Structural and Cultural Differences in the Implementation of Succession Planning Systems: A Comparative Case Study of Public and Private Hospitals in Kerman City
Keywords:
Succession planning, public and private hospitals, structural differences, cultural differences, structural equation modeling, fuzzy DEMATELAbstract
The objective of this study was to examine the structural and cultural differences influencing succession planning implementation and to conduct a comparative analysis of succession planning systems in public and private hospitals in Kerman city. This study employed a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design within a pragmatist research paradigm. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through 20 semi-structured interviews with academic experts, hospital managers, and human resource professionals, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. In the quantitative phase, a researcher-developed questionnaire based on qualitative findings was administered to 237 managers and key personnel from public and private hospitals in Kerman city. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and analysis of variance with SPSS, LISREL, and SmartPLS software. Factor analysis results identified five significant components of succession planning implementation: organizational structure, organizational culture, managerial support, performance evaluation system, and talent development, all with significant factor loadings and acceptable model fit indices. Structural equation modeling results indicated that organizational structure had the strongest positive and significant effect on succession planning implementation (β=0.42, t>1.96), followed by organizational culture (β=0.39), managerial support (β=0.36), performance evaluation system (β=0.31), and talent development (β=0.29). Analysis of variance results revealed statistically significant differences between public and private hospitals across all succession planning components (p<0.05), with private hospitals demonstrating more favorable succession planning conditions. The findings indicate that successful succession planning implementation requires flexible organizational structures, supportive organizational cultures, effective performance evaluation systems, and strong managerial commitment, and structural and cultural differences between public and private hospitals play a critical role in determining succession planning effectiveness.
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