Implementation of the Hub and Spoke Model to Achieve Sustsinable Competitive Advantage by Healthcare Global Cancer Care Kenya

Abstract

For organizations to achieve sustainable competitive advantage, they must position themselves strategically against those they compete with. This normally entails coming up with specific strategies and implementing them in order to have an edge over competitors. Organizations formulate strategies to define how they will be superior. Strategy implementation on the other hand involves the use of managerial and organizational tools to channel resources with the aim of accomplishing strategic results. With increase in patient care in Kenya, hospitals have to ensure they are able to meet the needs of the patients at a minimal cost while guaranteeing quality and access to care. This has changed the dynamics in service provision with hospitals like HCGCCK resorting to the hub and spoke model to provide patient centered care that is quality and affordable. This study was guided by two objectives that is; to find out how HCGCCK is implementing the hub and spoke model to achieve sustainable competitive advantage with the second objective being to find out the challenges of implementing the hub and spoke model. In-depth interviews were used to collect data from top managers at HCGCCK. Content data analysis was employed to analyze data collected where analysis and interpretation of main contents and concepts was guided by the research objectives. From the findings of the study it was apparent that the implementation of the hub and spoke model has helped HCGCCK achieve competitive advantage. It is prudent therefore to point out that a firm’s strategies help it to achieve competitive advantage. The study revealed that the resource based view, the open systems theory and Mckinsey’s 7S framework of strategy implementation has a lot to do in formulation and implementation of strategy by hospitals as we move towards patient centered care. Due to time constrain, the study had a limitation in that it had to focus on one hospital but despite this, the validity of the results from the study was upheld. The study recommends that further research be conducted to find out the extent to which the challenge of delay in getting statutory approvals affects implementation of strategies in healthcare.