Operational flexibility impact on hospital performance through the roles of employee engagement and management capability

Background Very limited empirical research has been done on operational flexibility management in the healthcare industry, especially in hospital settings. This study aimed to propose a model of the effects of operational flexibility on hospital performance through management capability and employee engagement as mediating variables.Methods The proposed model is validated through an empirical study among 480 clinical and administrative staff from five hospitals in Jordan. Structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis were the main techniques used to validate the model and examine the hypotheses.Results Operational flexibility was demonstrated to have a positively significant impact on hospital performance, management capability, and employee engagement. Employee engagement was demonstrated to positively impact hospital performance. Management capability had a significant result on hospital performance without having a clear impact. In addition, management capability and employee engagement played a major role as partial mediating effects between operational flexibility and hospital performance, and there is a role for employee engagement as a partial mediating effect between management capability and hospital performance.Conclusion Significant progress has been achieved in hospital management, especially in terms of operational flexibility, management capability, and staff engagement.