Customer Management Agility and Service Delivery in Level Six Private Hospitals in Nairobi County, Kenya
Abstract
In today's increasingly competitive healthcare market, service delivery must be of high quality to make patients satisfied, reduce death rates and make hospitals competitive. Even though there has been an increase in the coverage of health care service in Kenya, the quality of services as delivered by the advanced referral hospitals is still constrained by the lack of staffing, poor resources, and weak operation of the hospital affecting the delivery of specialised services. This study sought to assess the effect of customer management agility on service delivery in Level Six Private Hospitals in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was anchored on the Service-Dominant Logic Theory. The study used a descriptive cross-sectional research design and targeted employees of Aga Khan University Hospital, The Nairobi Hospital and MP Shah Hospital. The unit of analysis consisted of staff members in the public relations, human resources, administration and supply chain/procurement departments of the three hospitals. The data was primary and was collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Data was analysed using both in descriptive and inferential statistics. The relationship between customer management agility and service delivery was established using correlation and regression analyses. The correlation results showed a positive and significant association between customer management agility and service delivery (r = 0.589, p < 0.05). Similarly, regression analysis established a positive and statistically significant effect of customer management agility on service delivery (β = 0.292, p = 0.000). The study concluded that the ability of Level Six private hospitals to respond flexibly and promptly in managing customers plays an important role in improving healthcare service delivery, and that differences in the application of customer management strategies indicate a need for a more uniform approach to customer service. The study recommends that Level Six private hospitals in Nairobi County scale up their agility practices in the management of customers by establishing standard patient feedback collection procedures, continuously training customer-facing staff, and using technology to enable communication between hospitals and patients.
Keywords: Customer Management Agility, Service Delivery, Patient Feedback, Responsiveness, Digital Tools, Level Six Private Hospitals.
References
Abu-Nahel, Z. O., Alagha, W. H., Al Shobaki, M. J., Abu-Naser, S. S., & El Talla, S. A. (2020). Quality of services and its role in improving strategic flexibility in non-governmental hospitals.
Abu-Radi, S., & Al-Hawajreh, K. M. (2023). Strategic agility and its effect on the operations competitive capabilities in Jordanian private hospitals. Middle East University.
Abusalma, A. (2021). Strategic agility and its effect on competitive capabilities in healthcare.
Anselin, L., & Florax, R. J. G. M. (2012). New directions in spatial econometrics. Springer Science & Business Media.
Botmedicscare. (2024, September 20). How to improve healthcare customer service with technology. Botmedicscare. https://botmedicscare.com/healthcare-customer-service/
E-Cunha, M. P., Rego, A., Oliveira, P., Rosado, P., & Habib, N. (2019). Strategic agility: A paradox-based conceptualization. Journal of Strategic Management, 5(3), 115–128.
Field, A., Miles, J., & Field, Z. (2018). Discovering statistics using R (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Grönroos, C. (2011). Value co-creation in service logic: A critical analysis. Marketing Theory, 11(3), 279–301. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470593111408177
Kalisa, F., & Anatole, J. (2025). Examination of the predictive power of service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction with health services in Rwanda. Journal of Business and Strategic Management, 10, 51–70. https://doi.org/10.47941/jbsm.2803
Kalogiannidis, S., & Chatzitheodoridis, F. (2022). Effects of agile customer relation management system on business performance and entrepreneurship. WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development, 18, 496–503.
Karatu, E. N. (2024). Influence of strategic leadership on medical employees' performance in county referral hospitals of central region economic bloc, Kenya [Doctoral dissertation, Kenya Methodist University].
Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis. (2023). Policy brief No. 14 of 2023–2024: Promoting healthcare service delivery in Kenya. KIPPRA. https://repository.kippra.or.ke/handle/123456789/4638
Kothari, C. R., & Garg, G. (2018). Research methodology: Methods and techniques (4th ed.). New Age International Publishers.
Kuria, J., & Ndeto, D. (2024). Supply chain agility and performance of selected private hospitals in Nairobi City County, Kenya. International Journal of Supply Chain Management, 9(2), 45–56.
Machuki, M. K., Kwendo, E. S., & Fozia, N. (2023). The moderating role of procurement governance on the relationship between supply chain agility and service delivery of the public health care sector in the county governments of western region, Kenya. International Journal of Business, Economics, and Social Development, 4(3), 161–174.
Muli, A. M., & Kiiru, D. (2025). Organizational agility and service delivery in deposit taking savings and credit cooperative societies in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 12(2), 1582–1600.
Musili, T. M., & Mutinda, B. (2021). Strategic management practices and service delivery at public hospitals in Kenya: A case of Kenyatta National Hospital. Journal of Strategic Management, 5(3), 115–128.
Mwongera, R. G. (2023). Strategy implementation practices and competitive advantage among selected private hospitals in Nairobi, Kenya [Master's thesis, St. Paul's University]. Global Scientific Journal.
Ngeche, J., & Kaluyu, V. (2023). Organizational agility capabilities and sustainable competitive advantage in private multi-practice hospitals in Kenya. The University Journal, 179–194.
Ngo, V. M., & Vu, H. M. (2021). Can customer relationship management create customer agility and superior firms' performance? International Journal of Business & Society, 22(2).
Nyamai, O. M. (2023). Strategic interventions and quality service delivery in public hospitals in Embu County, Kenya [Master's thesis, Kenyatta University].
Obaje, S. A., & Abdullahi, M. A. (2021). Operational efficiency and patient satisfaction in Nigerian tertiary hospitals: A performance-based approach. African Journal of Health Economics and Policy, 4(2), 45–59.
OECD. (2021). Health at a glance 2021: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/4dd50c09-en
Odeh, I. M., & Alkshali, S. J. (2024). The effect of strategic agility on the quality of healthcare at Jordanian private hospitals. International Journal of Entrepreneurship, 28(S6), 1–11.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research. Journal of Marketing, 49(4), 41–50.
Payne, A. F., Storbacka, K., & Frow, P. (2008). Managing the co-creation of value. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 36(1), 83–96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-007-0070-0
Raiji, N. D. (2025). Strategic implementation practices and service delivery of national referral hospitals in Kenya: A case study of Kenyatta National Referral Hospital [Master's thesis, Kenyatta University].
Saleh, H. H., Abbas, Z. A., Latif, N., & Khalil, Z. T. (2024). Agile management in healthcare improving patient outcomes through flexibility and responsiveness. Journal of Ecohumanism, 3(5), 633–649.
Seify, N., Tabaeeian, R., & Khoshfetrat, A. (2020). Customer satisfaction trends in private hospitals: A three-year survey. Journal of Health Services Research, 12(4), 211–219.
Subbarayudu, C. B. V., Singh, H. P., Karamthoti, M. B., & Rao, M. (2024). A conceptual approach to research methodology and data analytics. Academic Guru Publishing House.
Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2004). Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing. Journal of Marketing, 68(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.68.1.1.24036
Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2008). Service-dominant logic: Continuing the evolution. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 36(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-007-0069-6
Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2016). Institutions and axioms: An extension and update of service-dominant logic. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 44(1), 5–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-015-0456-3
Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2021). Service-dominant logic 2021: Continuing the evolution. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 49(4), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-020-00741-9
Wahome, K. W. (2025). Effect of strategic agility strategies on the performance of five-star hotels in Nairobi County, Kenya [Doctoral dissertation, Kisii University].
Waithaka, S., Kyongo, J., & Omagwa, J. (2025). Strategic alignment and performance of private hospitals in Kenya. Journal of Health Policy and Management, 7(1), 45–59.
Wanjiru, L., & Muthoni, G. (2023). Improving patient engagement through CRM systems: A pathway to improved healthcare delivery. International Medical Science Research Journal, 4(10), 88–97. https://doi.org/10.51594/imsrj.v4i10.1648
World Health Organization. (2023). Universal health coverage: Moving together to build a healthier world.
Yanti, N., Faiza, D., Dewi, R., & Wibisono, A. (2020). Consumer perceptions of service quality in healthcare: A SERVQUAL-based analysis. International Journal of Health Services Management, 6(1), 55–68.
