2) Human Resources
With the advent of the knowledge economy, strategic resources, such as
human capital, have emerged as the primary source of competitive
advantage for organizations (Su et al., 2009). It highlights that
employees at every organizational level constitute the resources for an
organization’s competitive advantage (Chan et al., 2004). Human
resources can possess the training, experience, judgment, intelligence,
relationships, and insight of individual managers and workers in an
organization (Barney, 1991). Moreover, human resources encompass
practical know-how, competencies, educational background, and individual
psychometric assessments (Su et al., 2009). With the availability of
this skilled labor, organizations find it more feasible to harness the
labor pool for enhanced performance (Teodoro & Switzer, 2016).
Therefore, recognized as a strategic asset, human resources can play a
pivotal role in fostering organizational competitiveness and success
(Barney, 1991; Su et al., 2009).
Specifically, in the highly professionalized healthcare sector, the role
of human resources has become more significant in improving
organizational performance. Skilled and motivated healthcare
professionals, including physicians, nurses, and support staff, are
essential for delivering high-quality care. Moreover, their efforts
contribute to a positive patient experience, fostering satisfaction and
trust in the healthcare institution. Prior studies provided empirical
evidence that human resources improve hospital outcomes (Lang et al.,
2004; Bartel et al., 2014). Thus, we hypothesize that hospitals with
greater human resources are positively associated with quality of care
and patient satisfaction.
H2-1: Hospitals with greater human resources are more likely to provide
better quality of care.
H2-2: Hospitals with greater human resources are more likely to lead to
higher patient satisfaction.