Knowledge and culture influences on quality of care: a mixed methods approach

The pandemic reminded us that quality of care depends not only on medical expertise but also on how knowledge is shared and how organizational culture shapes professional behavior.

In our recent study, published in the International Journal of Information Management, we examined how knowledge management systems, competitive culture, and knowledge-sharing behaviors influence patient care. Drawing on data from 323 healthcare professionals in Portugal and a mixed-methods approach, we found two main pathways to achieving quality of care:

• Strong knowledge management systems alone can sustain high-quality care.
• Even without advanced systems, a mix of constructive competition and active knowledge sharing among professionals also leads to quality.

These findings highlight that cooperation and competition, often seen as opposites, can in fact work together to strengthen healthcare organizations and improve patient outcomes. It is an important reminder that there are different routes to achieving the same goal.

The full paper is available here

Recommended citation:
Gonçalves, T., Curado, C. & Oliveira, M. (2024). Knowledge and culture influences on quality of care: a mixed methods approach.International Journal of Information Management, 77, 102788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2024.102788