Developing a Measurement Scale of Gender-Friendly Hospital Environments: An Exploratory Study of Customer Perceptions in Taiwan

Ying-Chyi Chou, Dang Van Thac, Hsin-Yi Yen and Pi-Shan Hsu
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Ying-Chyi Chou: Department of Business Administration, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan
Dang Van Thac: Business School, Research Institute for Guangdong-Taiwan Business Cooperation, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
Hsin-Yi Yen: Department of International Business, Providence University, Taichung 43301, Taiwan
Pi-Shan Hsu: Department of Family Medicine, Taichung Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taichung 40704, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-14

Abstract: According to the United Nations, males and females should be given equal treatment in physical and psychological services, and healthcare institutions should exert greater efforts to reduce the gap in gender equality. However, this issue has been largely ignored in previous literature on healthcare environments. Designing a hospital environment that focuses on gender differences is critical to academic researchers and practical managers in all healthcare institutions. Thus, as an exploratory effort, this study aims to develop a measurement to assess customer perceptions of gender-friendly hospital environments. To identify and refine the structure of the instrument, two studies are conducted at different hospitals in Taiwan. The exploratory evidence shows there are five factors (i.e., physical design, functional design, marking design, gender perception, and gender-friendly services) and 28 items in the measurement scale of gender-friendly hospital environments. Results also show that gender-friendly hospital environments affect customers’ loyalty and willingness to pay. Based on our findings, hospital practitioners and researchers can adopt the measurement instrument used in this study to deal with the gap of gender equality in healthcare environments.

Keywords: healthcare environment; gender differences; customer perception; customer loyalty; customer willingness to pay (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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