Service Innovation Readiness of Health Institutions during COVID-19: A Perspective from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Akhtar, N.; Altalhi, H.; Ahmed, A.; Mustafa, F.; Meraj, M. A.

The purpose of the research was to explore the factors which affect service innovation in organizations and how the utilization of resources can improve organizational performance, and gain a competitive advantage by adopting numerous innovative practices. This study hypothesizes Service Innovation Readiness (SIR) to consist of Strategic Alignment favoring Service Innovation (SASI) and Empowering Structure for Service Innovation (ESSI), which regulate the organization's preparedness to adopt service innovation changes. Six dimensions were identified and analyzed to understand their effects on SASI and ESSI. A structured questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale was used to collect data from the selected hospitals of Saudi Arabia. The research results contribute considerably to the subject matter by theorizing SIR and the complex variable settings essential for embracing SI. This research also provides some understanding of the service innovation management dimension through a complete assessment that measures the organization's readiness and attempts to direct organizations' efforts to achieve and sustain competitive advantage. The study conducted is unique in the current geographic limits and has explored numerous SI areas of an organization's readiness to adopt service innovation.