The Role of Strategic Innovation in the Sustainability of Healthcare Service Businesses in Zimbabwe: The Case of PSMI Limited

Frederick Farai Muchena Osaro Aigbogun

Binary University of Management and Entrepreneurship, Malaysia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35609/gcbssproceeding.2020.11(140)

ABSTRACT


This study evaluates the extent to which product, technology, service, and process innovations influence the sustainability of Healthcare service businesses. The context of the study is Premier Service Medical Investments (PSMI) Limited, Zimbabwe. A quantitative research, with a deductive approach was conducted using a self-administered structured questionnaire which was anchored on a 7-point Likert scale for gathering survey primary data. A purposively recruited sample of 350 employees with leadership responsibilities, were drawn from executive, middle management and supervisory levels. After testing and validating the reliability and validity of the questionnaire measures, a logistic regression was run to test the research hypotheses. The results reveal the following: Service Innovation had a positive relationship with Sustainability, indicating that a unit increase in Service Innovation has an effect of a 256% increase in odds of Sustainability. Product Innovation had a negative relationship with Sustainability, indicating that a unit increase in Product Innovation has an effect of a 13% decrease in odds of Sustainability. Technology Innovation had a positive relationship with Sustainability, indicating that a unit increase in Technology Innovation has an effect of a 25% increase in odds of Sustainability. Process Innovation had a positive relationship with Sustainability, indicating that a unit increase in Process Innovation has an effect of a 117% increase in odds of Sustainability. Moreover, using the linear regression method, the variable Service Innovation indicated that with an additional service, Sustainability increases by 27.1%. Technology Innovation showed that with an additional technology, sustainability increases by 4.3%. Process Innovation indicated that with an additional process, Sustainability increases by 36.6%. From the results, using the both the logistic and linear regression models, the findings indicate that strategic innovation significantly influences sustainability of healthcare services business in Zimbabwe. Arising from this research, sustainability of healthcare care business is seen to be triggered and driven by all 4 types of innovation evaluated in this research, namely: service, process, product and technology. It is recommended that these innovation dimensions be implemented within a defined internal environment supported by an innovation hub.


Keywords: Sustainability, Strategic Innovation, Logistic Regression, Linear Regression, Process Innovation, Service Innovation, Product Innovation, Technology Innovation