcare organizations. A major factor in the successful implementation of TQM/CQI is the seminal contribution of an organization's culture. Many implementation efforts have not succeeded because of a corporate culture that failed to stress broader organizational learning. This may help to explain why some TQM/CQI programs have been unsuccessful in improving healthcare organization performance. Organizational performance variables and organizational learning orientation were assessed in a sample of 181 Canadian long-term care organizations that had implemented a formal TQM/CQI program. Categorical regression analysis shows that, in the absence of a strong corporAte culture that stresses organizational learning and employee development, few performance enhancements are reported. The results of the assessment suggest that a TQM/CQI program without the backing of a strong organizational learning culture may be insufficient to achieve augmented organizational performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton.
authors.forename: Kent V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Rondeau
authors.forename: Terry H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Wagar
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D013192:Staff Development; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*