The Impact of Internal Marketing on Improving the Quality of Healthcare Services: A Field Study of Yemeni Private Hospitals in Ibb City

Abstract

Introduction: Improving the quality of healthcare services has become a strategic necessity in the contemporary business environment, even in the face of the challenging and unstable conditions. This improvement has emerged as one of the essential goals healthcare institutions seek to achieve to enhance their competitiveness and ensure their sustainability.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impact of internal marketing, with its dimensions of employees' selection, training, motivation, empowerment, and internal communication, on improving the quality of healthcare services in the Yemeni private hospitals in Ibb City.

Methods: To achieve the study objectives, the descriptive analytical approach was used relying on a questionnaire using Likert's seven-point scale. The study included a stratified random sample of 414 individuals from a population of 1,638 employees in 12 hospitals.

Results: The study concluded that the level of internal marketing availability was moderate, with a mean score of 4.70 and a standard deviation of 1.031, representing 67.1% of the total average whereas the quality of health services was high, with a mean score of 5.59 and a standard deviation of 0.904, representing 80% of the total average. The results also showed a statistically significant impact of internal marketing with dimensions of employees' selection, motivation, empowerment, and internal communication of combined on improving the quality of health services while training dimension did not demonstrate a significant impact on the quality of health services.

Conclusions: Internal marketing is an influential factor in improving the quality of health services in  the Yemeni private hospitals. Although its level is still moderate, its overall impact is positive and statistically significant. Furthermore, four of its dimensions (employees' selection, motivation, empowerment, and internal communication) play a direct role in improving service quality. However, it appears that training is not implemented effectively enough to have a significant impact, which calls for a reconsideration of mechanisms for designing and implementing training programs.