Relationship between lean practices, soft total quality management and innovation skills in Lebanese hospitals

Background: Lean practices are critical to eliminate waste and enhance the quality of healthcare services through different improvement approaches of total quality management (TQM). In particular, the soft side of TQM is used to develop the innovation skills of employees that are essential for the continuous improvement strategies of hospitals.

Aim: The main objective was to study the relationship between lean practices, soft TQM and innovation skills in Lebanese hospitals.

Methods: A quantitative methodology was applied by surveying 352 employees from private and public hospitals in Lebanon. The primary collected data were valid and reliable when analysed by SPSS and AMOS software as a part of structural equation modelling.

Results: Lean practices significantly influenced the innovation skills; however, soft TQM did not mediate this relationship because it was not well implemented, especially at the level of people-based management and continuous improvement.

Conclusion: This study has implications for healthcare practitioners to make greater efforts to implement lean practices and soft TQM. Future studies are suggested to highlight different challenges facing quality improvement in the Region.