Fleet management system, perceived service quality and the public health sector performance in Zimbabwe

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-04-2022-0103
• Published date: 30 January 2023
• Date: 30 January 2023
• Pages: 113-129
• Subject Matter: Public policy & environmental management,Politics,Public adminstration & management
• Author: Lovemore Chikazhe,Sibonile Siziba,Thomas Bhebhe,Obert Sifile,Brighton Nyagadza

Fleet management system,

perceived service quality

and the public health sector

performance in Zimbabwe

Lovemore Chikazhe, Sibonile Siziba, Thomas Bhebhe and Obert Sifile

Chinhoyi University of Technology, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe, and

Brighton Nyagadza

Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology,

Marondera, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Purpose –The purpose of the study is to establish the relationship between public health sector performance

(PHSP), fleet management system, perceived service quality (PSQ) and management style (MS).

Design/methodology/approach –A total of 260 managerial employees were randomly selected from 5

major public hospitals in Zimbabwe to participate in this cross-sectional survey.

Findings –Fleet management system was found to positively influence both PSQ and PHSP. The results

indicated that PSQ has a positive effect on PHSP. MS was found to moderate the effect of fleet management

system on both PSQ and PHSP.

Originality/value –The current studyprovides fresh insights and validates extant knowledge on PHSP, fleet

management and PSQ within the public health sector departments. It extends further knowledge on the public

health performance in the Sub-Saharan region, as it shows that dimensions on fleet management have a direct

influence on PHSP.

Keywords Fleet management system, Perceived service quality, Public health sector performance, Zimbabwe

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

In an effort to improve service delivery and organisational performance, the public sector

is incorporating advanced technologies in their fleet management systems such as

Global Positioning System (GPS), telematics systems and advanced vehicle location

among others (Kent, 2021). In the same vein, developing countries especially those in the

Eastern and Southern Africa, the uptake and use of wireless technology is on a slow

growth although feet management systems initiatives are becoming a solution

considering the macro business environment which has just become integrated through

globalisation and intensive competition for easy access to raw materials and profitable

markets (Joo et al.,2017). Reality in the greatest parts of Africa is that most institutions

especially those under the public sector have not yet advanced in line with transport

technology (Dube and Kunaka, 2019), and consequently they have become popular with

endless anomalies especially on how services are delivered to end users (Kumar and

Anbanandam, 2020). Kabote et al. (2019) insist that both private and public sectors in some

developing nations are transforming themselves from transport management systems

that are manual to technologically advanced systems therefore significantly eliminating

costs associated to the transportation of goods.

Zimbabwe’s public health sector cannot be spared when alluding to the subject of fleet

management systems as it is lagging behind (Chiware and Vyas-doorgapersad, 2021).

The Zimbabwean public health sector is currently experiencing service delivery challenges

Public health

sector

performance in

Zimbabwe

113

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

https://www.emerald.com/insight/0951-3558.htm

Received 22 April 2022

Revised 25 October 2022

1 January 2023

Accepted 12 January 2023

International Journal of Public

Sector Management

Vol. 36 No. 2, 2023

pp. 113-129

© Emerald Publishing Limited

0951-3558

DOI 10.1108/IJPSM-04-2022-0103

leading to unsatisfactory performance (Chikwawawa and Bvirindi, 2019). The transport

department is also affected, and this is evidenced by broken down fleet, corrupt personnel,

dishonest drivers among others (Kabote et al., 2019;Timire et al., 2018). Thus, the public

health sector performance (PHSP) is affected and the quality of service offered is way below

the expected standard (Banda Chitsamatanga and Malinga, 2021). It therefore entails that

Zimbabwe’s public health institutions are not exceptional cases with regard to backward

transport systems such as the use of manual logbooks which have become the major cause of

anomalies on the state of health care delivery (Cavalieri et al., 2019). It is most likely from this

angle that Kent (2021) argued that transport challenges which are currently being faced

within the public institutions are primarily due to a deficiency of technology to support

operations. Further to this, Kabote et al. (2019) argue that failure of public institutions in

Zimbabwe is due to poor management and the absence of transport policies which are clearly

defined to guide the daily public transport sector operations. It is also highlighted that the

public health sector has not bothered adopting more advanced or latest technologies which

are currently used for tracking and viable fleet management systems to eventually enable

superior service quality and sustainable health care performance (Timire et al., 2018). It is

therefore on the basis of this background that the study sought to examine the effect of fleet

management system on perceived service quality (PSQ) and the PHSP in Zimbabwe.

The study further considered the moderation effect of management style (MS) on the effect of

fleet management on PHSP and PSQ. The objectives of the study were to establish the effect

of fleet management system on PHSP and PSQ, determine whether PSQ influences PHSP.

In addition, the study sought to find out whether MS moderates the effect of fleet

management system on both PSQ and PHSP.

Theoretical framework

Theories underpinning the study

The current study was underpinned by two theories, namely the game theory of fleet

managementproblems and theoryof vehicle management systems.The game theory takesinto

accountat least two participantsor players, who are assumed tobe rational and derive a certain

gain or loss fromthe various outcomes that resultfrom the game’s occurrence (Liu et al., 2020).

Thus, the fleet management departmentwithin the public health sector in Zimbabweought to

properly manage its fleet to avoid losses. The theory of vehicle management systems is

concerned with managing the overall state of the vehicle in response to both external and

internalsystem conditions (Watson and Johnson,2007). This necessitatesthe representation of

the vehicle state within the vehicle management systems as a basis for decisions in order to

preserve human life and mission objectives. Hence, the current study sought to investigate

effect of fleet management system on the performance of the health sector with an aim of

achieving superiorservice quality.

Public health sector performance. Public sector performance is defined as an organisation’s

ability topursue efficiency and increaseproductivity in the deliveryof public services(Arshad

et al., 2020). Performance in the health sector can be described as the ability to create

“populationvalue,”and its role isto support this goal by providingacute care and coordinating

their activitieswith other settings of care (Costumato, 2021;Felix and Sasipraba,2021). Three

general outcome measures are used to assess the performance of the public health sector:

quality, equityand efficiency (Johari et al., 2018). A performance measure for thepublic health

sectorcan also be used to assess the abilityto provide public health services,the specific actions

taken to provide the services and the consequencesof providing the services (Palumbo, 2020;

Rashid and Said, 2018). Some of the key performance indicators for public health sector

organisations are people, technology, quality, time, growth and financial performance (Haris

et al.,2019;Na-nan et al.,2018).

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