ion, and, in the 1990s, greater
product quality is both the fastest and the best way to build
consumer satisfaction levels (Gilbert, 1993, p. 18).
Improved quality costs an organization money in the short
run. In the long run, however, improving quality generates
greater financial efficiency for an organization. Poor quality
means poor financial performance in the long run (Weinheimer,
1993, p. 10). Therefore, expenditures on quality control should
not be looked at by an organization as some sort of add on cost.
Rather, such expenditures should be considered by an organization
as integral production costs whether the product being produced
is a good, as in a manufacturing organization, or a service, as
in a health care delivery organization. Return on investment has
been found to be more a function of product quality than of
price, regardless of the type of activity manufacturing,
service, and so forth (Miller and Camp, 1985, p. 88).
Quality management is a feasible concept for implementation
by health care delivery institutions. There is every reason to
believe that military health care delivery institutions may
benefit from the implementation of quality management programs,
and that patient satisfaction at such institutions will be
improved through the adoption of such programs.
Five research questions were investigated. Hypotheses were
tested in relation to each of the research questions. These
research questions and the associated hypotheses are as follows:
Research question number 1. Does awareness among
military healthcare personnel of quality management concepts vary
according to position classification, age, gender, status, or
longevity with the military healthcare system?
Hypothesis number 1.1. Awareness among military
healthcare personnel of quality management concepts will not vary
as a function...