Does Organizational Culture Impact Patient Safety Management?

Objective: Since organizational culture could act as a tool to socialize employee value, this study explores the relationship between organizational culture and patient safety management, with the purpose of identifying which culture could benefit from the implementation of patient safety. Method: Based on the theory of Competing Values Approach, this study adopted four categories of organizational culture (rational culture, developmental culture, group culture and hierarchical culture) and a self-devised questionnaire on patient safety. The survey questionnaires were distributed to doctors, nurses, medical and administrative staff at five medical centers in northern Taiwan. A total of 181 completed questionnaires were returned. Results: (1) Multiple types of organizational culture were displayed, with the four categories of culture co-existing and having correlations of different strengths. (2) The correlation between rational culture and patient safety management was found to be negatively statistically significant. (3) Developmental culture, group culture and hierarchical culture were found to have statistically significant associations with patient safety management. Conclusion: Overall, group culture has the greatest impact on patient safety management. Development and hierarchical cultures have an impact only on some aspects of patient safety management. Therefore, in developing and promoting patient safety, group culture should be cultivated to aid the introduction of the patient safety management.