Employee Expertise Capital and Innovativeness of Private Hospitals in Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between employee expertise capital and innovativeness of private hospitals in Delta State, Nigeria. The study was motivated by challenges in the healthcare sector, including slow adoption of innovative practices, limited strategic learning, and inadequate adaptability to changing conditions, which hinder service quality and operational efficiency. Specifically, the research examined the relationship between professional knowledge competence and adaptability to changing conditions; ascertained the relationship between specialized skills and strategic learning programs; determined the relationship between focused training programs and new solution processes; and evaluated the relationship between problem-solving abilities and adaptability to changing conditions in private hospitals in Delta State. The study was anchored on Human Capital Theory and the Resource-Based View (RBV) of the firm. A survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 1,400 staff across 20 private hospitals in Delta State, with a sample size of 302 respondents determined using the Krejcie and Morgan table. Stratified random sampling ensured proportional representation across senatorial zones. Data was collected using structured questionnaires, 302 copies of questionnaire were distributed and 252 copies were valid for analysis, validated through face and content validation, and tested for reliability using Cronbach’s Alpha (α), with all sections exceeding the acceptable threshold of 0.70. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed a moderate positive and significant relationship exist between professional knowledge competence and adaptability to changing conditions; strong positive and significant relationships between specialized skills and strategic learning programs; focused training programs and new solution processes; and problem-solving abilities and adaptability to changing conditions. The study concluded that employee expertise capital significantly enhances hospital adaptability, strategic learning, and innovativeness. It recommended continuous professional development, recruitment of specialized staff, targeted training programs, and cultivation of problem-solving abilities.