Competency model for general managers of chain independent clinical laboratory (ICL) subsidiaries

• Main Author: WEN, Haiyan
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2024
• Subjects: Accounting; Finance and Financial Management
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/etd_coll/643; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/etd_coll/article/1641/viewcontent/GPBF_AY2024_PhD_Haiyan_WEN_Final_20241217.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

An independent clinical laboratory (ICL) is a medical institution that has received approval from health authorities, holds independent legal status, and specializes in medical testing or pathological diagnostics, assuming responsibility independently. It is also referred to as a third-party medical testing laboratory. During in-depth research on the enterprises, it was found that while the chain ICL industry is rapidly growing, the issues of uncertainty and difficulty in selecting subsidiary general managers have become a common concern and pain point among senior managers. The study combines theoretical and data analysis to identify distinct and important competency characteristics of general managers of the chain ICL industry. Using discussions from an expert panel on the statistical analysis data, the study ultimately develops the Competency Model for General Managers of Chain ICL Subsidiaries. To ensure a reliable factual foundation for this model, the performance evaluation criteria for general managers of ICL subsidiaries are established first. The criteria assess high-performing and average-performing groups based on control variables, including factors such as the market environment of the city where the laboratory is located, the time of establishment, and the scale of operations. The evaluation criteria include four objective dimensions and one subjective dimension. Based on the criteria, the establishment of the model involves multiple methods and steps. The first step is to identify the competency characteristics that are most relevant to this sector from a wide array of options. To achieve this, a Competency Dictionary for General Managers of Chain ICL Subsidiaries was created using a literature review, expert panel discussions, and a modified Delphi method, featuring 46 competency characteristics. The second step is to further select the initial competency characteristics that preliminarily meet the model requirements by analyzing the differences among the various competency characteristics in the dictionary. This step utilized the behavioral event interview (BEI) to evaluate the compliance of 20 interviewees with 46 competency characteristics. The interviewees include general managers from Group A in the chain ICL industry, as well as from other chain ICL subsidiaries, to enhance the diversity of the research sample. Based on the established performance criteria, the samples were classified into high-performing and average-performing groups. Twentyone competency characteristics demonstrating statistically significant differences between the groups were initially selected. Considering the small sample size of this method, the data may be quite sensitive or prone to biases resulting from self-evaluation. To reduce any omissions, five additional competency characteristics identified as important by the interviewees were selected, resulting in a total of 26 characteristics as the initial competency characteristics for further analysis. The third step involves conducting an anonymous 360 compliance questionnaire to cross-measure the compliance of the 26 competency characteristics identified from the group that participated in previous interviews. Each respondent was anonymously rated on the compliance of the 26 competency characteristics by their superiors, peers, and direct subordinates. A difference analysis was conducted on the average data obtained from the two methods (BEI and the 360 questionnaire) to examine the significance of the differences in the 26 competency characteristics between the high-performing and average-performing groups. By combining self-evaluations with others' evaluations, this round improved the accuracy and reliability of the difference analysis, offering valuable insights for constructing the model. The fourth step is to analyze the importance of the 26 competency characteristics. The importance analysis was completed using another set of questionnaires, gathering and analyzing the evaluations regarding the importance of 26 competencies from 151 current or former subsidiary general managers in the industry. The model was ultimately built by an expert panel through an in-depth analysis of the results related to the difference and importance, along with the structuring of the model. The final competency characteristics established in the study include 22 items in six dimensions, organized into three levels: entry level, working level, and guiding level, together forming the Competency Model for General Managers of Chain ICL Subsidiaries.