The perspectives of banking and health sector administrators regarding the Six Sigma approach

Abstract

Six Sigma is a statistics-based approach focusing on minimizing defects and variations in products and processes. Although it is used generally in production-based businesses, Six Sigma has been used in service sector businesses in the recent years as well. The aim of this study is to determine healthcare and banking sector managers’ perceptions related to Six Sigma, and compare healthcare managers and banking managers in terms of their opinions about six sigma. The study was done between February 2016 and October 2016 in private healthcare organizations and private banks operating in Turkey. The intended population of the study involves the managers working in these organizations. To compare perceptions of healthcare sector managers and banking sector managers, Mann Whitney-U test was used. According to the statistical tests performed, there is not any statistically significant difference between healthcare sector managers and banking sector managers in terms of their view about Six Sigma. However, managers from the both sectors noted that Six Sigma could provide important advantages to their organizations. This result was considered as important because it indicates that Six Sigma can offer benefits for different and distinct parts of service sector, such as banking and healthcare. © 2017 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved.